Variances Between Learning Styles And Academics Education Essay

Students learn in diverse ways, each of them has their ain different manners or penchants in the manner they recognize and process information. Taking into considerations these penchants is of predominating important in the instruction – acquisition patterned advance. The mode by which each pupil learns will make a landscape by which the pupils will either maintain or keep their knowing knowledge. Therefore, the pedagogues ‘ cognition about the pupils larning manner is beyond uncertainty. Alfonseca et. Al. ( 2006 ) emphasis that to be witting of the pupils ‘ acquisition manners will ease the adaptation of suited techniques and methods to fit with the pupils ‘ disposition. The ways by which an person scholar normally obtains, sustains and recovers information are defined as the individual ‘s acquisition manners ; it indicates a general penchant for larning ( Knowles et.al. 2005 ) . these larning manners recognize that pupils learn in different ways. By stressing larning manner, attending will be on the scholars and by so making they will acquire to be familiar with the mode they learn which Hall and Mosley ( 2005 ) assert will bring forth constructive effect on their motive to larn. Acknowledging the pupils ‘ larning manner may good help pedagogues go more sensitive to the differences pupils bring in the schoolroom ; therefore can function as usher in planing acquisition experiences that go with the pupils larning manners. Cuthbert ( 2005 ) stated that consciousness of the acquisition manners is critical for to leting accommodation in the pedagogues ‘ pedagogic attacks. Gadth-Johnson and Price ( 2000 ) pointed out that there is a powerful relationship between a scholar ‘s alone learning manner and their academic accomplishment.Significance of the StudyIt is the duty of everyone who takes portion in the educational system to make and develop valuable and competent acquisition environment whereby enhanced acquisition is afforded to all most specially to the scholars. The consequences of the survey will help in planing more effectual and synergistic schoolroom experiences to elate the value of larning. The instructors may cognize of which larning manner pupils perform good and could work out for different attacks to guarantee first-class academic public presentation of pupils. Taking into history the consequence which may be brought approximately by the consciousness of the pupils larning manner to the academic accomplishment of the pupils, it may besides enforce an consequence on the pupil abrasion which is one of the university ‘s foremost concern. When pupils learn fast, they perform better, derive more assurance and go more motivated to go on their instruction. The survey will happen its following measure for future research workers to research the relationships of the acquisition manners with the other dimensions of the educational procedure in wider position. The survey is limited to the first twelvemonth pupils of AMA International University -Bahrain. It is fundamentally to analyze the average differences of the acquisition manners in concurrence with the demographics of the pupils which include: age, gender, and BS plan enrolled. This is non strictly study research. The Index of Learning Style developed by Felder and Solomon is used to place and analyze the discrepancies between larning manners and academic accomplishments of the pupils. The academic accomplishment of the respondents will be determined by the class point norm ( GPA ) of the pupils during the first trimester.Statement of the ProblemLearning manner has its insightful impact on the peculiar dimensions of instruction and acquisition procedures. Students have their ain preferable manner to acknowledge, retain and recover information. The survey will research on the indices of discrepancies between pupil ‘s acquisition manners and their academic accomplishments. Using consciousness of larning manner within the educational background promotes more effectual acquisition. In add-on, lifting the consciousness of pedagogues sing the diverse acquisition attacks will ease them to be resourceful and adoptable in their instruction strategies. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Learning is by and large identified with a alteration in behaviour. Most of us understand it as a merchandise of a procedure by which behaviour transforms as a consequence of a learning experience. Harmonizing to Rogers A. ( 2003 ) there are two contrasting attacks to back up larning as a class of action or a procedure which brought about transmutation or alteration ; the Task- witting or Acquisition acquisition and the Learning- witting or Formalized acquisition. Acquisition larning refers to the unconscious acquisition or merely called contained acquisition. The scholar may non be witting of it but is normally cognizant that a definite undertaking is at manus and after executing the undertaking, alteration takes topographic point. Formalized larning on the other manus takes topographic point from the class of easing larning. It is educative instead than accretion of experiences. In this attack, the scholar is cognizant that what he is making involves larning. Formalized acquisition is doing leaner witting of the acquisition and therefore heightening it farther. On this note, heightening larning would intend affecting the scholars in the procedure ; it necessitates acknowledgment of how they learn in order for larning to be successful ; therefore a survey of pupils larning manners is beyond uncertainty a necessity to appreciate the procedure called acquisition. The survey of larning manners has been recognized in the recent old ages as significantly imperative in assisting pupils learn successfully. Today more than of all time, the educational universe is get downing up the importance of acknowledging and spoting the assorted ways pupils learn and placing the critical functions it takes portion in achieving permeant academic success ( Collinson, 2000 ) . This besides leads to several surveies bespeaking the benefit that instructors gain from developing an apprehension of how pupils learn every bit good as its consequence on their instruction.Learning Style ModelsThe look â€Å" learning manner † has many elements and can be characterized as the scholars ‘ dependable manner of moving in response to and the usage of stimulations in the context of larning. It has been explored from psychological, societal and educational point of views. To assist research workers in their probe of the learning manner penchant of pupils, developmen t theories in larning manners have been expanded which harmonizing to Hall and Mosley ( 2005 ) have produced in no fewer than 71 different theoretical accounts which normally portion the same features yet each has alone positions. Some of these theoretical accounts are briefly discussed and so a farther effort to speak about the Felder and Silverman ‘s theoretical account in order provides grasp of its usage that pertains specifically to this survey. Kolb ‘s learning manner theoretical account finds its foundation in Jung ‘s theory. It classifies scholars into four types based on their penchants on how to take and integrate information viz. ; obliger, diverger, learner, and converger. While each individual has his ain disposition, Loo ( 2004 ) asserted that efficiency is based upon the competency to move in response to assorted larning state of affairss by successfully doing usage of each manner as contrasting to merely using the preferable manner regardless of the conditions. Kolb ‘s experiential tilting theoretical account efforts to integrate each manner of larning into four-stage series or rhythm that consistently directs scholars from concrete experiences to the patterned advance of constructs that will function as springboard for fresh experiences ( Loo, 2004 ) . A ring separated in quarter-circles depicts each phase, which are all deemed of import for experiential acquisition ; nevertheless advocates of t his theory have the same sentiment that persons have a preferable phase in which acquisition is found to be most comfy. ( Goby & A ; Lewis, 2000 ) . As a effect ( Young, 2002 ) noted that any phase preferred by an person can function as get downing point for acquisition. Dunn and Dunn acquisition manners theoretical account is another manner of presenting and measuring intelligence. The attack is founded on the construct that intelligence is non definitively linked to talent or inborn capablenesss ( Denig, 2004 ; Dunn et.al 2001 ; Lovelace, 2005. ) as a replacing for perceptual experience, comprehension, the accomplishment of cognition through experiences and analytical problem-solving and decision- devising accomplishments are acceptable and valid presentation of intelligence ( Denig, 2004 ) . This learning Style theoretical account respects 20 elements that form pupil larning which include puting, emotionalism, sociological fancy, physiological peculiarity and psychosomatic processing dispositions. The Dunn and Dunn larning manner theoretical account puts frontward the idea that scholars should be trained to use their chief or chief learning manner to analyze and larn new resources ( Denig 2004 ) . Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the MBTI categorizes pupils as sociable or lone wolf, antiphonal or inventive, intellectuals or antenna and judgers or percipients. Despite the fact that MBTI is a behavior appraisal, the information that is assembled has frequently been related to how people think, learn and make judgement. In actuality, all people exhibit features of each of the four classs, but persons play their singularity in the extent to which they employ these features and the person ‘s effectivity in making so. McPherson ( 1999 ) maintained the weight of this connexion by his claim that the instructor ‘s cognition of pupils ‘ personality type can reenforce the development of important category activities. Summarizing up the theoretical accounts presented, two points were given accent ; different persons procedure information across many content countries, cognitive and affectional procedures are acknowledged to significantly spread out our penetrations into the issues that relate to motive which is an indispensable constituent of acquisition. ( Vawda A. 2005 )Felder and Silverman ‘s Model for Learning StylesThe research worker in the current survey adopted Felder and Silverman ‘s ( 1988 ) theoretical account to place the participants ‘ acquisition manner for the ground that this theoretical account intended for a comprehensive system of larning manners which help pedagogues be more cognizant of the demands of the pupils and adjust their direction consequently. ( Jarvis, 2005 ) . In add-on, each of the dimensions in this theoretical account is parallel with the other acquisition manners model although the combination is alone ( Felder and Spurlin, 2005 ) . Furthermore it was noted that one of the advantages of these theoretical account over the others is the richer and more flexible sliding graduated tables support sorting the pupils manners ( Alfonseca, 2006 ) Felder and Silverman ‘s ( 1988 ) theoretical account is used to sort larning manners in footings of four dimension ; comprehending information ( Sensing/ Intuitive ) inputting information ( Visual/Verbal ) treating information ( Active/Reflective ) and understanding ( Sequential/ Global ) . Feeling scholars like to larn inside informations and concrete stuffs. They like to work out job with typical attacks. . They are healthy and sensible and be given to be more practical. In contrast, Intuitive scholars have a penchant to larn abstract larning stuffs such as theory and implicit in significances. Active scholars learn best by executing actively with available larning stuffs or seeking things out by themselves. On the other manus brooding scholars prefer to believe about and reflect on the stuffs. Ocular scholars are more able to retrieve best what they have seen while verbal scholars get textual representations irrespective of the fact whatever they are written or spoken. Conse cutive scholars are those who learn in little incremental stairss and have linear learning advancement. They follow consistent stepwise waies in happening solutions. Global scholars conversely use a holistic judgement procedure and learn in great bounds. They tend to absorb learning resources randomly without seeing connexions but after they learned adequate stuffs they out of the blue get the whole image. Table illustrates the four dimensions.Academic Achievement founded on Learning StyleLearning manners can ease a more easy and successful propensity of the pupils ( Prabhakar and Swapna, 2009 ) . Awareness of their learning manner is indistinguishable to understanding their laterality and weaknesses ; this in bend provides them better motive. The degree of larning achieved by a pupil is one of the success indexs of a learning environment. Several surveies have shown that academic public presentation of pupils is related to their acquisition manners ( Rasimah et.al, 2008 ) . Without taking into history the instrument used, many surveies have revealed that the acquisition manners has an of import function in the academic public presentation of the pupils. The recognition of the acquisition manners in the acquisition landscape have uncovered a agency to an improved trial tonss while a dissension in larning uniqueness and learning environment resulted in decreased achievement. ( Andrews, 1990 ) . ` The look larning manner has been attributed in a broad scope of surveies which have been founded to be decidedly related with specific facets of acquisition and measured larning results in footings of academic accomplishment. Learning manners similarly takes portion in the schoolroom public presentation. Decisions from the assorted research workers showed that tonss in larning manners become from independent variable and is a step of the academic success of the scholars. ( Rayneri and Gerber, 2004 )Surveies on Learning Style and Academic AchievementThere are a figure of surveies that explored the relationship between larning manner and academic public presentation in varied subjects. Some of these surveies indicated connexion between public presentation accomplishment and the meeting learning manner ( Mainemelis et. al. , 2002 ; Rutz 2003 ) while others surveies expounded on the differences in the acquisition manners penchant and the academic public presentation. Dyrsdale, Ross and Schulz ( 2001 ) made a survey on the overall academic achievement ( GPA ) of 4546 pupils enrolled at the metropolitan Canadian university in 19 introductory university classs based on their prima acquisition manners and came up with a decision that 9 of the 19 classs concerned in the survey, the dominant manner was concrete consecutive and that these pupils have a leaning to higher classs. Concrete random scholars ‘ public presentations varied and abstract random scholars appeared to fight academically as a group. Cartmell, Majors, Ashlock and Sitton ( 2007 ) compared the acquisition manner and GPA ‘s and demographics ( Gender, categorization ( Senior, Juniors, Sophomore, Freshman and lasting residence ) of 135 pupils enrolled in agricultural communicating at Oklahoma State University. Most of the pupils were found to be concrete consecutive scholars and these pupils had overall GPA ‘s higher than the other pupils that are classified harmonizing to the other acquisition manners. Lehman ( 2011 ) conducted a survey on the relationship of acquisition manners, class Markss and instructional favourites every bit good as gender differences related to larning manners in an introductory biological science class at Longwood University. She found out that of the 173 pupils, 39 % had concrete consecutive acquisition manners and 12 % of them were abstract random scholars while 21 % were concrete random scholars. She made a decision that there was no major disparity in between gender, Markss, or instructional penchants based on larning manners. Myers and Dyer ( 2006 ) have discovered out that there were no important differences in the acquisition manners of males and females enrolled in agricultural leading development class at the University of Florida yet, they have found out that for scholars with deeply rooted abstract consecutive acquisition manner, their critical thought ability evaluations were significantly higher than the other deep rooted learning manners. Thomas et.al. , ( 2002 ) made a survey on the acquisition manners of pupils enrolled in an introductory scheduling class. The bulk of the pupils in the survey were assessed as detection, ocular, brooding and consecutive. Consequences showed that in the exam part of the class, important differences were perceived in the pupils ‘ public presentation ; between reflective and active scholars, brooding scholars got higher tonss while between verbal and ocular scholars, verbal scholars perform better.

90s vs. 2000s

1990’s versus 2000’s In the U. S. The 1990’s was an era when people actually communicated, gas was cheap, and people didn’t have to worry as much about terrorism and could find things to keep them entertained. The 2000’s is now an era where everything costs a lot of money, people have out of control kids, technology is very advanced and people rely on it to get them through the day. Both decades have their own positives and negatives, but they are different in a lot of ways; like technology, social, music, and their economy differences.Both decades are different in that the 1990’s had less technology, kids were well behaved and it was a more peaceful time; the 2000’s now have all kinds of technology, everyone has to have the newest phone or computer, a lot of kids are brats who want the newest video games and there’s a lot of security at places like airports because of so many terrorist attacks. The technology difference from bo th decades is huge, because all there was back then was vhs, cassette, and standard cable with 50 channels or so, a couple different types of cellular phones, dial up computers and so on.With technology today, everyone has a cell phone, most people have some type of computer or lap top, there are blu ray and DVD players, either cable or satellite television with high definition, smart phones with touch screens, high speed broadband, and cars that can tell someone when there veering onto a side lane. Next is a big difference which is how different children act whether it is to adults, each other, or in public.In the 1990’s most kids had parents who were physically able to play with them; kids were creative and found so many different games or activities to do’ they were respectful to whomever they came into contact with because they were raised well. Now when looking at most children they either are crying in public with their parents screaming at them, playing on their parents’ phone or tablet, prefer to stay in the house to play video games online, and most parents don’t play with their kids anymore because they are either too hung up on their laptop or too tired from being fat.Finally going back to the 90’s everyone felt safer or not worried about some kind of terrorist attack like people do now. Back then airports didn’t need so much security; people didn’t have to worry about a crazy person shoot up a movie theatre or mall. Now on weekends certain malls require teens under age 18 to be accompanied by an adult over the age of 21 because of gang violence over the years. These decades differences are very different, but are only a few contrasts between the two decades. The music and social era between these two decades is another difference.In the 90’s was an era that was mainly dominated by rock and booming hip hop music industry. This music was brought on to people with baggy or tight fitted clothing. People would walk around with their cassette players jamming out to their new favorite artist. Now in the 2000’s people mainly listen to their iPods or phones because it’s easiest to acquire music that way via wireless connection from the Internet. They also listen to rap or pop because everyone is about what’s mainstream and popular. People like to wear tighter and shorter fitting clothing now because that’s also what the popular fashion is.People in the 90’s communicated through telephone or just drove or walked to each other’s house to talk or do something. Now people rely on texting each other to find out where they are located and what they want to do rather than going to each other’s house, or calling because it’s not the same type of communication; a lot has changed. Technology and music has definitely made a huge impact on how people socialize and act. Overall I think the 90’s was a great era filled with a lot of memories and seeing a lot of changes happens.It was great being able to also grow up into the 2000’s because that was when technology really started to grow and so much was happening with the world. The advantages and disadvantages of growing up in each era are very different mainly because of all the changes, but a lot of them were good and some were bad. References The 1990’s. (2013). History of the 90’s. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/1990s The 2000’s. (2012). Americas best history – U. S. Timeline 2000’s. Retrieved from http://americasbesthistory. com/abhtimeline2000. html

Technologies Used by Law Enforcement Research Paper

Technologies Used by Law Enforcement - Research Paper Example But whether or not this potential is fully recognized, and at what speed, is not an inevitable conclusion. Groundwork on this subject propose what if its incorporation is not correctly supervised, some features of information technology may meet with confrontation among officers and other staff, mainly when such technology is seen as unjustly invasive or technically unwieldy. Furthermore, questions about security cost, and privacy need to be addressed as well. (Reichert, 2001) Due to the speed and velocity of advances in this field of information technology in current years, sovereign studies on the collision of information technology on policing are also of our concern. It seems predominantly significant, in this regard, to evaluate the experiences of some of the founders of information technology in the field of policing. (Reichert, 2001) Description of some technologies used by law enforcement agencies is given below: 1. Crime mapping During the last decade, computer crime mapping has become an important tool for law enforcement firms. Innovations in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and computer technology have corresponded with practical and theoretical advancements in crime investigation, analysis and prevention. Mapping software, desktop computers, and GIS now present mapping and analysis of data capacities beyond what was probable with mainframe desktop computers as lately as the early 90s. Crime mapping is an affordable and inexpensive technology for tiny and even controlled budget police sections. The advancements needed by community police departments want that these sections integrate a spatial, geographic, or local emphasis, and focus on the significance of incorporating crime mapping techniques into departmental analysis, management, and practices of enforcement. (Reichert, 2001) 2. Integration of Information Technology Information technology integration is as famous as crime mapping. Innovations in information technology assure privacy and information will be shared among all the key elements of the system of criminal justice, taking into account prosecutors, law enforcement, public and private defenders, corrections, federal courts, probation, parole, appellate courts, and state trial. A fully incorporated information system, though, needs cautious planning and organization among the agencies to make sure that technological faults do not take place; as Chief Justice Ronald M. George, California Supreme Court, puts it â€Å"Towel of Babel†. (Reichert, 2001) 3. Database for Fingerprints According to recent news, in Columbus, Ohio, Columbus Police can receive instant information about a suspect’s identity without having to go back to files and papers. With just a fast imprint of an individual’s two fingers on handheld equipment, now police can get access to all personal databases via the fingerprint database system. Police is quite contended with this new t echnology as it saves up time and energy to travel to the downtown booking station. Naturally, it is used to check the right identity of a person who does not a proper ID or have a fake one and uses a fake name. Columbia Police Department alone comprises of 250,000 entries. Any fingerprint which matches an identity gives person’s name, gender, date of birth and race. The cost of these devices have dropped drastically from $100 to $5 and they take good advantage of swiftly growing biometrics industry which

CNN and MTV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CNN and MTV - Essay Example Today, MTV has networks in the US, Europe, Asia and South America, and a whole catalogue of non-music programmes. World leaders including Bill Clinton and Tony Blair have used its influence and to communicate to younger, impressionable voters. It also brought about fashion coverage, along with the cheeky cartoon Beavis and Butthead, and "stunt" series Jackass. However, the influence of MTV has not always been positive. It has had to endure criticism over the years. When it started, MTV promoted music the right way, with a host of talented performers in its programs. Over time, they realized that there were other avenues to get the revenue. Sex and violence slowly entered the MTV scene, and it was a vehicle to unprecedented success. Talent was overlooked for better video productions and raunchy video was the order of the day. While the influence of MTV on culture, especially the youth, has had its positives, the negatives are getting far too alarming to be dismissed lightly. It can be safely said that no news channel has quite captured the public imagination the way CNN has. BBC may claim to be a worthy adversary, but for sheer viewership and coverage CNN has no equal. Since the advent of cable television the media has experienced a never-seen-before boom. Cable News Network or CNN has been at the heart of it. The Gulf War in 1990 was probably its high point. The coverage was at an incredibly broad level, with reporters and correspondents risking life and limb and reporting form the middle of the war. Its reputation as a news broadcaster soared subsequently.Today, CNN is the top source of news for countries worldwide. It has a responsibility that critics claim it has not always carried out. Many say that the stories are told from a prejudiced western view.Notwithstanding the criticism, CNN has influenced the world more positively than otherwise. It has brought into the forefront the kind of coverage that was hitherto considered impossible. Its programs carry high intellectual content and many of its broadcasters are household names in media and entertainment, like Larry king and Christiane Amanpour.Hollywood movies are globally successful because they are simply popular. Films made in Hollywood can be absolute trash junk; yet, they can also be terrific. While the latter obviously sells, the trash sells too - because they are so wonderfully promoted. While Hollywood movies may be pornographic or needlessly violent, it is the same with other cinema industries too.One reason for Hollywood's success is that their movies actually tend to promote liberal values of worldwide significance, like women's rights, the ills of tyranny, the worth of each human life, and the stories of individual success through sheer hard work. Hollywood cannot be regarded as typically American. As a matter of fact its richness in creative resources has rendered it an international centre for entertainment production. Many of its most flourishing producers, directors and actors have in fact been outsiders, coming to America because they wanted the international audience which Hollywood could offer. Nowadays, with acclaimed directors from a diversity of non-English language film cultures bring new outlook to Hollywood while at the same time producing super-hit movies.Perhaps, the major reason for the success of Hollywood in other countries is the wonderful mar keting

Description of 7 and 8 Chapters of Americas Courts and the Criminal Coursework

Description of 7 and 8 Chapters of Americas Courts and the Criminal Justice System Book by Neubauer and Fradella - Coursework Example The assertion by Neubauer and Fradella (170) that defense attorneys’ working within the set norms and in cooperation with the court community do not best represent the interests of the client is, in my opinion, incorrect and fallacious. It is worth noting that, this interaction or cooperation between a defense attorney and other courtroom workgroups does not erode the best interests of a defendant (171) but rather, betters the results for a client. This is because; such a defense attorney gets access to helpful, important information from the prosecutor, which he/she would otherwise have no access to. As a client, a defense attorney who takes a cooperative posture may help the attorney get favorable bargains-plea bargains-, and would, in addition, shield a client from being penalized as a result of the defense attorney’s hostility. Neubauer and Fradella (171) argue that the so-called â€Å"gambling† attorneys may harm their clients since they may, in a bad way pu sh the judges’ and prosecutor’s hand into handing a client long and unreasonable sentences. Further, an attorney working within the set norms and in cooperation with other courtroom groups are considered good counselors and sober advisors since they have the capability to predict and ascertain the reactions of the court community with regards to certain cases. This gives them an upper hand when it comes to offering a client advice with respect to how to proceed with a case. This implies that such attorneys have the ability to develop realistic and strategic approaches to cases on the basis of knowledge and experience. Moreover, in retrospect to what many studies have advanced, attorney’s cooperating and interacting with other courtroom groups have the motivation to defend their clients vigorously and have the capability to go to trial where and when, in their judgment, it seems necessary.  

Disprove the argument provided below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disprove the argument provided below - Essay Example In the case of a freshly made solid bee-wax, the wax has scent of a flower but the tongue perceives it as honey. This means that the perception of the senses in justification of knowledge lack coherence and consistency. When touched, it further reveals hard substances that do not have any taste of honey as perceived by the smell. The eye sees the bee wax to be cubical. Introspection thus helps in relating the perception of senses with the already known facts to justify knowledge. In premise 3, SBW melts from the heat in fire and changes to MBW. The physical properties change entirely from perceptions in proposition 2. We are sure that we cannot be aware and ascertain any belief. The two cases present skepticism because the same bee wax cannot portray same characteristics in two different states. It is not, therefore, easy to prove any assertion in the two cases of SBW and MBW that there exists the knowledge through the senses. Senses perceive solid Bee wax, both SBW and MBW as two different things yet from the general knowledge, it is the same thing. Consequently, it is important to consider using other methods of determining knowledge besides the

Where Did Americans Spend Their Money Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Where Did Americans Spend Their Money - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that in his findings, Sparshott reveals that restaurants and retailers witnessed a sales rise of 1.2 percent in June compared to the previous month. The big vehicle sales also helped boost the level of economic growth. Dealers of motor vehicles and spare parts indicated that they witnessed a 2 percent rise in June compared to May. Even with the elimination of auto sales, gains were broad-based, as they still reflected a 1 percent growth. Furthermore, the cheap prices of gasoline have provided Americans with a windfall, although in recent months they are more motivated to saving rather than spending. In May, however, gasoline stations witnessed their ultimate leap since 2012, although Americans ignored the move. They directed their earnings to gardening and building materials, non-store retailers, and clothing stores. Thus, based on the growth in sales in the recent months, the researcher has realized that Sparshott has ef fectively shown the way the American economy is shifting from the harsh weather witnessed during the first quarter of the year. This is because the present figures are revealing strong growth in payroll real income. This way, the author hopes the country will be able to reverse the contraction it witnessed during the first quarter of 2015.

Story Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Story - Assignment Example He remembered clearly the summer day when the first case was reported – he was hanging out in his favorite rock bar with Tony, his best friend (in college, they used to dream of rock career, playing KISS and AC/DC covers) and a talented biology teacher at the local school. It was Sunday – and sun was literally scorching that day indeed – and they decided to get a refresh. An urgent phone call from the same guy, Jake, interrupted Jonathan’s leisure: a female body was found in the park, bearing traces of violent murder. Limbs covered with bruises, marks of stifling and†¦ a lily sticking up from her mouth. The town was staggered by this blatant and odd crime, yet the motives weren’t clear. Until the following cases of the same nature did arrange this horror into a logical sequence. Jonathan made a cup of cheap instant coffee – Iris always made delicious drip coffee, adding a drop of rum syrup into it, but he himself was too lazy and exhausted those days. Probably, he was reluctant to do that not only because of listlessness, but even more because of that overwhelming uneasy feeling that tortured him every time he thought of their â€Å"used-to-be† happy marriage and the way it all corrupted. Having slipped on Levi’s jeans and fished a clean shirt out of the wardrobe, Jonathan sat down on a couch and began looking through newspaper clippings arranged carefully in the chronological order. The first one, dated June, 11, said: Jonathan kept skimming through the clippings. The picture was daunting: once in ten days beginning with the 10th of June one young woman was violently murdered – either stifled or stubbed with a knife, and every time a flower was put into her mouth as if a murderer wanted to celebrate her beauty for the last time. Despite his experience, Blade hadn’t encountered anything like this before, yet he was rather decisive in his intention to clarify the case and bring the serial killer to

Understanding 21st Century Skills in English Language Classrooms Essay Example for Free

Understanding 21st Century Skills in English Language Classrooms Essay In an increasingly complex, demanding and competitive world, students need to go beyond the traditional 3Rs and embrace the 4Cs – communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. This is the view of the 21st century Skills movement which is helping to redefine the goals of general education for today’s world. 21st Century Skills† is commonly refers to a growing global movement for redefining the goals of education, to transform every day teaching and learning practices, and to expand the range of measures that are being implemented for student achievement, all in order to meet the new demands of the 21st Century. In other words the main thrust of this movement is to make learners a productive contributors to upcoming society, for this it is necessary for the teachers to enable the learners to quickly learn the core content of a field of knowledge while also mastering a broad portfolio of essentials in learning, innovation, technology, and careers skills needed for work and life. Through multimodal activities, students will explore key elements of design such as color, shape, size, texture, density, and layout to understand and appreciate how these elements combine to convey the meaning. The demands of 21st century skills compel teachers to learn new technologies and discover ways to integrate them into their classrooms. Students are competing in a global economy, and their ability to think critically and apply knowledge at higher levels requires teachers to evaluate what and how they teach. Students and teachers are using technology to communicate, assemble and analyze information based on the demands of a changing workforce. We are no longer in an educational system that solely trains students to operate technology. Students must be able to critically think and develop the skills for lifelong learning. Teachers are focusing more on developing students’ personal dependability, perseverance, reflection, flexibility and self-discipline using 21st century strategies. Students are gathering and evaluating data, identifying viewpoints, making broad connections, considering alternatives, and making informed decisions. Teachers are creating opportunities for students to interact with each other in authentic learning experiences providing connections that are critical to developing students’ engagement, motivation, and attitudes about learning. Classrooms are beginning to reflect the media environment that students immerse themselves in on a daily basis. Using art and digital media, they will then create their own designs to express meaning for setting, character relationships, and plot. Students will realize how to use design elements to read images and how meaning in picture books is equally conveyed in both words and images. The term â€Å"learning environment† covers not only place and space (e. g. Home, a school, a classroom, a library, an online learning community), but the relationships that create a supportive environment for every child’s development. In the 21st century, learning environments should be seen as the support systems that organize the condition in which humans learn best–systems that accommodate the unique needs of every learner and support the positive human relationships needed for effective learning. Learning environments are the structures, tools and communities that inspire students and educators to attain the knowledge and skills the 21st century demands of us all. Teachers must utilize a variety of methods for the children to build their own understanding through real world applications interactions with their peers in many cooperative group activities. Life is a multimedia event, and the meanings that we secure from life are not simply contained in text; they yield their content through a wide variety of forms. The students need to have a deep understanding for the real world in order to become successful individuals and be more technologically enhanced. Students need to become more globally literate because many jobs are now more focused on those issues. Students need to know more about the world, think outside of the box, develop better people skills, and become smarter about selecting news sources. To do this it is important for teachers to keep up with the times and create a modern curriculum. One of the best ways to achieve global literacy is through communication, collaborative learning, research, and problem solving. Technology helps tremendously in these areas, so it is a great tool to use in the classroom. Not only that, but it will help the students to find more relevance in school as well. Today teachers need to prepare students for the jobs that have to be created, for the new products that have to be invented, and for the new skills required for bringing in creativity and innovation. In today’s classroom, the students have diverse backgrounds, a variety of achievement levels, and different learning styles which will all affect their ability to acquire knowledge. Teachers need to move away from the traditional methods of teaching and bring into the classroom new and innovating approaches to teach the content and lifelong skills. It is important to utilize a variety of techniques for the children to build their own understanding through real world applications and interactions with their peers in group activities. As the proponents of 21st century learning have propounded a set of educational goals, as in the learning framework the experts advocates for the integration of 4 C skills (Communication, Collaboration Critical thinking with problem solving and Creativity,) into the teaching of language skills such as English, reading or language arts, world languages. Teachers can cater to variation in the nature of their students’ aptitude by adopting a flexible teaching approach involving a variety of learning activities. They can also make use of simple learner-training materials designed to make students more aware of their own approaches to learning and to develop awareness of alternative approaches. Studies of good language learners suggest that successful language learning requires a flexible approach to learning. Thus, increasing the range of learning strategies at learners’ disposal is one way in which teachers can help them to learn. Such strategy training needs to foster an understanding that language learning requires both an experiential and an analytical approach. School-based students often tend to adopt an analytical approach to learning, even if this does not accord with their natural aptitude, as this is the kind of approach generally fostered in schools. They may have greater difficulty in adopting the kind of experiential approach required by task-based language teaching. Some learner training, therefore, may be essential if learners are to perform tasks effectively. Using the 21st Century Learning Methods to teach ESL or English as a second language is a natural fit. By using the English language learner’s personal strengths, we can quickly and easily reach them with critical information, in collaboration with structure and grammar while instilling communicative skills with creativity this in turn helps for inculcating. Nowadays, the newest model is the flipped classroom, where the student is required to watch an instructional video or lecture at home and then complete associated tasks or projects in the classroom. While students work through assignments in class, teachers can better identify and target each student’s needs and facilitate differentiated instruction. Another objective of this individualized approach is to empower students to direct their own learning by coming to class prepared to ask questions and problem solve with their peers after viewing the subject matter on their own. Authentic learning learning from real world problems and questions Students become balanced individuals who can function as members of their culture. Classroom activities based on authentic learning foster deep understanding about the subject matter it also guides the students for how does one lead a good life? Involve the community, parents, family, and guest speakers. New standards relate to the concept of performance-based assessment. Connect it to your personal life, make choices with regard to it, and reflect on it. Many schools have adopted standards in which students are asked to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways, including essays, oral presentations and/or a portfolio of student work. Research a thesis, and catalogue and organize his or her information using the internet connected computer in the library media center. This brings perhaps the most important advantage for ELLs.

Math and Music Essay Example for Free

Math and Music Essay Math and music are connected in many ways. Math is seen to be as very precise. Music is often seen as a way to express emotion. They are actually both very closely related together. Music is an expression of scales and notes that are strung together to make sound. Math is the subject of numbers and symbols used to write formulas and equations. At its foundation, music and math are related. In this essay, you will show that math and music are related in many ways. They are more closely related then what they are seen to be. Numbers to beats. Pitch to rhythm. Rhythm Math and music’s connection begins with something called rhythm. Music is built on rhythm. Same as how mathematics is based on numbers. Rhythm is made whenever the time range is split into different pieces by some movement or sound. There are many everyday life examples of rhythm the beating of your heart, when waves hit the shore of a beach and the systematic way the traffic light blinks is rhythm. Rhythm measures time so the measure and time signature are created to make rules for a certain piece of music. A piece of music is divided into equal measures. Each measure represents the same amount of time. Each measure gets split into equal shares, or beats. A time signature has two parts. It resembles a fraction. The top number (numerator) is how many beats in each measure. The bottom number (denominator) indicates tells you which note to count. For example, 4/4 is the most common time signature. The four at the top represents how many beats in that measure (4). The four at the bottom indicates which note to count (in this case, a whole note). Beats are in notes. These represent how long to hold the note for. For example, a quarter note equals one beat. How many beats in measure, four. (Numerator) How many beats in measure, four. (Numerator) Which note to count for, whole note. (Denominator) Which note to count for, whole note. (Denominator) Binary Number System Music is related to math with the binary number system. By following this pattern, one can see how each succeeding power (of two) gives a new note to work with (ex: sixteenth notes, thirty-second notes, sixty-fourth notes, one hundred-twenty-eight notes, and so forth). This pattern is also used for rests. A rest that is a whole rest is equal to a whole note. A half rest is equal to a half note. This pattern continues on. In 4/4 time there is one whole note in a measure, this equals 20=1. Two half notes go in a measure. The binary version of this is 21 = 2 half notes per measure. 4 quarter notes in a measure. The binary version of this is 22=4 quarter notes in a measure. 8 eighth notes go in a measure. The binary version of this is 23=8 eighth in each measure. 16 sixteenth notes fall in each measure. The binary version is 24=16 sixteenth notes in a measure. Binary Number System is shown above Adding a ‘dot’ after any note increases the value of the note by one half of the original note value. This also applies to rests. All of these rests and notes can be a combination of many arrangements to make different rhythms. The only condition it has is that there must the same exact number of beats in every single measure. A time signature of 4/4 says that every measure, no matter what notes they contain, must equal four beats. The fractional way of saying this is the sum of the fractions that every individualized note represents, must always equal one. This is because 4/4 simplified is â€Å"one.† Here are a few examples that will and will not work out. Another very common time signature is 3/4. The fractional way of saying this 3/4. The quarter note would still get one beat (due to the fact a four is at the bottom) but this time there would only be three beats in a measure. This basically means the total number of beats must be three. These are some examples that will and won’t work. Math can be used to determine where the second note of the two will fall in relation to the three-note rhythmic cycle. This concept is the least common denominator (LCM). Since the LCM of two and three is six, one would divide the measure into six equal counts to determine where each and every note would fall. The six count measure can be counted as â€Å"one and two and three and.† (In the time signature of 3/4, each and every one of these counts signifies an eighth note, because three quarter notes equal six eighth notes.) In the measure below the first rhythmic cycle has three quarter notes in each measure. Each one is taking up exactly two counts. The first note is counted as â€Å"one and,† the second note would be counted as â€Å"two and,† and finally the third note would be counted as â€Å"three and.† The second rhythmic scale has two dotted quarter notes in every measure. The first dotted quarter note is counted as â€Å"one and two.† While the second dotted quarter notes starts on the ‘and’ of two, and is counted as â€Å"three and.† Give one of these cycles to each of your hands and try to play them all at once, beating on a table or some other surface. It may even help to count aloud while doing this to make sure all the beats are falling on the right count. A much more complicated rhythm is three aainst four. The least common multiple of three and four is twelve so so the measure is divided amongst twelve equal parts. (In this case, each count signifies one sixteenth note, because three quarter notes equals twelve sixteenth notes.) This cycle can be counted as â€Å"one e and a, two e and a, three e and a, four e and a.† While trying to beat out this rhythm as well, one may find that beating out a two against three is far easier then beating out a three against four, though it is quite possible to play both. Every single thing surronding us has a rhythm. Ocean water has a rhythm. Protons and neutrons have rhythm. In every case, however, the rhythm moves the vibrations of the rhythm to the surronding material. Whether it be water, the ground, air, or something else, rhythm transfers vibrations. When rhythms distrupt the medium in a periodic way (repeating at equal times for equal amounts of time) they create something called wave motion. A wave has a high and low point just like an ocean wave has a high point and a low point. The high point in a wave is called the crest. The low point is called the trough. One wave equals one cycle. The first wave is called a transeverse wave. A transverse wave is a wave that lets the particles in the medium vibrate perpendicular to the direction that the wave is traveling. Particles in medium travel this way Particles in medium travel this way Wave travelsthis way! Wave travelsthis way! Attach a rope to something in front of you then give it a little slack. Imagine jerking the rope up and down really quick. Jerk the rope Jerk the rope Wave moves along rope Wave moves along rope The movement of one’s hand sends a wave going horizontally down the rope whilst the rope itself moved up and down. Crest Trough Crest Trough Particles in mediumtravel this way Particles in mediumtravel this way Wave travelsthis way! Wave travelsthis way! Crest Trough Crest Trough When a violin string gets plucked, it works exactly like the rope. The pluck, instead of a jerk, creates the wave. The wave travels along the string horizontally, thus, the air particles around it move ever so little vertically. Particles in mediumtravel this way Particles in mediumtravel this way Wave travelsthis way! Wave travelsthis way! An example of transverese waves are sine waves. Here a few examples. 2 Another type of wave is called a longitudinal wave. In this wave, the particles vibrate parallel to the direction the wave is traveling. A longitudinal wave is sent when you knock over the first dominoe. This is because the dominoes fall in the direction of the wave. Another example of a longitudanal wave is a Slinky  ® toy. Hang a slinky from the ceiling, with a weight attached to it’s end, if you pull on the weight and then let go, the slinky goes up and down many times. The wave and the medium move parallel to each other. Sound waves are also longitudinal. The source of sound waves directs a vibration outwards in the air. At the points of compression, many air molecules crowd together and the pressure gets very high. At it’s point of refraction, the molecules are far apart and the air pressure is low. Sound waves create points of compression and refraction. An example of a transverse wave is when one plucks a violin string. The wave that it produces however is longitudinal. The wave travels through the air, hits your eardrum and lets one hear the note. A direct connection can be seen between two kinds of waves. The crest of a transverse wave has a direct relation to the point of compression in a longitudinal wave. The trough of the transverse wave corresponds to the point of rarefraction in the longitudinal wave. Amplitiude, frequency and wavelengths are charecteristics of a wave. Amplitude (A) is the distance from the top of the crest to where the wave originated from. The wavelegnth (ÃŽ ») is any point on the vibrations to the corresponding next one. It is the distance a wave travels in one cycle. The frequency (f) is the number of waves per second. Frequency is measured in Hertz. One Hertz (Hz) = one vibration/seond. The period (T) is the amount of time it takes for one whole wave or cycle to complete fully. The period and frequency are recipricols of on another. (T=1/f). The loudness is how the listener measures amplitude. The larger the amplitude the louder the loudness. The smaller the amplitude the quieter the loudness. The pitch is the listeners measuremet of frequency. It shows how high or low a sound is. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch. The lower the frequency, the lower the pitch. The water experiment can explain pitch. The more water in the glass the lower the pitch. The less water in the glass, the higher the pitch. In a complicated tone, there is something called a partial. The root tone with the smallest frequency is called the fundamental frequency. In most musical tones, the frequencies are integer multiples. The first one would be f. The second would be 2f. The third would be 3f. This pattern continues. 1st harmonic f=100 Hz 2nd harmonic2f=200 Hz 3rd harmonic3f=300 Hz 4th harmonic4f=400 Hz 1st harmonic f=100 Hz 2nd harmonic2f=200 Hz 3rd harmonic3f=300 Hz 4th harmonic4f=400 Hz If the fundamental frequency is 100 Hz, these would be the frequencies of the first four harmonics: 1st harmonic f=220 Hz 2nd harmonic2f=440 Hz 3rd harmonic3f=660 Hz 4th harmonic4f=880 Hz 1st harmonic f=220 Hz 2nd harmonic2f=440 Hz 3rd harmonic3f=660 Hz 4th harmonic4f=880 Hz If the fundamental frequency is 220 Hz, these would be the frequencies: Handel (1685-1759) used a tuning fork for A with a frequency of 422.5 Hz. By the 1800’s the highest frequency was 461 Hz in America and 455 Hz in Great Britain. Since stringed instruments sound better when tuned higher, the frequency probably would have kept rising. However is 1953 the standard of 440 Hz was agreed tooo. Still, some people use a frequency of 442 or 444Hz. The Piano 5 black keys 7 white keys 5 black keys 7 white keys On the piano keyboard, there are 88 keys. It has a pattern that repeats every 12 keys. The pattern contains 7 white keys and 5 black keys. The white keys are given a letter name A through G. The black keys also get letter names, just with either a flat or sharp symbol after it. For example, the black key between C and D is has two names, C# or Dâ™ ­. The distance between two anearby keys on the piano is called a half step (for example, between C and C# or E and F). Two half steps make a whole step (for example between C and D or E and F#). A sharp raises it a half step meanwhile the flat lowers it half a step. Geometry Math is related to music by geometry. Geometric transformations are like musical transformations. A geometric transformation relocates the figure while keeping the size and shape. The original piece or geometric figure is not changed. The simplest geometric transformation is when the figure slides in a certain direction. The results are the same size, shape and angle measurement. This is called a translation in geometry First place the music notes on the vertices of this triangle. Then move the notes are to the staff. The musical version of the geometric translation appears. Geometric Translation – Repetition The most simple of translation are in â€Å"When the Saints Go Marching In.† The repetitiveness is the theme of this song. The notes are played the same, just in different measures of the music. This means that different measure have the same notes. Another example is in Row, Row, Row your Boat. Geometric translations do not only have to be horizontal. They can be raised or lowered. It can be raised or lowered vertically which means the pitch can be higher or lower. Transposition is a more sophisticated application of translation to music. It involves the movement of an exact sequence of notes to an Geometric Translation – Transposition Transposition is another application of translation in music. It involves the movement of an exact sequence of notes to another place on the scale. The notes are in another key. This is shown in the song â€Å"Yankee Doodle.† Another example of this can be found in â€Å"O Christmas Tree.† Geometric Transposition Reflection When the geometric figure is reflected across a line, the result is a mirror image of the original figure. The size, shape, angle and measurement remain unchanged. Another name for reflection is a â€Å"flip.† There are two types of reflections, one over the x-axis and one over the y-axis. The musical version of this is called retrogression, is shown below. An easy-to-see reflection is in the song â€Å"Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head.† An additional example is shown in the Shaker tune â€Å"Simple Gifts† A geometric reflection across the x-axis is the same except for the fact that the line of reflection is horizontal instead of than vertical. In music, it is called inversion and can take several different forms. One is in harmony: The other form of inversion is in melody and can be shown in Greensleeves. Transposition – Glide Reflection This is the third form of geometric transformation, which is called glide reflection. It is a translation followed by a reflection or a slide and then a flip. You can see inversion in Guantanamera, a popular Spanish song. Rotation A rotation occurs when a geometric figure is rotated 180 degrees around a point. The figure is moved to another location. It is also called a turn. This can also be done by reflecting over both axes, in any order. The Circle of Fifths and The Chromatic Circle The circle of fifths can be plotted from the chromatic scale by using multiplication. The chromatic scale is based on 12 notes which cannot be repeated until all notes are played. Multiply the numbers by 7. The reason we are multiplying by 7 is that there are 7 whole tones. Number the 12 notes of the chromatioc scale from: (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) Showing all of the notes on the chromatic scale: 0=C, 2=D, 4=E, 5=F, 7=G, 9=A, 11=B, 1=C#, 3=D, 6=F#, 8=G#, 10=A# Now multiple the whole row by 7 (0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77) Then subtract 12 from every number until the final number becomes less then 12: (0, 7, 2, 9, 4, 11, 6, 1, 8, 3, 10, 5) And this is equal too: (C, G, D, A, E, B, Fâ™ ¯, Câ™ ¯, Gâ™ ¯, Dâ™ ¯, Aâ™ ¯, F) Which is the circle of fifths (this is enharmonically related too): (C, G, D, A, E, B, Gâ™ ­, Dâ™ ­, Aâ™ ­, Eâ™ ­, Bâ™ ­, F). This is the chromatic circle with the circle of fifths inside. (Star dodecagarm) This is the chromatic circle with the circle of fifths inside. (Star dodecagarm) Fibonacci Sequence Mozart is thought to be one of the greatest musicians and composers in the world. He used Fibonacci Sequence in some of his piano concertos (a concerto is a musical composition normally composed in three parts or movements.) Fibonacci sequence is the sequence of numbers, in which the sum of the two previous numbers equals that number ex: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13†¦). In the margins of some of his music, he wrote down equations. For example, in Sonata No. 1 in C Major, there are 100 measures in the first movement (A movement is a self-contained part of a composition.) The first section, of the movement, along with the theme, has 32 measures. The last section of the movement has 68 measures. This is perfect division, using natural numbers. This formatting can be seen in the second movement, in turn. Although there is no actual evidence concerning this matter, the perfect divisions of this piece of musis is quite easy to see. Fibonacci sequence goes on infinetly. The first number is 1. Every following number is the sum of the previous two. Adding 1 to nothing would give you 1. The third number would then be 2, the sum of 1 and 1. The fourth number would be 3 (to get this you would add 2+1) and the fifth number would be 5 (to get this you would add 3+2). These are some examples of Fibonn aci numbers: Fibonacci Sequence is everywhere. For example, the Fibonacci sequence gets shown on the piano because of the way the keys are setup. An octave is made up of thirteen keys. Eight of the keys are white and five are black. The black keys are split into groups of two and three. Each scale has eight notes. The scale is based off of the third and fifth tones. Both pitches are whole tones which are two steps away from the first note in the scale (also known as the root). There is also something called the Fibonacci Ratio. A Fibonacci ratio is any Fibonacci number divided by one adjacent in the series. For example, 2/3 is a Fibonacci ratio. So are 5/8 and 8/13. This pattern continues on. The farther along the ratios are placed, the more they have in common. They also become more and more exactly equal to 0.618. The porportion that these ratios show is thought to be, by many, to look appealing to the eye. It is called it the golden porportion. A Hungarian composer named Bà ©la Bartà ³k often used this technique while creating his compositions. The chart below is based on the Fibonacci ratios. The root tone A has a frequency of 440 Hertz. To find high A you multiply the Fibonacci ratio of 2/1 by 440 Hertz to get 880 Hertz. To get the frequency of note C, multiply 3/5 by 440 to get 264 Hertz. Harmonics are based off of Fibonacci ratios. Bibliography http://www.goldennumber.net/music/ http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/ProjectDetail.aspx?ProjectID=150 Math and Music: Harmonious Connections by: Trudi Hammel Garland and Charity Vaughn Kahn

Oral Reading And Reading Comprehension Performance English Language Essay

Oral Reading And Reading Comprehension Performance English Language Essay Reading ability has always been considered as a critical measurement in language education. It involves both reading behaviours and reading comprehension. Among all the different reading behaviours, there are many debates around whether oral reading has any influence on the reading comprehension performance or not. Hence, this study has been focused on the relationship between oral reading and the comprehension performance of second year students in Shandong Normal University, China. The grades of participants who participated in two reading comprehension tests, before and after a 6-week oral reading practice experiment had been measured and compared. Results had revealed a significant correlation between everyday oral reading practice and reading comprehension performance in late-teen and early-twenty EFL/ESL university students. The practice of oral reading showed significant influence on reading comprehension performance in the test. Most of groups showed that oral reading practic e had positive influence on the reading comprehension performance. Feedback suggested that oral reading experiment was successful because it helps in improving the scores of the reading comprehension test. It is recommended that English as foreign language or second language (EFL/ESL) teachers and students use oral reading as a practicing method and reading method during English learning. And also employ it as a reading method in reading comprehension outside examination. Beside the benefits of the oral reading method on reading comprehension performance, a clear bottleneck was also observed in this method during the investigation. As a consequence, to improve reading comprehension performance in EFL/ESL study, more factors such as vocabulary capacity, analysis ability of sentences and the understanding of the background culture would need to be taken into consideration, apart from the oral reading practice. 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Reading methodologies take an important part in both first language and second/foreign language learning (Alshumaimeri, 2005; Grabe, 1991; Jackson Coltheart, 2001; McCallum, Sharp, Bell, George, 2004; Prior Welling, 2001). In general, there are three reading methods used in language learning and teaching, oral reading, silent reading and subvocalization. Oral reading usually refers to the act of reading aloud, either to oneself or to audience. Silent reading, as stated in the phrase itself, it is the act of reading to oneself without pronouncing words out aloud. Subvocalization, which is similar to silent reading, however, is defined as the internal speech made when reading word, thus allowing the reader to imagine the sound of the word while reading (Carver, 1990). The term refers to the movement of muscles associated with speaking originally. But most subvocalization is undetectable even by the person using it (Carver, 1990; Rayner, et al, 1994). Reading comprehension refers to the ability of understanding of a written text or message (Keith, et al, 2001). This understanding of the writing comes from the words themselves, and the knowledge outside the written text can be triggered (Keith, et al, 2001). Reading comprehension performance is one of the essential criteria in language education (Bernhardt, 1991). There are many different methodologies of teaching reading comprehension throughout the centuries (Adams, 1994; Keith, et al, 2001). Modern methodologies usually stressed on using model strategies to analyse or interpret the passages (Pressley, 2006). There is no definitive set of strategies, but general ones include summarizing what you have read, monitoring your reading paragraphs, and analysing the structure of the text (Pressley, 2006). Some programmes teach students how to self monitor whether they are understanding and provide students with tools for fixing comprehension problems. These kinds of methods have also be en highly used in English education in China, in order for students to target high reading comprehension scores in the examination. This study was focused on the influence of reading behaviour on reading comprehension performance; hence, these technical strategies and their effects on the reading comprehension performance of EFL/ESL students would not be discussed further in this dissertation. 1.2 Previous literatures and researches on Oral Reading Previous studies on the effects of reading methods on the comprehension performance had shown significant differences between the different reading methodologies. Oral reading had the best effect on comprehension performance among the three reading methods (Alshumaimeri, 2011). In Alshumaimeris research, all groups stated that oral reading was the most preferred reading method with the most of students reporting it was the best method to support reading comprehension. Feedback suggested that this method was preferred because it helps in memorizing words and texts, concentration, and practicing and pronouncing words for real world encounters (Alshumaimeri, 2011). For decades, investigators have stressed the importance of oral reading to children in first language teaching situations in many cultures, not only as a method of encouraging children to read, but also of developing their reading comprehension ability (Alshumaimeri, 2005; Grabe, 1991; Jackson Coltheart, 2001; Juel Holmes, 1981; McCallum, Sharp, Bell, George, 2004; Prior Welling, 2001; Rowell, 1976, Yang, 2008). Oral reading has been considered as an essential approach in teaching pronunciation, vocabulary recognition and memorisation, during the early stages of foreign or second language (EFL/ESL) learning. There are many debated around the topic for decades. With the fast-developing technologies involved in the teaching activities, traditional teaching and learning strategies like oral reading, had been considered as an out-dated methodology, and discouraged by some EFL/ESL teachers (Amer,1 997). Hill and Dobbyn pointed out in their research that oral reading could be a waste of class time in 1979 (Hill Dobbyn, 1979). This situation is especially is especially critical in Chinas education system, since the focus is generally on improving the examination grades, rather than using a language practically. Another reason for oral reading has been overlooked by many teachers is because of lacking scientific instructions; consequently, students could not use oral reading as an efficient method to practice a foreign language after class in a non-native speaking environment (Yang, 2008). On contrary, researches had demonstrated that oral reading with scientific techniques could be beneficial in proof-reading, pronunciation practice, and fluency of conversations (Cho Choi, 2008; Gibson, 2008; Rennie, 2000; Reutzel, Hollingsworth, Eldredge, 1994; White, 1982). A survey conducted by BBC on the influences of oral reading on EFL/ESL at the EFL/ESL forum (Gao Xia, 2006), in which 98% of the 314 EFL teachers thought that oral reading had essential functions on English learning (Gao Xia, 2006) The majority of EFL/ESL teachers suggested oral reading as an essential English learning method based on teaching experiences (Gao Xia, 2006; Yang, 2008) 1.2.1 Oral reading in English Learning In China, or other countries where students learn English as a foreign language, the input of the target language is very low in daily life. The output of a language requires the understanding of large amount of the input first (Krashen, 2009). Oral reading is generally considered as an essential and effective way of the foreign language input. In China, the purpose of learning English as a second language has moved from understanding and using the language, to target high scores in various examinations in order to gain high grades, or get into and graduate from universities. As a consequence, the most of English teachers in China, especially the ones in secondary schools, colleges and universities, focus the English teaching and learning on the grammar, writing skills and reading comprehension test skills. Few teachers are actually taken oral reading or reading aloud as a regular teaching strategy during classes or as a regular practicing method for students. The lack of oral readin g practice in long term could result in a lack of the language input in a non-native speaking environment. Therefore, many students in China who have learnt English for many years have a good amount of vocabulary and well understanding of the grammar, and had passed many examinations including CET-4 and CET-6, still have troubles to use English fluently when needed. The lack of the language input during foreign language learning would result in lack of the scenes of the target language. Therefore, as suggested by many educators, oral reading is an effective, concentrated, and enhanced input route for language information. It could help EFL/ESL students to enrich their information pool of the target language and also provide the base of imitating and expressing the language for students language output. From imitating the reading material, the information in the texts would be converted into their natural and fluent expression and communication. Educators suggested that there are several reasons why oral reading takes an important part in English teaching and learning. Firstly, oral reading is a method to improve pronunciation and speaking ability. With the correct direction from English teachers, students could be benefit from oral reading practice for their pronunciation, voice tone. Additionally, during the oral reading behaviour, students eyes, mouths, and ears can all be involved. It can enhance the corresponding area in the brain to process the sound. So effective reading aloud practice is also a good foundation for listening. Thirdly, oral reading can improve the sense of phrase during foreign language learning in a non-native speaking environment. The process can also help student to concentrate on the text and memorise vocabulary (Alshumaimeri, 2011). With all the advantages of oral reading practice above, as suggested by Halliday in his An introduction to Functional Grammar, reading texts aloud would help the reade r to understand complicated contents (Halliday, 1994). Moreover, it has also been suggested that oral reading to help foreign language learners to improve their written communication skills. By imitating the language during oral reading, students could overcome the effect of their first language on the writing skills. Correct guidance of oral reading is essential in English learning. Reading aloud without wise strategies would not have any positive input in the learning process, which is a great waste of time and energy. As suggested by researchers, ESL/EFL teachers should pay attention to oral reading during the class to inspire students interests in oral reading. Teachers should also provide clear demonstration of the correct pronunciation and tone. And also explain the differences between the first language and foreign language. In addition, students are encouraged to practice oral reading regularly outside the class spontaneously. Furthermore, the reading materials should be well-selected. Articles, passages or books written by the native speakers of the target language with approximately 5% of new vocabulary are suggested to be suitable reading materials. To sum up, oral reading is an essential methodology that can improve many skills in English learning, including pronunciation, vocabulary, intonation, voice tone, and the sense of the language. Many researchers and educator believe that oral reading can improve the reading comprehension performance. Therefore, this study would like to investigate the relationship between oral reading practice and the reading comprehension performance of Chinese university students, through a series of designed oral reading practicing experiment. 1.3 Previous literatures and researches Reading Comprehension The research of reading comprehension has begun to increase rapidly in 1970s (Thorndike, 1973). It has then increasingly become the main standard in language understanding. As mentioned above, reading comprehension is described as the level of understanding of a content or text. In this thesis, the word text is used to refer to the written materials, which have specific meanings in semantics, informative in pragmatics, coherent in logic and cohesive in linguistics; it carries out the communication functions and conveys the interactive purposes between the writer and the reader; it depends on context, linguistic or non-linguistic, in which the textural meaning can be perceived by the reader. 1.3.1 Reading Comprehension of Text Reading comprehension is generally a fundamental mean for people to get information. Readers integrate and comprehend the text information on the basis of al parts of information. They complete their comprehension according to part and whole understanding of the text. Therefore, reading comprehension relies on the interaction of meaning between local and whole information. Text theory has become central to contemporary linguistic sciences. Text is considered as central to the construction of reality as entities are brought into existence, given meaning and significance. The purpose of reading is to uncover the meaning underlying in texts, and to examine the pattern of text and to link them to social backgrounds. Through the past few decades, the research on reading comprehension of text has been made more progress through the efforts of many text linguists (Gao, 2010). Reading comprehension of the text requires perceiving auditory and visual inputs, process these inputs in their highly complex cognitive systems (Anderson and Pearson, 1984). Reading comprehension began with the studies on memory and representation. The current researches of reading comprehension involve in the study on the retrieval of central concepts, different dimensions of situational models and different processing of text information. English reading comprehension theories developed from the earliest Grammar-Translation theory to current situational model theory. Through the empirical researches and English reading teaching theories, the above two research fields tend to draw together. Both fields had developed from linguistic micro aspect to semantic macro aspect. In the field of psycholinguistics, reading comprehension of text refers to the capacity to construct new knowledge from the written text (Anderson and Pearson, 1984) and apply the acquired information to new situations (Kinstch, 1998). The Propositional Theory, the Schema Theory and the Mental Models are considered as the three most influential psycholinguistic theories of reading comprehension of text (Gunning, 1996). 1.3.2 Brief Comparison between Reading Comprehension Theories The three main reading comprehension theories identified by Gunning in 1996 will be described and compared briefly in this section. Propositional Theory: According to Gunning, the Propositional Theory engages the reader constructing a central idea as they process the text. These central ideas are organised in a hierarchical pattern with the most important factors given the highest priority to be memorised (Gunning, 1996). Schema Theory: Schema, came from Greek which means shape or plan. The term has been introduced into education by Bartlett in 1932 (Bartlett, 1932). According to Bartlett, a schema was defined as a complex knowledge structure which groups all the information an individual knows about or associates with a particular concept. The term was linked with reconstructive memory by a series of experiments demonstrated in Bartletts work (Bartlett,1932). By presenting participants with information that was unfamiliar to their cultural backgrounds and expectations and then monitoring how they recalled these different items of information (stories, etc.), Bartlett was able to establish that individuals existing schemata and stereotypes influence not only how they interpret schema-foreign new information but also how they recall the information over time.(Wikipedia) The Schema Theory in had been studied and developed by many researcher ever since. In 1980, Rumelhart had taken an important breakthrough of the sche ma theory in reading comprehension, by portraying individuals understanding of tales and stories (Rumelhart, 1980). Later, the schema in text theory refers to content schema, where the the readers understanding of the text might depend on having a clearly established context for the text. Gunning (1996) defines a schema as the organized knowledge that one already has about people, places, things, and events. Kitao (1990) says the schema theory involves an interaction between the readers own knowledge and the text, which results in comprehension. This schema, as Gunning defined, can be very broad, such a schema for natural disasters, or more narrow, such as a schema for a hurricane. Each schema is filed in an individual compartment and stored there. In attempting to comprehend reading materials, students can relate this new information to the existing information they have compartmentalized in their minds, adding it to these files for future use. Based on the Schema Theory, depending on how extensive their files become, their degree of reading comprehension may vary. (website) For instance, the researches of reading comprehension sometimes term as formal schemata, which reveal previous experience of a certain text type. For instance, readers usually expect to see an abstract, a background review, a methodology and analysis and discussion of data in a scientific paper. This kind of schema provides the expectation about the style of the text. Schema could also be used to represent the meaning representation built up by a reader during processing a particular piece of text. People begin to read texts with expectations about the content, which can be derived from the title or from the purpose of the texts. These enable people to develop a text-specific schema even before reading. More information might be added to the original schema, or the initial schema might be revised during the reading. (Sample Paper) Schema is different between languages. There are three possible changes of schemata. The change is involved when small adjustment is made temporarily in order to confront immediate needs. Accretion modifies a schema gradually but when new information is acquired or repeated examples of contrary evidence are accumulated, the schema may be changed. Restructuring occurs when a sudden insight or new piece of knowledge leads to radical reorganisation of existing knowledge structures. (Sample Paper) To sum up, the schema theory, as the mental representations of typical situations, are used in text processing to predict the contents of the particular situation which the text describes. The idea is that the mind which is stimulated by key words or phrases in the text, or by the context, activates a schema of knowledge, and uses this schema to understand the text. Mental Model Theory (Dominican.edu website) Another major theory we would like to discuss is the Mental Model. This model can be thought of as a mind movie created in ones head, based on the reading content. Gunning gives a detailed description of this process, stating that a mental model is constructed most often when a student is reading fiction. The reader focuses in on the main character and creates a mental model of the circumstances in which the character finds him or herself. The mental model is re-constructed or updated to reflect the new circumstances as the situation changes, but the items important to the main character are kept in the foreground according to Gunning, (1996). Perkins (1991) identifies that sometimes misconceptions about important concepts reflect misleading mental models of the topic itself or the subject matter within which it sits. There are, however, interventions the teacher can do to help the reader to stay on track and create a more accurate picture. One suggestion is for the teachers to ask the students to disclose their mental models of the topics in question, through analogy, discussion, picturing, and other ways. This information gives the teacher insight on the students knowledge gaps and misconceptions, therefore allowing them to help students reconstruct a more accurate picture. 1.3.3 Reading Comprehension in Foreign Language Study Reading comprehension is one of the critical teaching objectives in all foreign languages education. The ability of reading comprehension is also an important factor to evaluate the learners language competence. Studies on first language learning showed that the comprehension performance is better when reading silently (Bernhardt, 1983; Leinhardt, Zigmond, Cooley, 1981; Wilkinson Anderson, 1995). Nevertheless, recently study from Teng suggested that reading comprehension results had no significant difference between oran and silent reading (Teng, 2009). In EFL/ESL learning, Al-Qurashi et al had proposed that oral reading was only beneficial in acquisition; for reading comprehension, silent reading is better strengthened (Al-Qurashi, Watson, Hafseth, Hickman, Pond, 1995). While researchers continue to explore the effectiveness of oral reading on both language acquisition and comprehension, many questions remain unanswered. Further research on the relationship between oral reading s and reading comprehension is needed in order to enhance EFL teaching methodologies and to improve learning outcomes. This research furthers understanding of the relationship between oral reading and comprehensio n performance at later stage of EFL/ESL learning. As such, findings would assist colleges or universities, the EFL/ESL researchers, educators and students. 1.3.4 The Previous Research on the Correlation between Oral Reading and Reading Comprehension Oral reading and reading comprehension are different reading activities that are related and interact to each other. Research had been done on the two aspects from various perspectives, including psychological linguistics, neurological linguistics, cognition and the functions in foreign language education. Oral reading is a reading activity that expresses the emotions using reading skills, such as stress, rhythm or tone, in the linguistic materials. It involves reading out aloud the words, sentences or passages, with eye sight focusing on the texts. It is different from a mechanical word-to-word articulating process. Oral reading is a more complex and cognitive process which engages not only pronouncing, reading, and listening, also language perception, comprehension and production of the reader. Previous research suggested that oral reading represented a complicated and dynamic performance that indicate the individuals sensorial skill at automatically recognising orthographical representations, unitising those components into recognisable wholes and automatically accessing lexical representations, processing meaningful connections within and between sentences, relating text meaning to prior information, making inferences to supply missing information, and his production skill the form ulation and execution of speech plan, the performance on which characterises the readers overall language proficiency (Gao, 2006). The psychological process of oral reading had also been investigated. During the activity of oral reading, the reader could formulate the phonetic plan and convert it into vocal sound after comprehending the text (Gao, 2007). Then the input of information could activate the lemma in the mental lexicon  ¼Ã‹â€ Yang, 2008 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. Text is a language phenomenon based on psychological activites and also a product of psychological process. Reading comprehension of the text involves how people recognise auditory and visual inputs, process and understand the input information in the highly complex cognitive systems. In the field of psycholinguistics, reading comprehension of the text refers to the capacity to construct new knowledge from the written text (Anderson and Pearson, 1984) and apply the acquired information to new situations (Kinstch, 1998).] Furthermore, the performance of reading comprehension is an indicator of the foreign language students competence. If one has difficulty in the comprehension of reading, his or her execution of phonetic plan, mechanisms of articulation and monitor cannot work together simultaneously and effectively. His or her oral reading performance could be stumbled and mistaken as well. Thus, the process of both oral reading and reading comprehension are relevant to cognition and psychology of human. 1.4 Significance and Aims of the Study The main aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between oral reading and comprehension performance. Previous literatures suggested that the oral reading method is correlated to the comprehension performance during language studies among young children and teenagers (Alshumaimeri, 2005; Rowell, E.H. (1976).). Alshumaimeri s research on the effects of different reading methods on the comprehension performance in 10th grade Saudi male students indicated that, reading comprehension performance could be benefited from oral reading method because it could help students to concentrate on the passages and memorise new vocabulary (Alshumaimeri, 2011). The research from Alshumaimeri was conducted among teenagers. Additionally, the experiment was designed to investigate the reading comprehension performance after oral reading the passages (Alshumaimeri, 2011), i.e. the immediate effect of oral reading on comprehension performance. However, the experiment was designed differently in th is study to investigate the long-term effect of oral reading on reading comprehension performance. Therefore, this study has been carried out among second year students in Shandong Normal University in China, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. This study has aimed to investigate the influence of oral reading practice on reading comprehension performance, in ESL/EFL students with relatively long English learning history and who already have relatively higher ability in English. Because with the development of English teaching and learning strategies, and the ability of self-learning and gaining resources by students, oral reading is more neglected with the age increasing as well, especially for college and university students, who despise oral reading as a leaning method because it is time consuming, childish and shows no immediate improvements in examination grades. Therefore, the ability of reading comprehension would be measured by two designed multiple-choice tests, before and after a 6-week oral reading practice experiment. The scores from both tests would be ana lysed to investigate the relationship between oral reading practice and the reading comprehension performance. Besides the quantitative data comparison from the reading comprehension tests, the opinions from both students and English teachers participated in this research on oral reading and reading comprehension would be collected by questionnaires. This aimed to investigate the attitude of oral reading and reading comprehension from both learners and teachers point of views during EFL/ESL education. These results would be valuable for future English as a foreign language education. Theoretical exploration and quantitative analysis would be illustrated in the thesis; experimental data would be processed with SPSS to support the theory as well. 2. Methodology The study mainly focused on discovering whether the students performance of oral reading would have any positive influence on students reading comprehension performance. Additionally, the work of EFL/ESL teacher in China put in teaching correct oral reading techniques to improve their ability in reading comprehension performance. In order to get reliability and validity data and results, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used in this research. In the foreign language education field, quantitative research is objective, noticeable, and outcome-oriented, which can be generalised. On contrary, qualitative research is more subjective, contextual and process-oriented, during which the process is based on systematic methods. In this section, the key questions involved in this study would be discussed, followed by research subjects (university teachers and students), research procedures (experimental design, implement process and data collection), and measurements (pre-test, post-test, questionnaires and teaching experiments). 2.1 Research Questions The study was designed to investigate the influence of oral reading practice on reading comprehension performance, and the relationship between the two. The key questions in this study are as follows: How to use oral reading as an effective teaching method in English classes regularly? How often do students use oral reading as an exercise technique in their self-study time? What is the relationship between oral reading and reading comprehension performance? Would the oral reading experiment have positive influence on the reading habit of students? The research of these questions would be illustrated in the Results section, and the answers to these key questions would be discussed further in the Discussion section. 2.2 Research Subjects The experiment around the topic was carried out in second year student in Shangdong Normal University, China. A full-time university could be used to represent the majority of universities in China. A group of 120 non-English department students were chosen as the research subject in this study. They could represent most of the English learning students in China. As second year university students, they usually have a good understanding in English by passing the National Entrance Examination of China, and had leant English for approximately 9 years since the fourth grade in primary schools. The average age of the chosen students was around 19 to 21; and participants were selected from both genders. More importantly, they have similar education background and English level in the reading comprehension. The non-English-specialised College English Test Band 4 (CET-4), which is a national English as a Foreign Language test in China, could be used as a standard to measure the ability of t he participants in the reading comprehension study. The purpose of the CET is to examine the English proficiency of undergraduate students in China and ensure that Chinese undergraduates reach the required English levels specified in the National College English Teaching Syllabuses (NCETS). The level of CET-4 could be considered as around 5.5 to 6 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The 120 participants were selected from 300 non-English-specialised students from different departments who join the research on their own will. Their scores were fall between 25% and 40% in the pre-experimental reading comprehension test (details in the next section). This score range represents a group of students who have certain understanding in English but with lower level in the reading comprehension. As a consequence, there is a big gap to see the improvements in this study. After the selection, there were 79 female students and 41 male students were chosen for the next step experiment. The reason for the difference in genders was due to that the female student proportion was naturally higher in this University. However, since the purpose of this study was not focus on the effect of oral reading on reading comprehension performance between genders, this big difference could be accepted in this research. The gender proportion information is illustrated in Tabe.1 below. Gender Number Percent

The Health Benefits of Exercise Essay -- Healthy Lifestyle Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Everyone in America these days seems to be concerned with their physical fitness, and everyone’s talking about getting in shape, but the numbers don’t lie. In 1980, 25 percent of adults in this country were overweight; a staggering amount, but the numbers have increased to 34 percent today (Shape 1). Most people attribute this fact to America also being the richest country in the world with very few people actually going hungry. However, the overweight problem in America is not only a product of eating too much, but this goes hand in hand with not getting enough exercise to burn off those unwanted pounds. Talk about getting in shape is all over books, magazines, TV shows, newspaper articles and celebrity videos that are all centered around fitness and exercise. I think everyone would agree that exercise and physical fitness are a very important part of our lives, â€Å"...but the truth is most adult Americans do not exercise on a regula r basis. And yet, to feel good, look our best and live longer, fuller lives, regular exercise is a must† (Exercise Your Way 1). â€Å"Many people start the new year with new health club memberships, new exercise equipment and a lot of enthusiasm about losing weight, toning muscles, and improving aerobic endurance. But most of these people will be back to their old habits by Valentine’s Day. The new exercise equipment will be used as a clothes rack, the health club membership will have lapsed and the new running shoes will be used only for running to the store† (Stick 1). The problem is that people have too many excuses not to exercise, and not enough reasons to want to exercise. The solution to this problem is simple. We must, as a society, get ourselves informed of the benefits of exercise, and then... ...tor. 17 April, 1997. Go To (March 1997). Jackson, Jeanne M.. The Relationship Between Physical Fitness Levels and Self Concept in College Males/Females. Health, Physical education and Recreation: Microcard Publications. 1980, Northeastern Missouri State University: FICHE #3766. Making a Commitment. Netscape Navigator. 16 April 1997. Go To (April 1997). Norton, Cindy. Student Purposes for Engaging in Fitness Activities. University of Oregon: Microform Publications. 1995, College of Human Development: FICHE # 5124. Shape Up America: General Information. Netscape Navigator. 17 April, 1997. Go To (March 1997). Stick to Your Fitness Program. Netscape Navigator. 16 April, 1997. Go To (April 9, 1997). Stress Management. Netscape Navigator. 16 April, 1997. Go To (April 1997). Walking is Good. Netscape Navigator. 16 April, 1997. Go To (April 9, 1997).

what is engineering :: essays research papers

1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Engineering? According to Webster’s dictionary, engineering is the â€Å"application of science and mathematics by which the properties of matter and the sources of energy in nature are made useful to people† (http://www.webster.com). Engineers apply math to help design and manufacture products. (http://www.popsci.com) 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What did you learn about engineering that you were not previously aware of? Make a list of your insights. After taking the course Engineering Design and Graphics from the previous semester, I learned that engineers mean a great deal to all societies in order to for them to modernize. Engineers design and invent many products used by everyday people, from the ordinary wine glass to a complex space station. (http://www.popularmechanics.com) Also, I was not aware about taking a engineer’s certification that was not school related. (http://www.ihs.com/index.html) 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What new questions or uncertainties have surfaced? I have no new questions of engineering because I believe that I know all that I should know for the time being. However, I am uncertain to keep my major as mechanical engineering to a different engineering or an alternative major because of the difficulties of the science classes. The degree of difficulty of my classes places me behind in grade point average compared with students of equal abilities. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the back of this sheet, please list and then describe the reasons you want to be an engineer. Put your reasons in order starting with the most important. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Interests- Since my father bought my first K’nex set, a type of model building using sticks and gears, I enjoyed using my creativity towards engineering. I also enjoy mathematics, which influences a great deal in the major. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Money- Many upper classmen have told me if they had a chance to change their major, they should have become engineers.