Problems in Education free essay sample

Our topic was problems with education and thinking about this was overwhelming because we came up with so many issues and could realistically talk about just a few so our journey consist of: funding issues and the importance of this is that the more money invested in schools produces better environments, better teachers, better courses, expanded teaching capabilities and students encouraged by this would exceed our expectations. Discrimination: with the change in funding we could eliminate the unequal standards of schools which would foster equal opportunities and hopefully come to alleviate poverty and a future with no need for discrimination. Benefits of arts: arts of variety expand imagination, open creativity, allow feeling, thinking and connecting with others, it fosters peace and appreciation of life and people. It could possibly be a bridge to a cure for hostility and negativity in schools. It has already proved to better skills and performance in academic studies. We will write a custom essay sample on Problems in Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page No child left behind: A absolutely good idea but the program itself has many problems, the idea that every child gets equal education is great, but the standards of teaching to a test stifles the learning possibilities and the variety of what is being taught. It hinders growth, imagination, creativity and delivers a very narrow scope of living skills or what we encounter in or contribute to society. Being well rounded means having a broad educational background, fully developed varied abilities and well balanced in range or variety of aspects, this cannot be possible when teaching to memorizing tests. Looking into or fixing any one of these individually would not give what is needed in our education system, in combination or simultaneously would be big step in working in the right direction. Ignorance is lack of knowledge, and if everyone is educated on an equal field we could safely say that ignorance would be wiped out. We may still have some that think and act unintelligently but there would be few, by widespread education we as a society could possibly not have some of the pressing problems that we face today. With diligence and encouragement we could make great strides and changes in our society that would benefit all. We could see less addiction, less need for government assistance, dwindling of prisons, families intact, more caring of other people, less crime, no shortage of needed jobs, much less discrimination, standards higher, better possibilities in government and our next generation making better choices with other societal issues. All because education becomes a priority and we will have fully developed, well balanced educated people with a varied range and variety of abilities to make our world better. We chose education because it is the best start for things to change, without education many may not see what needs to change or how to make the changes. Education as a priority is the jumping off point. Funding is a large problem in education. Though education is inarguably an extremely important asset, it is constantly getting the short end of the funding. Though funding varies from state to state, it is safe to assume that the more money that goes to our education, the better we will all do. By funding schools we invest in our future and American competitiveness. With better education more Americans will be able to find jobs to support themselves or their families; we will also solve many other economic problems. An obvious economic problem that would be decreased is the unemployment rate. With improved funding to education, less affluent children, or adults looking to go to college, could have better affordable schools to attend. An initial problem that comes to hand with low funding to schools is overcrowding. Schools that receive less funding tend to have a higher amount of students per classroom. This in turn, creates a less effective learning environment. This problem is prevalent among K-12 public schools across the country. With more students, teachers aren’t allowed the time to give each student the attention they may need. While some students can function in an environment like this, the average student will have issues learning in such an environment. â€Å"In 2008, 17 of the nations 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower than 50%†. (11 Facts Bout Education and Poverty in America) This statistics are unfortunate, and can be improved through adequate funding. Because approximately half of all education spending is state-funded, state cutbacks force districts to raise revenue on their own, or trim resources like educational services and lay off teachers. The cuts have also hurt economic recovery, as  194,000 school jobs nationwide were lost between August 2010 and August 2011. (Zhao, Emmeline) In 2011 thirty-seven states cut their budgets towards education as much as 12. 9%. (Zhao, Emmeline) With education, cutting budgets entails many things that take away from the schools effectiveness. For example, laying off teachers, removing programs, or reusing old equipment and books. Perhaps more government funding could help aid this problem? Most of the United States money goes towards areas like Medicaid, Social Security, and defense, leaving only a small 2% sliver of the money going to education. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) Though it’s hard to say exactly what could be alleviated in order to provide education with more funding, there has to be some excess expenditure somewhere. An example would be in defense. Perhaps if there were less involvement in other countries, the government would have more funding available to up the quality of education in America? Why is it especially important America improve its education system? With the economy unstable, America’s middle class is dissolving. With the unemployment rate up, we need affordable education available to all ages. In this highly technological world, with increasingly complex jobs, education for less affluent individuals is a must. Without it our poverty rate will continue to rise, and America’s need for a highly educated workforce will not be met. In order for education to be made more readily available, legislatures must agree to provide more adequate funding to public colleges and universities, as well as student aid. We need governmental policies and programs that provide sufficient federal and state funding to public higher education institutions and increased financial aid to students, most importantly low- and moderate-income students. Funding must return to levels in which spending on higher education per student keeps pace with inflation. (Kallison, 41) The fear of massive college debts should not be a barrier between a person and their ability to attend college. A possible remedy could be pricing of college based on your income or that of your family. Or perhaps discounts on the basis of good grades? However, both of these would e hard to enact without proper funding to the college. Public education in the United States is a very valuable aspect. It is the education that is offered to our children to hopefully establish a better future. The public school system in America today is lacking in academic achievement. As demands for better education increase, the complete education that our chil dren truly receives is decreasing. From the lack of government support the students faces not only a type of stereotypical and racial inequalities, but also lack of support and funding for their school from the government especially those less affluent children. This can progress to negative attitudes toward themselves and students learn to fail due to low self-esteem. Ethnic discrimination in schools can be described as not giving a person an equal education based on their race. The term racial discrimination generates a distinction between one group of people with another. It differ depending on the social economic factors and culture that lead on the decision by students and teachers in choosing who is to succeed and who is to fail in the school performance. We find that this discrimination in schools has led to unfair disciplining system among other factors in schools. Though teachers claim that the policy and disciplinary practices in schools are balanced and objective, there are still main reason that lead to an increase in the number of students of color being sent out of school. The consequence of racial discrimination which teachers are assumed to be practicing to discipline on students depending on the gender, socio-economic factors and race causes inequalities in public schools. Due to the growing urban population, many suburban schools are growing hence increasing the racial differences. This has directed to a cultural adjustment through which teachers lacking knowledge with the belief systems, cultural values and perspectives of the students. Consequently, due to lack of the teacher’s knowledge, teachers are not able to understand the behavior of a particular students socio-economic factor. This experience creates differences among the members in the learning organization. Ethnic discrimination especially in public school is a growing concern. If we discriminate against our students we are ultimately creating a big problem because it adds to society’s social problems such as violence, drugs, early dropout and lower college attendance rates. Students of all ethnic backgrounds lose when they are not given the chance to learn from teachers of all races. We believe teachers also lose out when they are not given or taking the chance to learn how to teach to students of different races. We think that complete removal of ethnic discrimination in schools is a long way away. Some might not be aware of how much discrimination still exists in our schools today. Teachers are valuable part of a child’s education. They are the thrust that children need. Teachers in wealthier school has more of a successful outcome and will more than likely push students to their full potential. While the teacher who is just there for a job will just push the children to get out of high school, so the less affluent children are often held back later in life due to lack of decent education. In an affluent area, the schools are clean, well kept and look more like small college campuses. Any child attending this kind of school will continually want the finer things in life and will unlikely settle for less than the best. But in a less affluent neighborhood where schools are run down, vandalized, and are usually un-kept, a child will likely settle for less. We believe that the problem with school lies not in the idea of public education, but in the way public schools are managed and funded. If one walked into any public school, the odds are great that youll find demoralized teachers, overflowing classrooms, and possibly unsafe classroom. Additionally many students endure psychological or behavior problems that teachers are not adequately qualified to handle. Therefore, both teachers and students end up failing one another. In conclusion, there are many solutions to prevent the inadequacy of our public school, the discrimination and the lack of support from our government. You should always challenge discrimination at school. It is crucial that one can recognize anti-discrimination practice. All schools have a discriminatory policy. All teachers, faculty and teaching assistants should read and follow. It is not easy to alter the views of others, but discriminatory comments and actions must be challenged. But what the government and institutions and rest of the public can do is help minimize this issue. Our suggestions for resolving this issue are to push more accountability in everyone. Push for more responsibility on student performance and change how assessment will be measured and judged in public schools. Students should also be assessed not only through test scores but also through attendance, schoolwork, and participations. Parents should also play a big part of their children lives. Parents should also hold the schools responsible for the advancement of their student’s knowledge and skills. Accountability needs to apply to everyone, starting with the students and parents, the teachers and administrators. We have covered Government funding, discrimination racial and ethnic but discrimination presents itself in many forms, it is not always as apparent as race, ethnicity or gender and sometimes not expressed intentionally, by default older returning students and students with different learning abilities seem to get passed by without adequate response to their needs. With unemployment on the rise, people being laid off from jobs, others in recovery looking for a new start and the call to mothers with empty nest syndrome, going back to school and exploring new careers has become a new phase in our society, one that should be admired and encouraged. This movement to reeducate is a positive reinforcement of people wanting to be productive in society and also serves as example of how to respond to hard times. Our schools seem to have added programs (that are always threatened with budget cuts) to help welfare to work (fast track), veterans returning, second language students, students with disabilities and students with high performance but somehow the missing piece is students with different learning abilities and older returning students. This is important because instead of leaning on government assistance or becoming criminal to survive these students are trying to reeducate to be productive members of society and financially care for themselves and their families. Older students have expressed a feeling of wanting to inspire young people with their example. They are proof that monies should be put into continued and alternative education instead of more prisons or weapons. Arts education has been facing many challenges even though teachers, business leaders and a large number of Americans agree on its value to students. It seems that the when cuts are being made it is always the most needed programs that are cut. Studies have shown that arts in all forms help students grow intellectually, socially, emotionally and test scores improve. Arts have been highly motivating and seem to reduce tardiness and truancy at schools and foster critical thinking, creativity and problem solving as they become adults â€Å"which are necessary skills in the 21st century economy†. All research seems to show that arts advance academic excellence and are the desired courses which bring children to school. Research professor of education at New York University, Diane Ravitch about arts says â€Å"they expand student’s ability to think, feel and get connected to other students†. With all the studies and the majority of Americans agreeing that arts are needed how does it become such a challenge to provide? As a society we should be outraged, this kind of thoughtless blunder is what keeps us from reaching our full potential. Allowing things to slip by or finding something else more important at the time, we should be looking to the future our children are what we expect to make things better but our money goes in another direction. Education is the key to expanding our minds and gaining understanding, this is what will not allow us ignorance but open doors to better our lives everyone’s. These are a few options for change, first there needs to be an assessment of returning students and if they are over 30yrs of age give them different criteria for reaching their degrees or credentials. The college requirements are made for young students who are not sure of their course in life and it gives them well roundedness. Where older adults returning to school most know what they are back for and some of the side requirements take up precious time and their financial aid which are both very important to older students. There is no benefit to the rearrangement of life and possibilities or new beginnings to follow a new career if the requirements don’t allow you to get there in a timely fashion. Next would be to stop placing students who have different learning abilities into the category of disabled. Auditory teaching is but one form and as we know so many students learn differently, and are not offered the experience of the best teaching technique for their skills. Instead most are diagnosed with learning disability and stigmatized from then on, and not given the benefit of their different ability. There should be teachers with different strategies and effective learning styles and new spaces for particular abilities. This can be integrated into the curriculum and students can pick there form of learning and we would down size the amount of students with disabilities. Many students would rather do poorly than to be labeled with a disability, it never goes away and all that is seen is disability by students, teachers and employers. How cheated they must feel that we not recognize the possibilities and teach to their abilities. Last on the list is Art education I am still amazed that with all the positive views we still ave to find financial stability, education needs to be at the top of the list for money and programs. With education at the forefront of everything we could change so much; ignorance would be a word in the dictionary instead of how so many people live. Education could take the place of addictions, prison population, poverty which in turn would change so much discr imination. People who could feel good about themselves and support their families without struggle would give way to more peace and lower stress cut medical spending. If we could only see the benefits and strive to do better what a world we could live in. No Child Left Behind Act and schools teaching to the test is one way that the public school system is failing these generations of children. Teaching to the test eliminates teachers ability to teach children lifelong skills, has created a larger achievement gap between the affluent and the poor and minority, and has brought down education standers rather than bringing all children up to a higher stander. Teaching to the test reduces teacher creativity, innovative instruction, the use of varied teaching strategies for diverse students, and teacher and student motivation. This type of testing is forcing instruction to change from exploratory, lifelong learning to teaching to the test through memorization and repetition eliminating the opportunity for teachers to teach students life skills like creative thinking and problem solving. These are skills that follow children through their life, allowing them to; think through ideas, create their own opinions and work with others cooperatively. If we do not teach these important skills to the next generations we are selling them and our future short. We are creating a population that can memorize and recite but are not able to make and think through hard decisions with an understanding of their true outcomes. An example of this is when teacher was talking to an eighth grade history class about the Articles of Confederation. The students were able to give certain facts about one of the eight Features of the Articles of Confederation regarding No Chief Executive; but could not make the connection that they chose that Feature because the colonies just experienced an abusive rule by King George III. An eighth grade history teacher at Springveiw Middle School, Rocklin, CA) The No Child Left Behind Act penalizes the educationally disadvantage students it is supposed to help. It has created a new gap between well-off children and the poor and minorities. Funding for schools are based off the standardized test scores. The affluent schools already have the funds to maintain the privilege of studying a full and varied curriculum. While the re is growing evidence that the curriculum is narrowed for poor children and children of color. These are the children that are subjected to the most pretest pressures, the lack of variety in their curriculum, thus leading to a higher dropout rate, lower interest in furthering academics, and discouragement from teachers. This is creating a system that perpetuates the problem. â€Å"NCLB is just not working –at least not for inner-city schools. According to a recent report by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, 30% of all American students do not graduate from high school. For the predominantly minority students living in large cities, the statistics are even worse. Only one half, 52%, of students in the nation’s fifty largest cities graduate from high school, and in four large metropolitan areas (Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, and Indianapolis), fewer than 35% of the students graduate. † (CUMBERLAND LAW REVIEW [Vol. 40:2] pg 397-398) Under the No Child Left Behind Act each state creates the standard the schools have to meet, this allows states to create low standard tests. Some states have established a lower proficiency standard, and some states declare most students proficient even when their performance is miles short of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) standard. By setting widely varying standards, states render the very notion of proficiency meaningless. †According to Thomas Toch, co-director of the research group, Education Sector, the increase in testing required under NCLB puts pressure on states to switch to multiple choice tests. Although the multiple choice tests generally require students to merely recall and restate facts, they can be scored at a fraction of the cost of tests that are hand written— those with essay questions. Forty-two percent of our nations children are now taking mandated math and reading tests that are entirely multiple choice. † (ENCOUNTER: Education for Meaning and Social Justice Pg. 34) There has been a lot of criticism of No Child Left Behind Act and standardized testing. One recent solution that is being brought up and trying to get implemented is The Common Core State Standards Initiative. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare children for college and the workforce. Their idea is to take the standardize testing and add more analytical thought, creative thought and preparation of life skills. This is their new definition of the standards: that they are aligned with college and work expectations; that they are clear, understandable and consistent; include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills; build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards; are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society; and are evidence-based. This will not solve all the problems but it is trying to take the already standardized testing and create a more well rounded baseline. In conclusion we have discussed the possibilities of solving the education problems, the benefits of making education a priority and the starting place for making strides in problem solving in our society. We have to start here with our education or we continue to breed ignorance and continue to become more stagnant and problems only get worse without solution. Government funding: Solutions are more money in every aspect because this is our priority, monies to make teaching a job worth its weight, monies to all schools, produce funding towards our future, allowing students to attend any and all choices of learning without financial worries. Racial Discrimination: Everyone speaks out about discriminatory practices, everyone should be more accountable and the more equal the playing field the better our chances. Other discrimination and arts: Assessment for older retuning students, and different requirements to fast track them to their goal. To teach to student’s abilities instead of labeling them as disabled, new effective learning styles and strategies, spaces for different learning and integrating the different teaching styles into the curriculum so students can sign up for appropriate classes. Arts education money-money-money. No child left behind: There have been specialists looking at how to revamp this initiative and that is all good but the real issue is to keep teaching open to the teachers and the students they teach. Our best effort would be to expect the best and keep education a priority so students become educated and well- rounded. Once more we chose education as the priority because everything will become clear with equality of education and higher standards for everyone. With this we will have fully developed well balanced educated people making choices about a future. [pic] Bibliography Web page: â€Å"11 Facts Bout Education and Poverty in America† Zhao, Emmeline Retrieved from: http://www. dosomething. org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-education-and-poverty-america# Web page: â€Å"K-12 Education Funding: Most States At Levels Lower Than Pre-Recession, Cut Spending This Year† Retrieved from: http://www. uffingtonpost. com/2011/10/07/k-12-education-funding-mo_n_1000396. html Web page: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, â€Å"Policy Basics: Where do our Federal Tax Dollars Go? † Retrieved from: http://www. cbpp. org/cms/index. cfm? fa=viewid=1258 Scholarly journal: Kallison Jr. , J. M. , Cohen, P. (2010). â€Å"A New Compact for Higher Education: Funding and Autonomy for Reform and Accountability. Innovative Higher Education† Scholarly journal: McReynolds, Kate – â€Å" The No Child Left Behind Act Raises Growing Concerns† Encounter; Summer2006, Vol. 9 Issue 2, p33-36, 4p Scholarly journal: Smyth, Theoni Soublis – † Who Is No Child Left Behind Leaving Behind? † Clearing House; Jan/Feb2008, Vol. 81 Issue 3, p133-137, 5p Scholarly journal: Altshuler, Sandra J. 1 [emailprotected] ewu – â€Å"No Hispanic Student Left Behind: The Consequences of High Stakes Testing† Schmautz, Tresa Children Schools; Jan2006, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p5-14, 10p Scholarly journal: JONES, CRYSTAL L. – â€Å"NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND FAILS THE REALITY TEST FOR INNER-CITY SCHOOLS: A VIEW FROM THE TRENCHES. Cumberland Law Review; 2009, Vol. 0 Issue 2, p397-461, 65p Scholarly journal: Hout, Michael Elliott, Stuart Frueh, Sara 5. â€Å"Do High-Stakes Tests Improve Learning? † Issues in Science Technology; Fall2012, Vol. 29 Issue 1, p33-38, 6p, 3 Color Photographs, 1 Chart Scholarly journal: Haretos, Chrisanti â€Å"THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT OF 2001: IS THE DEFINITION OF ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS ADEQUATE? † Kennedy School Review; 2005, Vol. 6, p29-46, 18p Online Magazine: Baker, Beth – (2012) â€Å"Art Education† Retrieved from: CQ Researcher, volume 22 issue 1

Free Essays on Lowering The Drinking

How do you measure someone’s maturity? It can’t be based on the age of an individual. It is different for every person, in some cases it come very early for. This brings up a lot of questions like, why are you legal to do almost everything else at eighteen but to drink you must wait until twenty-one. The drinking age should be lowered to eighteen because, you can die for your country, vote for your nations’ leader and, be tried as an adult in the court of law. Sure, dying for your county is a great honor, but what makes you mature enough to die on the battle field. I guess your old enough to make the right decision in the line of fire, unless the shots are tequila or any other alcohol. Anyone who gets the news that they have to go out to war, will get little frightened and want a drink to calm themselves down. Why don’t they make the age to join any military service twenty one? If your old enough to go out and kill or be killed, why are you not old enough to drink. The argument of drinking and driving comes up often. People would say that the rate of drinking and driving will become a bigger problem than it is now. Which may be true but, in the research that I have done the statistics were for people age 18-24. This means that it is already going on, which may be wrong but it still is going on. It’s not like drinking and driving is being made legal, even though that’s how some people sound when they talk about lowering the drinking age to eighteen. Another fear is that is will be easier for younger kids to get alcohol. According to the National Youth Right Association, on the frequently asked questions page, â€Å"71 percent of eighth graders say it’s very easy to get alcohol†(www.NYRA.org). That statistic with the drinking age at twenty one, is it really going to go up much from there. In a survey on benge drinking among 18-24 year olds done at Harverd school of public health college,... Free Essays on Lowering The Drinking Free Essays on Lowering The Drinking How do you measure someone’s maturity? It can’t be based on the age of an individual. It is different for every person, in some cases it come very early for. This brings up a lot of questions like, why are you legal to do almost everything else at eighteen but to drink you must wait until twenty-one. The drinking age should be lowered to eighteen because, you can die for your country, vote for your nations’ leader and, be tried as an adult in the court of law. Sure, dying for your county is a great honor, but what makes you mature enough to die on the battle field. I guess your old enough to make the right decision in the line of fire, unless the shots are tequila or any other alcohol. Anyone who gets the news that they have to go out to war, will get little frightened and want a drink to calm themselves down. Why don’t they make the age to join any military service twenty one? If your old enough to go out and kill or be killed, why are you not old enough to drink. The argument of drinking and driving comes up often. People would say that the rate of drinking and driving will become a bigger problem than it is now. Which may be true but, in the research that I have done the statistics were for people age 18-24. This means that it is already going on, which may be wrong but it still is going on. It’s not like drinking and driving is being made legal, even though that’s how some people sound when they talk about lowering the drinking age to eighteen. Another fear is that is will be easier for younger kids to get alcohol. According to the National Youth Right Association, on the frequently asked questions page, â€Å"71 percent of eighth graders say it’s very easy to get alcohol†(www.NYRA.org). That statistic with the drinking age at twenty one, is it really going to go up much from there. In a survey on benge drinking among 18-24 year olds done at Harverd school of public health college,...

A Primer on the Price Elasticity of Demand

A Primer on the Price Elasticity of Demand Price elasticity of demand (sometimes referred to simply as price elasticity or elasticity of demand) measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded to a price. The formula for price elasticity of demand (PEoD) is: PEoD (% Change in Quantity Demanded)/(% Change in Price) (Note that price elasticity of demand is different from the slope of the demand curve, even though the slope of the demand curve also measures the responsiveness of demand to price, in a way.) 2:48 Watch Now: How Does Price Elasticity of Demand Work? Calculating the Price Elasticity of Demand You may be asked the question Given the following data, calculate the price elasticity of demand when the price changes from $9.00 to $10.00. Using the chart on the bottom of the page, well walk you through answering this question. (Your course may use the more complicated Arc Price Elasticity of Demand formula. If so, youll need to see the article on Arc Elasticity) First, well need to find the data we need. We know that the original price is $9 and the new price is $10, so we have Price(OLD)$9 and Price(NEW)$10. From the chart, we see that the quantity demanded when the price is $9 is 150 and when the price is $10 is 110. Since were going from $9 to $10, we have QDemand(OLD)150 and QDemand(NEW)110, where QDemand is short for Quantity Demanded. Thus we have: Price(OLD)9Price(NEW)10QDemand(OLD)150QDemand(NEW)110 To calculate the price elasticity, we need to know what the percentage change in quantity demand is and what the percentage change in price is. Its best to calculate these one at a time. Calculating the Percentage Change in Quantity Demanded The formula used to calculate the percentage change in quantity demanded is: [QDemand(NEW) - QDemand(OLD)] / QDemand(OLD) By filling in the values we wrote down, we get: [110 - 150] / 150 (-40/150) -0.2667 We note that % Change in Quantity Demanded -0.2667 (We leave this in decimal terms. In percentage terms this would be -26.67%). Now we need to calculate the percentage change in price. Calculating the Percentage Change in Price Similar to before, the formula used to calculate the percentage change in price is: [Price(NEW) - Price(OLD)] / Price(OLD) By filling in the values we wrote down, we get: [10 - 9] / 9 (1/9) 0.1111 We have both the percentage change in quantity demand and the percentage change in price, so we can calculate the price elasticity of demand. Final Step of Calculating the Price Elasticity of Demand We go back to our formula of: PEoD (% Change in Quantity Demanded)/(% Change in Price) We can now fill in the two percentages in this equation using the figures we calculated earlier. PEoD (-0.2667)/(0.1111) -2.4005 When we analyze price elasticities were concerned with their absolute value, so we ignore the negative value. We conclude that the price elasticity of demand when the price increases from $9 to $10 are 2.4005. How Do We Interpret the Price Elasticity of Demand? A good economist is not just interested in calculating numbers. The number is a means to an end; in the case of price elasticity of demand it is used to see how sensitive the demand for a good is to a price change. The higher the price elasticity, the more sensitive consumers are to price changes. A very high price elasticity suggests that when the price of a good goes up, consumers will buy a great deal less of it and when the price of that good goes down, consumers will buy a great deal more. A very low price elasticity implies just the opposite, that changes in price have little influence on demand. Often an assignment or a test will ask you a follow-up question such as Is the good price elastic or inelastic between $9 and $10. To answer that question, you use the following rule of thumb: If PEoD 1 then Demand is Price Elastic (Demand is sensitive to price changes)If PEoD 1 then Demand is Unit ElasticIf PEoD 1 then Demand is Price Inelastic (Demand is not sensitive to price changes) Recall that we always ignore the negative sign when analyzing price elasticity, so PEoD is always positive. In the case of our good, we calculated the price elasticity of demand to be 2.4005, so our good is price elastic and thus demand is very sensitive to price changes. Data Price Quantity Demanded Quantity Supplied $7 200 50 $8 180 90 $9 150 150 $10 110 210 $11 60 250

Consonants of the english language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consonants of the english language - Essay Example hangeable, more stable, the law of their mutations is more con ­stant, or at least better ascertained, and they frequently re ­main fixed in the written language, after they have been lost or changed in sound. Hence, in researches into the history of language they are of cardinal importance, and consequently have almost exclusively en ­gaged the attention of etymologists, while, on the other hand, their supposed permanence, immutability and distinctness of character have led them to be much neglected. But in fact, consonants are very far from being so well discriminated. It is true that their differences are generally more easily appreciated by the ear, though less easily imitated by the tongue, than those between vowels. The indistinct articulation of consonants in Danish, the con ­founding of the hard and soft sounds of g in some dialects of Arabic, and of I and r in the Polynesian islands, the sep ­aration in Italian and Spanish of consonants are united in English consonants. As a result the words often lose all resemblance from which they originated, and it is the suppression or change of consonants that disguises them. (Ladefoged Peter, 1988 p. 123) Chasm and other words of similar ending are popularly pronounced as dissyllables, and in blossom, be-torn, bosom, and chrisom introduced a written vowel. The consonant m does not readily unite even with a preced ­ing liquid, and hence the vulgar pronunciation ellutn, helium, for rim, helm, and the word alarum for alarm. It is perhaps in this reluctance of m to be linked with a preceding liquid, and the explanation of the suppression of the I balm, calm, and other words of similar ending are found. (Ladefoged Peter, 1988 p. 142) If we talk about the formation of consonants we should point out that sounds are made by modifying an airstream. There are many points at which that stream of air can be modified. Producing a consonant sound depends on the position of vocal folds, they are either opened or closed. If

Group Minds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Group Minds - Essay Example However, the fact of life is that all individuals live their life in a group. There are very few people who appreciate to live a solitary life as numerous cannot stand solitude for long. Majority of the people are group animals, even if they fail to recognize it and this is what creates problem i.e. the failure to understand the social law that governs the group and thus that governs us. It is undeniable that the ideas and opinion of an individual belonging to a certain group is influenced by the opinion of that group. It is a tough task to maintain individuality against group opinion. Psychologist and sociologists have carried out various experiments to exhibit that usually the individuals are influenced by the opinion of the group and give up their opinion because the opinion of the majority in-group does not agree with them. People who have experienced this scenario agree that it is a shameful memory of theirs that they gave up their opinion under the influence of the group. It is important to realize this and various other mechanisms of human behavior so that in future we just do not limit our self to collection of information about ourselves but use it to improve our life and situation and free people from blind loyalties and obedience (Lessing,

Bush and Hitler - Parallel Lives :: Politics Political

Bush and Hitler - Parallel Lives The 70th anniversary wasn't noticed in the United States, and was barely reported in the corporate media. But the Germans remembered well that fateful day seventy years ago - February 27, 1933. They commemorated the anniversary by joining in demonstrations for peace that mobilized citizens all across the world. It started when the government, in the midst of a worldwide economic crisis, received reports of an imminent terrorist attack. A foreign ideologue had launched feeble attacks on a few famous buildings, but the media largely ignored his relatively small efforts. The intelligence services knew, however, that the odds were he would eventually succeed. (Historians are still arguing whether or not rogue elements in the intelligence service helped the terrorist; the most recent research implies they did not.) But the warnings of investigators were ignored at the highest levels, in part because the government was distracted; the man who claimed to be the nation's leader had not been elected by a majority vote and the majority of citizens claimed he had no right to the powers he coveted. He was a simpleton, some said, a cartoon character of a man who saw things in black-and-white terms and didn't have the intellect to understand the subtleties of running a nation in a complex and internationalist world. His coarse use of language - reflecting his political roots in a southernmost state - and his simplistic and often-inflammatory nationalistic rhetoric offended the aristocrats, foreign leaders, and the well-educated elite in the government and media. And, as a young man, he'd joined a secret society with an occult-sounding name and bizarre initiation rituals that involved skulls and human bones. Nonetheless, he knew the terrorist was going to strike (although he didn't know where or when), and he had already considered his response. When an aide brought him word that the nation's most prestigious building was ablaze, he verified it was the terrorist who had struck and then rushed to the scene and called a press conference. "You are now witnessing the beginning of a great epoch in history," he proclaimed, standing in front of the burned-out building, surrounded by national media. "This fire," he said, his voice trembling with emotion, "is the beginning." He used the occasion - "a sign from God," he called it - to declare an all-out war on terrorism and its ideological sponsors, a people, he said, who traced their origins to the Middle East and found motivation for their evil deeds in their religion.

Ethics in Healthcare Essay

Healthcare is a diverse field with many specialties, but a commonality in all aspects is provider’s ethics. Ethics means following the standards and guidelines set by institutions as it relates to job duties, professional behavior, and patients. The decisions made by healthcare professionals, be it physicians, nurses or medical staff, affect real people and may mean the difference between life and death. The health and welfare of patients, along with the very serious aspect of treatment facilitation, requires that ethical standards be followed every step of the way for the health care professional. Following ethic issues will give us a comprehensive view of what it means and how it applies to the healthcare industry. Healthcare professionals follow ethics from how medical guidelines are set, how ethics can become legal issues, and ethical effects on patience. Setting of Guidelines The settings of guidelines differ from facility to facility, but the core values are the same. â€Å"Guidelines are usually produced at national or international levels by medical associations or governmental bodies, such as the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Local healthcare providers may produce their own set of guidelines or adapt them from existing top-level guidelines.† (Guidelines & recommendations, n.d.) â€Å"Clinical practice guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.† (Institute of Medicine, 1990). Such documents have been in use for thousands of years during the entire history of medicine. (Wikipedia) Clinical protocol is a predefined written  procedural method in the design and implementation of experiments.† Protocols are written whenever it is desirable to standardize a laboratory method to ensure successful replication of results by others in the same laboratory or by other laboratories. Detailed protocols also facilitate the assessment of results through peer review. In addition to detailed procedures and lists of required equipment and instruments, protocols often include information on safety precautions, the calculation of results and reporting standards, including statistical analysis and rules for predefining and documenting excluded data to avoid bias.†(Wikipedia) All aspects of guidelines all have a form of ethics that follow. Ethics Groups There are many different ethics groups in healthcare. Ethics groups improve patient care and the health of the public by examining and promoting physician professionalism. The Ethics groups are organized into three parts: as stated by (AMA) Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA), which promotes adherence to the professional ethical standards set out in the Code through its judicial function, Ethics Resource Center, which provides students and physicians with the essential tools and skills to address ethical challenges in a changing health care environment, and the Institute for Ethics which is an academic research center uniquely situated in the nation’s largest professional association of physicians. All these different groups listed above, promote ethics in healthcare. Another ethic that effect patients is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). As stated by (AMA) â€Å"Created in 1996 (HIPPA) provides the ability to transfer and continue he alth insurance coverage for millions of American workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs; Reduces health care fraud and abuse; mandates industry-wide standards for health care information on electronic billing and other processes; and requires the protection and confidential handling of protected health information.† So many different parts of ethics that effect patients seem never-ending but all these things are set in place to help patients, but when do these ethics go too far? When do they become legal issues? Ethics codes and policies of facilities can turn wrong fast and one person’s view change others as things go awry and it becomes a legal issue. An example of  ethics becoming a legal issue is a Texas law that says life-sustaining treatment cannot be withdrawn from a pregnant patient, regardless of her end-of-life wishes. Recently there was a Texas woman who was brain dead and pregnant. She and her husband both paramedics, between each other, did not want to be kept alive by machines in this type of situation. The hospital applied the law cited above, but is this the correct type of ethics governing hospitals? Larry Thompson, a state’s attorney arguing on behalf of the hospital stated the hospital was trying to protect the rights of the fetus as it believed Texas law instructed it to do. (Urbanski, D. 2014) Keeping a dead body alive with a fetus that had slim to no chance at life, where do ethics come in? Are ethics more of a personal belief or opinion of some? Ethical Codes Ethics codes help standardize the quality of ethics in healthcare field. The Code of Medical Ethics made by the American Medical Association (AMA) which was founded in 1847 unanimously adopted the world’s first national code of professional ethics in medicine. Since that time it has been the authoritative ethics guide for practicing physicians. â€Å"The Code articulates the enduring values of medicine as a profession. As a statement of the values to which physicians commit themselves individually and collectively, the Code is a touchstone for medicine as a professional community. It defines medicine’s integrity and the source of the profession’s authority to self-regulate.† (AMA) This code has set the guidelines for the medical industry. The Hippocratic Oath also shows how guidelines are set in medicine. Hippocratic Oath is an oath historically taken by doctors and other healthcare professionals swearing to practice medicine honestly. There have been ethical guidelines in medicine a long time, the â€Å"Hippocratic oath was written in 5th century BC.† (Tyson, 2001) Such documents have been in use for thousands of years during the entire history of medicine. Each medical facility has their own ethical guidelines to follow and it plays an important role in healthcare and plays a role on patients. The last code is the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). NAHQ’s (2011) Maintains active personal and professional development programs in the field of healthcare quality and exhibits a broad range of knowledge creates and supports an environment that fosters teamwork, emphasizes quality,  recognizes the customer, and promotes learning maintains a commitment to the improvement of the professional through participation in, and active support of, the local, state, and national professional organizations addresses concerns and takes formal actions to resolve or report the unethical or questionable practices to the appropriate channels. (Code of Ethics for Healthcare Quality Professionals, n.d.) Conclusion In summary, ethics have effects on how medical guidelines are set, how ethics can become legal issues, and ethical effects on patients. Every part of healthcare ethics plays an important role in the process. Decisions of facilities, providers, and patients are all impacted by ethics. Medical professionals must follow ethical guidelines and be aware of legal issues, and ethical effects on patience. The decisions made by healthcare professionals, be it physicians, nurses or medical staff, affect real people and may mean the difference between life and death. The health and welfare of patients, along with the very serious aspect of treatment facilitation, requires that ethical standards be followed every step of the way for the healthcare professional. References (AMA) Code of medical ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics.page American medical association (AMA)-Council on ethical and judicial affairs. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/ama-councils/council-ethical-judicial-affairs.page (AMA) Ethics resource center. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/about-ethics-group/ethics-resource-center.page (AMA) Health insurance portability and accountability act. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/solutions-managing-your-p ractice/coding-billing-insurance/hipaahealth-insurance-portability-accountability-act.page Guidelines & recommendations. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/guidelines-recommendations/index.html (NAHQ) Code of ethics and standards of practice for healthcare quality professionals. (p.3 n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nahq.org/uploads/files/about/codestandards.pdf National institute of health -Clinical practice guidelines. (n.d.) as cited by (Institute for medicine, 1990) Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/providers/clinicalpractice.html Protocol (natural sciences). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trial_protocol Tyson, P. (n.d.). The Hippocratic Oath today. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html Urbanski, D. (2014, 01 26). Family: Pregnant and brain-dead Texas woman removed from life support.. Retrieved from http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/26/family-pregnant-and-brain-dead-texas-woman-removed-from-life-support/