Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Theodore Robert Cowell Or Well Known As Infamous Serial

Theodore Robert Cowell or well known as infamous serial killer Ted Bundy is one of the most notorious criminals of the 1970s. He has been connected to at least 36 murders, however he has been suspected to have committed one hundred or more. With all these murders comes the idea of why, where does it come from and where did it start, among many other questions. Which leads us to our purpose of this paper, exploring the mind of Ted Bundy. I hope to analyze Ted Bundy’s life and pick apart aspects of them that lead him down this criminal life. As stated Ted Bundy was born with name Theodore Robert Cowell. His mother, Eleanor Cowell, had Bundy when she was twenty-one years old and unmarried in a home for unwed mothers in Vermont. She†¦show more content†¦However, he eventually got back together with Brooks, they were on the verge of marriage before Bundy had cut off the relationship completely. Then, in 1974, most sources say agree that it was the beginning of his murd erous career. His first victim was beaten over the head with her bed frame while she slept and then sexual assaulted with the same object. He would go on to kill many more young women, escape from custody twice, and finally in February of 1978, Bundy was arrested and it marked the end of his murderous rampage. In his court trials, Bundy handled most of his court trials. Bundy had gone against the entire defense effort out of spite and distrust. He was facing murder charges, with a possible death sentence, and he was just concerned with being in charge. In addition, the prosecutors and defense team had reached a pre-trial bargain, in which, Bundy would plead guilty to several accounts of killings and in return he would receive a long sentencing but no electric chair. However, in doing so he was going to have to say he was guilty to everyone and it was just something he could not do. Ultimately, this all led to his death by the electrically chair in January 24, 1989. I believe thi s path that Bundy had taken all started with his child hood. It was clear that his mother deceiving him into believing that she was his sister and that his grandparents had adopted him had an impact on his life. As stated before, this made himShow MoreRelatedTed Bundy And Charles Manson : The Characteristics Of Serial Killers And Mass Murderers1550 Words   |  7 Pageshave yet to be determined. So what causes someone to kill? Are serial killers and mass murderers more of a product of their own upbringing and environment or of delusional thoughts from a chemical imbalance? Someone who kills is an obsessed individual who lacks a conscience and who has no remorse. All the known characteristics of someone who kills point to something beyond our comprehension. Ted Bundy and Charles Manson are both infamous in the world of criminal history. Not all killers are the same:Read MoreSerial Killers : Ted Bundy2109 Words   |  9 Pages Ted Bundy By Kim LaShomb Criminal Psychology Theodore Robert Cowell, aka â€Å"Ted Bundy† is one of the most well known serial killers in United States history. His reign of terror went on from 1974- 1978 when he was arrested and charged with numerous crimes. These crimes include first degree murder, kidnapping, rape, sodomy, unlawful sex with corpses, resisting arrest, and the list goes on from there. It was said that he had over 300 victims, but he would

Monday, December 23, 2019

Race, Sexuality, Gender, And Ethnicity - 2191 Words

Throughout the second season of ABC’s American Crime, there were an extreme amount of ways in which race, sexuality, gender, and ethnicity were depicted, troubled, and interrogated. While watching the second season of American Crime in class, it almost seemed as if the entire series was made just to explore each and every component of this course, Ethnics 1010. The series successfully explored through numerous situations with all of these important components that we have discussed throughout the semester. However, there happens to be three specific components that I would like to elaborate on throughout this essay. The first component that I would like to elaborate on is race. There are a lot of people throughout the series with a large amount of diversity as far as race goes. Secondly, I would like to discuss a few aspects in which class was a very critical component in the series. Class was extremely important because there are various people who are apart of a different class, or have a different socioeconomic status. My last component that I would like to elaborate on is sexuality. From the very beginning of the series, sexuality was an extremely critical topic. Sexuality seemed to be the base structure of this series simply because everything was based off of a key situation that occurred in the first episode, which revealed itself more and more as the series went on. As far as the topic of race goes, there are a great deal of ways in which race was criticalShow MoreRelatedThe Ethiopian Eunuch Story Of Class, Race, Gender, Ethnicity, And Sexuality Essay1889 Words   |  8 PagesOF CLASS, RACE, GENDER, ETHNICITY, AND SEXUALITY (ACTS 8:26-49) ESSAY Introduction The story in Acts 8:26-40, which hold what could be a vital point of the first half of Acts of Apostle, give an account of the baptism of an unusual character presented in Acts 8:27 as an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopian. The biblical character exemplifies in concrete form as multiple dissimilarities of class, race, gender, and perhaps religion and sexuality as well. ThereRead MoreFilm Review : Django Unchained997 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Django Unchained†, a film written in a directed by Quentin Tarantino, is a film that represents race, gender and sexuality in many ways throughout the movie. to start I want to begin with the films representation of race and ethnicity since the entire movie is about slavery. Aside from the twisted humor that is often found within Tarantino’s movies, Django Unchained provides a dark and gloomy reality for African Americans during the year 1858. during this time slavery in the south would be at itsRead MoreMad Men: Influencing Minorities of the 1960’s Essay885 Words   |  4 Pagesperfect wife and a whore. Even in the show two of the women coworkers (Joan and Peggy) are complete opposites and they provide evidence of what Don is trying to say that one is a whore and the other would be a perfect wife. (â€Å"Mad Men: Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Sexuality, and Class†.) In â€Å"Mad Men† men try to influence women as much as they possibly can at work, at home, and how they advertise women products. In the advertisement company a woman character (Peggy) is a wonderful writer, but is plaguedRead MoreAmerica s Hot Button Issues Essay1563 Words   |  7 PagesDonald Trump (Republican) and Hillary Clinton (Democrat) are often referred to as the â€Å"hot button issues.† Some of the discussions this election season have been about social groups and organizations, race and ethnicity, social stratification and the distribution of wealth, and lastly, gender and sexuality. Among the many â€Å"hot button issues† is the topic of social groups and social organizations, such as prisons and colleges. According to Benokraitis (2016), a social group is defined as â€Å"two or moreRead MoreReligion And Religion Essay1314 Words   |  6 Pagestheir social class, ethnicity, gender, or politics. However, ethnicity and gender, along with the closely linked topics of sexuality and politics, are the most significant concepts to understand religion in our modern world. To begin, we should understand the concept of ethnicity, as well as why I believe ethnicity and gender are important to discuss together. There is a lot of discussion about how to define ethnicity, as well as its similarities or differences with race; however, I will discussRead MoreIntersectionality In Desi Hoop Dreams, By Stanley I. Thangaraj751 Words   |  4 Pagesthe concept of masculinity in relation to gender, race, sexuality, class, and ethnicity. Thangaraj uses his friends’ along with his own experiences to illustrate an intersectional relationship, thus creates a stereotypical view of Asian-Americans. Throughout the book, character Mustafa illustrates the idea, as well as gives examples of both intersectional and relational dimensions, through relationships between gender, class, race, ethnicity, and sexuality. In chapter 2, sub-section Philanthropy:Read MoreReligion, Religion And Religion Essay1690 Words   |  7 Pagesfree to choose who he or she wants to marry or love. That is, no one should be forced to live by what are claimed to be traditional norms and gender roles due to Christianity’s influence on society. We live in a society where one should be free to choose what religion they would like to practice or not and most of all, one should be free to express one’s sexuality without facing tragedies and feelings of oppression due to society’s rules, guidelines, regulations, definition of masculinity, and normalityRead MoreLabeling, As Humans, We Can Not Make Sense Of The Past Nor Present Without Labeling Essay919 Words   |  4 Pagescategorizing each individual we associate ourselves with. Our minds have a constant need to understand, so we create labels to be able to comprehend everything. The problem with this process is we create a false sense of who people a re based off race, class, and gender. These three formalities of classification link to each other in that they are the major ways we sort out relationships between other humans in our minds. In other words, we utilize these three systems in order to, hopefully, understand eachRead MoreThe Importance Of Privilege In Society846 Words   |  4 Pagesme re think my preconceptions of racism and race. I honestly thought I knew a lot about race, but come to realize I do not know as much as I thought. I learned a lot more about race by completing the privilege diary. We have a lot more privileges in the world then we think. We take so many things for granted. Some people don’t think race is a big deal but it is. Race has a lot to do with different types of cultures, traditions and more. Race and ethnicity are intense and extensive issues in our societyRead MorePersonal Narrative : My American Experience1750 Words   |  7 Pagesin a foreign land. Social, political and economic values and aspects are usually different from one region to another. Therefore, through studying abroad one is able to learn different issues about another society such as gender and sexuality issues, social class and race/ethnicity issues. Having come from a developing country studying in the U.S.A has been a great experience personally. This paper will attempt to provide a reflection of my personal experience on studying in the U.S by comparing the

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Six Challenges for Educational Technology Free Essays

string(115) " capabilities requires substantial funding that will be unavailable if almost all resources are put into hardware\." Six Challenges for Educational Technology Chris Dede George Mason University Many exciting applications of information technology in schools validate that new technology-based models of teaching and learning have the power to dramatically improve educational outcomes. As a result, many people are asking how to scale-up the scattered, successful â€Å"islands of innovation† instructional technology has empowered into universal improvements in schooling enabled by major shifts in standard educational practices. Undertaking â€Å"systemic reform† (sustained, large-scale, simultaneous innovation in curriculum; pedagogy; assessment; professional development; administration; incentives; and partnerships for learning among schools, businesses, homes, and community settings) requires policies and practices different than fostering pilot projects for small-scale educational improvement. We will write a custom essay sample on Six Challenges for Educational Technology or any similar topic only for you Order Now Systemic reform involves moving from utilizing special, external resources to reconfiguring existing budgets in order to free up money for innovation. Without undercutting their power, change strategies effective when pioneered by leaders in educational innovation must be modified to be implemented by typical educators. Technology-based innovations offer special challenges and opportunities in this scalingup process. I believe that systemic reform is not possible without utilizing the full power of high performance computing and communications to enhance the reshaping of schools. Yet the cost of technology, its rapid evolution, and the special knowledge and skills required of its users pose substantial barriers to effective utilization. One way to frame these issues is to pose six questions that school boards, taxpayers, educators, business groups, politicians, and parents are asking about implementing large-scale, technology-based educational innovations. After each question, I’ll respond to the issues it raises. Collectively, these answers outline a strategy for scaling-up, leveraging the power of technology while minimizing its intrinsic challenges. Question One: How can schools afford to purchase enough multimedia-capable, Internetconnected computers so that a classroom machine is always available for every two to three students? Giving all students continuous access to multimedia-capable, Internet-connected computers is currently quite fashionable. For politicians, the Internet in every classroom has become the modern equivalent of the promised â€Å"chicken in every pot. † Communities urge everyone to provide volunteer support for NetDays that wire the schools. Information technology vendors are offering special programs to encourage massive educational purchases. States are setting aside substantial amounts of money for building information infrastructures dedicated to instructional usage. Yet, as an educational technologist, I am more dismayed than delighted. Some of my nervousness about this initiative comes from the â€Å"First Generation† thinking about information technology that underlies these visions. Multimedia-capable, Internet-connected computers are seen by many as magical devices, â€Å"silver bullets† to solve the problems of schools. Teachers and 2 administrators who use new media are assumed to be automatically more effective than those who do not. Classroom computers are envisioned as a technology comparable to fire: just by sitting near these devices, students get a benefit from them, as knowledge and skills radiate from the monitors into their minds. Yet decades of experience with technological innovations based on First Generation thinking have demonstrated that this viewpoint is misguided. Classroom computers that are acquired as panaceas end up as doorstops. As discussed later, information technology is a costeffective investment only in the context of systemic reform. Unless other simultaneous innovations in pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and school organization are coupled to the usage of instructional technology, the time and effort expended on implementing these devices produces few improvements in educational outcomes—and reinforces many educators’ cynicism about fads based on magical machines. I feel additional concern about attempts to supply every student with continuous access to high performance computing and communications because of the likely cost of this massive investment. Depending on the assumptions made about the technological capabilities involved, estimates of the financial resources needed for such an information infrastructure vary (Coley, Cradler, Engel, 1997). Extrapolating the most detailed cost model (McKinsey Company, 1995) to one multimedia-capable, Internet-connected computer for every two to three students yields a price tag of about ninety-four billion dollars of initial investment and twenty-eight billion dollars per year in ongoing costs, a financial commitment that would drain schools of all discretionary funding for at least a decade. For several reasons, this is an impractical approach for improving education. First, putting this money into computers-and-cables is too large an investment in just one part of the infrastructure improvements that many schools desperately need. Buildings are falling apart, furnishings are dilapidated, playgrounds need repair, asbestos must be removed†¦ otherwise, the machines themselves will cease to function as their context deteriorates. Also, substantial funding is needed for other types of innovations required to make instructional hardware effective, such as standards-based curricular materials for the WorldWide Web and alternative kinds of pedagogy based on partnerships between teachers and tools. (The McKinsey cost estimates do include some funding for content development and staff training, but in my judgment too little to enable effective technology integration and systemic reform. ) If most of the money goes into new media, little funding is available for the new messages and meanings that those devices could empower. Second, without substantial and extended professional development in the innovative models of teaching and learning that instructional technology makes affordable and sustainable, many educators will not use these devices to their full potential. â€Å"Second Generation† thinking in educational technology does not see computers as magic, but does make the mistake of focusing on automation as their fundamental purpose. Computers are envisioned as ways to empower â€Å"teaching by telling† and â€Å"learning by listening,† serving as a fire hose to spray information from the Internet into learners’ minds. However, even without educational technology, classrooms are already drowning in data, and an overcrowded curriculum puts students and teachers on the brink of intellectual indigestion. Adding additional information, even when coated with multimedia bells-and-whistles, is likely to worsen rather than improve educational settings. Professional 3 development needs are more complex than increasing educators’ technical literacy (e. g. , training in how to use web browsers). The issue is building teachers’ knowledge and skills in alternative types of pedagogy and content, and such an increase in human capabilities requires substantial funding that will be unavailable if almost all resources are put into hardware. You read "Six Challenges for Educational Technology" in category "Essay examples" Third, the continuing costs of maintaining and upgrading a massive infusion of schoolbased technology would be prohibitive. High performance computing and communications requires high tech skills to keep operational and will become obsolete in five to seven years as information technology continues its rapid advance. Yet taxpayers now see computers as similar to blackboards: buy them once, and they are inexpensively in place for the lifetime of the school. School boards rapidly become restive at sizable yearly expenditures for technology maintenance and telecommunications usage—especially if, several months after installation, standardized test scores have not yet dramatically risen—and will become apoplectic if another $50B to replace obsolete equipment is required only a few years after an initial huge expenditure. For all these reasons, investing a huge sum in information infrastructures for schools is impractical and invites a later backlash against educational technology as yet another failed fad. I would go farther, however, and argue that we should not make such an investment even if the â€Å"technology fairy† were to leave $100B under our virtual pillows, no strings attached. Kids continuously working on machines with teachers wandering around coaching the confused is the wrong model for the classroom of the future; I wince when I see those types of vendor commercials. In that situation—just as in classrooms with no technology—too much instructional activity tends to center on presentation and motivation, building a foundation of ideas and skills as well as some context for why students should care. Yet this temporary interest and readiness to master curricular material rapidly fades when no time is left for reflection and application, as teachers and students move on to the next required topic in the overcrowded curriculum, desperately trying to meet all the standards and prepare for the test. Substantial research documents that helping students make sense out of something they have assimilated, but do not yet understand is crucial for inducing learning that is retained and generalized (Schank Jona, 1991). Reflective discussion of shared experiences from multiple perspectives is essential in learners’ converting information into knowledge, as well as in students mastering the collaborative creation of meaning and purpose (Edelson, Pea, Gomez, 1996). Some of these interpretative and expressive activities are enhanced by educational devices, but many are best conducted via face-to-face interaction, without the intervening filter and mask of computer-mediated communication (Brown Campione, 1994). What if instead much of the presentation and motivation that is foundational for learning occurred outside of classroom settings, via information technologies part of home and workplace and community contexts? Students would arrive at school already imbued with some background and motivation, ripe for guided inquiry, ready for interpretation and collaborative construction of knowledge. People are spending lots of money on devices purchased for entertainment and information services: televisions, videotape players, computers, Web TV, videogames. Many of these technologies are astonishingly powerful and inexpensive; for example, the Nintendo 64 machine available now for a couple hundred dollars is the equivalent of a several hundred 4 thousand dollar graphics supercomputer a decade ago. What if these devices—many ubiquitous in rich and poor homes, urban and rural areas—were also utilized for educational purposes, even though not acquired for that reason? By off-loading from classroom settings some of the burden of presenting material and inducing motivation, learning activities that use the technology infrastructure outside of schools would reduce the amount of money needed for adequate levels of classroom-based technology. Such a strategy also enables teachers to focus on students’ interpretation and expressive articulation without feeling obligated to use technology in every step of the process. Such a model of â€Å"distributed learning† involves orchestrating educational activities among classrooms, workplaces, homes, and community settings (Dede, 1996). This pedagogical strategy models for students that learning is integral to all aspects of life—not just schooling— and that people adept at learning are fluent in using many types of information tools scattered throughout our everyday context. Such an educational approach also can build partnerships for learning between teachers and families; this is important because parental involvement is certainly one of the most powerful levers in increasing any student’s educational performance. In other words, unless â€Å"systemic reform† in education is conducted with one boundary of the system around the school and another boundary around the society, its affordability and sustainability are doubtful. As a bridge across these boundaries, new media can play a vital role in facilitating this bi-level approach to large-scale educational innovation. For example, videogame players are the only interactive devices widely available in poor households and provide a sophisticated, but inexpensive computational platform for learning—if we develop better content than the mindless follies of SuperMarioâ„ ¢ or the grim dystopias of Doomâ„ ¢. My research in virtual reality illustrates how multisensory, immersive virtual environments could leverage learning complex scientific concepts on computational platforms as commonplace as next decade’s videogames (http://www. virtual. gmu. edu). Districts can leverage their scarce resources for innovation, as well as implement more effective educational models, by utilizing information devices outside of classrooms to create learning environments that complement computers and communications in schools. To instead saturate schools with information technology is both very expensive and less educationally effective. Question Two: How can schools afford enough computers and telecommunications to sustain new models of teaching and learning? Educational improvement based on distributed learning—utilizing information technologies external to school settings to enable increased interpretive and expressive activities in classrooms—does not mean that schools won’t need substantial amounts of computers and communications. To empower project-based learning through guided inquiry, students must have access to sophisticated information devices in schools (Linn, 1997). Even if this is accomplished via notebook computers and wireless networks moved from class to class as required, with pupils also spending significant amounts of time learning without the aid of technology, districts must allocate more money to purchasing, maintaining, and upgrading computers and telecommunications than has been true historically. Where will educators find the funds for equipment, software, technical staff, ongoing telecommunications services, professional development—the myriad of costs associated with a sophisticated information infrastructure? In the past, this money has come largely from special external sources: grants, community donations, bond initiatives. To be sustainable over the long run, however, resources for technology must come from reallocating existing budgets by reducing other types of expenditures. Of course, such shifts in financing are resisted by those groups whose resources are cut, and district administrators and school boards have been reluctant to take on the political challenges of changing how money is spent. An easy way to kill educational innovations is to declare that of course they will be implemented—as long as no existing activities must be curtailed to fund new approaches. Such an approach to institutional evolution is one reason why, if Rip Van Winkle awoke today, he would recognize almost nothing in modern society—except schools. Educational organizations are unique, however, in demanding that technology implementation accomplished via add-on funding. Every other type of societal institution (e. g. , factories, hospitals, retail outlets, banks) recognizes that the power of information devices stems in part from their ability to reconfigure employee roles and organizational functioning. These establishments use the power of technology to alter their standard practices, so that the cost of computers and communications is funded by improvements in effectiveness within the organization, by doing more with less. If educators were to adopt this model—reallocating existing resources to fund technology implementation—what types of expenditures would drop so that existing funds could cover the costs of computers and communications? First, schools that have adopted the inquiry-based models of pedagogy find that outlays on textbooks and other types of standardized instructional materials decrease. While these materials are a smaller part of districts’ budgets than salaries or physical plants, nonetheless they cost a significant amount of money. When students collect their own data, draw down information across the Internet, and interact with a larger pool of experts than teachers and textbooks, fewer commercial presentational resources are required—especially if learners draw on topical data flowing through information sources outside of schools. Moreover, covering a few concepts in depth rather than surveying many ideas superficially reduces the amount of prepackaged information educators must purchase. A second way to reconfigure existing financial resources is to reduce the staff involved in data entry operations. Educators are inundated with large amounts of recordkeeping functions, and one of the most debilitating aspects of this work is the continuous reentry of identical information on different forms. Businesses have saved substantial amounts of money by altering routine information processes so that data is only entered once, then automatically flows across the entire organization to each place in which it is needed. Were educators to adopt these already proven models for cost-efficient information management, the amount of time and staff required for data entry functions would decrease markedly, freeing funding for instruction-related uses of technology. Third, and on a more fundamental level, teaching is more efficient and effective with new types of technology-based curriculum and pedagogy. At present, substantial re-teaching of 6 knowledge and skills is required; presentational material flows into students’ minds, is retained just long enough to perform on a test, and then is forgotten. Class sizes are typically between twenty-five and forty—somewhat too large for effective project-based learning, yet small given that lectures work as well for several hundred students as for several dozen. The scheduling of class periods is too short, limiting teachers and students to fragmentary presentational and practice activities. Teachers all have comparable roles with similar pay structures—unlike other societal organizations, which have complementary staff roles with a mix of skill levels and salaries. Visions presented in the forthcoming 1998 ASCD Yearbook Dede Palumbo, in press) depict how altered configurations of human resources, instructional modalities, and organizational structures could result in greater effectiveness for comparable costs—even with the acquisition of substantial school-based technology. This case is also made at greater length in Hunter Goldberg (1995). In the commercial sector, too often these types of institutional shifts res ult in layoffs. However, because of the coming wave of retirements among educators, districts have a window of opportunity to accomplish structural changes without major adverse impacts on employees. Over the next decade, large numbers of â€Å"baby-boom† educators will leave the profession, and a staged process of organizational restructuring could occur in parallel with those retirements. Coordinating technology expenditures as an integral part of that larger framework for institutional evolution is vital in districts’ planning to afford computers and communications. Question Three: How can many educators disinterested or phobic about computers and communications be induced to adopt new technology-based models of teaching and learning? Thus far, most educators who use technology to implement the alternative types of pedagogy and curriculum are â€Å"pioneers†: people who see continuous change and growth as an integral part of their profession and who are willing to swim against the tide of conventional operating procedures—often at considerable personal cost. However, to achieve large-scale shifts in standard educational practices, many more teachers must alter their pedagogical approaches; and schools’ management, institutional structure, and relationship to the community must change in fundamental ways. This requires that â€Å"settlers† (people who appreciate stability and do not want heroic efforts to become an everyday requirement) must be convinced to make the leap to a different mode of professional activity—with the understanding that, once they have mastered these new approaches, their daily work will be sustainable without extraordinary exertion. How can a critical mass of educators in a district be induced simultaneously to make such a shift? Studies of innovation in other types of institutions indicate that successful change is always bottom-up, middle-out, and top-down. The driver for bottom-up innovation in a district is the children. Typically, students are joyful and committed when they are given the opportunity to learn by doing, to engage in collaborative construction of knowledge, and to experience mentoring relationships. That these types of instruction are accomplished via educational technology will excite some kids, while others will be indifferent—but all will appreciate the opportunity to move beyond learning by listening. Educators can draw enormous strength and purpose from watching the eager response of their students to classroom situations that use alternative forms of pedagogy. Often, teachers have shifted from pioneers to settlers 7 because they were worn down by the unceasing grind of motivating students to master uninteresting, fragmented topics; and administrators have undergone a similar loss of enthusiasm by being inundated with paperwork rather than serving as instructional coordinators. The professional commitment that kids’ enthusiasm can re-inspire is a powerful driver of bottom-up change. The source of middle-out change is a district’s pioneers. Many teachers entered the profession because they love students of a certain age and want to help them grow—or love their subject matter and want to share its beauty and richness. Often, these teachers feel alienated because the straightjacket of traditional instruction and school organization walls them away from meaningful relationships with their students and their subject. Similarly, many administrators want to serve as leaders and facilitators, but are forced by conventional managerial practices into being bureaucrats and bosses. Middle-out change is empowered when educators who have given up hope of achieving their professional dreams see pioneer colleagues using technology to succeed in those goals—and realize that, if everyone made a similar commitment, no one would have to make continuous personal sacrifices to achieve this vision. The lever for top-down innovation is the community served by the district. Educators want respect—yet teaching has fallen from a revered professions to a much lower status. The relationship between educators and their community is seldom seen as a partnership; instead, teachers and administrators often feel isolated, forced to perform a difficult task with inadequate resources. Parents, the business sector, and taxpayers bitterly debate the purpose of schools and sometimes attempt to micro-manage their operation. In contrast, when homes, classrooms, workplaces and community settings are linked via new media to achieve distributed learning, much more positive interactions emerge between schools and society. Educators can move from isolation to collaboration with the community, from a position of low esteem to an respected role in orchestrating children’s learning across a spectrum of settings. This shift in status is a powerful driver for innovation. To activate these bottom-up, middle-out, and top-down forces for improvement, educators must take the lead in developing a shared vision for systemic reform, distributed learning, and sophisticated utilization of technology. Making such a commitment to large-scale educational innovation is not only the right thing to do, but is increasingly essential to educators’ professional integrity. In many ways, physicians working in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) face challenges similar to teachers and administrators working in today’s schools. These doctors are responsible for the well-being of their patients, but work within administrative structures that restrict their decision making capabilities, that are focused on saving money at least as much as on combating illness, and that do not provide the latest technology or much time and resources for professional development. Yet we expect those physicians to do whatever it takes—fight the system for what the patient needs, spend personal time mastering the latest medical advances and technologies—to help those whom they serve. To do otherwise would be malpractice, a betrayal of trust, a breach of ethics as a professional. Given advances in information technology that are reshaping the knowledge students need and the ways educators can help them learn, we need to accept a professional obligation—despite current institutional constraints—to do whatever it takes in changing traditional instructional practices so that a generation of children is truly prepared for the 21st century. Question Four: How do we prove to communities that new, technology-based models of teaching and learning are better than current instructional approaches? Few communities are willing to take educational innovations â€Å"on faith. † Many people are uneasy about whether conventional instruction an d traditional testing are developing and assessing the types of knowledge and skills children need for their future. However, most parents and taxpayers feel that the current system worked for them and do not want to substitute something radically different unless new methods are proven to be superior. What types of evidence can educators offer communities that innovative, technology-based models of teaching and learning are so much better—given what our society needs in the 21st century—that the substantial cost and effort of systemic reform is more than worth the trouble? Research documents that new, technology-based pedagogical strategies result in at least four kinds of improvements in educational outcomes. Some of these gains are easy to communicate to the community; others are difficult—but together they constitute a body of evidence that can convince most people. These four types of improvements are listed below, in sequence from the most readily documented to the hardest to demonstrate. Increased learner motivation. Students are very excited when exposed to learning experiences that go beyond information assimilation and teaching-by-telling. Guided inquiry, project-based collaboration, and mentoring relationships all evoke increased learner motivation, manifested via readily observable indicators such as better attendance, higher concentration, and greater time on task. All of these not only correlate with increased educational performance, but also are in stark contrast to the attitudes parents and taxpayers formed about most of their schooling. Documenting to communities that students care about what they are learning and are working hard to achieve complex goals is not difficult, given the ubiquity of videotape players and camcorders. Student-produced videos that show learners engaged and excited are intriguing to parents and taxpayers, who may not fully understand what is happening in the classroom, but are impressed by student behavior divergent from their own memories and likely to result in better learning outcomes. Too often, educators take little advantage of this easy way to open a dialogue about instructional improvement with the community. Advanced topics mastered. Whatever else they believe about the purposes of schooling, parents want their children to have a prosperous lifestyle and know that this necessitates mastering advanced concepts. In the 21st century, being a successful worker and an informed citizen will require the sophisticated knowledge delineated in the national curriculum standards, especially in the sciences and mathematics. Information technology can help students not only to learn these difficult concepts, but also to master the learning-how-to-learn skills needed to keep their capabilities current in a rapidly evolving economy. When shown that technologybased instructional strategies enable teaching sophisticated ideas not now part of the conventional curriculum, more complex than the items on current standardized tests, and harder than what they learned in school, taxpayers are impressed. 9 Students acting as experts do. Developing in learners the ability to use problem solving processes similar to those of experts is challenging, but provides powerful evidence that students are gaining the skills they will need to succeed in the 21st century. One of the most striking features of a classroom based on new instructional models is that learners are behaving as do teams of scientists, mathematicians, designers, or other kinds of expert problem solvers. Pupils’ activities in these learning environments mirror the analytic, interpretive, creative, and expressive uses of information tools increasingly characteristic of sophisticated workplace settings. When parents and taxpayers see students perform complex tasks and create intricate products, they are impressed by the similarity between the recent evolution of their own workplaces and the skills children are developing. Better outcomes on standardized tests. The most difficult type of evidence to provide for the superiority of new, technology-based instructional models is what communities first demand: higher scores on conventional measures of achievement. Standardized tests are designed to assess only a narrow range of knowledge, and the other three types of improvements just discussed fall largely outside the scope of what they measure. A major challenge for educational assessment is to develop methods that measure a wider range of skills than paper-and-pencil, multiple choice tests, without bogging educators down in complex, time-consuming, and potentially unreliable performance evaluations. Research shows that students’ outcomes on conventional achievement tests rise when technology-based educational innovations are implemented, but this does not occur immediately, as teachers and learners must first master these new models of pedagogy. To succeed in systemic reform, educators must prepare communities for the fact that test scores will not instantly rise and that other, complementary types of improvements less easy to report quantitatively are better short-range measures of improvement. Overall, the single most effective means of convincing parents, the business community, and taxpayers that technology-based models of teaching are superior to conventional instructional approaches is to involve them in students’ education. Through distributed learning approaches that build partnerships between schools and society, communities have ample opportunities to observe the types of evidence discussed above, as well as to further enhance students’ educational outcomes. Question Five: How can educational technology increase equity rather than widen current gaps between â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have-nots? Implemented within a larger context of systemic reform, emerging information technologies can produce dramatic improvements in learning outcomes. But won’t such educational usage of computers and communications widen inequities in our society? However ample the access to technology students have in schools, learners differ greatly in the amount and s ophistication of information devices in their homes and communities. Isn’t all this effort simply making education better for the â€Å"haves,† potentially worsening our society’s pathological gaps in income and power? Certainly, new media such as Web TV are dropping in price, and almost all homes have videogames, television, and videotape players—but won’t the rich always have more information devices of greater power than the poor, skewing the advantages of distributed learning and increasing inequality? 10 From an historical perspective, innovative information technologies at first widen inequities within civilization, because initial access to the differential advantage they bring is restricted to the few who can afford the substantial expense of this increased power. As emerging media mature, drop in price, and are widely adopted, however, the ultimate impact of information technology is to make society more egalitarian. For example, the world of universal telephone service is a more equitable environment than was the world of messenger boys and telegraph offices. The challenge for current educational policy is to minimize the period during which the gap between haves and have-nots widens, rapidly moving to a maturity of usage and an universality of access that promotes increased equity. At present, most of society’s attempts to decrease the widened inequalities that new educational technologies could create are centered on access and literacy. In schools that serve disadvantaged and at-risk populations, extra efforts are made to increase the amount of computers and communications available. Similarly, educators and learners in have-not situations are given special training to ensure that they are literate in information tools, such as web browsers. To compensate for more home-based technology in affluent areas, many feel that our best strategy is providing teachers and students in low socioeconomic status areas with additional technology to â€Å"level the playing field† (Coley, Cradler, Engel, 1997). While a good place to begin, this approach to educational equity is inadequate unless taken beyond access and literacy to also address issues of content and services. The on-line materials and types of assistance that learners and teachers can access must reflect the needs and interests of diverse and at-risk students. For example, I can take homeless people to the public library and show them how to use a web browser to download images of impressionist paintings at the Louvre, but this is not likely to motivate or impress them, since such a learning experience does not speak to their primary needs. Similarly, emerging graphical interfaces such as Microsoft Windowsâ„ ¢ enhance many users’ capabilities, but adversely affect learners with reduced eyesight who cannot effectively manipulate the visual features of these interfaces. The real issue in equity is empowerment—tailoring information technology to give dispossessed groups what they want. For example, I worked with a local team of politicians to explore the implications of information technology for improving public services. They were excited about using community-based information terminals to offer improved access to health care, welfare, education, and other social services for the immigrant and minority populations they served. However, when I began to describe how on-line communication tools could help these groups to increase their participation n voting and to form coalitions for political action, the elected representatives immediately lost interest. To truly achieve educational equity, working collaboratively with have-not populations is vital in developing content and services tailored to their needs and designed to build on their strengths and agendas. Otherwise, improving access and literacy will fall short of the success for all stu dents essential to America’s prosperity in the 21st century. Question Six: If we use technology well, what should we expect as â€Å"typical† student performance? 1 If we were to implement systemic reform based on new strategies for learning through sophisticated technology, research suggests that â€Å"typical† students might do as well as â€Å"exemplary† learners do now. Our expectations for what pupils can accomplish are far too low, largely because standard educational processes are obsolete given the progression of information technology, insights into the nature of learning, and shifts in the educational outcomes society needs. In many ways, we live in the â€Å"Dark Ages† of schooling—restrained from making rapid advances toward increased instructional effectiveness by outmoded ideas, ritual, and tradition. Setting our sights higher and using better metrics to measure progress are vital to successful innovation. For example, many people are intrigued by results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which show the United States well behind nations such as Singapore and Japan on math and science outcomes from a globally developed achievement test. Crusaders are implementing reforms to ensure that our students do much better on this test. However, our goal should not be to exceed the level of Singapore on an assessment instrument that, as described earlier, measures only a fraction of what students need to know for their future prosperity—and moreover incorporates a diluted definition of educational quality negotiated across many countries with very different populations and national goals. Others advocate using a standards-based curriculum as the touchstone for educational effectiveness, and reformers are centering state and national judgments of educational worth on this measure. Certainly, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards are a major improvement over the hodgepodge math curriculum before their inception, as are the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) standards and similar efforts in other fields. But our metric for whether students succeed should not simply be whether they learn the math mathematicians think is important, the science scientists feel is vital, and so on. Being a productive worker and citizen involves much more than having an adequate background in each field of knowledge. Integrating these concepts and skills and being a lifelong learner with the self-worth, discipline, and motivation to apply this knowledge is of paramount importance—yet not captured by discipline-based standards alone. New forms of pedagogy are also no â€Å"philosopher’s stone† that can make golden each educational experience for every learner. Some argue that, if only all classrooms were based on constructivist learning or situated cognition or individualized tutoring or multimedia presentations or integrated learning systems or whatever pedagogical panacea, every student would succeed. However, learning is a very complex and idiosyncratic process that requires, for each pupil, a repertoire of many different types of instruction orchestrated together. In other words, no test, no curriculum, and no instructional strategy in itself can guarantee educational quality—even though our current approach to determining schools’ worth is based on these inadequate measures. Instead, we need new standards for a knowledge-based society that combine all these metrics for success and that are based on much higher levels of â€Å"typical† student outcomes. Successful technology-based innovations have the common characteristic that learners exceed everyone’s expectations for what is possible. Second graders do fifth grade work; nine graders outscore twelfth grade students. What would those ninth graders be accomplishing if, 12 from kindergarten on, they had continuous access to our best tools, curriculum, and pedagogy? Would they be the equivalent of college sophomores? We are selling short a generation by expecting less and by orienting our curriculum, instruction, and tests accordingly. Conclusion My responses to the six questions above sketch a conceptual framework for thinking about the process of scaling-up from islands of innovation to widespread shifts in standard educational practices. These answers illustrate that technology-based systemic reform is hard in part because our ways of thinking about implementation are often flawed. Large-scale educational innovation will never be easy, but can be less difficult if we go beyond our implicit assumptions about learning, technology, equity, schooling, and society. Understanding the scaling-up process is vital for making strategies for change affordable, generalizable, and sustainable. References Brown, A. L. , Campione, J. C. (1994). Guided discovery in a community of learners. In K. McGilly (Ed. ), Classroom lessons: Integrating cognitive theory and classroom practice (pp. 229-270). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Coley, R. J. , Cradler, J. , Engel, P. K. (1997). Computers and classrooms: The status of technology in U. S. schools. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. Dede, C. , Palumbo, D. (Eds). (in press). Learning with technology (the 1998 ASCD Yearbook). Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Dede, C. (1996). Emerging technologies and distributed learning. American Journal of Distance Education 10, 2, 4-36. Edelson, D. C. , Pea, R. D. , Gomez, L. M. (1996). Constructivism in the collaboratory. In B. Wilson (Ed. ), Constructivist learning environments: Case studies in instructional design. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Hunter, B. , Goldberg, B. (1995) Learning and teaching in 2004: The BIG DIG. In U. S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Education and technology: Future visions (OTABP-EHR-169). Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office. Linn, M. C. (1997). Learning and instruction in science education: Taking advantage of technology. In D. Tobin B. J. Fraser (Eds. ), International handbook of science education. The Netherlands: Kluwer. McKinsey Company. (1995). Connecting K-12 schools to the information superhighway. Palo Alto, CA: McKinsey Company. Schank, R. C. , Jona, M. Y. (1991). Empowering the student: New perspectives on the design of teaching systems. The Journal of Learning Sciences, 1, 7-35. How to cite Six Challenges for Educational Technology, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Best Conclusion Of The Essay On Sikhism Example For Students

Best Conclusion Of The Essay On Sikhism God sends His messengers into the world from time to time to guidehumanity, states Professor Gobind Singh Mansukhani, author of the book,The Quintessence of Sikhism. Although Jesus Christ was considered to be sent toEarth between 8 BC and 4 BC by god, the ten Gurus, who found the Sikh religionfive hundred years ago in the Punjab region of India, were also considered to bemessengers of God (Jesus Christ 194-198; Mansukhani 1; Kleffman 1). These founders of the Sikh religion, unlike others of the time, recorded theirteachings and their beliefs in the Guru Granth Sahib, a holy book that isconsidered to be the eternal Guru (Sikh Missionary Center 244). The history,beliefs, and distinction from other religions make Sikhism a fascinatingreligion. Originating in the fifteenth century, Sikhism struggles to stay alivein India, even today. Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism established thisreligion, free from the discriminating ideas of Hinduism and Islam (Mansukhani2; Wolcott and Wolcott 48). Guru Nanak Dev Ji carried the Divine Light, whichallowed his body to be a platform for God to speak on. This light was passed onto the other nine Gurus who created the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh MissionaryCenter 7-9). The eighth Guru, Guru Harkishan Dev Ji, became a Guru at the age offive (Guru Harkishan Dev Ji Internet). His knowledge and power awedpeople who realized he was really divine (Mansukhani 30-32). The lives of mostSikhs w ere threatened by religious hatred everyday. The fifth Guru, Guru ArjanDev Ji, and the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, both became martyrs. GuruArjan Dev Ji was tortured with boiling water, thrown on burning sand, and wasseated on a red-hot plate because he would not give up his faith. Similarly,Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji also became a martyr. He refused to lose his faith and diedsaying Gods name. Today, Sikhs are still dying for their beliefs (Mansukhani23-25, 35-36). For Sikhs, their beliefs are declared in the Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru Granth Sahib contains the words of all ten Gurus and is the eternalGuru. This holy books teachings are protected in such a way that its followerswould notice if a comma or a period is out of place (Sikh Missionary Center 3,248). Sikhism opposes the caste system that existed in India. In fact, the Guruserased the caste system in Sikhs by creating a Langar system, which means GurusFree Kitchen. This system still exists today and requires everyone, rich orpoor, to sit side by side and share a meal, despite of social classes (Mansukhani15-16; Sikh Missionary Center 3-4). The Guru Granth Sahib also states womanshould be equal. Guru Nanak Dev Ji pointed out that women were never inferior tomen because they can get salvation also (Sikh Missionary Center 278). Besidespromoting equality, Sikhism respects other religions. The Guru Granth Sahibincludes excerpts from Hindu and Muslim saints, to show Sikhs to accept otherfaiths (Gurbani CD 6). All the beliefs of Sikhs are outlined in the holy bookwritten by the ten Gurus, themselves (Sikh Missionary Center 248). AlthoughSikhism is different from other religions, it is similar in many aspects also. Unlike other religions, everything people know about Sikhism comes from themouths of the Gurus. For example, The Sikh Missionary Center writesthere came Mahatma Buddh in India and he never wrote anything with hishands. After that came Christ who did not write anything himself. His teachingare only known through the Bible. Sikhism believes materialistic itemscome in the way of salvation (Sikh Missionary Center 3, 248, 249). Similarly,Buddhists also agree materialistic values get in the way of nirvana, the stateof peace (Buddhism 319-325). Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism allsupport reincarnation (Sikh Missionary Center 253; Wolcott and Wolcott 36;Buddhism 322). Although there are several similarities with otherreligions, Sikhism is unique in its own way. Although times have changed, theSikh religion has remained unchanged for the last five hundred years (Kleffman1). The ten messengers God sent to Earth have helped form the Sikh religion (Mansukhani1). The holy book which the ten Gurus created is the living Guru, since it willlast forever and holds all the teachings of the past Gurus (Sikh MissionaryCenter 244). The ideas behind Sikhism make it a unique religion.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Treating People Nicely

Introduction Nice treatment is a back to back practice between individual or among groups of people. Human beings are termed as social beings naturally. Interactions occur in various ways. That can be formally or informally. Of course the formal way would entail treatment in job places, meetings and so forth. Informal interactions could include the interaction that exists among people who are related or could be by default in the societal requirements.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Treating People Nicely specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Characteristics of Nice Treatment Treating people nicely is more of a behavioral aspect. That is to say that, when one does not exhibit good behavior, it is evident that the expectations too will be wanting. The attitude exhibited during interaction can also describe ones character. This shows whether you are a nice person or a bad person in terms of socializing. It is always go od to treat people nicely. his mostly applies in every aspect of life. That is at home, in work place, in church and in various places that involves the aspect of interaction by people. It is very important to treat people well because that is what you also expect from them. Their attitude to you is reciprocated from what you do to them. Treating people well entails, being loyal, patient, thoughtful, kind and respectful about others. This is the same as being considerate on others. Human beings are unique. Every person has got a different character. Although there are standards by which people interact, one should realize that every person has strength and a weakness even if one is not right try out and be positive as to cheer him or her up and at the same time you explain the correction. Always wear a smile on your face during conversations. When someone smiles at you, it is important to smile back. One should always be courteous when addressing people. This is by saying, please, t hank you and welcome. One should avoid high ego. Always remember that you are not better than anyone. This helps in practicing humility hence other people will take it positively. One key thing is to listen to your colleagues or other people carefully. Good listening is one of the key ways in implementing effective communication. Benefits of Treating People Nicely One benefit of treating people nicely is exhibited in the â€Å"ethic of reciprocity†. This shows that when one treats others nicely, he or she will also be treated nicely. People remain the most appreciable resource in business matters. Employees too need to be treated well. These two measures would result in the business doing well, while on the employees’ part, production and profitability would increase tremendously. Treating people well also contributes to a mutual relationship between individuals. This relationship is aided by the fact that one appreciates what the other party has done and reciprocates the same to that partner. It does not mean that the service has to be the same. One can appreciate one party through a different mode. The only effect that should be felt by the other person is a sense of dignity.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More I believe in â€Å"Karma† Concept This is a belief that originated from the Asian countries specifically India. This was way back in the past. It is a concept that has been thought to be similar to fate which is not the case. It is imagined that human beings act out of free will hence fate cannot be related to Karma’s concept. Karma is described as an act or a deed. This principle is accepted worldwide and it exhibits cause and effect. It can also be described as reactions and actions that direct life. Some people would say â€Å"what goes around comes around†. This is true in determining how individuals treat one an other in work place or in the society at large. Conclusion When you are treated well definitely you will do the same. This also applies to awful treatments. Those who treat people badly are also treated badly. This is majorly defines by character. At time, people’s character influences their actions. Their actions would bring them required reaction or effects. Therefore, it is true to say that, what goes around comes around This essay on Treating People Nicely was written and submitted by user Jon B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Themes and Ideas in The Merchants Tale Essay Example

Themes and Ideas in The Merchants Tale Essay Example Themes and Ideas in The Merchants Tale Essay Themes and Ideas in The Merchants Tale Essay The imagery in the general prologue tells Chaucers audience the Merchant is skilled and wise full well his wit bisette and Chaucers use of language like forked berd and in mottelee not only portrays the Merchant in a precise way, but ensures that the readers think and feel the same way about the Merchant as Chaucer. In The Merchants Tale Chaucer concerns himself with many themes, amongst which are marriage, honesty, religion and women. The opening of the tale explores the Merchants negative outlook on marriage and how bitterly he feels towards his wife I have a wyf, the worst that may be. The initial impression given to the reader is that Chaucer believes marriage is mainly a man letting himself in for a life time of weeping and wailing and Chaucer makes certain to the reader that if he had the chance to marry again, he wouldnt. Chaucer makes it very clear to the reader he is anti-feminist and implies he can tell more sorrow than a stabbed bachelor, due to his unhappiness throughout marriage. The Merchant claims talking about myn owene soore, is too upsetting, so continues to tell a story of a worthy knight.. a wyflees man was he. This worthy knight, aged sixty begins to feel the desire for a wife however before this age was used to doing what he wanted with women, folwed ay his bodily delit and thinking nothing more of it. The knight would try day and night to dooth al that he kan to find a woman as he believed no other life is worth a bene;. The irony presented here is that the Merchant feels negatively about marriage yet is explaining how ultimately even the most sexually orientated of bachelors will eventually seek this sacrament. Issues raised in the opening to the tale, when discussing marriage is if the knight suddenly realising he should get a wife, whether this be for security as hes reaching old age, or if it be for religious reasons. Religion is another theme Chaucer uses tastefully in the opening of the tale as man and womman, a biblical reference to Adam and Eve is mentioned and marriage is compared to paradis, the garden of Eden. Although this image of marriage being wonderful is being spoken by the knight, Chaucer is telling it through the Merchant. The confusing and interesting nature of this is that in the general prologue the Merchant doesnt have a good word to say about marriage, but hes telling this tale of a knight that was desperate to take a yong wif and live a life of joye and solas, therefore implying marriage is not so bad. In lines 99 to 103, the Merchant compares Gods gift of a wife, to material possessions. The detailed nature of these lines wyf is Goddes yifte .. as londes, rentes, pasture or commune shows how the Merchant, through the Knight explains the value of a wife is similar to that of the value of material goods such as land and furnishings. The story of creation in Genesis not only explains Gods creation of a woman to keep Adam company, but shows the how a woman caused the downfall of mankind, by being tempted to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. This is a story Chaucers target audience would we have been aware of. The Merchant shows the Knight being fond of marriage, but at the same time is taking a dig at women for causing the downfall of mankind, and implying this is what will happen if the Knight marries. A brief reference to anti-feminist literature writer Theofrast, by the knight reassures readers that he understands what hes taking onboard when seeking a wife. What force though Theofraste liste lye? .. a trewe servant dooth moore diligence claims Theofrast, but the knight, knowing Theofrast thinks a servent would be more faithful than a waife, still stays keen on the idea of marriage and we know this by the reference to the wedding vows keep him, sik and hool him to love and serve till he sterve he regards marriage as important, and is being slightly feminist as hes reassuring the audience that a woman will always stick by her man, as she swears to it on their wedding day. Ultimately, Chaucer explores a variety of themes and issues in the opening of the Merchants tale, and although he approaches marriage negatively, he seems to contradict himself when telling the story about the knight. Nevertheless, due to the general prologue and Chaucers description of the Merchant with forked berd shows him as a shady character, so however Chaucer seems to be portraying this knight, we know its likely to change as the tale continues.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Data Collection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Data Collection - Essay Example Data Collection using the phenomenological approach can take many forms. The most commonly used is dialogue with open interviews. Methods of data collection could be written notes, video and audio recordings. Non verbal communication is body language which can be taken into account. These techniques are somewhat subjective; this is because the principal aim here is to explore the problem and get a deeper understanding so that some hypothesis can be formulated. In an RCT, the interview has to be highly structured, because quantitative data has to be generated. In a structured interview, the questions have set answers, such as in multiple-choice questions, so that a limited choice is provided to the responder, and one question leads to another; for example, if the answer to above question was 'Yes' then please answer the next 3 questions. Unstructured questions are more open-ended, allowing the responder a lot more leeway in terms of answers that he can provide in his/her own language. Further, as RCTs usually entail some form of intervention/procedure/treatment, there are many more potent means of data collection. In the example cited above, there can be two phases of data collection; in the first phase, qualitative data can be obtained through unstructured interview of endoscopists to find out details about the two procedures (colonoscopy and double contrast barium enema) which can establish the controversy that exists. However, the essential question as to which of the two modalities is most sensitive and specific, and therefore more reliable, requires quantitative data of the type obtained through RCTs. This depends on blinded observations by the endoscopists who initially perform colonscopy without knowing the results of the Barium studies; if no polyp was found during colonoscopy, then the barium enema result was revealed to them, and if a polyp had been found in the latter, they re-examined the segment. Data collection here depends on highly structured and rigid enquiry of the endoscopists, and numerical data is generated. Compared to this the phenomenological approach to the interview is unstructured, flexible and open-ended, using audio tapes and verbatim reports so that more detailed and in-depth, though descriptive information can be obtained. DATA ANALYSIS Data analysis is different in both methods. Among the many different means of analysing data available in phenomenological research, the method propounded by Glaser and Strauss (1967) is the one most utilised, namely the Grounded theory approach. Data from RCT is analysed statistically, whereas data from phenomenology is analysed for codes, themes and patterns; for example in the study on double contrast enema, the initial phenomenological research data will be analysed to establish whether there is any pattern, or if a theory can be generated which can then be studied in the RCT phase. In RCT, data is analysed using tables and graphs, whereas in Phenomenology, data is analysed more subjectively. The theory generated in phenomenological research depends on, emerges from and is grounded in data, which is why it tends to be a cyclical process, as collection and analysis can go hand-in-hand, unlike in RCTs where data collection is based on decisions taken during the design stage, and an alysis

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Management of Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management of Change - Essay Example Since 1937, the company has grown significantly and brought changes in how food is packaged even before the consumers ever thought of those changes (Leonhardt, 2012). However, with time, many things have dented the image of the corporation and undermined the reputation the owners have worked hard to build. Areas of Change The company needs change in three identifiable and key areas of its operations in order to salvage its reputation and rejuvenate to a brand that is adored by many when it comes to having a meal. First is the area of food processing. The company needs to move more towards healthy foods and abandon its niche of dominant junk food. The company has been associated with food products that are â€Å"unhealthy† to the consumer at the time where health issues such as obesity and heart diseases are emerging to be great challenges to the world population. The second area that needs change is the lead time of supply. There should be change in the procedure of sourcing f or supply so that the time taken to deliver and, therefore, make it readily available is reduced. The third issue is that of the billing system in terms of its efficiency to eliminate complaints on overcharge in credit cards and how they respond to such concerns. These three issues are among other concerns in the organization that need to be subjected to change so that the organization remains a giant in the industry. Need for Change For every organization, the need for change is a constant requirement rather than a rare once in a year thing. An organization in the highly competitive and sensitive industry, such as Mc Donald, therefore, needs to embrace change through effective change management structures. Companies that engage themselves in all efforts of creating change have benefited a lot financially and in terms of growth. They are likely to be more competitive and even more adapted to external changes in the corporate world (Beer and Nohria, 2000). This, in essence, points th e need for the organization to initiate change in the areas mentioned above. This can also be clearly illustrated through the various models of change management. Models of Change Management The two models of change likely to help in going around the change barrier include that of the change curve and Lewin's Change Management Model. The change curve explains the different stages that an organization goes through before an effected change is fully accepted. It helps in making the change implementation to be expedited, thereby increasing its likelihood of success. The change curve proposes that change is approached through people because when they adapt to change fast, the organization also changes rapidly (Mind Tools, 2012). Lewin’s Change Management Model proposes a three pronged process that involves unfreezing, changing and refreezing. The first stage involves anchoring change acceptance through creating an enabling environment. The second change subsequently involves intr oduction of the change and finally synchronizing the changes in the organization’s structures in the final phase (Mind Tools, 2012). These models show the ease at which various organizations including the one on focus can learn to integrate change in its operations in a more effective and timely manner. They are a good reminder of the need for chan

Monday, November 18, 2019

Is Anatomy Destiny Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Anatomy Destiny - Research Paper Example Secondly, the paper will examine maleness and femaleness in the society and critically explore whether individuals should be tied to the gender they are assigned in the society. There are several factors usually present at birth that are used to determine the sex of an individual at birth which include the presence or absence of a Y chromosome, the type of gonads, sex hormones, the internal reproductive anatomy and the anatomy of the external genitalia (Kalat 122). Genetically, males and females are different where males have an X and a Y chromosome whereas Females have two X chromosomes .Immediately after conception, the male and female embryos are indistinguishable except for their differences in chromosomes where the male embryo has a Y chromosome. The Y chromosome triggers the production of testosterone and other androgen/male hormones which cause the embryo to develop testes and a penis instead of developing ovaries and a uterus. Biological psychologists regard gender identity a nd role as arising from biological processes and the differences between the two sexes where men and women act, feel and think differently because of the differences regarding how their brain works which is brought about by chromosomal and hormonal differences (Kalat 341). The male hormones (androgens make the male brain to develop and work differently from the female brain and this accounts for the differences in behavior between men and women for instance men are more aggressive than women Males and females produce different sex hormones (androgens for males and oestrogens for females) in varying quantities that not only affects their physiology e.g. menstrual cycle in females but also has a bearing on their behavior. For instance, testosterone which is produced in greater quantities in men has a great influence on the behaviors that is prominent in males. A research has shown that violent offenders and recidivists (those with a tendency of reoffending) have higher amounts of test osterone than nonviolent offenders. Women have higher levels of oxytocin which is associated with the behavior of women being more sociable than men in the society whereas men are generally seen to be more aggressive. Financial traders with higher levels of testosterone were also seen to take greater risks which are also in agreement with the fact that most entrepreneurs are male (Pettman 294). On the other hand, the issue of gender identity and gender roles is a social construct not a matter of differences in sex. Beauvoir considers the various myths used to paint women as a second gender in different societies. She strongly criticizes these myths terming them as dubious analogies and pseudo-thinking form of philosophy (Beauvoir 49). Social factors contribute to once gender roles and performance since the social influences start playing a big role in the child’s development immediately the baby is born. Parents and the society play a role in teaching and shaping of gender ty ped behaviors in boys and girls as early as they are born. They encourage specific gender –typed behaviors that bring about gender-appropriate activities as much as discouraging cross-gender activities

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Exploring The Religion Of Zoroastrianism Religion Essay

Exploring The Religion Of Zoroastrianism Religion Essay Zoroastrianism is said to be the oldest revealed religion in the world and holds a firm place in being one of the most interesting studies of the worlds religions. Such significance can be attributed to the influences on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Little is known about the earliest days of Zoroastrianism after its establishment by Iranian prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster in western culture) but during the 6th century BCE and 7th century CE Zoroastrianism was the most influential religion in three consecutive Persian Empires (known as Iran) .Its downfall in Persia followed the Arab invasions and resulted in a small minority establishing a group in north-west India in the 10th century CE. Body Paragraph 1: Zarathustra was a Persian prophet who thought he had envisioned the sight of God Ahura Mazda- the create of all that was good and who alone is to be worshipped. This is a change from past Indo-Persian polytheism and is known to be the first non-biblical monotheist. Their sacred book of law, the Avesta is collection of sacred writing complied over many centuries and was not completed until the Sassanid dynasty. It consists hymns ascribed to Zarathustra- the Gathas- invocation and rituals to be used at festivals, hymns of praise and spells against demons and prescriptions for purification. The concept of God involves the use of both monotheism and dualism. In his visions Zarathustra was taken up to the heavens where Ahura Mazda revealed that he had an opponent, Aura Mainyu, the spirit and promoter of evil. It was from this vision that Zarathustra was given the task of inviting all of mankind to choose between good and evil. Zoroaster taught man they he must partake in the cosmic stru ggle because of his capacity of free choice. In turn making Zoroastrianism an ethical religion due to the importance of choosing good over evil. It is believed in Zoroastrianism that humans are free to decide between right and wrong, light and dark, and truth and lie and ultimately their choices would affect their destiny for all eternity. Afterlife in Zoroastrian culture is decided by the balance of the words, good and evil deed and thoughts throughout ones life. Generally this idea is not absolute, however there is exception for human weakness, this means faults are not registered or weight forever on the scales. Two means of obliterating them; confession and the transfer of supererogatory merits. The ideology of monotheism, heaven, hell, angelology, the messiah, the resurrection of the body was influential on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Body 2: Zoroastrianism was the most influential Religion upon Persia for three successive Empires the first lead by Cyrus the Young of the Archaemenian Family from 549 BCE -331 BCE. Kings of the Archaemenian Empire are known to have been very self-righteous Zoroastrians and ruled politically in unity with the Law of Asha truth and righteousness. Cyrus was generally care-free and thus no imposition was made upon his people to practise Zoroastrian ways. Beneficiary particularly to the Jews whom Cyrus allowed to return to the Holy Land from exile in Babylon this impacted them greatly and influenced post-Exilic Judaism [Boyce, M: 1977: p211]. According to Xenophon and Plutarch [Xenophon and Plutarch in Lawless: 1994: 211], Cyrus worshipped Mithra, Anahita and Ahura-Mazda with inscriptions dating back to Cyrus the Young indicate that many of his building projects were under their protection. Darius the Great was also very religious and showed the same general acceptance during his reign, attributing him being king to that of Ahura Mazda By the favour of Ahura-Mazda I am king; Ahura-Mazda bestowed the kingship upon meby the favour of Ahura-Mazda these countries showed respect toward my lawAhura-Mazda bore me aid until I got possession of this kingdom. [Behistan Inscription in Lawless, J (1991) p.207]. Ahura-Mazda was also proclaimed responsible for helping create Darius building projects at Susa, Persepolis and his tomb at Naqshi-eRustan. Following Darius to the throne was his son Xerxes who, like Darius before him attributed his ascension to the throne and building projects to Ahura-Mazda. A rather controversial tablet as Persepolis indicates that Xerxes claims that he destroyed sanctuaries of false gods[Kent in Lawless (1994) p208]; Among these countries there was (a place) where previously false gods were worshipped. Afterwards, by the favour of Ahura-Mazda, I destroyed that sanctuary of the demons (daevas) and I made proclamation: The Demons shall not be worshipped! Where previously the demons were worshipped there I worshipped Ahura-Mazda and Arta reverently The inscription according to Kent has worried scholars and there are suggestions that Xerxes localized Zoroastrianism. Next in line after the rule of the Archaemenians was the Seleucids and Arcasids; Zoroastrianism became self-sufficient during their rule. The Parthian Arcasids overthrew the Seleucids and ruled for a much longer period than the Archaemenians, however doing so with a less centralised rule. A series of changes began from the Arcasids rule this included; Gathering of Zoroastrian texts from all provinces and The Vendidad (Laws Against Demons) is established. What continued was the tradition of tolerance towards other religions and also governed the law of Asha like past rulers. The final Empire to hold Zoroastrianism as its main religion was the Sasanians. The Sasanians around 224 CE 7th Century- were ruled by Ardashir, and during his reign important developments were made- A single Zoroastrian church was created under the control of Persia, the Zoroastrian calendar was reformed; the older colander had 360 days, the new calendar was a 365 day calendar; the core of the Avesta was able to be written down. By the end of the Sasanian period the authoritarian Zoroastrian church-state was immensely wealthy, until the Islamic conquests of the 7th century that is Body paragraph 3: The Islamic Arabs invaded and conquered Persia in the 7th century; this had a disastrous effect on Zoroastrianism that surpassed that of Alexander the Greats conquest. Numerous libraries were burned to the ground and to a great extent so was Persias cultural heritage. Zoroastrians were treated like dhimmis (People of the Book) at the hands of the Arab invaders this meant, that they were allowed to retain their religious practises, but had to pay extra taxes as a result. Social humiliations and other laws were implemented to make life so difficult for those who practised Zoroastrianism that they would, as a result convert to Islam. This tactic was successful as over time many Persians did convert and thus making Zoroastrianism a minority religion. More successive attack from the Turks, Mongols and Islamists destroyed more religious texts and Zoroastrianism declined further into obscurity. Conclusion: Zoroastrianism is said to be the oldest revealed religion in the world and holds a firm place in being one of the most interesting studies of the worlds religions. Such significance can be attributed to the influences on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Little is known about the earliest days of Zoroastrianism after its establishment by Iranian prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster in western culture) but during the 6th century BCE and 7th century CE Zoroastrianism was the most influential religion in three consecutive Persian Empires (known as Iran) . Its downfall in Persia followed the Arab invasions and resulted in a small minority establishing a group in north-west India in the 10th century CE.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Japanese Internment in Canada Essay -- essays research papers

The core of the Japanese experience in Canada lies in the shameful and almost undemocratic suspension of human rights that the Canadian government committed during World War II. As a result, thousands of Japanese were uprooted to be imprisoned in internment camps miles away from their homes. While only a small percentage of the Japanese living in Canada were actually nationals of Japan, those who were Canadian born were, without any concrete evidence, continuously being associated with a country that was nothing but foreign to them. Branded as â€Å"enemy aliens†, the Japanese Canadians soon came to the realization that their beloved nation harboured so much hate and anti-Asian sentiments that Canada was becoming just as foreign to them as Japan was. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Canadians lost almost everything, including their livelihood. Their dignity as a people was being seriously threatened. Without any proper thought, they were aware that resistanc e against Canada’s white majority would prove to be futile. Racial discrimination had its biggest opportunity to fully reveal itself while the Japanese silently watched the civil disdain take action, the time slip by throughout the evacuation and internment, and their daily lives simply fall apart at the seams.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term â€Å"Canadian† offered no redemption as the Japanese Canadians were involuntarily regarded as potential treats to national security by their own fellow citizens. In a country they knew only as home, the â€Å"yellow† race was a culture many felt they could never accept with open arms. In essence, as the prejudice impelled the Japanese to enclose themselves in a separated society, they were decidedly doomed to remain a permanently alien, non-voting population. As visible minorities, the Japanese were easy targets for discrimination in every social aspect of their lives. In 1907, a race riot took place in a district called â€Å"Little Tokyo† in Vancouver. There, an estimated five thousand racist Canadians sought to destroy the homes and stores of the Asian community. By 1928, W.L. Mackenzie King proposed that one hundred fifty Japanese immigrants be permitted to enter Canada each year to prevent future mishaps. The bombing of Pearl Ha rbor was merely a trigger point for the public distaste to truly emphasize itself. With such close relations with the United Sta... ... to all those who disliked them, and soon that same conception was being adopted by the Japanese minority.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Japanese Canadians had no other option but to endure the constant assaults to their social welfare. As aliens, they could only do so much in a country that was populated mostly by the white race. However, little did it upset them in the beginning, since they were still proud to be Canadian. When the public scorn, evacuation and internment took place, the Japanese were compelled to remain in a stagnant state as all they had earned through much labour became stripped away. After Pearl Harbor, their small and restricted world so abruptly collapsed that nothing would ever be the same again. The government lacked the courage and political will to refuse public opinion in British Columbia, and so chose the path of least resistance. Consequently, the Japanese became subjected to serious limitations of their civil liberties as citizens, and more importantly, human beings. The passing years, have brought overdue regrets and apologies, but the memory of the internment a cts as a reminder that the denial of an entire race’s rights is never the solution.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was born on 20th April 1889 at the Gasthof zum Pommer, a hotel in Braunau am inn in Austria. He was the fourth child in the family of six children. Adolf Hitler had a very troubled relationship with his father but was close to his mother.His father, Alois Hitler, was an authoritarian figure who frequently beat his son. He is said to have told his secretary that he once resolved never to cry when his father whipped him. Hitler was a relatively poor student, a fact that he later attributed to his rebellious nature towards Alois. In his early years lived a life characterized by the love of intellectual and artistic tendencies.From 1905, Adolf led a bohemian lifestyle in Vienna, Austria. He applied twice in the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna but was rejected. The Academy cited that he was unfit to paint and was told to try architecture instead. Apparently, he had fascination for architecture. It was in Vienna that Adolf Hitler became an anti-Semite.Vienna had a large Jewish com munity among them Orthodox Jews who had fled Russia. It is said that those who may have influenced Hitler during his early years include politician Karl Lueger, anti-Semite ideologist Lanz von Liebenfels, Georg Ritter von Schonerer, and composer Richard Wagner. (Lukacs 110)First World WarAdolf Hitler served in the sixteenth Bavarian Regiment in Belgium and France in the First World War. By the end of the war he was the equivalent of American army private first class. A private first class, or a Gefreiter in German, was a runner and was frequently exposed to enemy fire. Though his position was dangerous, Hitler served in key battles on the Western Front. These include:First Battle of Ypres Battle of the Somme Battle of Arras Battle of Passchendaele The first Battle of Ypres gained the name Massacre of Innocent and about forty thousand men were killed in twenty days. Between October and December, Adolf’s company of two hundred and fifty men was reduced to forty two men. His bio grapher noted that the Battle of Ypres made Adolf withdrawn and aloof for the remainder of the war.He was however rewarded for his bravery by being awarded two decorations. He was awarded the Second Class Iron Cross in 1914. He also received the Iron Cross, First Class in the year 1918. This honor was rarely awarded to a private first class.The regimental staff though thought that he lacked leadership skills and was never promoted to the position of corporal. Another reason cited for lack of promotion was because his citizenry was in question. While at his regimental headquarters, Hitler found time to practice his artwork. He contributed to the army newspaper by drawing cartoons and instructional drawings.During the Battle of Somme, Hitler was wounded in the groin area. This was in 1916 but by 1917 he had returned to the front. Due to his injury, Hitler received a wound badge in 1917. Adolf Hitler was temporarily blinded following a mustard gas attack and was admitted to a field hos pital.Some people later suggested that Hitler was blinded as a result of a conversion disorder. According to him, the blindness experience led him to be convinced that his life’s purpose was to save to Germany. Some scholars indicate that his objective and intention to eliminate Jews in Europe was formed in his mind during this time. (Lukacs 118)PoliticsAdolf Hitler was a passionate German patriot and had admired Germany for a long time. He however became a citizen in 1932. He regarded war as his greatest experience and received many praises for his bravery from various commanding officers. Hitler was shocked and angered by Germany’s agreement to surrender in November 1918.What made him angrier was the fact that their army still held enemy territory. As a staunch nationalist, he believed in the ‘dagger stabbed legend’. The legend argued that the undefeated Germany army in the field had been betrayed (stabbed in the back) by Marxists and civilian leaders. T hese Marxists and civilian leaders were later branded November Criminals.The German capitulation deprived the nation a number of territories and demilitarized the Rhineland. The Treaty of Versailles also imposed economically damaging sanctions on Germany. The Versailles treaty restored Poland, a move considered an outrage even to a moderate German. It also criminalized Germany for all horrors experienced during the World War One.Since Germany was culpable, reparations were imposed on the nation. The Treaty of Versailles humiliated Germany in a number of ways. The German army for instance was almost fully demilitarized. They were not allowed to have submarines, an air force, armored vehicles, and were only allowed six battleships and an army of a hundred thousand people.The treaty played a significant role on Germany’s political and social conditions. It was an important basis on which the Nazis and Hitler sought power.Adolf Hitler remained in the army after the end of the Fir st World War. He went back to Munich and attended the funeral procession of the murdered Prime Minister Kurt Eisner. He was part of the ‘national thinking’ courses led by the Bavarian department of propaganda and education.Hitler and those of the same sentiments be regarded Germany woes to be as a result of international Jewry, politicians, Communists, and Marxists. In 1919, Adolf Hitler was appointed as a police spy of the Intelligence Commando of the Reichswehr.The Reichswehr was later formed the defense force of Germany. He was required to infiltrate the German Workers’ Party (a small party then) and influence other soldiers. The factors that impressed Hitler to join the party include: ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was anti-Semitic ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was nationalistic ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was anti-capitalist ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was anti-Marxist ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The party favor ed a strong and active administration ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The party advocated for   a non Jewish version of Socialism ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Solidarity for all members of the societyThe above beliefs and characteristics guided Adolf Hitler for the rest of his life and administration. Adolf Hitler was made the seventh member of the executive committee of Anton Drexler’s German Workers Party. This was mainly due to the fact that the party founder was impressed by his oratory skills. Hitler also met another founder of the party Dietrich Eckart who will become his mentor.Dietrich taught Hitler how to dress and speak exchanged ideas with him and introduced him to many people. So as to improve the party’s appeal, it was renamed the National Socialist German Workers Party. After being discharged of his military duties in 1920, Hitler together with his former superiors concentrated his efforts in the party’s activities. He became very effe ctive at speaking to large crowds. (Lukacs 110)Adolf Hitler was a gifted orator and used his talent to the maximum. In February 1921, he addressed nearly six thousand people assembled in Munich. He advertised the gathering using two truckloads filled with supporters holding swastikas and throwing leaflets. He used polemic and rowdy speeches to criticize the Treaty of Versailles, politicians, Marxists and Jews.His party was based in Munich (a German nationalist’s hotbed then) and was determined to undermine the Weimer republic party and end Marxism. Some of his party members considered him to be domineering. This group formed alliance with other socialists leading to the resignation of Adolf Hitler from the party in July 1921.The exit of Hitler meant the end of the party. He however declared his return if he was given the position of chairman of the party with unlimited powers. Some original members of the party were infuriated by Hitler’s decision. They wrote a pamphle t attacking Hitler as a traitor and criticizing him as power hungry and violent. Hitler sued for libel and was awarded a small settlement.The party members were later made to vote on Hitler’s demand. He won through landslide victory with five hundred and forty three votes against one. On July 29 1921, he was declared the Fuhrer of his party. This was the first time the term Fuhrer was used.He made enemies by attacking communists, capitalists, Jews, liberals, and reactionary monarchists. His initial followers include army captain Ernst Rohm, air force pilot Herman Goring, Rudolf Hess and wartime General Erich Ludendorff.Adolf Hitler together with his wartime general friend staged a coup on November 8 1983. Hitler and the NAZI paramilitary organization SA stormed a public meeting led by Kahr. The following day Hitler and party supporters marched from a large beer hall in Munich to the Bavarian War Ministry.Their intention was to overthrow the Bavarian government. This event is popularly known as the Beer Hall Putsch. They were however dispersed and sixteen party members killed. Some scholars indicate that Hitler contemplated suicide after the beer hall putsch event. Adolf Hitler was later arrested and charged with high treason. His trial transformed Hitler from a local Munich figure to a national figure.He used his unlimited time during the trial to voice his nationalistic sentiments in the defense speech. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment on 1st April 1924. The Bavarian Supreme Court handed Hitler an early release on 20th December 1924. He dedicated his time at Landsberg Prison writing an autobiography and explanation of his ideology titled Mein Kampf. It sold close to a quarter million copies between 1925 and 1934.Rise to powerHitler faced various obstacles in his efforts of rebuilding his party. Some of these obstacles included improved economy in Germany, collapse of the putsch and his ban on public speaking. He devised a new ‘legalâ⠂¬â„¢ strategy of gaining power. Hitler’s turning point came when Germany was hit by the Great Depression in 1930.The Centre Party of Chancellor Heinrich Bruning lacked majority in parliament leading to instability. The premature elections of 1930 saw the Nazis win unexpected 107 seats and eighteen percent of the vote. They rose from one of the smallest party in the parliament to the second largest.Hitler appealed to war veterans, the middle class, and German farmers. His niece Geli Raubal committed suicide using Hitler’s gun in September 1931. Geli, who was nineteen years younger than Hitler was believed to have been in a romantic relationship with him.This event was a source of intense and lasting pain to Adolf Hitler. After attaining citizenship in 1932, Hitler ran for president against the incumbent Paul von Hindenburg but came in second with a remarkable 35%. (Rees 62)After Bruning resigned in1932, the July election saw the Nazis become the largest party in the pa rliament with 230 seats. The parliament was later dissolved and new elections were called. The Nazis lost some seats but still remained the party with the majority seats. Through a power sharing deal, Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of the German government and sworn in on January 30th, 1933.On February 1933, the parliament building was set on fire leading to the government Reichstag Fire Decree. The Nazis used their paramilitary unit to spread violence against communists. The Enabling Act gave the Hitler administration legislative and executive powers.He used this position to suppress any remaining opposition and on July 14 1934, his party was declared as the only legal party in the nation. He used the SA paramilitary power to force for Hugenberg’s resignation and the abolition of state governments. After the death of the president, new elections were not held.His cabinet passed a law making the office dormant. Hitler transferred all the powers to himself and declared himself the Fuhrer and Reichskanzer or the leader and the chancellor. He therefore became the commander of the German armed forces.