Persuasive Essay- Ipads in Kindergarten Essay Example for Free

Persuasive Essay- Ipads in Kindergarten Essay In 2011, ten years after Maine began issuing laptops to all seventh graders, the Auburn School System launched an initiative to provide an iPad 2 for each of its students entering kindergarten. At a cost of roughly $200,000- representing a 5% increase in the school budget (Opinions Divided†¦) some taxpayers were less than pleased- calling it a complete waste of money. But in Auburn- and schools around the country- trends are emerging and showing the iPad to be a powerful learning tool and a necessary investment in our children’s future. For over a decade, Maine has been at the forefront of integrating technology into public schools and there is no reason to stop now. Despite the high cost to institute this program, Auburn should continue to provide iPads to students entering kindergarten. Auburn is not alone in providing iPads to kindergarteners. In fact, kindergarten students in Maine, Tennessee, and South Carolina have received iPads to supplement their teacher’s instruction. While the iPad cannot replace the human interaction of a teacher, it is a great addition to the classroom, at a time when the teacher to student ratio keeps getting larger and larger. Laura Shaw, principal of Sherwood Heights School recently said, â€Å"When you have eighteen kids in the classroom and you see ten kids, hands raised up, the teacher does her best to get around. But sometimes with the iPads and certain apps the kids get immediate feedback. They know what theyve done is correct and they can move on, or they know Oh, I need to ask for help,† (Porter). For example, a child can play â€Å"Feed the Hippos Hot Peppers. † In this app the child counts aloud while feeding the hippo. The teacher can adjust the app difficulty to â€Å"count† or â€Å"add† peppers, depending on the child’s capabilities. When the child answers the problem correctly, the iPad responds with a round of applause; an immediate cue to the child that they were correct (Lemeshow). Initially, Auburn Schools split the children into two groups when first issuing the iPads in 2011. Half of the children received iPads during the first week of school, the other half received their iPads in mid-November; effectively creating a control group to gage learning. Although the study lasted just 9 weeks, the results were promising. When tested, students who received their iPads in the first week of school scored higher in 9 out of 10 areas, compared with children who did not. One area in particular really stood out: recognizing sounds and writing letters. Kindergartners with iPads gained 13. 72 points, compared to an 11. 58-point gain for students who did not have iPads. That difference is significant, said Mike Muir, the Multiple Pathways leader for Auburn schools (Auburn Report: iPads). When pupils use iPads, more learning does not seem like a far stretch. With 100’s of learning apps available for download, teachers are able to customize the iPad and tailor the lesson to the individual child’s needs. This way, advanced children can reach their highest potential without becoming bored while the rest of the class catches up. On the other side, if one or two children are struggling, the rest of the class can move on, while the child receives the help she needs. Sherwood Heights Elementary School kindergarten teacher Susan Lemeshow called the iPads â€Å"one of the most powerful teaching tools I’ve ever used. †¦ I can put her on one book, her on a different level book,† she said of two girls in her class. Pupils are doing the same lesson, â€Å"but at the level they need,† she said (Report Say Giving†¦). So what is the problem? Those who oppose the program site the cost- around $800 per student entering kindergarten- as a major issue and wonder if a kindergartener is responsible enough to handle such an expensive piece of equipment. Others worry children may not learn to read and write properly. Auburn hopes the high level of testing done in the beginning of the school year will line them up for educational grants to relieve taxpayers of the burden from having to foot the bill. At the end of the year, the school system will also be able to compare this year’s kindergarten to previous years, with hopes of even better results. Regarding concerns of the students learning to write, it is important for people to understand that children are not using the iPads all day. The use of iPads is balanced. Students are still using crayons, markers, and traditional books. They are still learning how to hold pencils or crayons, and how to write (3 Auburn Teachers†¦). The iPads are a â€Å"center-based† activity with the children using them in 15-minute increments 2 to 3 times per day. Each iPad has a protective case, and students are not allowed to bring them home (Lemeshow). Providing iPads to students as an educational tool is invaluable. With the iPads children have become excited about learning. â€Å"We are seeing high levels of student motivation, engagement and learning in the iPad classrooms,† said Sue Dorris, Principal of East Auburn School (NooNoo). Children born in today’s world grow up bombarded by technology in every aspect of their lives- except school- so an iPad as a learning tool is appealing to them. It really gets their attention and keeps them engaged. The results are more learning and better test scores. With technology always evolving, newer apps, and programs, the possibilities really are endless. Auburn’s plan is to purchase and iPad for each new pupil entering kindergarten. The iPad will stay with the student from kindergarten through 6th grade. With this plan Auburn hopes to have an iPad in the hands of every elementary student in the district by 2017. If every student is equipped with an iPad, the world of digital text books emerges- which could amount to huge savings. In this digital world, it is not really a question of if we can afford this; but more a question of if we can afford not to? Works Cited Lemeshow, Susan. Telephone interview. 27 Apr. 2012. NooNoo, Stephen, ed. â€Å"Kindergarten iPad Initiative Reveals Modest Literacy Gains. † T. H. E. Journal. 1105 Media, Inc. , 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. http://thejournal. com/? articles/? 2012/? 02/? 17/? kindergarten-ipad-initiative-reveals-modest-literacy-gains. aspx. Porter, Tim. â€Å"A School System in Maine Gives iPads to Kindergartners. † Voice of America. N. p. , 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. http://www. voanews. com/? learningenglish/? home/? education/? A-School-System-in-Maine-Gives-iPads-to-Kindergartners-134428658. html. Washuk, Bonnie. â€Å"Auburn Report: iPads Help Kindergartners’ Learn. † McClatchy Tribune Business News (Feb. 2012): n. pag. ProQuest Central K12. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. http://search. proquest. com/? docview/? 921559906? accountid=40168. -. â€Å"Opinions Divided Over iPads for Auburn Kindergartners. † Sun Journal [Lewiston, Maine] 8 Apr. 2011, Lewiston-Auburn ed. : n. pag. Sun Journal. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. http://www. sunjournal. com/? city/? story/? 1012022. -. â€Å"Report Says Giving iPads to Auburn Kindergartners Increases Test Scores. † Bangor Daily News 16 Feb. 2012: n. pag. BangorDailyNews. Com. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. http://bangordailynews. com/? 2012/? 02/? 16/? education/? report-says-giving-ipads-to-auburn-kindergartners-increases-test-scores/. -. â€Å"3 Auburn Teachers Give iPads High Grade. † Sun Journal [Lewiston, Me. ] 20 Oct. 2011.

John Paul Jones :: essays research papers

John Paul Jones The Bonhomme Richard vs. The HMS Serapis John Paul was born in the small fishing village of Arbigland, Scotland on July 6, 1747. To his parents John Paul and Jean MacDuff he was the fourth child. They had seven children but unfortunately all but two died in infancy. The family was originally from Fife but John Paul's father had taken the family and moved to Arbigland where William Craik, the owner of a large estate their had met him and hired him to be his gardener. John Paul grew up on this estate and to those who watched him grow up, it seemed that he always had a fascination and a passion to sail something. Whether it was a leaf as a child or a bit of wood blown by a small paper sail, John Paul was a seaman from birth. He attended Kirkbean School but spent much of his time at the small port of Carsethorn on the Solway Firth. As he grew up others often found him teaching his playmates to maneuver their little boats to mimic a naval battle, while he, taking his stand on the tiny cliff overlooking the small river, shouted shrill commands at his imaginary fleet. At the age of thirteen he boarded a ship to Whitehaven, which was a large port across the Solway Firth. There he signed up for a seven year seaman's apprenticeship on The Friendship of Whitehaven, whose captain was James Younger, a prosperous merchant and ship owner. His first voyage took him across the Atlantic Ocean to Barbados and Fredericksburg, Virginia at which he stayed with his older brother William, a tailor, who had left Scotland for America over thirteen years before, and who now was living comfortably and flourishing. John Paul was released from his apprenticeship at age 17 after which he went straight into the slave trade as third mate on King George of Whitehaven. After some time he became disgusted with the slave trade and returned home. John Paul had become a captain at the age of twenty-one. When on one of his missions, John Paul was accused of assaulting and killing one of his sailors, and was then arrested but found not guilty by the Tobago courts because of lack of evidence and testimony on his behalf. Because of this he fled to America and changed his name to John Paul Jones of which he was called for the rest of his life.

Big five Personality Traits and Effective Leaders Essay

Q.1) What do you think Terry Leahy’s personality traits are for each of the Big Five dimensions of personality? Identify and justify with reference to the case. Q.2) Considering the 9 narrow personality traits required of effective leaders, how would you rate Terry Leahy on all these 9 narrow traits (i-e which ones he rate high, medium and low)? Why? Justify? Q.3) The first weakness he mentioned was his â€Å"Irish Temper†. Explain and justify whether Terry Leahy has a bad temper or not. Q.4) Is Terry Leahy really modest. How do you remain that modest in spite of the success and the accolades? Does this man have no Ego? Q.5) What type of Self concept does Terry Leahy have and how does it affect his business success? Does Terry Leahy posses a theory X or theory Y attitude? Q.6) According to McClelland’s Achievement motivation theory, which of three needs Terry Leahy rates high, medium and low on? Justify. Q.7) According to the 3M Leadership competency framework there are 12 competencies required of effective leaders (i-e 1) Ethics and Integrity 2) Intellectual Capacity 3) Maturity and Judgment 4) Customer Orientation 5) Developing People 6) Inspiring People 7) Business health and results 8) Global Perspective 9) Vision and Strategy 10) Nurturing Innovation 11) Building Partnerships and Alliances 12) Organizational Agility). Considering the above 12 competencies for effective leaders which ones Terry Leahy good at and which ones he is less good at and Why? Q.8) Effective Leaders need to have skills and take actions on three different fronts i-e as strategists, as architects and as mobilizers (both internally and externally). Working through the case how would define Terry Leahy’s role as a strategist, as an architect and as a mobilizer. Q.9) What evidence is there that Terry Leahy’s leadership has evolved over time? How has he developed his career? Q.10) Identify some of challenges (or dangers) facing Terry Leahy today and in coming years.

Codes of Practice Essay

1. Legislations that relate to the handling of information in health and social care are: The Human Rights Act 1998 The Data Protection Act 1998 Codes of practice that relate to the handling of information in health and social care are: Codes of Practice – set out by Skills for care CSSIW guidelines 2. The main points of the data protection act are: 1. Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and, in particular, shall not be processed unless- 1. at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 is met, and 2. in the case of sensitive personal data, at least one of the conditions in Schedule 3 is also met. 2. Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes. 3. Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed. 4. Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date. 5. Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes. 6. About the rights of individuals e.g.[10] personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects (individuals). 7. Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.

A Case For Slow Writing

A Case For Slow Writing A Case For Slow Writing A Case For Slow Writing By Guest Author Those of us with Italian backgrounds will know that you don’t make an authentic pasta sauce in an hour. It should be cooked slowly, the ingredients added one by one, at the right time. First the meats must be browned, next the onions, the herbs, spices and tomatoes incorporated. Then the mixture must simmer for two, three, four hours until it is a thick, mouthwatering sugo, the succulent meat falling off the bones. It’s good to cook slowly. But this is a writing blog, right? Yes. And it’s okay to write slowly too, blending words, sentences and paragraphs together, adding them to just the right part, in the proper sequence. Time spent writing can often look like this: You write a few lines, the thoughts are flowing. You’re in the zone. Then life rips you out after what seems like a mere five minutes. You go back to the computer, type another line or two, only to be summoned by the real world again. If this describes you, don’t worry - the story still brews while you attend to reality, the words sub-consciously simmering as you do what you need to. There are only two situations when you really must write fast: 1. When you have a contract or a time limit. Writers quickly learn to write with speed when they have a pressing deadline. Students know the perils of handing in late assignments. 2. When you write for a living. If writing is the only way you earn money, then your income is tied to your output. The rest of us are free to savour our writing if that’s what we want to do. Incidentally, J.K. Rowling and Stephen King are two of many authors who wrote novels at a snail’s pace. And there are lots of valid reasons why writing might take a long time. Maybe you: have a life. are just starting. don’t need the money. are a meticulous researcher. like looking for exactly the right words. need time to gather your thoughts and assemble the most salient. Or maybe you write simply because, fast or slow, it’s good for your soul. Amen. Whether you take a day or three to write a brief article, a month or four to produce a short story, a year or more to draft a novel, I’m here to say, it’s okay to take your time. While ever you are making progress and you haven’t given up, if writing makes you happy, there’s no reason to feel guilty about doing it slowly. Savour each word, each sentence, each paragraph. About the Author: C. G. is a freelance writer. Her blog is named for the trees surrounding her home where she loves to play with words ─ the words sort themselves into stories at regular intervals. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a Sentence5 Brainstorming Strategies for Writers1,462 Basic Plot Types

Solid Harvard Format Outline Step by Step Guide

Solid Harvard Format Outline Step by Step Guide Make It Look Harvard: Drafting an Outline in Harvard Format When students depart on their educational journey through college or university, they are most likely to encounter unknown tasks and unfamiliar requirements that make their hands tremble and mind race. Formatting, referencing, analyzing, providing literature review, methodology and discussion, and so on – the list can be expanded as required. But most requirements were not invented to complicate students’ lives. To the contrary, referencing and formatting standards were created to facilitate scholarly work and to standardize it. Thus everyone reading a paper knows what is meant by names and numbers in parentheses and how to decode reference entries. Harvard, also known as author and date format, is one of the most popular standards and after using it two or three times you will feel safe and confident in applying it. Outlining in Harvard style is no different from outlining in other styles. We will guide you step by step through main points and intricacies of the style, and then you can download a Harvard manual from the web and look up specific details that you need right on the go. Why Is Formatting and Referencing Important? Formatting gives a paper organized and neat look, and it also prompts readers what to expect from this paper. Abstract, footnotes, subheadings, reference part – all this is conditioned by a chosen format, so the more carefully you will approach the task the better your paper will be perceived by readers. Referencing is a separate point of attention. It means providing information about sources you used and indicating what exact ideas you borrowed and incorporated into your narration. If you fail to do so, you commit the worst academic crime – plagiarism. So to avoid blames of stealing ideas of others, credit every idea you use, whether in an outline or a ready paper and use a coherent citation standard across the paper. It will show that you take academic honesty seriously and are ready to be a part of the scholar community. This is where Harvard style comes in handy. Outlining is another important point. It is a plan of your paper will all key points mentioned and referenced. Yes, you should begin referencing on this stage already and it will significantly facilitate your work. 7 Basic Steps to Take While Writing an Outline Highlight and put down all key information that you see in sources; Organize it as a bullet point list with expanded notes after main subheadings; Cite author and date after each borrowed idea; Capitalize the authors’ names; Underline or put in italics names of books/articles; Create a rough reference page; Stay coherent in punctuation (no strict rules here). Basically, it all looks simple, but while writing outline students often skip referencing and then struggle to remember where the specific phrase or idea comes from. Apart from this complexity, you should not encounter any serious issue while using Harvard style to create a good outline, and, consequently, a good paper. General Path to Follow Now you may wonder how to structure your outline more precisely and what markers to use. It is also not that complicated. Subdivide your topic into points and give each point its sub-points. To differentiate between primary and secondary ideas use tabulation tool (indent). Flush left the lead point. Then make an indent and present sub-point(s). If you need to subdivide it, make a deeper indent. So the outline will look like a set of steps turned upside down. But this trick will help you to see what is important and what is supporting. Use various markers to differentiate between list levels: Roman numerals (main ideas) Arabic numerals (sub-points) Letters (upper case, lower case – for further subdivision) Letters in parenthesis. Switch between these markers and indentation to keep the structure of your outline visible to you and readable to your prof (if he or she requests to see the outline). No matter if you use Harvard or other standards, this basic rule of building an outline remains in place. Differentiate between levels and bring in more subdivisions if you need to add specific details and citations into main points. The more sub-points, the better the final paper will be. Applications of Harvard Formatting Style Harvard style is probably the most common formatting style because of its simplicity (it can contest with MLA only). Harvard formatting is used in Humanities and social science, but sometimes in business case studies as well. If you are assigned an outline with Harvard formatting, do not skip this task and do not treat it negligently. Making a good outline will help you to: Map out the information you found in a clearly readable way; Find inner connections and analogies; See what evidence goes where; See if you have enough evidence or need to research more; See what logical gaps you need to fill with additional research; Create a visible structure of your future paper. Application of Harvard style to outlining makes writing easier (because of the relative simplicity of style) and helps you keep your focus. By applying this style you get: Clear structure with logical subdivisions of issues and topics; The ready hierarchical structure of ideas (you see what is important and what can be skipped if you go beyond upper word count limit); A communication strategy that you can assess on the go and change without having to rewrite the whole paper; Bullet point image of your future paper – you can decide if you like it or not (and if your audience will like it). The outline is valuable in that it keeps you on the track of your thoughts and topics and does not let you stray away or forget something. While writing a paper it is very easy to get lost in explanations and lose the line of argument. An outline keeps you organized and brief, and by writing in bullet point format you can catch every idea that comes to your mind before it flies away. This is probably the highest benefit of outlining. We hope that we have persuaded you in the necessity of outlining and gave you the basics of Harvard style to keep you confident and going. Read through your outline and decide, if you have included everything you wanted or something else needs to be included yet. Check your introduction, conclusion and references. If everything seems in place, you are equipped to write a final paper. Finish Line Now that we have covered all major points Harvard style and outline creation do not look that intimidating. Actually, outlining is a valuable skill and so you should never miss a chance to practice it. Before setting to work, double check instructions given by your professor and what he or she expects to find in your outline. Whether your instructor wants to see a full-fledged plan with lots of subdivisions and citations or just a brief sketch showing that you are on the right track – anyway, you are well prepared to do it. But if you still need help and guidance, feel free to contact us and ask for assistance. We will create a proper outline, a whole paper and a reference page in Harvard format or in any other format you need. This is not a problem at all. We all learn by examples, so with our help and professionally crafted assignments you are bound to master the intricacies of this art – and get your good grades regularly.

The History of Blood Gangs in Los Angeles Essay

The History of Blood Gangs in Los Angeles - Essay Example The locals often feel that the immigrants and the minorities are looting their job opportunities and destroying the White dominated American culture and their national identity. In short, both the minorities and the majorities in America are looking suspiciously at each other which resulted in the formation of violent gangs for fighting against the opposite groups. The Bloods are one such African American gang formed in Los Angeles in 1972 mainly to fight against another African American Gang; The Crips. This paper analyses the history of Blood gangs in Los Angeles. As mentioned earlier, The Bloods gang was formed in 1972 Los Angeles, California in 1972 and it is active even now. Even though, it was founded in Los Angeles, currently it is operating across America. Murder, drug trafficking, robbery etc are the major criminal activities of this gang. Even though, Crips was the major enemy group of Bloods, they also fight against other criminal groups such as Folk Nation, Surinos etc. T he formation of Bloods can be attributed to some severe conflicts and differences occurred in the Crips gang about the nature of their attack. Majority of the Crips gang members made no segregation while attacking others whereas some of the Crips members were against the attacking of innocent people. The Crips gang was the prominent violent gang in America before the formation of The Bloods. Crips was formed in the 1960’s for conducting robbery and drug trafficking. In 1972, a group of Crips gang consisting of around 20 members attacked a small group of innocent young men for robbing their wallets and leather jackets. An innocent young man called Robert Ballou was killed in this attack, even though he was not a member of any other gangs. The killing of Robert Ballou has created lot of conflicts in the Crips gang about the objectives of the Gang. Some of the gang members (Piru Street Crisps) argued that killing of innocent people cannot be justified while others argued that no segregation is necessary while conducting their missions. Piru Street Crips with the help of Leuders Park Hustlers and some of the other enemy groups of Crips such as The Brims called a meeting and discussed the strategies to counter the threats of The Crips and the necessities of forming another gang to counter the threats from common enemy; The Crips. The meeting decided to select a new flag in red color for the new gang formed and named the new gang as The Bloods (Bloods Gang Knowledge, n. d, p.1). â€Å"Investigative reports in 1991 placed Crips or Bloods in 32 States and 113 cities† (Walker, 2011). As per the current statistics, no American state is free from the activities of the Blood gang. In different states in America, the Blood gang operates in different sets and names; however, the word, Blood is a part of their gang name everywhere. Some of the Blood sets have members from even female community. The Blood do not have a common or national leader even though diffe rent sets of Blood have regional leadership. The regional leadership or the set leadership is often appointed based on the experience and the severity of the crime committed by the set members. Set members are often referred as soldiers. â€Å"By 1980, there were 30,000 gangs members in Los Angeles County,