4 topics to chose from Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

4 topics to chose from - Essay Example He explains that if a person thinks then he/she exists. This he confirmed through the use of the use of senses, he concludes that thought go hand in hand with being conscious. As a demonstration of his principles of thought and doubt, he conducted an experiment using wax. In his demonstration, the wax has certain characteristics as informed by the brain but the wax loses its characteristics once it put before a flame (Descartes 28). The wax though melted is still the same thing but the brain through his thoughts informs him that the wax characteristics are different. The use of this experiment meant to remove all doubts and uncertainty and thus to ensure that thoughts are used in guiding an individual’s beliefs. Descartes was considered the father of modern philosophy since he constructed many philosophies in use today. As a result of his philosophy of doubts, he went ahead and constructed a system of knowledge. In his system of knowledge, Descartes admitted to disregarding perception as unreliable and only admitting to deduction as a method. Descartes also explained the existence of God through the fact that God gave him a working mind and senses. In his argument, Descartes argues that God provided him with a sensory system that did not intend to deceive him (Descartes 59). As a result, the sensory perceptions appeared to him were involuntary and he used his senses to explain the external World. According to Descartes, the external world was brought about by the need for material things (Watson 51). In essence, the scientific method can be considered as a process, in which one corrects himself and his previous knowledge, through continuous examination of truth, for the final aim of finding answers to questions. This examination of truth is what is referred to as doubt and skepticism by Descartes. Theoretically, the scientific method of thinking, as practiced by famous thinkers such as Galileo and Francis Bacon,

Research methodology used to collect data and converting the data into Essay

Research methodology used to collect data and converting the data into meaningful information - Essay Example The author has selected the issue for discussion after reading the article in newspaper about the sporting habit of person in London. The researcher will use qualitative research methodology in order to gather personal insights of respondents regarding the research problem. Using qualitative methodology will help the researcher to get personal viewpoints of respondents which will help the researcher to address the research problem without using any categorical boundaries or subjective assumptions. Fife and Saunders et al have argued that, using secondary data sources such as books, printed peer reviewed journals; government data etc to collect data can also be classified as good way to conduct qualitative research. Following the argument of research scholars, the researcher will use secondary data sources as a neutral medium to construct the theoretical argument in the literature review and later on test the validity of the response of respondents. The researcher will use convenience sampling as part of non-probabilistic sampling method for selecting respondents for the interview. Using convenience sampling method will help the researcher to conduct the interview in timely and cost efficient manner. After observing the behaviour of players in sports centre the researcher will select one respondent who is ready to give interview for more than 1hour. Research scholars Punch and Patton have stated that using unstructured interview can is helpful in cases where researcher is planning to gather information from respondents without imposing any priori categorization. In this paper, the researcher will use unstructured interview to give chances to respondents to express their viewpoint on the research topic in unhindered manner. The researcher will use a casual approach to slowly drag the interviewee to the core research objectives and allow the interviewees to direct the further flow of interview. There might be cases, where the researcher will ask some contextual qu estions to interviewee in order to engage him/her with the interview process. Entire unstructured interview process will be tape recorded and later on these interview transcripts will be produced in the data analysis sections. The researcher will fix appointment with the interviewee prior to the unstructured interview and also take his/her permission before asking any sensitive questions. The researcher will examine preconceptions by checking the validity of responses by consulting books and academic journals written on the topic. As the research questions will be open ended hence no coding technique will be used to quantify the responses. The researcher will ensure the respondent that their responses will only be used for academic purposes and their identity will not be revealed for any commercial purposes. The researcher will also ensure that respondent is aware about the ethical norms prior conducting unstructured interview. Transcription The respondent is almost 39 years of age and he is not a sports person by profession. However, the person visits the sports centre thrice/week in order to play his favourite game lawn tennis. The respondent loves lawn tennis for the

The role of teaching assistants

The role of teaching assistants This essay will discuss the different roles of teaching assistants in primary schools, through first hand observation and also by way of other resources such as government guidelines and journal articles. Teaching assistants (TAs) were originally given the title of non-teaching assistants, however, the non was dropped when it became clear that teaching assistant provided valuable input into the everyday workings of the classroom. TAs were introduced in an attempt to reduce the workload of teachers which would in turn raise the standards of the classroom in which the work (DfES, 2000). Between 1999-2001 the government injected considerable funds into Local Education Authorities to enable them to employ and train around 20,000 new teaching assistants (Ofsted, 2002). The DfES (2003) states that teaching assistants are providing effective and valuable support in a wide range of settings and envisages an enhanced role for teaching assistants to free teachers from non related tasks. My observations seem to mirror the governments guidelines and proposals for utilizing TAs to reduce the workload of teachers. From my observations of teaching assistants in the classroom, I have found that they have many roles and responsibilities. I have also observed that different teaching assistants have different roles. For example: the main TA for the class has duties varying from gathering resources and taking photographs, to playground duties and helping small groups of children stay on task in the classroom. This particular TA also has the responsibility of teaching small groups of children for Rocket Reading. In rocket reading, children gather from different classes and are grouped by ability rather than age. The TA has the responsibility of teaching the key sounds and words for their level. There is also a floating teaching assistant who moves between classes, as and when she is needed. This TA appears to mainly focus on tasks which do not involve the children such as photocopying resources and making up the display boards. However there is research that suggests, if not used effectively, that TAs could possibly have a detrimental effect (albeit inadvertently) on the educational and social wellbeing of some pupils, particularly those who have special educational needs. Children with special educational needs often have a TA who works almost exclusively with them. There is research which suggests that excessive proximity of teaching assistants could lead to things such as behavioural problems and social isolation as the child becomes to dependant on the TA (Giangreco Doyle, 2007). I have observed rare occasions when the teaching assistant has had responsibility for the whole class. However, this is only for very short amounts of time and usually during transition times for example, between the end of lunchtime play and the start of the afternoon session. I have not seen any evidence that the TAs are expected to do any whole class teaching. In the absence of the class teacher, a supply teacher is used rather than giving the responsibility to the teaching assistants. This may be due to the lack of adequate training of the TAs or the preference of the head teacher, unfortunately I have not, as yet had the opportunity to find out this information. However, the Secretary of State has suggested that the role of teaching assistants could be expanded to include supervising classes undertaking work set by the class teacher, administering tests and covering teacher absence (Ofsted, 2002). Cajkler Suschitzky ( 2007) suggest that TAs should be quite deeply invloved in the everday workings of the classroom. This should include knowing about the curriculum, schemes of work, policy and lesson planning. However, from my observations, the TAs do not have any input into what is taught or how but just follow instructions given by the teacher. These are usually things such as keeping children on task rather than giving any indepth help on the lesson being covered. The TAs often have to refer back to the teacher when asked a question by a child. The TAs do seem to be expected to know the curriculum in any depth, schemes of work or policy. These things do not appear to be relevant to the tasks which are expected of them. The only task in which i have seen the TAs using and needing any indepth knowledge is in the rocket reading exercises. Some of the TAs in the school have had training in this area and therefore have the extra knowledge which is used to the advantage of the rest of the teaching staff and also benefits the children as they can be taught in much smaller groups. Many reports and studies show that the use of teaching assistants in the classroom benefit the teacher as well as the children. However, a report by the Institute of Education suggests that less progress is made by children who have the support of a TA than those of a similar age and ability who do not receive the same level of assistance. The report claims that the more support they recieve the fewer gains they make. The findings are based on two main problems that are interlinked. It is claimed that teaching assistants are often assigned to the children in most need of educational help. However, this means that the child has less time with a qualified teacher , therefore reducing the amount of actual teaching they receive (Times, 2008). From my observations i would somewhat agree with these findings. One child in the class has recently oined the class after arriving from Poland.he receives extremly little support, guidence or teaching fom the class teacher.his day is spent either with a non speaking TA or working independently. However he is lucky enough to have another six year old in the class who is also Polish but speaks very good english who translates for him. In conclusion, i feel that that TAs are an extremely important part of the dailybrunning of the classroom. The main roles in which they are involved in allows the teacher to concentrate on actually teaching the class rather than concentrating on what could be seen as less important tasks. However, i feel that TAs need to be trained in all aspects of the roles which they are expected to undertake. Cajkler, W., Suschitzky, W. (2007). Teamwork in the primary classroom. In J. Moyles (Ed.), Beginning Teaching Beginning Learning in Primary Education (pp. 181-191). Maidenhead: Open University Press. DfES. (2003). Raising standards and tackling workload: a national agreement. London: DfES. DfES. (2000, October). Working with Teaching Assistants. Retrieved March 8, 2010, from www.tda.gov.uk: http://www.tda.gov.uk/upload/resources/pdf/w/working_with_tas.pdf Giangreco, M. F., Doyle, M. B. (2007). Teaching assistants in inclusive schools. In L.Florian, The Sage Handbook of Special Education (pp. 429-439). London: Sage. Ofsted. (2002, April 16). Ofsted. Retrieved March 8, 2010, from Ofsted: https://ofsted3.openanswers.com/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Education/Leadership/Management/Teaching-assistants-in-primary-schools-an-evaluation-of-the-quality-and-impact-of-their-work/(language)/eng-GB Times, T. (2008). Pupils using teaching assistants make less progress. Retrieved march 8, 2010, from Teaching Times: http://www.teachingtimes.com/articles/teaching-assistants-less-progress.htm

Test Of Courage :: essays research papers

Test of Courage On the night of September 30th 1999, I was about to begin what would seem to be the longest night of my life. Weeks of physical, mental, and emotional training would climax and end after this final test. A test of endurance, teamwork, mental focus, and most of all courage was about to begin. Thoughts raced through my head as I anxiously prepared myself. Will I remember everything I have been trained? Will my shipmates let me down? Some had dreaded this night for weeks; others awaited its arrival like children on Christmas morning. I had a mixture of feelings, as I was about to begin what the Navy calls Battle Stations. Battle Stations is a fourteen-hour test of everything that had been taught in the previous thirteen weeks of boot camp. The most difficult part of Battle Stations is dealing with the sleep depravation accumulated over the previous weeks. We were allowed two hours of sleep before the challenge that would "make or break" us. I can remember the dark barracks, lit only by red lights representing emergency procedures in a ship setting. The room seemed to have a very still, quiet feel like a storm was creeping near. My bunkmate Johnson and I polished our boots as we agreed that neither of us would sleep for the two hours we are given. Johnson and I had developed a close friendship over time and we motivated each other in every obstacle we faced. He was slightly taller than I, had a stalky frame and spoke with a thick East Coast accent that I often humorously imitated. I laid in my bunk focusing on my body, and what will be expected from it tonight. By that time, I had been awake for several hours and lack of food caused fatigue to set in. Piercing alarm sirens and bright flashing lights interrupted my concentration; our excitingly eventful night had just begun. Within seven minutes my entire division was in full gear with tight seals on our gas masks and standing at attention in front of our bunks. Then something unexpected happened. A team of Ex-Navy Seal's rushed into the barracks like a stampede of wild horses. Their presence motivated us all as we began chanting Navy songs. Before I knew it we were barreling down the stairs of the barracks, or "Ship" as it is called in the Navy.

Ethical Egosim and Sentiment: Examing Decision-Making in the Grey Area Essay

If there were one particular ethical theory that would universally fit all situations, ethics would be an open/shut case. However, that simply isn’t how ethical theories work. While, some may have significantly more merit than others on a scale of universal application, there are some situations where relativism comes into play when deciphering which theory best suits a given situation. The relativism referred to here is of a personal nature. A person is the sum of their experiences and actions. Additionally, even if a person has a straight-pointing moral compass, these past life experiences, combined with their current situation, can weigh heavily in deciding the morality of a decision when approaching issues that lay in a gray area. Take, for example, the story of an uneducated person from an underprivileged background, who’s only foreseeable chance at bettering their life is exceling in a specific sport they have a natural talent for. They have dedicate themselves to this sport and have trained tirelessly. Though they have the ability to place at a high rank, they have never been able to win a race that enabled them to make a name for them self and launch their career. They keep coming close to winning, but ultimately, always end up falling short by an inch. Suppose this person was going to be competing in a major event, which if won, would yield a large cash prize, and would launch them into the spotlight via an endorsement deal with a major sportswear company. Now, imagine that a sports trainer approaches the athlete with a tempting proposition. The trainer informs the athlete that he has a new performance supplement that will dramatically improve the athlete’s performance. The trainer tells the athlete that the supplement has been tested on animals and has, thus far, been proven safe. The trainer informs the athlete that the substance is not on the list of banned performance enhancing substances that competitions test for before an athlete partakes in an event. The trainer then tells the athlete, that all he wants is $5,000 of the winnings. If the athlete wins, he’ll owe the trainer $5,000; if he loses, he’ll owe nothing. While both James Rachael’s ‘Theory of Egoism and Moral Skepticism’, and David Hume’s ‘Theory of Moral Sentiment’ are applicable to this scenario, Hume’s theory is, decisively, the most ethical theory of choice in application to this particular situation. There are a couple of issues that come into play when making moral judgments about this situation. First, the athlete knows that performance enhancing substances are banned in competitions. The fact that this particular substance is not yet banned, is not proof of it’s acceptability for use. Instead, it merely shows that the substance is so new, it has yet to be recognized and put on the list of banned substances. Given time, it will assuredly be on that list. Thus, the athlete knows that taking the substance to give him an advantage in winning would be looked down upon, and is questionable, in principal. Second is the issue of personal circumstance. This particular athlete’s ability to thrive is contingent on his success at making a name for himself in his sport. If he fails to do so, he will never foreseeably get a leg up and achieve financial stability. The future of his life, as far as all foreseeable circumstances are concerned, depend on him winning this cash prize and endorsement contract. To him, these two things may make the difference between him having a financial springboard with which to better his situation, versus being stuck in a multi-generational financial cycle of poverty. The application of James Rachel’s’ Theory of Egoism and Moral Skepticism to the aforementioned scenario, specifically focuses on the ‘ethical egoist’ portion of Rachel’s argument. The ethical egoist argues that people ought to act merely out of self-interest; that while humans have the ‘capacity’ to make decisions altruistically, there is no reason that we ‘should’ do so. This reasoning simplifies the decision-making for the athlete. Clearly, winning is in his best interest. Thus, taking the substance is the best decision. However, in order for this theory to succeed, the person must conceal their actions while encouraging others to act differently. Essentially, he must be a disingenuous, hypocritical, and manipulative liar. If the world were full of people like this, we would back-stab each other into extinction. This is where the theory of the ethical egoism falls apart in regard to being a universal theory. If everyone acted solely with self-interest, society wouldn’t be sustainable. There has to be some sort of rule in place in regard to looking out for each-other’s best interests in order for society to function properly. David Hume’s Theory of â€Å"Moral Sentiment† achieves the balance of being able to make ethical judgments that are as altruistic as possible, while still looking at each decision on a case by case basis before deeming it ethical or unethical. Hume poses the question of why one action can be right in some circumstances, yet wrong in others; while the act itself is the same in both cases. It comes down to sentiment, or one’s personal feelings about the circumstances surrounding an act. Once again, take into consideration, the originally stated scenario concerning the athlete. Under Hume’s theory, the ethical decision would be whatever the person felt was right, if, but only if, those circumstances made it morally acceptable. Take for instance, this same story, but with an athlete who is from a well-to-do family. If he doesn’t become an athlete, he still has the viable option of attending college and pursuing another stable career that will provide him with a good life. The athlete from the well-to-do family has options, and his future stability is not hinged on being a successful athlete. Thus, if he chose to take the supplement in this scenario, it would be an unethical decision. However, when the scenario is applied to the impoverished athlete whose future stability is hinged on his success as an athlete, the decision to take the supplement is no longer unethical. It is, after all, technically legal to take for competitions. Thus, he’s not technically doing anything â€Å"wrong†. Neither the well-to-do athlete, nor the impoverished athlete would, technically, be doing anything â€Å"wrong† by taking the substance. This is where the grey area comes into play. We have an action, that if committed by a financially well-to-do athlete would be considered selfish and unsportsman-like. Yet, if the same act were committed by an impoverished athlete, few people could hold back empathy and not be able to cut him slack for his choice. This same act is now one that’s deemed acceptable, based merely on a distinct set of circumstances. It doesn’t mean that this an ultimate right, in the discussion of â€Å"rights† and â€Å"wrongs†; simply, that when discussing gray area issues, the moral of sentiment applies heavily in deciphering the â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrongful† nature of an action. In conclusion, we can see that while James Rachel’s theory of â€Å"ethical egoism† makes deciphering a verdict on â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† simple, the act of making choices based solely on self-interest is not sustainable for society. All in all, deciphering the morality of a choice comes down to the particular circumstances that elicit an emotional response. When looking at issues critically, there is no fact-based evidence that clearly defines right from wrong in the action. However, because of our sentimental side, we are able to justify certain actions that would otherwise be considered wrong. Thus, David Hume’s â€Å"Theory of Moral Sentiment† has far better results when applied to this particular case

Patterns of Knowing

Explain the various patterns of knowing as they influence theory construction or development in nursing: In 1978, Barbara Carper identified four types of knowing in nursing. The first type is called empiric knowing and represents knowledge that is verifiable, objective, factual, and research based. The second type called ethical knowing provides us with knowledge that is about what is right and wrong and what are good and bad, desirable and undesirable. The third type of knowing is labelled aesthetic knowing. It gives us the knowledge that focuses on the art of nursing – tacit knowledge, skill and intuition. Also, there is personal knowing and this represents knowledge that focuses on self-consciousness, personal awareness and empathy. Chinn & Kramer (2008) mention an additional pattern of knowing labelled emancipatory knowing The fundamental reason for developing knowledge in nursing is for the purpose of creating expert and effective nursing practice. It is through inquiry processes for each pattern that knowledge is formulated for the discipline. The main concept of knowledge is that all patterns of knowing form an integrated whole, and the whole of knowing is essential as a basis for best practices in nursing. Chinn & Kramer(2008) states failure to develop knowledge integrated within all of the patterns of knowing leads to uncritical acceptance, narrow interpretation, and partial utilization of knowledge which is called â€Å"the patterns gone wild†(p. 20). Chinn & Kramer (2008) also states that a shift to a balance in knowledge development to reflect each of the patterns of knowing in nursing holds potential to bring the realm of knowledge development and the realm of practice together. Bringing together â€Å"knowing† and â€Å"doing† is praxis-the synchronous, thoughtful reflection and action to create a desired future of emancipatory change. Images of a desired future are not confined to any one pattern but rather are reflected in all knowing patterns (p. 22). If we as a discipline fail to integrate all patterns of knowing to further develop nursing theories and knowledge, the gap between knowledge and practice will never lessen. References: Chinn, P. L. & Kramer, M. K. (2008). Integrated Theory and Knowledge Development in Nursing (7th ed. ) St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier

To Kill A Mockingbird Essays (559 words) - To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird Essays (559 words) - To Kill A Mockingbird To Kill A Mockingbird Interviewer: How do you feel about the way you were portrayed in this book? Scout: I think that I was portrayed very well and I enjoyed the character very much. I think my character was very daring and also exciting. Through the many adventures I had I liked my character even more than I thought it would be. Interviewer: What was your most difficult moment in the book? What was going through your mind at that time? Scout: That is kind of a hard question but I thought the most adventurous yet exciting part of my part was when I dared Jem to touch the house of Radley, the man that is known to suck the blood of kids. A very well known man in town. Interviewer: If you could change any of your actions in the book, what would you do differently? Scout: I think that in the story there wasn't much that I would like to change but one thing that I would have liked my character to do was to show to the people in my town to know that not every black man is bad. Many people in my town happen to stereotype people that are black, but I should have taught them that they are not at all bad. Interviewer: How did you really feel about the other main characters in the book? Scout: I really enjoyed the other main characters. One character I liked what Jem, because no matter what you tell him he tries to act big. In the beginning when we dared him to touch Boo Radley's house, he didn't show any emotion. Even though he was scared he was acting like he was big. Interviewer: Describe your strengths and weaknesses to me. Scout: My strengths are that everytime I get into something, I never let go. My weakness is that whatever rumor I hear I always believe it. For the case of Boo Radley I judge him by what people said about him without really meeting him. Interviewer: What would you like us to know about you that wasn't covered in the book? Scout: My other characteristics is that I often like to chat and share rumors with others. I often like to share rumors but sometimes it becomes a habit of me. Interviewer: What are your feelings about the way your author ended the book? Scout: I felt really good about the ending because I learned a lesson by playing this part in the book. I learned that you should never judge a person on their looks or any rumors that go around. By listening to the rumors lead by others in my town I have learned that Boo Radley also known as Mr. Authur Radley is a nice and kind gentlemen. Interviewer: Now that you have everyone's attention, is there anything else that you'd like to say? Scout: I would just like to say to everyone listening out there to also get to know the person better before you spread any rumors. Like they say "It is easy to spread the rumor, but replacing the rumor to the truth is hard." Just get to know the person and you may find that person very nice and kind. Don't judge by looks, judge by the heart. You are hear on this earth to love one another.