Evaluation Of Exploratory Factor Analysis Essay - 1240 Words

4.3 Factor Analysis Exploratory factor analyses using Varimax rotation were conducted on each of the multiple-item scales, including the exogenous constructs ( information quality, entertainment, interactivity and vividness) and endogenous constructs (cognitive engagement, affective engagement, behavioral engagement and the outcomes of this engagement-loyalty and e-WOM) as a way to refine the measures in the study. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted prior to testing the full model to identify items with poor psychometric properties and to purify the measurement model for future testing (Anderson Gerbing, 1988). A priori designations for each of the proposed antecedents of engagement (information quality, entertainment, interactivity and vividness), for loyalty, and for e-wom were employed in the analyses, given that they have been confirmed in previous studies (Mollen Wilson, 2009; O’Brien Toms, 2008; Shang et al., 2006; Shukla, 2009 ). Eigenvalues larger than one and scree plots were analyzed to assist in determining the number of factors for each construct. Additionally, the strength of factor loadings as well as face validity were analyzed to further assist in determining the items to be included for each exogenous and endogenous variables. The coefficient reliability analysis revealed that all the scales consisting of more than two items exceeded the recommended Cronbach‟s alpha benchmark of 0.70 (Nunnally, 1978). 4.4 Exploratory Factor Analysis ofShow MoreRelatedResearch Proposal1193 Words   |  5 PagesResearch Proposal 1. Proposed working title Global Marketing versus Domestic Marketing- a critical Evaluation. 2. Research Background/ Context This research is focused to understand how a Global company is able to adapt to different marketing situation that is existing in different countries. A company can said to be Global if it can sell its products at a reasonable price with a dependable quality in every nation it serves. The concept of Global Marketing is viewing the entire set ofRead MoreCritical Evaluation of Two Articles that Describe the Inconsistencies in Rater Behaviors1110 Words   |  5 Pagesthat describe the inconsistencies in rater behaviors related to the factors studied. Khaled Barkaoui (2010), in his article â€Å"Variability in ESL Essay Rating Processes: The Role of the Rating Scale and Rater Experience†, identifies effects of rating scales and experiences on raters behavior through think aloud protocol. Beverly Anne Baker (2012), in her article †Individual Differences in Rater Decision-Making Style: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study†,states that decision making style (DMS) is re latedRead MoreStrategy Analysis : Blue Ocean Strategy Essay1698 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction When an organization embarks on any expansion or acquisition, intensive financial projections or analysis accompanied by the investigation by managers, are followed by the board proposal reviews, and, if necessary, then presented to investors and the financial community. Financial analyses are widely used to assess investment projects and proposals, but less commonly to evaluate strategy. Strategy, both at business unit level, and the overall strategies for the organization includesRead MoreERP Strategies and Vision1228 Words   |  5 Pagesconsider factors that are non-functional and long-tem (Ganly, 2012). However, organisations tend to focus on functionality and business requirements because these concerns are often the most visible (Ganly, 2012). An organisation should have an expert and a methodology to aid in the selection of an appropriate ERP solution, because the inherent complexity of selecting an ERP solution can be time-consuming (Al-Mashari et al., 2010; Ganly, 2012; Ki ran, 2013). Figure 1: Common Evaluation CriteriaRead MoreCritical Thinking And Relational Ethics Essay942 Words   |  4 PagesRelational Ethics in Nursing Practice: A Case Study Analysis A registered nurse s role in patients recovery post surgery is greatly related to the concepts of relational ethics and critical thinking, which are inherent in every interaction between human beings. These concepts will be described and then used to analyze a case study of a patient s experience with health-care. Associated research will be used to support the case study analysis. What Are Relational Ethics and Critical ThinkingRead MorePopular ERP vendors1060 Words   |  4 Pagesrequires time. Lutovac Manojlov (2012) also adds that the disadvantages of the conventional model is that the SAP implementation becomes similar to the existing implementation since the analysis is of the existing functionality, does not use SAP best practices and has a long implementation period due to prolonged analysis and conceptual design phases. The following outlines the ASAP methodology, that is characterised by; â€Å"1. Optimises time, quality, and resources; 2. Forces the best business practices;Read MoreThe Role Of Extrinsic And Extrinsic Factors Contributing Job Satisfaction Of Urban Secondary School Teachers Essay991 Words   |  4 Pages21 Eny, G. Etal (2008), performed an exploratory study to investigate the role of extrinsic and intrinsic factors contributing job satisfaction of urban secondary school teachers in Namibia. Sample approached by the researcher was 337 secondary school teachers selected randomly from 17 govt schools in Namibia. The demographic factors dealt with were age, gender, resources in the school, teaching experience, rank, qualification and marital status. Further, researcher also conclusive highlighted byRead MoreDisaster Response Leadership Research Evaluation Table872 Words   |  4 PagesDisaster Response Leadership Research Evaluation Table In this report, we have critically evaluated an article published in the International Journal of Leadership Studies entitled Disaster Response Leadership: Perception of American Red Cross Workers (Wheeler, Weeks Montgomery, 2013). This article was chosen because it is directly related to the topic of module 2: Leadership and Leadership Theories. Research Evaluation Table Research Topic Leadership is an important aspect of management sciencesRead MoreA Critical Analysis of the Article : For Which Purposes Do Managers Use Balanced Scorecards?: an Empirical Study1019 Words   |  5 Pagesemployees and helping implement that strategy are mainly at the organizational or business unit level. Thus, the author employs exploratory factor analysis to identify the purposes of BSC usage. Besides, data was collected from a survey administered in 19 Dutch firms which constitute 224 respondents from managers who in charge of the BSC in their departments. From the author s analysis, three different purposes of BSC usage are indicated, i.e. for decision-making and decision-rationalizing, for coordinationRead MoreGeneral Approaches For Feature Selection1468 Words   |  6 Pagessubset [6]. It is fast and efficient for computation .filter method can fail to select the feature that are not beneficial by themselves but can be very beneficial when unite with others. Filter method eval uates the feature by giving ranks to their evaluation value. In filter method it evaluates the correlation between the features by using criteria such as, mutual information, maximum length, maximum relevance min redundancy (mRMR), PCA. Figure 1.2 Filter approach Wrapper method: wrapper method

Psychology, Theology And Spirituality - 1267 Words

A 4-MAT Review: Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in the Christian Counseling Introduction Mark McMinn is a trained psychologist who is known for his book that was written in 1996 called Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling. McMinn had advocated for the Christians who are counselors for many years. McMinn is very experienced in the work and in his field of study. One of the biggest things that McMinn stresses is the importance of establishing and maintaining a good trustworthy relationship with the client and showing ways of how to confront the client as a therapeutic approach.. The major purpose for this is to create and achieve a lasting change to the client so that the counseling process can be effective (McMinn, 1996). Summary In effect, Mark McMinn has utilized theology, spirituality and psychology to help individuals in enhancing diverse concepts of their lives. Notably, the author articulates clearly that the counselor should be strong particularly in their personal spirituality. Hence, this is important because it is the only way to assist their clients appropriately in the counseling process. The author also expounds on various precautions, which counselors must take, as well as the limitations. Subsequently, it can be challenging to incorporate the counselor’s spirituality especially in their counseling sessions since many of them are not confident since they lack adequate knowledge about the Bible. Thus, this will result toShow MoreRelatedPsychology, Theology, And Spirituality Essay1665 Words   |  7 Pages Mark R. McMinn’s (2011) Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling establish a way to bring Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality to Christian Counselors. He introduces a replica of how to integrate the three disciplines in the counseling office. The purpose of the book is to instruct counselors how to integrate categories of Psychology, Theology and Spirituality into Christian Counseling. McMinn (2011) contends that many challenges both professional and personal face ChristianRead MorePsychology, Theology And Spirituality1445 Words   |  6 PagesR. McMinn uses his book, Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling to integrate the use of spirituality in Christian counseling in a way that a counselor can use them in a counseling session effectively. McMinn makes the use of various spiritual techniques like prayer, reading the Word and confession and incorporates them in ways that make spirituality work alongside theory in a cohesive ma tter. McMinn explains the world pf psychology and theology is not only something thatRead MorePsychology, Theology, And Spirituality Essay1244 Words   |  5 PagesSummary Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling by Dr. Mark R. McMinn is a very insightful reading for Christian counselors. This book was originally written in 1996, but the revised in 2011 with the help of Dr. McMinn s students. McMinn begins his wonderful reading by introducing the readers to religion in the counseling office. He starts this section a potential client scenario. This client is looking for a suitable counselor who is spiritually sensitive. Different counselorsRead MorePsychology, Theology, And Spirituality1843 Words   |  8 Pages Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality Summary McMinn unveils the realism of what essentially happens in the counseling office. He dives into the fitting together â€Å"Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling†. McMinn explains how â€Å"those who enter therapy in the midst of their pain experience a restorative counseling relationship that brings acceptance hope, and meaning into their broken lives† (McMinn, 2011, p. 20). There are various questions surrounding Christian counselingRead MorePsychology, Theology, And Spirituality1411 Words   |  6 PagesPsychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Counseling by Mark R. McMinn is a book that discusses two different characteristics of the Christian Counseling field: in counseling sessions and life beyond the counseling sessions for example, the counselor’s job and the counselor’s life. Dr. McMinn starts his book with a brief section written with James Wilhoit that discusses religion in the counseling office. This first section talks about the importance of making good use of the Christian faith in counselingRead MorePsychology, Theology, And Spirituality891 Words   |  4 PagesReview of McMinn Summary In the book Psychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian counseling by Mark McMinn (2011), he explores the simultaneous integration of psychology, theology, and spirituality in the counseling relationship. McMinn (2011), stresses the importance of this skill throughout the text and offers insightful and effective ways to manage this. In order to further breakdown this information, McMinn (2011) discusses and evaluates six religious intervention strategies: prayerRead MorePsychology, Theology, And Spirituality1658 Words   |  7 PagesSummary In the book, Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling, McMinn expands upon the theory of integrating psychology and theology by providing the reader with concrete methods to utilize in counseling. His approach to integration is filled with helpful guidance for any counselor striving to strike the appropriate balance in their sessions. McMinn divulges into how and when to use scripture, prayer, confession and redemption. He advocates for utilizing these methods on aRead MorePsychology, Theology, And Spirituality1413 Words   |  6 PagesThe book â€Å"Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christianity Counseling† by Mark R. McMinn (2011) is an informative read that delves into the issues of practically integrating concepts of psychological counseling in the Christian context. Some of the questions that McMinn (2011) aspires to address in the book include whether it is appropriate to pray with clients, the role of confession during the therapy process , whether counselors should use scripture memory during the interventions as wellRead MorePsychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling by Mark McMinn1464 Words   |  6 Pages4 MAT Review McMinn Lynetric Rivers Liberty University Abstract In the book, â€Å"Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling†, author Mark McMinn gives the reader information on how these three entities can work together in Christian counseling. McMinn offers several ways in which this can be done including the use of prayer, Scripture, confession, forgiveness, the effects of sin, and redemption in counseling sessions. Through narration of counseling vignettes displaying differentRead MoreA Review Of Mcminn s Text : Psychology, Theology, And Spirituality1195 Words   |  5 PagesA Review of McMinn’s Text: Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling Summary McMinn tells how psychology, theology, and spirituality are used and how they should be used in Christian counseling. A Christian counselor has to look at not necessarily psychology and theology in a counseling session but how religion and spiritually is brought into the session. McMinn (2011) states, â€Å"Religious interventions require us to understand spiritual formation, place priority on personal spiritual

Success in Life Is a Result from Carefull Planning free essay sample

Success in life is a result from careful planning. Some people think that success in life can be achieved from many ways. Some people believe that success comes from taking risks and chances and others believe that success is the result of careful planning. I believe that success comes from careful planning because people can predict problems, which allows them to prepare, and goals can be made more clearly defined. One reason is that careful planning is a better method of achieving success because through this method, people can foresee some of the difficulties that they may run up against during the course of their work, and minimize the risk of failure. By being able to predict these problems, they will be better prepared to deal with them. For example, if I am planning to expand my own business, it is beneficial for me to sit down and consider what kinds of problems I may face and how to solve these problems ahead. We will write a custom essay sample on Success in Life Is a Result from Carefull Planning or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By carefully planning the new plan, it is more likely to be a successful experience. Therefore, when people make a detailed map for success, they can minimize the risk of failure and have more control of their future. Another reason why careful planning is the result of the success is because for planning targeted clear goals are set, which can be used as road map for success. For example someone wanting to complete master degree while working they will plan way in advance when and what classes to take so they can successfully complete the degree program. A lot of people have dreams of success in their lives, but they go about trying to reach their dreams by taking risk or change by situations comes, and they do not know which direction they are going. After some time they lose hope, which causes them to lose motivation towards reaching their goals. However, if people have a clear idea of what to do in order to reach their goals, they will be better motivated because they will expect setbacks and difficulties, but know that they can still achieve success. Without sufficient motivation, goals are reached more slowly, if at all. In conclusion, I believe that careful planning is a better way to go because through careful planning can make allowances for problems before they come up, and they can establish a clear road to success.

The effects of mainstreaming o Essay Example For Students

The effects of mainstreaming o Essay AbstractA wide range of research has been done on the effects of mainstreaming on learning disabled children. Although many studies have shown improvements and positive effects, none had addressed the best time to implement mainstreaming programs. In this study, students, who had been diagnosed as moderately learning disabled, were selected to represent their respective grade level. Group 1 consisted of 15 students in kindergarten through 2nd grade, and Group 2 consisted of 15 students in grades 3rd through 5th. Both groups were given the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement-Revised at the beginning of the semester before inclusion was implemented, and another at the end of the semester. Group 1 had shown a more significant difference in improvement than Group 2. This study shows that there are definitely positive effects of mainstreaming, but also hopes that these current findings will direct future research to detect learning disabilities as early as possible. We will write a custom essay on The effects of mainstreaming o specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Effects of Mainstreaming onModerate Learning Disabled Children in Early versus Late Elementary Grade LevelsFor many years now, there has been an increase of interest for the welfare of learning disabled children and their place in the normal classroom setting. The attempt to reintegrate special education students with learning disabilities has been a popular subject among the special education and research community (Shinn, Powell-Smith, Good, Baker, 1997). The strive to create inclusion programs, however, has not just been a recent issue among these professionals. The movement began in 1975 when the Education of the Handicapped Act (now called The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) was created to develop programs across the United States. It’s basic requirements were: (a) to make sure that all handicapped children (in private and public schools) were educated with non handicapped children as much as possible, and (b) that if handicapped children must be removed fro m the regular education environment, it must only be done if the special education children cannot achieve satisfactorily in the normal classroom with the help of special aides and services that can be provided (Aerfsky, 1995; Brown, 1997). Because of this movement, a growing number of students with moderate learning disabilities are being educated and overcoming their learning disability in general education classrooms (Logan Malone, 1998). The term mainstreaming has been used to describe the transition of special-needs-children into the regular classroom (Brown, 1997). When these children are brought into the normal classroom, the strategy that many schools take on is usually called a collaborative teaching approach. This is where special and regular education teachers team up together to collaborate ideas and instruct students with disabilities in general education classrooms (Martson, 1996). Studies have shown that not only do the learning disabled students gain the potential to reach a higher academic standing when mainstreamed (Logan Malone, 1998), but they also are able to develop positive self images and improve social development when included in the classrooms of normal children (Klinger, Vaughn, Schumm, Cohen, Forgan, 1998; Martson, 1996; Shinn et al., 1997). The increase in ability for learning disabled students to recognize and identify words is one of the examples of an academic gain when included in the normal classes (McCormick Becker, 1996). When learning disabled students are incorporated in the normal classroom, self-esteem and feelings of self-worth are believed to develop more because these students are less likely to be identified as slow by their peers or to feel stigmatized (Klinger et al., 1998). By being in the normal classroom, these students are also able to have more time to develop and keep friendships that are created with the normal class children (Klinger et al., 1998). Also, advocates of inclusive classroom settings have strongly agreed with the merits of placing the students in mainstream classes, especially those related to the social benefits that increase for students with the learning disabilities (Scanlon, Deshler, Schumaker, 1996). All previous research that has been discussed has shown positive results when mainstreaming is brought into the school system. Particular research has been conducted across a variety of grade levelskindergarten through fourth grade (Salisbury, Wilson, Swartz, Palombaro, Wassel, 1997), and grades second through sixth (Shinn et al., 1997). However, research has yet to be done to show if mainstreaming is more effective when started early on (grades kindergarten through second), or in the later elementary grades (third through fifth). As said before, it has been proven that mostly all mainstreaming attempts have been effective, but the question is if it would be more effective in early or later grade levels. The primary goal of this study conducted was to identify at which time is the best time to mainstream learning disabled children. Just as it was hypothesized, the correlation was that the earlier that mainstreaming is implemented, the more the child will be able to achieve academic improvement. Through this study, it is anticipated that mainstreaming will be able to benefit and reach out to even more learning disabled children than its existing positive outcomes.MethodParticipantsThis study consisted of 30 students who were diagnosed with moderate learning disabilities by the Jefferson Parish School Board. The School Board diagnosed these children by using their standard diagnostic test that detects any form and the level of a learning disability. The students were then randomly chosen by the principal of the school. The parents were then given and asked to sign an informed consent to allow their children to participate in this beneficial study. All of the participants were from the same school, which is a public elementary school that contains kindergarten through fifth grade. This school is located in a middle-class neighborhood and has already established and implemented a mainstreaming program for its learning disabled students. These 30 students were chos en to be compared and studied on the difference in their academic performance at the beginning of the semester (when inclusion was first implemented) and again at the end of the semester. Of these 30, 15 were picked to represent the first group which contained grades kindergarten (n=5), first (n=5), and second (n=5). The latter of the chosen sample will represent Group two which includes grades third (n=5), fourth (n=5), and fifth (n=5). Male students and female students were dispersed as equal as possible among the two groups15 males and 15 females. Of these 30 students, however, there were only 10 African-Americans and 20 were Caucasian students. The ages of the children range from 5-year-olds to 11-year-olds. The students chosen to participate were treated in accordance with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 1992). .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af , .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af .postImageUrl , .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af , .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af:hover , .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af:visited , .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af:active { border:0!important; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af:active , .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud8592431e43a2e2ca29981fb3b17b5af:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Censorship Of Art EssayMaterialsAfter the children had been diagnosed by the school board as learning disabled, the children were then given the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement-Revised to measure the students initial standing at the beginning of the semester. Because the School Board has different forms of each test for each grade level, a different form of the test was used at the end of the semester to detect for any difference in the scores. These achievement tests are standard Jefferson Parish School Board tests that are used by the schools to see how well the learning disabled students are performing in school, but are usually only given once a year in May. Thes e tests consist of 200 questions and are given over a two-day period. The tests cover five subjects and contain 40 questions for each different subject. The five subjects that are used to test achievement are as follows: reading comprehension, English and grammar skills, math, science, and social studies. The tests are scored on a 200-point scale with each question being worth one point each. If a student scores a 100 or below on these achievement tests, the child is considered as having a learning disability.Design and ProcedureThe 30 students were then tested at the beginning of the semester before the inclusion treatment was implemented. Each student’s score was then configured and recorded. The learning disabled students were then placed in a general education classroom where the collaborative approach was exercised. There were two different teachers that were placed in each of the classrooms. One was a general education teacher who did most of the instruction; the other was a special education teacher who was there mostly for assistance for the learning disabled students if needed. At the end of the semester, the students were then again tested by a different, but similar in difficulty, achievement test. The tests were then again scored individually and then recorded. The scores were then placed in the corresponding groups. Kindergarten, first, and second grade scores were placed in Group one, and third, fourth, and fifth grade scores were placed in Group two. ResultsA statistical t-test was performed on the students’ difference in test scores to test the effect that inclusion had on the children’s improvement in a mainstreamed classroom.The difference of the scores (final score minus initial score) was then configured and used to compare between the two independent groups. The mean difference score from Group one was 8.73; the mean difference score from Group two was 5.2. These results were then tested and indicated a strong statisti cal significant difference between Group one and Group two. When df=28 and the alpha level is set at 0.01, a one-directional t-test was used to test the null and alternative hypotheses. The obtained t-value from the t-chart was 2.467, and the calculated t-value was 5.903. The null hypothesis was then rejected, and the alternative hypothesis was accepted. No other results were statistically significant. INSERT TABLES 1 2 HEREDiscussionThe results of the present study provide strong support that mainstreaming is more effective for learning disabled children when it is implemented in early elementary years (kindergarten through second grades) versus later elementary years (third through fifth grade). The students’ differences in scores from Group one proved that mainstreaming is more beneficial when brought into the school system as early as possiblethe idea here is the earlier the better. The students in Group one showed a much more increase in achievement than the students from Group two. It should also be noted that all students improved in achievement scores, but the difference in achievement was greater for those in Group one. Through the collaborative teaching method, mainstreaming children with moderate learning disabilities is a positive form of reaching out to children who are suffering with disabilities. This study will hopefully show to other schools that not only m ainstreaming a huge part of helping students deal with their learning disabilities, but it is extremely important for mainstreaming to be exercised in an early classroom environment. This study is a major contribution to the field of education and psychology, because it should lead to the realization that early detection of learning disabilities is crucial. It is to be hoped that more and more teachers and parents will be more concerned and aware of early detection of learning disabilities in their children. I would hope that future research would attempt to find better and more efficient ways to detect learning disabilities in even earlier ages of children than this study used. ReferencesAerfsky, F. (1995). Inclusion Confusion: A guide to educating students with exceptional needs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin press. .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a , .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a .postImageUrl , .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a , .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a:hover , .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a:visited , .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a:active { border:0!important; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a:active , .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u50c0f341102a7759f95e9fd9963bfd8a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Evaluation Of The Relevance Reliability Comparability And Understandability Accounting EssayAmerican Psychological Association. (1994). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 4th ed. Washington, D.C. Brown, D. L. (1997). Full inclusion: Issues and challenges. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 24 (1), 24-28. Klinger, J. K., Vaughn, S., Schumm, J. S., Cohen, P., Forgan, J. W. (1998). Inclusion or pull-out: Which do students prefer? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 31 (2), 148-158. Logan, K. R., Malone, D. M. (1998). Instructional contexts for students with moderate, severe, and profound intellectual disabilities in general education elementary classrooms. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 33 (1), 62-75. Martson, D. (1996). A comparison of inclusion only, pull-out only, and combined service models for students with mild disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 30 (2), 121-132. McCorimick, S., Becker, E. Z. (1996). Word recognition and word identification: A review of research on effective instructional practices with learning disabled students. Reading Research and Instruction, 36 (1), 5-17. Salisbury, C. L., Wilson, L. L., Swartz, T. J., Palombaro, M. M., Wassel, J. (1997). Using action research to solve instructional challenges in inclusive elementary school settings. Education and Treatment of Children, 20 (1), 21-39. Scanlon, D., Deshler, D. D., Schumaker, J. B. (1996). Can a strategy be taught and learned in secondary inclusive classrooms? Learning Disabilities Research Practice, 11 (1), 41-57. Shinn, M. R., Powell-Smith, K. A., Good, R. H., Baker, S. (1997). The effects of reintegration into general education reading instructions for students with mild disabilities. Exceptional Children, 64 (1), 59-79.

russian revolution essays

russian revolution essays Eventually, empires and nations all collapse. The end can be brought about by many causes. Whether through becoming too large for their own good, being ruled by a series of out of touch men, falling behind technologically, having too many enemies, succumbing to civil war, or a combination: no country is safe. The Russia of 1910 was in a tremendously horrible situation. She had all of these problems. Russia would not have existed by 1920 were it not for Vladimir Ilich Lenin, the only man capable of saving the failing nation. Russia in 1910 was a very backwards country. Peasants who lived in absolute poverty made up the vast majority of Russias population (Haney 19). Russias version of the feudal system had ended a mere 49 years earlier, but in effect it meant that peasants now owned the meager parcels of land upon which their survival rested. Their ruler, Czar Nicholas II, ruled aloof of his disorganized nation. His government of appointed officials and men in inherited positions did not represent the people (The Tyranny of Stupidity 120). Even though all of Europe had experienced the Industrial Revolution, Russia had precious little machinery. To obtain more advanced machines, the government traded grain to other countries in exchange for machinery, even though it meant that more people would starve (Haney 17). Compound this with the devastation and desperation brought on shortly thereafter by the First World War, and there was no confidence left in the government. Different political factions formed, and none got along (U.S.S.R. 63). Liberal constitutionalists wanted to remove the czar and form a republic; social revolutionists tried to promote a peasant revolution; Marxists promoted a revolution among the proletariat, or urban working class. The people were fed up with Russias state of affairs and ready for change. Change was...

Word Choice Every Day vs. Everyday - Proofeds Writing Tips

Word Choice Every Day vs. Everyday - Proofeds Writing Tips Word Choice: Every Day vs. Everyday What difference can one little space make? With the terms â€Å"every day† and â€Å"everyday,† the answer is quite a big one! But what exactly is the distinction here? And how do you use these terms? Check out our guide to â€Å"every day† and â€Å"everyday† to make sure you work is always error free. Every Day (On a Daily Basis) Written as two words with a space between, â€Å"every day† is an adverbial phrase meaning â€Å"on a daily basis.† This means we use it to describe an action that happens daily. For instance: We go bowling every day. Here, â€Å"every day† modifies the verb phrase â€Å"go bowling† to show us how often it happens. The most important thing here, though, is that the two-word phrase â€Å"every day† applies to actions. Strike!(Photo: skeeze) Everyday (Routine or Mundane) Written as a single word, â€Å"everyday† is an adjective meaning â€Å"routine,† â€Å"normal,† or â€Å"mundane.† We can therefore use it to describe something that is for daily use or part of a regular routine: I’ll wear my everyday clothes now and get changed later for the party. This sense of â€Å"everyday† is used to contrast with something designed for special occasions. It doesn’t, however, necessarily mean that the speaker wears the exact same clothes every single day. And although this term is commonly used for clothing, it can be applied to anything that is part of a regular routine or day-to-day practice (e.g., a store might offer â€Å"everyday prices†). Most crucial here, though, is that â€Å"everyday† should only be used to modify a noun (i.e., a thing), not a verb. Every Day or Everyday? The difference here is subtle, so it pays to be careful when using either â€Å"every day† or â€Å"everyday.† The key is that â€Å"every day† is an adverbial phrase, so it only applies to actions. The single-word term â€Å"everyday,† meanwhile, is an adjective and therefore used to modify nouns. Remember: Every day (adverbial phrase) = On a daily basis Everyday (adjective) = Routine or mundane

Complete Document Needs Review Form and Edit Draft Proposal Assignment

Complete Document Needs Review Form and Edit Draft Proposal - Assignment Example The committee is expected to meet at least four times in the remaining calendar year. The committee shall decide whether the newsletter will be a public relations tool or the employees’ information tool. Therefore, the committee’s worked is pegged on the approval of both the Director of Human Resources and the Chief Executive Officer of Compare Services, Inc.; additionally, before the committee decides on whether the newsletter should be a public relations device or an employee information tool, it will sought the same approval. Office space will be provided by using the space allocated to the Human Relations employee tasked with arranging and coordinating production of the newsletter. This person will get $3400 over and above their current salary. Notably, this budget is subject to recalculated if the committee decides that the newsletter should be distributed to customers as a public relations vehicle instead of just to be an employee

How do states and others change customary international law as well as Essay

How do states and others change customary international law as well as treaties and treaty interpretation. How do law and politics affect these attempts at law - Essay Example In order to do this, it begins with an explanation of what customary international law and treaties are before proceeding to examine the role states and others play in the process of making international law. Customary international law is an unwritten body of rules that are derived from a combination of â€Å"state practice† and opinio juris (Byers 3–4). As the term implies, â€Å"state practice† refers to what governments actually do when conducting their relationship with other governments. Opinio juris, on the other hand, is a psychological belief that a particular practice carries within it the perception by states that it is obligated by international law (Joyner 12). When a new custom is first being formed, some countries may actively adhere to it while others may oppose it. This new custom will not become a customary rule of international law until it receives widespread support and there is an opinio juris that it is required under law (Nicaragua v United States of America). Nonetheless, support does not have be actively expressed; acquiescence by countries is sufficient. Hence, a country may be bound by a customary practice that becomes law by doing nothing during the formative stage of the rule. Accordingly, most countries monitor international practices carefully to avoid becoming unwittingly bound by new customary rules (Byers 4). Treaties are black letter agreements entered into bilaterally or multilaterally with the intent of creating binding rights and obligations as amongst the parties and registered with a third party (Byers 4; Joyner 11). They may be referred to as â€Å"charter†, â€Å"convention†, covenant†, etc. (Byers 4). The rules for interpreting treaties are set out in the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) (Byers 5). The actions of states and other international legal persons often cause custom and treaties to interact with each

How Society Is Affected by Gov Policies Essay Example for Free

How Society Is Affected by Gov Policies Essay How society is affected by goverment policies, civil disobedience, This is the deliberate and planned breach of policy or law by an individual or group of people. It is usually done peacefully to highlight how inappropriate a law is and promote the need for a change in the law. Civil disobedience was a common tool in the black civil rights movement in the USA in the 1960s. Black people would deliberately break the racial segregation laws to show how deeply unfair they were and how much the law needed to change. A good example of this is the case of Rosa Parks, who in December 1955 refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man when asked to do so. She was arrested and her arrest sparked a chain of events which led to the US Supreme Court decision in 1956 that racial segregation on transportation was illegal. Demonstration and meetings, Meetings to discuss problems with government policy are very common. They are a way for like-minded individuals to air their concerns. Meeting can be held outside and include a march or demonstration to show the government or local authority the depth of public feeling against decision. A good example of this would be the rallies and protests organised by the Countryside Alliance since the UK government placed a ban on foxhunting. Terrorism, Terrorism is an extreme response to public policy. It involves an individual or group using violence or the threat of violence against civilian and military targets in order to force the government to change its policy.

Custom Written Term Papers: Othello’s Feminine Roles :: Othello essays

Othello’s Feminine Roles  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The audience finds within the Shakespearean tragic drama Othello several female characters who figure into the plot of the play. Their roles are varied and their lives end tragically.    Alvin Kernan’s â€Å"Othello: an Introduction† explains Desdemona’s role as a model of faith and chastity for the protagonist who converts to a belief in her after her death:    His willingness to speak of what he has done – in contrast to Iago’s sullen silence – is a willingness to recognize the meaning of Desdemona’s faith and chastity, to acknowledge that innocence and love do exist, and that therefore The City can stand, though his life is required to validate the truth and justice on which it is built. (81)    In the volume Shakespeare and Tragedy John Bayley explains the roles of the two main women characters in the play:    Even the risk of alienating the onlooker from the tragic action produces a corresponding gain: that action and behaviour remain in the play perennially controversial, and the focus of sexual and social awareness sharp and clear. In a production today, the implications of this are usually more interesting than the actual intrigue can be, and a lot of weight is usually put on Emilia’s role as a figure of common sense and common humanity, correcting the romantic excesses of the lovers. [. . .] But no figure in these three tragedies has such a symbolically positional status. Besides, Emilia, for all her virtues, has a stupidity and lack of imagination comparable in its own way to that of her husband; while her views on the sex war, from the feminine angle, are as pungent as his. Certainly the role of women is important, but it is Desdemona alone who, because of her love, can remain unconscious of the tragedy/comedy element, as she does of the polarity between sex and love. (218)    At the outset of the play Iago persuades the rejected suitor of Desdemona, Roderigo, to accompany him to the home of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, in the middle of the night. Once there the two awaken the senator with loud shouts about his daughter’s elopement with Othello. This is the initial reference to the role of women in the play – the role of wife. In response to the noise and Iago’s vulgar descriptions of Desdemona’s involvement with the general, Brabantio arises from bed.

Referring to Examples, Discuss the Factors

There are many different factors that can cause power to shift between superpowers over time such as: resources, population, and economics, military and cultural. Superpowers are define as: the capacity to project dominating power and influence anyway in the world, sometimes in more than one region of the globe at a time. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the British Empire was the biggest global superpower. The British became a superpower during this time due to colonial rule. From colonisation they gained economically from the cheap raw materials. Maintaining colonial rule depended on military power.But when Britain started to decolonise its Empires they lost the title of a superpower. This was due to : economic decline, Britain had overspent on war efforts and after WW2 was showing serious signs of economic ‘slowdown’. Also loss of military influence after the war. Moreover many colonies fought for the allies with their own independent armies. One by one afte r the war, for a range of reasons most of the colonies became indepent. So with this example we can see that the cause of power to shift was due to the war and the economic pressure it put on the British to lose its superpower statues.So we can see from British Empire, that was once a giant empire with vast areas of huge armies and thriving economies. However they lost their power of being a superpower due to economic problems and war. We can already see that economics and military have a large impact towards maintaining superpower. Military helps them keep control of their power against uprising and economic helps them pay for the military. So when Britain become in debt due to ww2 it lost all its power. By 1900, the USA had taken over from Britain as the worlds largest economy.By 1940, it was the worlds largest manufacturer of industrial and consumer good. Also the US military dominates global arms and defence spending. We can see how power had shifted between Britain now to the U S due to, Britain’s economic problems that caused it to loses its colonies and US with its high economy which caused the power to shift. China is an example of an emerging superpower; its economy has doubled in size every eight years since 1980. Since 2000, China has been the largest recipient of overseas investment, and now foreign-owned companies . 0% of the world trade since 2004 has been as a result of Chinas industrialisation. So here we can see that China has developed due to industrialisation, which has increased its power. China use to be a low-income country, so we can see from a low-income country to an emerging superpower how powers can shift over time due to many factors that influence the world. However even though China is an emerging superpower, it has come with some cost to the environment for example China has 16 of the top 20 most air-polluted cities in the world. The polluted air was blamed for over 4000 000 premature deaths in 2003.Russia re-emerging as a global power, due to its natural gas and is the second largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia. Due to Chinese and Indian economies have led huge demand for energy and increased global energy prices. Russia now sees itself as an energy superpower. So we can see that Russia is trying to emerge as a superpower with the increasing need for energy. This can have an affect in changing superpower, for example the USA depends largely on Russia for its energy and if Russia stops supplying it to the US they will have problems, which many lead them into not being a superpower anymore.Power shifts between superpowers over time due to so many different reasons, such as cultural imperialism, industrialisation, military power, colonise, economics. If we look at Britain as an example, after the Second World War it lost it title as a superpower, because of the economic strain the war caused and loss of its military power. Or superpowers can change due to development in a county and their global inf luence such as China. Superpowers can shift over time, because some countries develop and take over old superpowers, China is emerging fast so we could see a change in superpower between China and America.

Are Celebrities Being Good Role Models or Are They Setting a Bad Example for the Teenagers?

Younger generations are getting brainwashed by these so called celebrity role models that think they are setting a good example for these young teenagers, where-as it is actually getting backfired. These celebrities have started to ruin our society with people are acting like copycats, because they think if celebrities can, well so can I. But these celebrities haven’t always been bad, they have had a stage in their career where they were good role models, but then their career starts to go downhill, with drugs, alcohol and even anorexia. Lindsay Lohan was worthy of our admiration when she was younger playing in movies called the parent trap, and Freaky Friday, who didn’t look up to the young Lindsay? On 8th of October 2005, it was said that Lohan had tried pot once but did not like the side effects, â€Å"I’ve seen how it messes families up. If I hadn’t experienced that, I may have gone down a different route. † However this did not stop the young girl from using drugs. All Lohan is famous for now is, her unhealthy habits, family problems and drugs. Who wants their child to look up to that? A well known couple that had an affair are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, this happened while they were shooting Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Celebrities like this couple set bad examples in relationships. Children are going to grow up watching their favourite celebrity cheat on their partner, marry them and then wait until someone younger comes around. Is that what we want our children to watch and hear about? Or do we want them to grow up and end up in a healthy relationship? Miley Cyrus is a good girl gone bad. This young celeb started off on the Disney channel staring in the well known show Hannah Montana. She was a huge success, with many fans giving her their support, and then she did something outrageous that put a halt to her career, putting half naked pictures of herself online. What next? Is she going to be the next Lindsay Lohan? Or is she going to turn her life around? With not many good celebrity role models out there making the right decisions, it is very hard to find a good role model among them. Although there are some good celebrities, including Anne Hathaway and Taylor Swift which make good impressions on young teens. These two stars are massive role models and so many people look up to them. More people look up too Taylor Swift though because she is young herself and she can relate easier with her young fans. What are we supposed to do now? Hide the television from our children so they can’t see what their favourite idols are doing? It’s up to the celebrities to stop what they’re doing and think about what they are doing to the younger generations and how it’s going to affect them and others around them with their actions, and it’s up to the parents to do what’s right for their children.

wisdom essays

wisdom essays A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man -1914, 1915- draws on many details from Joyces early life. The novels protagonist, Stephen Dedalus, is in many ways Joyces fictional double. Like Joyce himself, Stephen is the son of an impoverished father and a highly devout Catholic mother. Also like Joyce, he attends Clongowes Wood, Belvedere, and University Colleges, struggling with questions of faith and nationality before leaving Ireland to make his own way as an artist. Many of the scenes in the novel are fictional, but some of its most powerful moments are autobiographical: both the Christmas dinner scene and Stephens first sexual experience with the Dublin prostitute closely resemble actual events in Joyces life. In addition to drawing heavily on Joyces personal life, the novel also makes a number of references to the politics and religion of early-twentieth-century Ireland: the majority of Irish, including the Joyces, were Catholics, and strongly favored Irish independence. The Protestant minority, on the other hand, mostly wished to remain united with Britain. In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the young Stephens friends at University College frequently confront him with political questions about this struggle between Ireland and England. Today, James Joyce is celebrated as one of the great literary of the twentieth century. He was one of the first writers to make extensive and convincing use of stream of conciousness, a stylistic form in which written prose represents the characters stream of inner thoughts and perceptions rather than render these characters form an objective, external perspective. This technique, used in this novel mostly during the opening sections and in Chapter 5, sometimes makes for difficult reading. With effort, however, the seemingly jumbled perceptions of stream of consciousness ca...

Attila the Hun Timeline and History

Attila the Hun Timeline and History This timeline shows the significant events in the history of the Huns, with emphasis on the reign of Attila the Hun, in a simple one-page format. For a more-detailed recounting, please see the in-depth timeline of Attila and the Huns. The Huns Before Attila 220-200 B.C. - Hunnic tribes raid China, inspire the building of the Great Wall of China 209 B.C. - Modun Shanyu unites the Huns (called Xiongnu by Chinese-speakers) in Central Asia 176 B.C. - Xiongnu attack the Tocharians in western China 140 B.C. - Han Dynasty Emperor Wu-ti attacks the Xiongnu 121 B.C. - Xiongnu defeated by Chinese; split into Eastern and Western groups 50 B.C. - Western Huns move west to the Volga River 350 A.D. - Huns appear in Eastern Europe The Huns under Attila's Uncle Rua c. 406 A.D. - Attila born to father Mundzuk and unknown mother 425 - Roman general Aetius hires Huns as mercenaries late 420s - Rua, Attilas uncle, seizes power and eliminates other kings 430 - Rua signs the peace treaty with Eastern Roman Empire, gets a tribute of 350 pounds of gold 433 - Western Roman Empire gives Pannonia (western Hungary) to the Huns as payment for military aid 433 - Aetius takes de facto power over Western Roman Empire 434 - Rua dies; Attila and older brother Bleda take Hunnic throne The Huns under Bleda and Attila 435 - Aetius hires the Huns to fight against the Vandals and Franks 435 - Treaty of Margus; Eastern Roman tribute increased from 350 to 700 pounds of gold c. 435-438 - Huns attack Sassanid Persia, but are defeated in Armenia 436 - Aetius and the Huns destroy the Burgundians 438 - First Eastern Roman embassy to Attila and Bleda 439 - Huns join the Western Roman army in a siege of the Goths at Toulouse Winter 440/441 - Huns sack a fortified Eastern Roman market town 441 - Constantinople sends its military forces to Sicily, en route to Carthage 441 - Huns besiege and capture the Eastern Roman cities of Viminacium and Naissus 442 - Eastern Roman tribute increased from 700 to 1400 pounds of gold September 12, 443 - Constantinople orders military readiness and vigilance against Huns 444 - Eastern Roman Empire stops paying tribute to Huns 445 - Death of Bleda; Attila becomes sole king Attila, King of the Huns 446 - Huns demand for tribute and fugitives denied by Constantinople 446 - Huns capture Roman forts at Ratiaria and Marcianople January 27, 447 - Major earthquake hits Constantinople; frantic repairs as Huns approach Spring 447 - Eastern Roman army defeated at Chersonesus, Greece 447 - Attila controls all of the Balkans, from the Black Sea to the Dardanelles 447 - Eastern Romans give 6,000 pounds of gold in back-tribute, yearly cost increased to 2,100 pounds of gold, and fugitive Huns handed over for impaling 449 - Maximinus and Priscus embassy to the Huns; attempted assassination of Attila 450 - Marcian becomes Emperor of Eastern Romans, ends payments to Huns 450 - Roman princess Honoria sends ring to Attila 451 - Huns overrun Germany and France; defeated at Battle of Catalaunian Fields 451-452 - Famine in Italy 452 - Attila leads an army of 100,000 into Italy, sacks Padua, Milan, etc. 453 - Attila suddenly dies on wedding night The Huns After Attila 453 - Three of Attilas sons divide the empire 454 - The Huns are driven from Pannonia by the Goths 469 - Hunnic king Dengizik (Attilas second son) dies; Huns disappear from history

Quantum in physics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quantum in physics - Coursework Example (Belloni et al, 2005) Local density Approximation (LDA) Exchange correlation (XC) is the relationship between different electrons and the exchange of energy in the electronic setup of a particular quantum system. Further density functional theory (DFT) is study of an electronic structure when it is at its least excited state called the ground state or the zero-point energy of the system. Electron density is defined as the probability of an electron filling up a miniscule space around any particular point. It is denoted by n(r). (Computational Materials Science Group,1998) Local Density approximation can now be defined as an approximation of the exchange correlation in the Density functional theory or in other words the energy relationship between different electrons in an electronic structure at ground state. This can be found out using a function of the electron density at each spatial point. Further Homogeneous electron gas (HEG) is the interaction of positive atomic nuclei that ar e uniformly distributed in space with the negatively charged electrons that have a uniform density in the same space. Local Density approximations are thus most accurately derived when functional integrals are made on the HEG approximation. (Computational Materials Science Group,1998) For a unpolarized system the LDA can be written as ELDAXC=xc(n(r)n(r)dr Where n(r) is the electron density and ?xc is the exchange –correlation energy density. Exc can further be split up as Exc=Ex + Ec where Ex are the exchange functions and Ec is the correlation function.( Computational Materials Science Group,1998) The Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) The interpretation and evaluation of Density functional Theory (DFT) has made the calculation of systems at ground state very effective albeit with several drawbacks. The exchange correlation energy obtained was an approximate value using the LDA method. Further improvement resulted in the introduction of GGA’s or generalized gradient approxi mation to fine tune the LDA. Creating a functional without any empirical parameters the GGA were made to follow certain basic constraints. Since true electron density was actually non-homogenous, it was proposed in 1980 to enhance the density n(r) at a particular point r with inputs regarding the gradient of electron density. To derive an accurate value of the DFT a higher functional satisfying several parameters is ideally chosen. The PBE functional is an ideal functional proposed by Perdew, Burke, Ernzerhof in 1996. Experiments conducted thereafter have proved that the values obtained using these GGA’s were in accordance with those obtained using numerical tests.( Evarestiv R.A, 2007) This PBC functional can be defined as a summation of two derivatives, the XC hole and the energy derivative. This functional is constructed on the premise that the constraints of a particular hole are known and the exchange correlation hole is defined per these constraints. ELSDXC[na, nb]=? d3 rn(r)[?x(n(r))f(?, r) + ?c(rs(r), ?(r))] Where ?=(na-nb)/ (na+nb) is the relative spin polarization and f(?)=1/2[(1+?)4/3 +(1-?)4/3] The exchange energy ?x per electron depends on rs=[3n/4Ð »]1/3 and correlation energy ?c depends on rs and ?.( Evarestiv R.A, 2007) The exchange PBE functional is written as a combination of Ex and Ec. Here the exchange PBE functional EPBEX(n)=?d3rn?x(n)Fx(s) With Fx(s) =1+k-k/(1+ µs2/k) , here k=0.804 and  µ=021951 EPBEC[na, nb]=? d3rn[?C(rs,?)+ H(rs,?,t] where H=? ?3 ln

Discussion Summary-Assignment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Summary- - Assignment Example Fellow classmates have provided a raft of examples and the corresponding lists of examples supporting each of the four proximity levels. Bishop Pearce provided the example of the Waterbrooke Assisted facility, located in Elizabeth City, NC. The facility provides personalized care including three meals and snacks a day, physician and psychiatric services. On environmental proximity, he identified each of the four levels drawing the work by (Sigh, 2010) to be the foundation on which he drew the four levels on proximity. The work drew a number of replies, most notably Kathleen, who wanted to know if the facility were next to hospital, would it have been a source of hindrance or help. Yvette De Leon, on the other hand cited the Arbors of Port Warwick Facility that is in Newport News, VA. The hospital provides 24 hours services to the residents, though only a meal day is provided. Just like the first contributor, Yvette cited (Singh, 2010), when updating the four Environmental Proximity Model. Kathleen Almeda, on the other hand, gave Dominion Village at Williamsburg that is owned by Five Star Senior Living. Â  Dominion Village offers assisted living, memory care, outpatient rehab services, and respite/short-term stays. Felisa Artis provided the example of the Consulate Health Care as the facility of choice, which specializes in post-acute care, operating 200 centers in 21 states. However, her focus is the one that is at Norfolk, VA. She explicitly provides the examples to match the four levels of proximity and a discussion ensues between the classmates and her. Jennifer Supples provides an example of a facility located 15 minutes from his place of residence, Willows at Meadow Branch which is part of the Consulate facilities. However, he does provide examples on the environmental proximity models. The level of services provided in the facilities were also different, for example, Paola Williams mentioned that Hopkins center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare,

Johnny Lingo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Johnny Lingo - Essay Example Same is the case with Mahana when she is living with her father where her worth is not realized. However it is seen that once a person develops self love he/she can progress and bring a change in this world. And the same happens in the case of Mahana as she is able to become a beautiful lady after she realizes her self worth. Not only this, the story also tells the viewers that every individual can create a difference in another individual’s life and this difference can bring a huge impact on his life. The story tells that Mahana is an ugly lady in her own house because she cannot develop a personality of her own as she is not able to develop self love. She has always been degraded and disgraced in her house by her father and because of this she cannot create an identity of her own. However Johnny Lingo creates this self love for Mahana as he makes her realize that her worth in this world is more than eight cows. And later on it is seen that Mahana turns out to be a lady who i s very beautiful. Thus in conclusion it can be said that the personality of an individual is developed only because he/she is able to realize his/her importance in the world as was in the case of Mahana. Self love can be described as the love for one’s own self. It can tell the individual how much he is worth in his own eyes and this usually is developed by the surroundings of an individual. Self love is a very important aspect of life as it tends to curb the personality of an individual and have great impact on him. It can make the individual respect or disgrace himself and thus can lead to either successes or failures in life. In order to create self love for an individual I personally can help him in several ways. The foremost way of growing self love in my eyes is to make the person realize his worth. I can do this by telling him that he/she is the most wonderful person I have ever met in this world. Moreover by

The Effects Of Globalisation For Women Sociology Essay

The Effects Of Globalisation For Women Sociology Essay Critics of Globalisation have expressed the view that the opening of markets and foreign investment in developing countries will further exacerbate the existing gender disadvantages and create conditions of forced labour amongst women. What this paper considers is that as countries become more open and transparent through globalisation, it becomes very hard to sustain and continue cultures of discrimination and gender rights imbalances. Whilst some areas of womens rights are exacerbated by Globalization. The majority of women globally have benefited greatly from employment opportunities, access to new technologies, support from NGOs, increased political rights and social freedoms. Female education has been recognized as one of the critical pathways to promote social and economic development. Female participation in education has been acknowledged as the single most important investment that a developing country can make, translating into better living conditions for families and increased productivity. Education is a crucial element of increasing rights for women, countries that hold a higher female literacy rate have a lower gender inequality rate. In developing countries 1 in 5 girls that enrol in primary school will not complete her primary education (USAID, 2009 ) which obviously creates a massive disparity between a the female population and a more educated male population. Globalisation has increased access to NGO for women in developing countries, many of these NGOs promote the education of women and develop programs to specifically target education gender inequalities. Catholic Relief Services (NGO) targeted the increasing school attendance and reducin g dropout rates amount girls (Obanya, 2004). Once a group of girls are educated they then are able to pass these benefits onto the community and their family members and future husbands are able to appreciate the reasons and benefits of educating women; slowly increasing the female education rate with each generation. In developing countries investing in just once extra year of education means women are more likely to earn more, raise healthier families and are more likely to be better educated about diseases and health issues. Higher female literacy rates also correlate strongly to reduced fertility rates and lower infant mortality rates (Kawachi Wamala, 2007). Womens health and access to health services has improved dramatically through globalisation. Women have additional vulnerabilities, malnutrition, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy complications, cervical and breast cancer, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and genital mutilation. Globalisation and improvement of health, particularly in impoverished countries has lead to greater levels of birth control and sexual health. Developing countries have a disproportionate number of female deaths during child birth as well as high infant mortality rates, through improved health and education these rates. Women suffer from Malaria and HIV more than any other diseases, in some areas the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been able to reduce malaria infections by up to 50% greatly reducing the risks of child birth (Bellamy, 2004). Education programs by the WHO have helped to improve safe sex practises in an effort to reduce HIV infection. Womens health is improving with globalisation. Thi s is because overall Improved population health, particularly amongst the worlds poorest countries, is increasingly associated with improved economic growth. As the economies and work forces of developing countries grow stronger so do their levels of health and social awareness in the process improving womens health. In grained and miss informed cultural practises are still a major issue to for womens health. Female genital mutilation is a practise that still exists and is culturally practised, over 132 million women and girls have been victims of genital mutilation (Tinker, Finn, Epp, 2000). The majority of the African nations have now made it illegal to commit female genital mutilation, however without public education making the practise illegal would be ineffective. Government organisations along with NGOs have developed education and awareness programs in many developing nations to outline the affects and problems with this long standing cultural practise. This aims to reduce significantly the practise of female genital mutilation and so far has shown positive results. Political and democratic representation is obviously plays major role in the advancement through creation of public policies and legislation. The status of women has vastly improved through participation in democratic processes. Some countries such as Indian and France have introduced quotas to ensure a certain level of participation in the political process, the quotas aim overall to ensure that womens interests are looked after at a government level (International IDEA, 1998). The quota system ensures that cultural and gender barriers do not impede the proper representation of women in the political environment. Some critics dislike the idea of a quota system as they believe it artificially increases female representation, when democracy is meant to be democratic and that women are being elected just because they are women. This is a fairly shallow view of the overall problem, by actively representing women within politics it enables cultural change, it enables discriminatory pract ises to be overturned by governments and enables an overall fairer, balanced democratic process. As an example through the support of the UN the World Economic Forum (WEF) has developed the Women Leaders and  Gender Parity  Programme to encourage womens participation in the WEF has risen from 9% in 2001 to 17% in 2007 (WEF, 2010). Worldwide women only currently represent 18% of all political positions, whilst this may seem like a small number it is important to consider that since 1945 womens political participation has quadrupled as part of a globalised society (Karam, 1998). What this says is whilst women are still at a serious disadvantage at obtaining political positions, this disadvantage is decreasing and worldwide female representation is dramatically improving with globalisation. Whilst Western women have benefited the most from globalisation, there still remains a disparity in the working environment. Gender Inequality in the workplace is one of the most publicised issues for womens rights activists, discrimination in the workplace today is more subtle and is correspondingly harder to detect. This has resulted in a large proportion of women in part-time work and very little representation in upper managerial roles, when compared to males of equal education and experience. Whilst Anti-discrimination legislation has existed in Australia since the 1980s and yet there still remains a large disparity in the workplace between men and women, due to gender and cultural stereotypes. The glass ceiling in many professional workplaces denies women the opportunities to rise through the ranks of organisations. This was highlighted through a study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics which found women on average earn $611.50 per week and men earn $897.50 (ABS, 2005). Whi lst direct wage discrimination has all but been quashed, a division of labour still exists due to roles being defined along traditional gender lines. These roles are often rewarded more highly in favour of male workers (Jones, 1983). This is highlighted in the law profession where 60% of Monash University Law graduates are women yet less than 14% of women are partners in law firms. (McLeod, 2008). This is not something confined to the legal profession nor is it something confined to Australia, only 1 to 3 per cent of top executive jobs in the largest corporations worldwide are held by women (Wirth, Luxembourg). Despite some existing problems overall these figures have increase dramatically over the last century, even thirty years ago women had little or no representation in a large corporate environment. From 1985 to 2010 there has been a massive increase of participation of women within the workplace globally and this expect to rise further in coming years (ILO, 2010). As the world becomes more globalised gender equality within the workplace is reduced, this is because the main barriers to this form is equality culture and social norms are changed. Globalisation creates increased employment opportunities and demand for women in non-traditional sectors enable them to earn and control income, thus providing a source of empowerment and enhancing womens capacity for representation and power within the community. In a recent World Bank study of developing countries, respondents from more than 90% of the countries studied identified gender violence as a serious problem (Doyal, 2002). Modern day slavery and trafficking of women has become a major problem. Transnational crime has become prevalent through globalisation and remains a massive threat to women in particular vulnerable women. The underground trafficking of women across borders is an issue of great international concern and has been exacerbated by globalisation. The individuals that are normally transported in these operations are normally abused, raped and often forced or coerced to work as prostitutes in a target country. One of the main contributing factors to this increase in trafficking has been the widespread forced submission of women. Poverty stricken populations are more vulnerable to trafficking, because these women and girls have a very low social status that puts them at risk. Another signifigant contributor to the increase in trafficking is political targeting and conflict zones. The breakdown of society and the rule of law have made these women especially vulnerable to the lure of a better future or an exit out of their countries or event a forced exit. The counter measures in place in the majority of countries target the human traffickers with heavy imprisonment and fines, specifically in Australia this is targeted with the anti-slavery and organised people smuggling legislation where the maximum penalty imposed can be 25 years (David, 2000). This legislation aligns with the United Nations Conventions against Transnational Organised crime, which specifically targeted the trafficking of people (Green Grewcock, 2002). Despite these efforts at any given time over 2.5 million people are held in forced labor the majority of which are women and a further 98% of these experience physical sexual abuse (ILO, 2007). Overall 43% of trafficked people are used for sexual exploitation or prostitution almost all of whom are women (ILO, 2007). Cowen highlights quite elegantly the problems with globalisation, While some sectors expand extreme rapidity, other shrink and wither away (Cowen, 2002). This is true for women and globalisation in some areas women have received increased rights and economic power and yet in many places they still suffer large amounts of gendered violence. Globalisation has presented new challenges and new opportunities to women, gender equality develops from many different sources and it is often impossible to determine whether these are the result of globalisation or they just have been exacerbated by it.

Obtaining a Competitive Advantage Through Cost Leadership and Different

This assignment will cover how a business can gain a competitive advantage over similar businesses in the same market using sources such as cost advantage and differentiation. What will also be discussed is the value chain model made by Porter, and this assignment will explain what the model was actually designed for. Furthermore, it will be explained how a business can use methods of competitive advantage through various stages of Porter’s Value Chain in order to help it maintain and increase the competitiveness of the business, and this will be done through assessing the operations of the business and locating exactly where any competitive advantage can be gained. Lastly, Porter’s value chain features 9 activities which can each be identified as being either a primary or support activity and what will then be explained will be how these primary and support activities can add value to a business, and whether or not support activities can be considered as being any more or any less important than a primary activity. It is suggested by many that there are two ways for a business to gain competitive advantage; this is done through either cost advantage or differentiation. Porter (2004, p.64) claims that cost advantage is when a â€Å"firm achieves a lower cumulative cost of performing value activities than its competitors†. A good example of this would be ASDA within the food retailer industry. ASDA (ASDA beats its full year sales and profit plan, 2009), known for their â€Å"commitment to everyday low prices†, are very much a cost-leading competitor in the food retailer industry and they stated that they beat their â€Å"full year sales and profit plan† for the fourth consecutive quarter in 2009 by introducing a â€Å"significant cost reduction prog... ...l Group (2008) Annual Report 2008: Our key strengths. [Online] Available at: http://www.homeretailgroup.com/ar/2008/review/keystrengths/p2.shtml (Accessed: 19/11/2011) Johnson, G., Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases. 6th edn. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. McGeary, R. (2011) Anatomy of Market Research [Online] Available at: http://www.remnet.com/porter.html (Accessed: 14/11/2011) Millar, V., Porter, M. (1985) ‘How Information Gives You Competitive Advantage’, Harvard Business Review pp. 18-36. [Online] Available at: http://zaphod.mindlab.umd.edu/docSeminar/pdfs/Porter85.pdf (Accessed: 17/11/2011) Needle, D. (2000) Business in Context: An introduction to business and its environment. Third edition. London: Thomson Learning Porter, M. (2004) Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: FREE PRESS.

Casey Anthony Essay

Courtroom trials are very interesting to me and I really enjoyed clerking for judges and being able to watch everything from beginning to end. The case I have chosen is a jury trial and that jury ends up being seven women and five men. The criminal laws that were violated were many starting with Child Neglect, making false official statements and obstructing an investigation. Forging checks, fraudulent use of identification and petty theft, first degree murder, aggravated child abuse aggravated manslaughter and four counts of lying to law enforcement. Heading the prosecution was the District Attorney of Orange County Florida with several of the Assistant District Attorney’s. The defense has Jose Baez and what they were calling a ‘team’ of defense counsel, which actually ended up only being 3. Judge Belvin Perry was on the bench and all of the witnesses that were on both the states list of witnesses to call but the defense as well. The outcome of this trial rocked the nation as the verdict was read live which were Not Guilty of Aggravated Murder, Aggravated Child Abuse and Aggravated Manslaughter. The defendant was found guilty on 4 counts of the forgery of checks and was credited for time served, then released from jail. Casey Anthony made national news for several days and remained the top story. She had been charged and arrested with murdering her two year old daughter, Caylee Anthony. Casey denied ever knowing anything to the police of her whereabouts and told law enforcement that her nanny had taken Caylee by force and she had been looking for her in different avenues, to supposedly protect the child. Also stating she should have contacted police sooner than 31 days prior, but she was in fear for her daughter’s life was the story she stuck to. After being jailed and held without bond pictures of the young mother were posted all over â€Å"My Space† portraying Casey Anthony as nothing but a party girl. It wasn’t until the actual trial started and the story took a huge flip and George Anthony who is Casey’s father and grandfather of little Caylee, was being accused of sexually molesting his daughter since she was 8 years old and covering up the truth about the whereabouts of the two year old. Since Casey had been a child, she had been taught to cover up and lie about certain situations if it was going to cause embarrassment to the family. It was George who had found the lifeless body of Caylee Anthony, lying face down in their pool and the cover-up began. George Anthony did not want it to get out that the family was irresponsible and left the ladder out to get into the pool. Which the story reads, little Caylee climbed up that ladder and got in the pool herself, due to no supervision and drowned. Skeletal remains of a small child were found 3 months later within a mile of the Anthony home. The body had been discarded like a piece of trash, and her remains had been duct taped in a black garbage bag and tossed into the woods. It became media frenzy and, Orlando, Florida became the busiest it had ever been since the child had gone missing. It was in fact the remains of Caylee Anthony and to this day, the young mother sticks to her story and accuses her own father of covering the death of her child up and forced Casey to go along with it. She had been taught to obey her father and did not want to go against his strictness and allowed George Anthony to dispose of the body. The trial that began on May 24, 2011 went to the jury on July 3rd 2011. Deliberations were suspended over the 4th of July holiday and resumed July 5th. During its deliberations, the jurors did not ask to review any of the 400 exhibits, request any clarifications of the law or ask for any of the trial testimony to be read back. After deliberating for 10 hours and 40 minutes, the foreperson informed the court that the jury had reached a unanimous verdict that afternoon. More often than not when a jury returns a verdict that quickly and without asking for any type of assistance from the court, it bodes ill for the defendant. This jury, however, was about to prove the old maxim that juries are unpredictable despite what all the talking heads predicted it would conclude. The jury found her not guilty of murder, aggravated child abuse and manslaughter. She was however, convicted of four counts of lying to police officers. Judge Perry sentenced Casey to one year in jail and $1,000. 00 in fines for each of the providing false information counts. She was released from jail on July 17, 2011due to time already served. While Casey had been acquitted in her daughter’s death, Casey’s problems were not at an end. The defamation suit of Zenaida Gonzalez who Casey accused of kidnapping her daughter (one of the false statements) is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages. Gonzalez states she lost her job as a result of Casey’s allegations which led to the loss of her apartment by eviction and she and her 6 children continue to be harassed and threatened. (Kumar) It has changed how society works today by taking more â€Å"child missing stories† more serious and not to the facts of the case, but the simple fact that the 12 person jury could not convict her due to lack of evidence. The State of Florida had not proved their case and she was walking free except with a few misdemeanor charges of lying to law enforcement. How could this have happened, with all the circumstantial evidence of her guilt was obvious, the jury stood by the law? The evidence did not prove that Casey had been involved at all without finding any DNA or any other minute evidence. At almost the end of the trial, Casey asked to be evaluated by Psychologist and Psychiatrist to see if she was mentally capable to continue with the trial. She was found competent and the trial continued til the end finding her not guilty. All of America disagreed with the verdict except the defendant and the defense counsel and still held her responsible for her daughter’s death. Society even went to the extreme as to calling the jury â€Å"idiots† I believe Casey Anthony led a not so great life, but was also a spoiled brat who always got her way. So with the news that she was walking free didn’t surprise me, as I couldn’t see any physical evidence either. Sad but true, she is out living her life without her daughter and it does not seem to bother her a bit. Casey is in hiding though as of today and knows there are people out there who hate her. She has started to learn and recognize her lies and what they did to people, and has told friends she has a lot of regards. Other sources say she plans to receive psychological counseling. She is young and optimistic and realizes she can’t change the past but she can move forward.

Christianization throughout History Essay

Introduction â€Å"Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is the secret of great creative people†, Leo Burnett once said. I agree, and can proudly say that curiosity is my motive for writing this project. The purpose of this project is pure research. I want to gain knowledge about the subject of my choice and also improve my writing and planning skills. I chose this topic after watching a National Geographic program concerning Mithraism in ancient Rome. I became very curious about Religious customs, Christian in particular. My main form of research was the Internet. I read University studies and encyclopedia articles. Finally I ended up with 3 research questions. I wanted to find out the true origins of the 3 major Christian holidays: Christmas, Easter and Halloween. Where their (sometimes strange) traditions came from, if other cultures celebrated similar holidays in the past and how they came to be the Christian holidays we know today. 1. What are the true origins of Christmas? The dictionary definition of â€Å"Christmas† is: The annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus. It is basically a feast in which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the most prominent figure in Christian belief, making this their most cherished holiday. Christmas is celebrated on December 25 (or January 7 in eastern orthodox churches, due to incompatibility between the Julian and Gregorian calendars). Popular customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, church celebrations, a special meal, and decorations like Christmas trees, lights, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. Today, Christmas is celebrated in many places around the world by Christians and an increasing amount of non-Christians, but few people know the true pagan roots of this holiday. First and foremost, the early Christians did not celebrate the birth of Christ. There were two reasons for it: The first was the simple truth that no one knew the exact day of Christ’s birth. Today, most historians believe, according to the biblical description, that his birth took place around September (approx. six months after Passover). One thing is sure though, that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December. The biblical story tells us there were shepherds tending their sheep in the fields that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold winter. The second reason came further in the church’s development. During the first three hundred years of the religion the church in Rome discouraged celebrating the birth of Christ, not wanting it to seem more like a pagan ritual than a Christian holiday. So why is Christ’s birth celebrated on the 25th of December? The Answer is simple: Christianization, or the conversion of native pagan culture to Christian use. Church officials developed different methods of conversion to Christianity, and the main one was based on the belief that conversions were easier if people were allowed to retain the outward forms of their traditions, while claiming that the traditions were in honor of the Christian God. Basically, the traditions and practices themselves were kept, but the reasoning behind them was altered. Many pagan societies held celebrations around the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year, which occurs between the 21st and the 25th of December) with the prevailing theme being the welcoming of the sun and the joy in the rebirth of the world. There are also many stories of children of wonder being born on or near the winter solstice, like Mithras, Attis, Dionysus or Apollo, who are all savior deities sent in manifestation at the darkest time of the year. The oldest winter solstice celebration known to us took place in ancient Egypt over 4000 years ago. Large parties were held to celebrate the rebirth of the sun god Horus. The held a 12-day festival that mirrored their 12 month calendar, which revolved around Horus. This Egyptian idea of a 12 day celebration was also the first of its kind. Local countries adopted these ideas from the Egyptians (perhaps wanting to share in Egypt’s success). A prominent celebration was the Babylonian â€Å"Zagmuk† honoring the creator-sun god Marduk. The Babylonians believed that while Marduk had created the world peaceful and beautiful he has to battle the monsters of chaos to keep it so. Every year as the weather grows colder the monsters regain their strength and Marduk has to fight them off, but he needs the help of the people. This battle lasted for 12 days and it was the duty of the people to cheer Marduk on and help him win the war. Only then peace would be restored, the earth’s beauty renewed and the people would be safe for another year. As we move east we reach the Persian â€Å"Sacaea†, a celebration honoring the return of the sun. The Sacaea was also celebrated by the Greek in honor of Zeus’s defeat of Kronos and the Titans. These celebrations consisted mainly of feasting, partying and light ing of large bonfires. The Roman holiday season lasted a week and was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birth of the Unconquered Sun. It began on the 25th of December with the Saturnalia, the holiday honoring Saturn (the God of agriculture) and ended with the Kalends of January (the roman new year’s), which represented the triumph of life over death. This holiday was celebrated in honor of Sol Invictus (the invincible sun), The official Roman Sun God (whose day of rest was Sunday). Mithraism was also a common cult in the Roman Empire, and many celebrated the birth of Mithras on this date as well. This festival was marked by much feasting, gift giving and merrymaking in general. The Pagans of northern Europe also celebrated the winter solstice, with a festival called â€Å"Yule†. Yule has many names for the different tribes: For the Celts it was â€Å"Nodlaig†, for the Saxons â€Å"Gehul†, and for the Welsh is was â€Å"Hal†. More names were Juul, Oel, Heol and many more. The word Yule is derived from the Norse word Iul, meaning wheel. The wheel was a pagan symbol for the sun and for the cycle of life. The Yule celebration lasted for a number of days and involved feasting, fires, and sacrifices. Bonfires blazed in honor of the sun’s struggle against, and eventual triumph over, the darkness and cold of winter. One of the most prominent symbols of Yule was the evergreen tree. The evergreens seemed to have magic powers enabling them to resist the short and cold days. Evergreen trees would often be brought into home and evergreen boughs were carried as luck totems (especially Holly, which was considered the food of the gods). Sacred ceremonies were held by druids surrounding and worshiping these trees. More traditions included kissing under the mistletoe (a fertility ritual) and gift giving. Even the idea of Santa Clause can be found in many Yule celebrations. The Pagans viewed these celebrations of the return of the sun as the fact that good will prevail over evil, which made it easy to adapt them to Christianity, seeing how Jesus was born to save the world (according to the belief). Jesus has often been referred to as the â€Å"light of the world† and it only seemed fitting that his birth would be celebrated with the rebirth of the sun. So, in the year 350, Pope Julius the first and the roman emperor Constantine declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for the pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them. However, some experts believe it went the other way around. They say the early Christians were tempted by the partying and feasting, so the Christian leaders quickly decided to give the holiday a Christian reasoning so as not to lose their followers. 2. What are the true origins of Easter? Easter is the second major holiday in the Christian liturgical year. According to the New Testament, Jesus rose from the dead 3 days after his crucifixion. Easter Day is the celebration of his resurrection, also called Resurrection Sunday. Prior to Easter Day come a 40 day period called Lent. This is a time for fasting, praying and penance. The last week of Lent is called Holy week and it contains Good Friday, which honors the crucifixion of Christ. After Resurrection Sunday comes a 50 day period called Eastertide, ending with Pentecost Sunday. This is a time for rejoicing and growth. Easter is not fixed in the civil calendar because it is a lunar holiday. Easter Sunday occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon proceeding the vernal (spring) equinox, which occurs on March 21. Easter customs and symbols include a large feast (with ham as the main course), a sunrise worship service, egg hunting and decorating, hot cross buns, flowers, the Easter bunny and outdoor activities. The thing is, none of the customs and symbols, or even the name of this holiday, has anything to do with Christianity. The word Easter is actually the name of the pagan goddess of fertility, also named Ostare, Oestre, Ostara, Ishtar, Ashtoreth, and Asthart in different cultures. Many pagan cultures held vernal festivals in honor of this goddess, celebrating the arrival of spring and the awakening of life. The oldest of these festivals was held in ancient Babylon, Phrygia (modern day Turkey), Canaan and Phoenicia. The Phoenicians were a civilization of traders who brought the Easter customs to Greece, Rome and the northern countries of Great Britain. The legend of this spring festival begins with Nimrod. Nimrod is, according to the book of Genesis the son of Cush, grandson of Ham and great grandson of Noah. Nimrod was a powerful leader who formed the first empire in the world, Babylon, by conquering the â€Å"Land of the Seven Cities† (the Persian gulf). In his rule he made the people rebel against God and join in his own mystery religion, in which he figured prominently. When Nimrod eventually died, his mystery religion continued on. His wife Queen Semiramis saw to that. Once he was dead, she deified him as the Sun-god. In various cultures he later became known as Baal, the Great Life Giver, the god of fire, Baalim, Bel, Molech, etc. Queen Semiramis continued developing her mystery religion. She set herself as a goddess as well, proclaiming to have hatched from an egg that fell down from the moon on the first full moon after the spring equinox (she taught that the moon went through a 28 day cycle and ovulated when full). She became known as the goddess of fertility and the moon, mother of all life. She later became known as Ishtar, or Easter. Semiramis soon became pregnant, claiming that is the rays of the sun god Baal which caused her to conceive. She gave birth to Tammuz, who was the supposed savior, the son of God. Tammuz was a hunter, and was one day killed by a wild boar. He was sent to the underworld, but through his mother’s weeping he was resurrected and allowed to ascend to be with his father Baal. Another version tells that Semiramis (or Ishtar) was so grief stricken that she followed Tammuz to the underworld. With her gone, the world became a cold and barren place. Ea, the Babylonian God of water and wisdom, sprinkled them both with the water of life, allowing them to return to the world for 6 months of the year. The remaining part of the year Tammuz was to return to the underworld, causing Ishtar to follow him and the cycle to continue. This is how the people explained to themselves the miracle of spring that happened every year. Each year a spring festival was held to celebrate Tammuz’s resurrection from the underworld on the first Sunday after the full moon of the spring equinox, Ishtar Sunday. All of the common Easter traditions originate from this belief. Ham was to be eaten as a reminder of Tammuz’s death. The sunrise worship service is a common pagan practice honoring the Sun God. The egg is probably the oldest symbol of fertility and new life in pagan worship. Then there is the story of Ishtar’s hatching from the moon egg, known as the Ishatr, or Easter egg. The hare too, is an old fertility symbol, due to its rapid rate of reproduction. The story of the Easter bunny brings us back to Ishtar, or Ostara as she was called in northern Europe. The Goddes Ostara arrived late from the underworld one spring and found a little bird whose wings had frozen from the snow. Full of pity for the creature she made him her pet and turned him into a snow white hare (which would then become her symbol). She also gave him the gift of being able to run with incredible speed. In remembrance of his earlier form as abird, the hare had the ability to lay eggs, which were rainbow colored, but only on one day of the year (guess which?). The Hare eventually managed to annoy the goddess, and she put in the sky as the constellation Lepus (the hare). He was allowed to return to the earth once each year on Easter Sunday to lay his eggs. It became an Easter tradition to seek out the Easter hare’s rainbow colored eggs. Also, in Celtic culture, it was forbidden to eat hare meat except on Beltane (the 1st of May) when a ceremonial hare hunt was held (Beltane is the Celtic name for Easter – Bel meaning the same as Baal). The hare remains a symbol of luck and fertility even today. The Act of fasting in preparation for a great occasion can be found in many lands. The Babylonians and their neighbors fasted for 40 days in preparation for the annual celebration of Tammuz’s resurrection. This is probably the direct source of the Christian Lent, but a pennence period like this can be found in many other societies as well. Pagans in Mexico and the Andes mountains practiced a 40 day fast in honor of the sun around this time of year. The Egyptians fasted for 40 days to honor Adonis and Osiris. The lighting of fires was also a common pagan ritual. Fire was the symbol of Baal and the fires were used in ceremonies and even for human sacrifices. The New Testament says nothing about sunrise ceremonies, lent, colored eggs or bunnies. These are all classic examples of Christianization. The Christian leaders wanted to convert the pagans to Christianity, so they decided to adopt their rituals and give them Christian significance in order to make the transition easier. But perhaps there is another, more primitive reason. People enjoy celebrations and festivities, and do not care for the most part who or what the celebration honors. The pagans probably did not care what name was given to their festival, as long as they could continue feasting and rejoicing. 3. What are the true origins of Halloween? The name Halloween is actually a Scottish shortening of the name â€Å"All Hallows Evening† or â€Å"All Hallows Eve†. It is celebrated on October 31st and it is so named because it comes before All Saints Day (or All Hallows day) which occurs on the first of November. According to Christian tradition, the souls of dead roam the earth until All Saints Day, when the prayers of the people free them from purgatory and allow them to reach heaven. Halloween is the last night the dead spend on earth and their last chance of gaining vengeance on their enemies before moving on to the next life. To avoid being recognized by a soul, Christians would wear masks and costumes to disguise themselves. This is where the custom of dressing up and â€Å"trick or treating† came from. More traditions of Halloween include costume parties, carving jack-o’-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions and playing pranks. In these traditions we can see the pagan origins of Halloween crystal clear. The Celts of Northern Europe celebrated their New Year on the evening of October 31st and the first of November (the Celts followed a lunar calendar and their days began at sunset). This holiday was named â€Å"Samhain† in Ireland, Galan Gaeaf in Wales and Allantide in Cornwall, and is Celtic for â€Å"summer’s end†. They believed that the New Year starts with the death of the sun god in winter. It was also believed that the veils of the world were thinnest as the old year waned into the new and that troublesome spirits, ghosts of the dead, fairies, and demons were free to roam about, scaring people and damaging crops. Traditionally, Samhain was time to take stock of the herds and grain supplies, and decide which animals would need to be slaughtered in order for the people and livestock to survive the winter. The reason for this was that the meat could keep since the cold months have come and also since summer grass is gone and free foraging is no longer possible . Large fires played a large part in the festivities. They were called Bonfires because the bones of the slaughtered cattle were thrown in as sacrifices to the sun and spirits. Often two bonfires would be built side by side, and the people would walk between the fires as a ritual of purification. The druids (celtic priests) performed ceremonies around these fires including divination concerning marriage, luck, health and death. Since the barrier to the otherworld was so thin this was the best time for these rites. Each family in the village would extinguish the fire in their home, and then relight their hearth from the common flame. This ritual was said to bond the village together and protect each family from the spirits roaming about. More attempts to ward off spirits included wearing costumes and masks and carving candle lanterns from turnips. Large turnips were hollowed out, carved with face and placed in windows. Samhain was also a night of mischief and confusion. The spirits were impersonated by young men with masked, veiled or blackened faces, dressed in white or disguises of straw. These young men would go from house to house â€Å"trick or treating† as a form of bribery. The family would give the â€Å"spirits† fruits or nuts to keep them from damaging their crops. Mischievous pranks were played on the ungenerous including moving farm equipment and livestock and bombarding their houses with cabbages pulled at random from gardens. Other than these young men people usually preferred to stay indoors on Samhain night. During the Roman rule in Britain (43-410 AD) aspects of Roman religion were incorporated into Samhain. Candied apples and bobbing for apples became associated with this holiday because of Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit trees and gardens, whose symbol was the apple. Traditions often involve fruit centerpieces and decorations. Furthermore, the Romans observed the holiday of Feralia, intended to give rest and peace to the departed. Sacrifices were made in honor of the dead and prayers were offered as well. The jack – o – lantern is perhaps the most famous Halloween symbol. It is named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, also known as will –o –the wisp, representing the scary spirits roaming about. Furthermore, the Celtic folklore tells about a fellow named Stingy Jack, a thief that managed to trick and trap the devil. In order to be set free, the devil had to promise never to takes Jack’s soul. When the day came and Jack died, he wasn’t allowed to enter Heaven because of all the bad deeds he had committed in his life. He was sent to Hell, but the Devil kept his promise and wouldn’t take Jack in. Jack was condemned to roam the earth with only a burning ember in a turnip lamp to light his way. This is where the tradition of carving vegetable lamps came from. When the first English immigrants came to North America they traded the turnip for the larger native pumpkin, which was larger and readily available. This pumpkin lantern is the jack- o –lantern known to us today. Another important holiday honoring the dead belonged to the ancient Aztecs. It was named â€Å"The Day of The Dead† (El Dà ­a de los Muertos) and is still celebrated in Mexico, South America and around the world. Originally it fell on the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, symbolizing the nine stops the dead must pass on their way to heaven, and was celebrated for an entire month. Sacrifices were made to the lady of the dead, Mictecacihuatl. Today, â€Å"The Day of The Dead† is celebrated on the 1-2 of November, probably due to the Catholic Spanish conquering which led to the merge of the Day of The Dead with All Saints Day. Traditions of this holiday include a family meal with emphasis on remembering deceased family members, decorating graves and family altars, and prayer. These are the basic traditions, but in different cultures activities may vary, from kite-flying in Guatemala to skull decorating in Bolivia. The essence of this day is celebrating the lives of those who are gone and helping them on their way. The early Christians also had a day celebrating the remembrance of all the church’s martyrs. It was established by Pope Boniface the 4th and was set on May 13. Later, it was Pope Gregory the 3rd that changed the date to November 1st, and renamed it â€Å"All Saints day†, so it would correspond with the existing pagan holidays. Christianity continued to spread throughout the world, and pagan holidays were either Christianized or forgotten. Samhain and The Day of The Dead were absorbed into Halloween. Their traditions and rituals were preserved and incorporated into the new holiday, but their names were omitted. However, now, despite all of the Christian efforts, people essentially enjoy the aspects of the holiday that derive from pagan origins. The Halloween celebrated by the great majority of people today is just a fun holiday, and has lost its religious signifance for most people. Conclusion To summarize everything, I believe it can be safely said that Christian holidays rarely mean and originate where they seemed to at first. Christianization can be found throughout history in many different cultures and aspects, from major holidays to minor superstitions. Celebrations of the winter solstice were common around the world, and Christmas was just the latest addition. The early Christians merely replaced the birth of the sun with the birth of the son, but kept the rituals and traditions of the pagan festivals. The Easter holiday even managed to keep its pagan name. The festival of the earth’s rebirth is recycled today as the day honoring the resurrection of Jesus, and celebrated in the same way the Babylonians did 3000 years ago. Even Halloween is just a pagan holiday dipped in holy water. It’s as pagan as you can get, honoring ghosts, spirits and the like, but it got Christianized nonetheless. In my personal opinion, there is nothing religious about these holidays anymore. They merely represent how far ideas can travel when you take advantage of human nature. The early Christians understood that people are just simple beings who like to have a good time, and don’t really care in whose honor. Christianization was a smart idea, but I believe it breaks a few copyright laws. Working on this project I improved my research and writing skills, and also my time management. If I had been given the chance I would have written more about the Christianization of sacred places, like the pantheon and Celtic sacred groves. All in all, I learned a lot during the entire process and am satisfied with the result.    Bibliography Websites 1. http://www.nvcc.edu/home/lshulman/rel232/resource/RileyPaper.htm 2. http://www.pocm.info 3. http://searchforbibletruths.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-origins-traditions-and-customs.html 4. http://www.thercg.org/books/ttooe.html 5. http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract1.html 6. http://www.goddessgift.com/Pandora’s_Box/Easter-history.htm 7. http://www.essortment.com/christmas-pagan-origins-42543.html 8. http://www.wikipedia.org 9. http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm 10. http://www.goodnewsaboutgod.com/studies/holidays2.htm 11. http://christmas-celebrations.org/ 12. http://www.near-death.com/experiences/origen048.html 13. http://www.frontline-apologetics.com/Mithras.html 14. http://ldolphin.org/semir.html 15. http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/08/ajb/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Ninus.html 16. http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t020.html 17. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05224d.htm 18. http://www.goodnewsaboutgod.com/studies/holidays2.htm 19. https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/barnold/www/lectures/holloween.html 20. http://spanish.about.com/cs/culture/a/dayofdead.htm 21. http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/e008rp_Halloween.htm 22. http://landscaping.about.com/cs/landscapecolor/a/halloweenOrigin.htm 23. http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/origin-of-halloween.htm 24. http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Samhain.htm 25. http://www.etsu.edu/writing/adcomp_f06/students/halloween.htm 26. http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_Pagan_Ankerberg.aspx 27. http://www.albee.org/halloween/history.htm Articles 1. Julia A. Gengenbach, â€Å"Is Christmas Christian†, Prism University of Wisonsin- Eau Claire Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, 2002 2. Prof. Bettina Arnold, â€Å"Halloween Customs in the Celtic World†, Center of Celtic Studies, Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, 2001 3. Donna-Lynn Riley, â€Å"Christian Feast Days and their Relationship to Pagan Holidays† , Introduction to World Religions, 2003