Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Graduate Study

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Graduate Study Distance learning can be very convenient, but what about when it comes to graduate school? What are the online education advantages and disadvantages when it comes to getting a master or doctorate degree online? Is it better to attend graduate school traditionally? Does the online experience take away from your ability to gain valuable hands-on experience or networking experience? Online education is more common than ever. In fact, many educators and policymakers view online education as the wave of the future. There are also plenty of technology advancements, as well as hybrid in-person  and online programs, that allow students to learn in a hands-on way. Is an online graduate degree program right for you? Consider the pros and cons of an online graduate program before you choose one. Advantages Accessibility: Attend online classes from anywhere. This is great because many graduate school students hold down full-time jobs in addition to studying. Not having to rush to class on a busy workday or a relaxing weekend day can be a perk.Flexibility: Work on classwork when it makes sense for you, as you are not tied to a class schedule  in most cases.Interpersonal Breadth: Your peers will include students all over the country and even the world. This is also a great advantage for networking purposes.Cost: An online education does not require that you relocate to a new place or that you stop working full time.  Documentation: Documents, transcripts, live discussions, and training materials are all archived and recorded so that they can be retrieved via mail, e-mail or the schools website for reading, downloading and printing at any time.  Access: Instructors are available, respond quickly through email and generally are prepared to work with diverse students with a range of lifestyles and needs. Disadvantages   Employment:  If you attend an institution that is entirely online, you may find that you have to discuss the validity of your degree. Some people may not view a completely online program as being as authentic as a traditional or hybrid program. Information about the schools accreditation can convince employers of the programs validity.Communications: Most of your communication will be through email, which may not be the most effective method if you or the professor are better in person. You might miss the sound of an instructor or peers voice if there are no audio sessions.Courses: Not all courses of study are easily available online. If youre interested in a more unusual field, you may have difficulty finding a source for a complete online education.In-person responsibilities:  Hybrid programs in which you attend some classes in person, or do some projects in person, are valuable but the time needed to commute to school or participate in them can detract from work or family resp onsibilities.

Adoption of M

Adoption of M Executive Summary Current trends in education show that Mobile learning (M learning) has significantly redefined learning processes. However, at the heart of its adoption lie serious concerns about the benefits, limitations, and implications of M learning.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Adoption of M-learning Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper explores these concerns by evaluating the issues that surround the adoption of M learning and its potential ramifications for students and educators. Based on the challenges and responses given by educators, regarding the adoption of M-learning, this paper predicts that more educators will adopt the M learning technology beyond the current integration of learning processes. Introduction Mobile services have increasingly become part of everyday life. Indeed, it is normal to see the dominance of technology on most aspects of human life. This trend has also g ripped the education sector because instructors and students today use technology to teach and learn. This trend has slowly crept into the education sector because technology today is more portable and affordable than in the past years. For example, many mobile devices, such as cell phones and PDAs, have increasingly become affordable and accessible to most people because their prices are relatively reasonable, as opposed to other technological device such as computers. It is for this reason that MacCallum Jeffrey (2009) say, â€Å"Features such as the facility to make phone calls, take pictures, record audio and video, store data, music, and movies, and interact with the Internet all provide opportunities that could be harnessed in the educational context† (p. 602). The availability of technology has brought new opportunities in learning, especially concerning the easy access to information communication technology (ICT). Mobile learning (M learning) is one such platform th at uses technological advancements to support learning. M learning involves the use of specialised technology such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile telephones, MP3 players, notebooks, tablets, handheld computers, iPads (and the likes) in learning. The adoption of M learning technology in education has brought significant changes, challenges, and opportunities in learning.Advertising Looking for report on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This paper explores some of these issues through a critical analysis of the benefits, implications, and ramifications of M learning. At the centre of this analysis is the technology acceptance model Technology Acceptance Model Many educators have used the technology acceptance model to evaluate the possible benefits of new technology in learning (Seliaman 2012). Many researchers have also advanced the technology acceptance model as a valuable tool in M learning research (Seliaman 2012). Its usefulness in the adoption of M learning especially surfaces here because the model evaluates how students accept and use M learning. The technology acceptance model suggests that many students are motivated to accept and use M learning because of its perceived benefits and ease of use (Seliaman 2012). The first criterion (perceived usefulness) was first described by Fred Davis as the ability of students to see how new technologies improve their learning processes (Lumsden 2011). Fred Davis also defines the second criterion (perceived ease of use) by suggesting that most students would be willing to accept new technology if they consider it to be free from effort (Abeka 2012). Kynslahti (2003) conducted a study to evaluate the significance of M learning in education by demonstrating that the M learning technology improved learning in three dimensions – convenience, expediency, and immediacy. Seppl Alamki (2003) compared these three dimensions to a different finding where they analysed the responses of trainee teachers regarding their perceived uses of M learning. The trainee teachers agreed with most of the findings proposed by Kynslahti (2003) when they admitted that M learning gave them a lot of convenience when teaching. They supported this claim by saying that M learning enabled them to manage their time better and more efficiently. For example, the teachers said M learning devices enabled them to work on trains or buses if they needed to write notes or share some information with their colleagues (Seppl Alamki 2003).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Adoption of M-learning Technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The trainees also admitted that M learning devices provided them with expediency in teaching, especially because they could easily access the internet whenever and wherever they pleased. Relative to their claims, MacCallum Jeffrey (2009) add, â€Å"For example they could use the mobile devices when they were in the shops to check if there was a particular foodstuff at school, which was needed in a lesson on home economics. They were able to integrate technologies, whereby they could upload images from their mobile phones, rather than waiting to return to class to do so† (p. 603). Lastly, the trainees said that the greatest advantage they enjoyed from M learning was its immediacy (Seppl Alamki 2003). They mostly cited the fact that they could undertake most learning tasks immediately, without having to wait for an â€Å"appropriate† time to do so. For example, they said they could easily take pictures and share them with their colleagues in real-time. They also mentioned their contentment with the fact that M learning technologies helped them to make memos and share them, while observing other trainee lessons (Seppl Alamki 2003). The teachers therefore had no reservations regarding the technology. Gen erally, the technology acceptance model shows that the perceived benefits of M learning in education have a significant impact on the decision by teachers or students to embrace the technology in their learning processes. However, given the pivotal role that most educators have to play in learning, it is crucial to appreciate the power that most of these educators have in inhibiting or supporting the adoption of M learning technologies in education. It is also important to appreciate the familiarity of technology among most educators, although people should agree that this familiarity does not mean that all educators know how to integrate this new technology into their learning processes (MacCallum Jeffrey 2009). It is for this reason that it is equally important to understand why educators may not openly incorporate technology in their teaching practicesAdvertising Looking for report on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Barriers to the Adoption of M-learning MacCallum Jeffrey (2009) say many barriers prevent the complete adoption of M learning technologies. Broadly, the reasons for instructors and students to resist the adoption of new technology in learning may be widespread, but some issues are very specific to M learning. For example, some educators are not comfortable with using M learning technologies in the classroom. Such groups of educators may therefore be less inclined to adopt new technologies in the classroom. Some educators and students are also less enthusiastic to embrace new technology in their learning processes. These groups of people are also less likely to embrace the M learning technology. Lastly, another group of educators and students may not fully enjoy the benefits of M learning because of their failure to understand its benefits, or the lack of proper understanding regarding how M learning technologies work. Personal attitudes and preferences also have a significant role to play in understanding if people will adopt new technologies, or not. For example, research has proved that even though educators know the potential benefits of adopting M learning in the classroom, they need to have a strong personal conviction that they would be able to execute the new technologies in their learning processes. If they do not believe they can do so, they would be resistant to the technology. Relative to this assertion, MacCallum Jeffrey (2009) says â€Å"An educator that feels ill at ease when using ICT is typically the result of negative past experience, conversely an educator may feel at ease with ICT when they have had a positive personal experience using ICT and therefore, research shows that they would be more willing to include it into their teaching practices† (p. 603). Educators may however experience a change of belief and attitude when they face the challenge of adopting new technologies, but this change ought to happen in the context of past en counters, vicarious experiences, and social or cultural experiences with M learning (Abeka 2012). A positive experience with M learning may lead to increased enthusiasm to adopt the technology in education, while a negative experience with M learning may equally lead to increased opposition of the technology. MacCallum Jeffrey (2009) suggest that the measurement of a teacher’s personal belief about a new technology is therefore a reliable measure for the understanding of lasting changes of M learning in the classroom. New studies have also shown that an increased sense of proficiency in one technological medium of learning may also lead to the adoption of M learning, or similar technologies (MacCallum Jeffrey 2009). In Caspi and Gorsky (2005), researchers showed that most teachers and students who were proficient in E-learning had a high likelihood of adopting other ICT tools in their learning processes. Overall, it is important to agree that the personal perception of ICT proficiency significantly determines the frequency that an educator, or a student, may use M learning in education. Nonetheless, it is unwise to use the attitude of an instructor, as the single most reliable indicator of the adoption of M-learning in education (MacCallum Jeffrey 2009). Challenges Posed by M Learning While many studies have explored the potential benefits that M learning brings to education, other studies have also explored the potential challenges caused by M learning (especially how they significantly prevent their adoption in education) (Abeka 2012). For example, MacCallum Jeffrey (2009) single out the concept of mobility as a serious challenge posed by M learning. They say that even though many studies have shown that most teachers and students appreciate the mobility created by M-learning, this technological tool also allows students to associate external issues (outside the classroom) with their technological gadgets, thereby compromising the objectivity of t heir learning process (MacCallum Jeffrey 2009). Indeed, â€Å"Inside the classroom, mobile devices provide students with the capabilities to link to activities in the outside world, albeit these activities do not correspond with either the teacher’s agenda or the curriculum† (MacCallum Jeffrey 2009, p. 610). This challenge dents the efficiency of conventional teaching practices. Another possible challenge that plagues the application of M learning technology is the informality that it introduces to education. People have regarded education as a highly formalised discipline that thrives on clearly defined rules of sourcing, retrieving, and analysing information. However, the M learning technology introduces informality to education, thereby undermining the formal structures that have traditionally characterised the education system (Seliaman 2012). This analysis does not however mean that the informality introduced by M-learning is a bad thing for education. However, any possible benefits that may be enjoyed through informality may be lost if the informality is allowed to characterise all aspects of education. For example, many students live in distinct social networks, but if technology undermines the existence of these networks, the students may oppose them. Another factor that may potentially prevent the smooth adoption of M learning stems from serious concerns expressed by Gong Wallace (2012) regarding the adoption of the technology in learning. One concern is the erosion of the collaborative environment that should characterise teacher-student interaction. According to Gong Wallace (2012), M learning decreases the level of interaction between students and their teachers. They also say that M learning prevents immediate feedback between students and teachers (Gong Wallace 2012). High school dropout rates are also common among students who use M learning technologies (Gong Wallace 2012). Besides these challenges, Gong Wallace (2012) add that â€Å"M learning also creates a time-place displacement that decreases communication, erodes social connections, and increases feelings of personal loneliness and depression† (p. 7). Moreover, some scholars have expressed concern that the widespread use of M learning may encourage plagiarism as students have an unlimited access to web materials that they may pass off as theirs (Banyard Underwood 2006). Additionally, Gong Wallace (2012) have little doubt that M learning causes identity reconstruction challenges, as it erodes the traditional face-to-face interaction model of learning. This is especially true because participants who use M learning may easily maintain anonymity as they use the technology. According to Gong Wallace (2012), the anonymity that M-learning supports in education may promote deception and antisocial behaviours in learning. Comparatively, Anderson Emmers-Sommer (2006) say face-to-face interactions in the classroom pose several advantages to stu dents and educators alike because face-to-face interactions are active and interactive (attributes that the M-learning model seeks to erode). Equally, Sherblom (2010) contends that â€Å"in M-learning, uncertainty reduction strategies are altered, both restricted and expanded, in ways that affect interpersonal impressions, communication, and relationships† (p. 497). Beyond the psychological limitations of adopting M learning, Gong Wallace (2012) say that the restrictions and challenges that characterise the use of M learning technologies are still apparent. Most of these restrictions and challenges stem from the uses, prices, and sizes of the technological gadgets used in M learning. A common concern that many educators have, is the quickly changing nature of technology (Gong Wallace 2012). Indeed, technological gadgets evolve quickly and one type of technology that may be useful this year may not be so useful in three or five years. Some people also consider some of the te chnological gadgets that most educators use in M learning as â€Å"expensive toys† (Gong Wallace 2012). This perception may affect the attitude of some students, or teachers, in adopting the technology in education. Additionally, some of the technologies used in M learning require high system requirements that may reduce their efficiency in the learning context. For example, Chen-Chung (2009) says, â€Å"The screens on handheld devices are designed for individual-user mobile applications. They may therefore constrain interaction among group learners† (p. 127). Lastly, Luminita (2010) observes that personal ownership in M learning is a key factor that supports the realisation of its learning benefits in the classroom (both personal and group learning may potentially lead to the realisation of these benefits). Some of these benefits may be tangible or intangible. However, personal ownerships of M-learning devices pose the greatest benefits in learning. Certainly, if all students own an M learning device, they can easily explore the benefits of the device, beyond the realms of the classroom setup. However, institutional ownerships of these devices pose a challenge to the realisation of these benefits because students do not own the M learning devices (personally). Conclusion This paper mainly takes a keen interest in the adoption of M learning from an educator’s point of view because educators are usually the primary point of contact with students. Educators also experience the support and barriers to the adoption of the new technology first hand. Currently, many of these educators have embraced M learning through a simplistic version of integrating education processes. However, the potential for M learning exists beyond the realms of integrating educational processes. For example, the use of M learning for SMS notification and quiz distribution is a very limited application of the technology. This limited application of M learning may stem from the potential limitations of the technology, or the fact that its application is still very â€Å"young† and fragile. Indeed, M-learning is a relatively new technology in learning, but the success or failure of its adoption will largely depend on the ability of educators and students to see its benefits (at least according to the technology acceptance model). The experience, attitude, and perception of the new technology will also play an instrumental role in ascertaining if students and educators will adopt the M learning technology successfully, or not. However, as more researchers continue to explore the benefits and implications for the adoption of the new technology, there is a high likelihood that many educators may appreciate the full benefits of adopting M-learning in education. References Abeka, S 2012, An Investigation Of Factors Influencing Corporate Customers Acceptance Of Internet Banking: A Case Study Of East African Trade Finance Customers, GRIN Verlag, Mu nchen. Anderson, L Emmers-Sommer, M 2006, ‘Predictors of relationship satisfaction in online romantic relationships’, Communication Studies, vol. 57 no. 1, pp. 153-172. Banyard, P Underwood, J 2006, ‘Do enhanced communication technologies inhibit or facilitate self-regulated learning’, European Journal of Education, vol. 41 no. 3, pp. 473- 489. Caspi, A Gorsky, P 2005, ‘Instructional media choice: Factors affecting the preferences of distance education coordinators’, Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, vol. 14 no. 2, pp. 169-198. Chen-Chung, L 2009, ‘Analysis of peer interaction in learning activities with personal handhelds and shared displays’, Journal of Educational Technology Society, vol. 12 no. 3, pp. 127-142. Gong, Z Wallace, J 2012, ‘A Comparative Analysis of iPad and Other M-learning Technologies: Exploring Students’ View of Adoption, Potentials, and Challenges’, Journal of Literacy a nd Technology, vol. 13 no. 1, pp. 2-27. Kynslahti, H 2003, Mobile Learning, IT Press, Helsinki. Luminita, S 2010, ‘Internet-a new way of training, designing an e-learning platforms’,  Young Economist Journal, vol. 11 no. 1, pp. 151-158. Lumsden, J 2011, Human-Computer Interaction and Innovation in Handheld, Mobile and Wearable Technologies, Idea Group Inc (IGI), New York. MacCallum, K Jeffrey, L 2009, Identifying discriminating variables that determine  mobile learning adoption by educators: An initial study. Web. Seliaman, S 2012, ‘Mobile Learning Adoption in Saudi Arabia’, World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, vol. 69 no. 1, pp. 391-393. Seppl, P Alamki, H 2003, ‘Mobile learning in teacher training’, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, vol. 19 no. 1, pp. 330-335. Sherblom, J 2010, ‘The computer-mediated communication (CMC) classroom: a challenge of medium, presence, interaction, identity, and relationshipâ€℠¢, Communication Education, vol. 59 no. 4, pp. 497-523.

Software Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Software Engineering - Essay Example Software requirements, 2. Software design, 3.Software construction, 4. Software testing, 5. Software maintenance, 6. Software configuration and management, 7. Software engineering management, 8. Software engineering process, 9. Software engineering tools and methods, 10. Software quality, and 11. Knowledge areas of related disciplines (Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Management, Mathematics, Project Management, Quality Management, Software Ergonomics, and Systems Engineering) (SWEBOK, 2004 p. 1-2). Software engineers, therefore, must be proficient with the latter knowledge areas to handle every software engineering projects properly, successfully and efficiently. The software engineering project being studied at hand is the Chat Application. According to the given case, the status of which are the following: 1. The project is going well, and 2. The project is progressing. However, during one of the teams status meetings, two of the team members had an intense discussion on multi-threading particularly on the safety and ease of use of Java threading until everyone got somewhat confused. The team members asked you for clarifications on the issue. As a member of the team, you are given a task to clarify on the issue, and you are obliged to the following: 1. To prove that Java threading is a difficult task, and 2. To provide evidence to back up your belief. Further, you are required to do the following: 1. To locate one or more articles, web pages, or discussions dealing with Java threads, 2. Using one or more of your references for support, describe a significant problem or difficulty when using threads in Java, and 3. Provide either a concrete coding example or detailed scenario that illustrates why it is a problem. Frankly, theres no significant problem or difficulty in using Java threads since this could clearly be addressed by the above mentioned articles, tutorials and web pages. Its only the side of technical expertise and

Patents and Copyrights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Patents and Copyrights - Essay Example In such a society, innovation would be stifled. In the scenario mentioned above, if Google obtained a patent for their new software, they may have market power and that may enable them to charge high prices for the software. However, Google may not charge whatever they want even though market power gives them the ability to set the prices. The seller will set the price in relation to the demand curve because if the price is set too high, a downward-sloping demand curve is imminent, hence a decrease in demand (Richard , 2012). In conclusion, the existence of a patent prevents others from producing and selling the patented product. It is on these grounds that a patent is considered a monopoly privilege granted by the government. Additionally, the monopoly grant has a prima facie impact on trade, because the monopoly conferred by the patent is the right to exclude others from manufacturing or selling the patented product. On the other hand, copyright is not a right to the exclusive use of a fact, an idea, or a combination, which by the natural law of property all are free to use; but only to the labor expended in the thing itself (Journal of Libertarian Studies,

Is Management an Art or a Science Essay Example for Free

Is Management an Art or a Science Essay One of the enduring questions in the field of management is whether it is an art or a science. In order to be able discuss whether management is an art or a science we need to define what ‘management’, ‘art’ and ‘science’ are. Management is a set of activities (including planning and decision making, organizing, leading, and controlling) directed at an organizations resources (human, financial, physical, and information) with the aim of achieving organizational goals in an efficient and effective manner. In general an art defines as skill in conducting any human activity and science as any skill or technique that reflects a precise application of facts or a principle. Management as a science would indicate that in practice, managers use a specific body of knowledge consisting of principles, generalizations, approaches and concepts to apply in certain situations. That is, when faced with a managerial problem, the manager who believes in the scientific foundation of his or her craft will expect that there is a rational and objective way to determine the correct course of action. The principles of management have been developed and formulated on the basis of observation, research, analysis and experimentation and also based on relationship of cause and effect like other sciences. Another proponent of the management as science, many early management researchers subscribed to the vision of managers as scientists. The scientific management movement was the primary driver of this perspective. Scientific managements emphasis on both reducing inefficiencies and on understanding the psychology of workers changed manager and employee attitudes towards the practice of management. These are the basic characteristics that can be proved management is a science, but not exactly. Management as an art requires no specific body of knowledge, only skill. Conversely, those who believe management is an art are likely to believe that there is no specific way to teach or understand management, and that it is a skill borne of personality and ability. One more reason for considering management as an art is that in many situations, practicing managers are unlikely to believe that scientific principles and theories will be able to implement in actual managerial situations. Instead, these managers are likely to consider a broad range of social and political factors, and likely to take different actions depending on the context of the problem. And application of management knowledge calls for innovativeness and creativity. In this case managers go on discovering new ideas, relationships and more efficient ways of doing things. Both views of management, as a science or as an art, can provide ample evidence to support heir viewpoints, and they all seem correct and reasonable from their perspective. But an efficient manager has to acquire a theoretical knowledge of management and subsequently, use it to develop it and, gather experience. Robert Hilkert has beautifully explained that â€Å"In area of management , science and art are two sides of the same coin† Thus, in my opinion I think that management is a combination of both science and art, because managing as practice is an art and the organized knowledge underlying the practice is a science.

Book Review of Hear My Testimony Essay -- essays research papers

Book Review of â€Å"Hear My Testimony†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is probably one of the most moving books I have ever read in my life. It is basically a narrative story of the life of an El Salvadorian women named: Maria Teresa Tula. Maria is a wonderful storyteller and the fact the she is describing her own real life experiences greatly add to the impact of the book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of the chapters in the book are just her telling about her life. She was born a very poor and sickly child, growing up with her mother and grandmother, after her mother had left her abusive husband. This was only the beginning of a very rough and trying life that she would face. She went on to describe her childhood, how other Salvadorian women were treated and the Salvadorian way of viewing women. Raised as a strict Catholic, she was taught by her grandmother at a young age to â€Å"act like a proper young women.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From there on she continues to talk about her adolescence where she quickly learned about the threat of physical abuse and molestation towards young girls. She did not continue with school pat the age of 9 and in her small job of working in the local market she was confronted with true and absolute poverty on a daily basis. She got pregnant at age 15. At 16 she had her first fist fight with her abusive physically brother. And at 17 met the father of her other future children. While with this man, Rafael Canales, she learned first hand the hardships of poor domestic life. She also learned to assert herself even towards her own husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1978, the year I was born, Maria Teresa joined a human rights group called CO-MADRES. (The Mothers and Relatives of Political Prisoners, Disappeared and Assassind of El Salvador) Due to her husband being jailed and severely tortured after a sugar mill strike she found herself unsuspectingly thrown into a political arena. It is her work with this organization that begins to completely consume her life and is the core of the entire book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once aligned with this organization Maria’s eyes are opened to the bigger picture of political oppression in her country. She, along with many other women of El Salvador, watch as hundreds of their men are unjustly jailed, tortured and disappeared. She was also a witness to the inhuman... ...e. After saying all this, it is hard for me to find a weakness. The only minor weakness that I could see would be that of intense emotion. The way that this book is written is such that it is truly soaked with emotion. This being a first hand account also added the level of intimacy one feels when reading this, and for some this may translate into uncomfortable feelings. It is also clear that Maria does express her own personal opinions, on her government, on her views of women’s roles in society, and especially on the American government. Maria does use the words â€Å"they† and â€Å"them† to describe Americans sometimes and some may feel that her generalizations are unfair, especially seeing as how she did receive support from sympathetic Americans while in the US. Some may also feel that she is overly critical and excessively faulting the US for the events in El Salvador, however all I could say to people who feel this way is; it would be very difficult to not f ind American policies and actions accountable for many unthinkable tragedies all over Latin America. Personally however, I do not feel that these small weaknesses in any way, take away from the strength of the book or her story.

Being Gay

Being Gay: What the Filipino Parents Should Understand About the LGBT About 3 days ago, I have read an article in the Philippine Star advising parents on what to do when they have a gay child. It was written by a local journalist, Tintin Bersola-Babao according to her interview with a â€Å"noted psychologist. The article details how parents should stop all the effeminate ways of their children and how to tell them that they are what â€Å"God† made them and they must live a family with only the opposite sex in the future. Phrasing my last sentence that way is an understatement on how the article abhors the LGBT and limits a child’s choice on his own sexual identity, but at least, you have a hint of where I’m coming from.This essay is entitled â€Å"Being Gay,† the same title as that of the said article I have read to parallelize the contentions of what should the parents do to their gay child according to the perspective of a â€Å"noted psychologistâ⠂¬  who speaks of the word of her god (I still don’t know which god she has been referring to all those times, though) rather than the word of her profession and someone from the LGBT and is happy that his parents never did what the article advised them to do. On the choice of â€Å"Being† GayFirst of all, the title of the article has expressed a belief that the author, under her mind, has the idea of gayness as a state of being rather than a stigma. You, parents should be able to understand that homosexuality is not an imposed consciousness that your children have to live with, because nothing should be imposed on them, to begin with. They live their own lives according to what they inherently have, not that someone has inflicted them with characteristics and told them what they should be just because the bible says so.You should let your children explore the horizons of their sexuality than impose an identity that you want your children to have. Your child’s identity is a product of the choices they made, the challenges they faced, and the trials they conquered. In order to positively maximize your child’s personality, s/he should not be limited to the out dated social norms and concepts of morality. These things stop them from being who they really are like a box that imprisons them in the shadow of others. Without giving them the freedom to discover their own ‘self,’ children further evelops confusion on their own sexuality. They will question themselves because they deviate from what you told them to be, worse, on what they can see and get from the society. Even you prohibit your gay child to be effeminate, his inner â€Å"gay† self will still manifest, one day or another. That is because once again, gayness is a state of being. You can’t strip that aspect of your child off them. That is who they are. The least you can do is to accept them, nurture them, and support them. Besides, whatever they will become, they are your children. On the guarantee to heterosexualityThe first thing to comprehend on the issue of homosexuality and effeminacy is that a child’s preference on clothes or toys doesn’t suggest their sexuality. There is no guarantee to heterosexuality of a boy who loves sports and toy guns or a girl who acts genuinely lady-like. As children, their choice on toys depends on what you give them or what they see in the media. There is no such thing as an instinctive preference on things like these; it’s the society that is telling us that girls should play with Barbie dolls and boys should play with toy guns.In the same line of thought, a boy who’s playing with Barbie dolls doesn’t suggest his homosexuality. He might be playing with dolls because he admires their beauty or he wants to be a doll maker or fashion designer in the future. A girl playing with toy guns might want to be in the military someday or an action film actress. The point here is that children are way beyond what we see on them. You should be able to accept your child beyond what is seen by the naked eye. Regardless of their sexuality, they are still human beings. On God and MoralityConsidering the concept of individualism as a playing card in the issue of sexuality, morality should not be a basis of your judgment to your children. Morality is something that you can’t quantify. What is immoral to you may be moral to others. The concept of right and wrong doesn’t really matter in the issue of homosexuality, though; because there is nothing wrong with homosexuality and homosexual acts in the first place. What is wrong is on how people look and label the LGBT as a disease created by demons. The religion backbone of the argument against the LGBT is not even valid.Those were close minded opinions formulated by people who at first believed that women are inferior to men. The thing is, the bible may be the word of God, but what we know about t he bible is just an interpretation of a group of people according to their own context. The age of close-mindedness has been gone for a very long time; however, we still suffer its aftershocks. God created everyone equally, the bible says, and God created the world. Even the gays and the lesbians are created by God in his own image. They too are children of God. They were gays because God wants them to be gay.It’s just sad that other people believe otherwise. Again, there is nothing wrong with being gay, what is wrong is to punish your child because he is one. Raising a better person The first misconception of most parents when they have a gay child is that their child will be a lesser person – they will have a hard time finding a good job, they are shames on the family, so on and so forth. The second is that having a gay child is caused by their failure to raise the child to become a better person. Parents, I tell you, none of those were right.They were just mistaken beliefs. The truth is that being a straight individual is not a prerequisite to become a better person, in the same way that being gay is not an obstacle for someone to land on a good job. In our society nowadays, gays are well accepted in the corporate arena. Companies value qualifications and skills more than one’s sexuality. As a matter of fact, majority of the LGBT graduates were hired in the first job they applied to because of their confidence and inherent dynamism, studies shows. Nothing’s to be worried about.BUT if you chastise your child for being gay because of the reason that he will not get a good job for being one, you’re the one who are discriminating your child, not his future boss. Being a better person means being able to contribute to the greater good. And with its definition, none is said about one’s sexual identity. For as long as you raise your gay child to be someone who respects other people, someone who loves of God, someone who do esn’t violate the law, and someone who is productive enough to help himself, his family, and his country, you should be proud of yourselves.You have raised a better person, even though he’s gay. On love and future family â€Å"Love is human experience, not a political statement. † Anne Hathaway said. Love should know no limit, love should know no discrimination. You should love a person, not a gender. This is what most of Filipino parents failed to understand. Telling your effeminate son that he is a boy and that he should be marrying a woman (girl) is a good way of raising him but telling him that he should love a person regardless of who and what he is, is better. You, of all the people, are the ones who should have the reason to understand your children’s feelings.Don’t force them to love someone that they don’t. They can’t choose who to love, nor can they choose to love who they don’t. The key is to just support them emotio nally for them to know if what they feel is real love. No one else can help them do that. Only you. The problem with most people is that they think that love only exists between a man and a woman, and that a homosexual relationship is just an offspring of lust and sexual desires. But, for a fact, the most solid love is the love that exists in a gay relationship because the couple has overcome the challenge of a mandatory social conformity.Gay couples were able to embody what love really is –loving someone’s heart, not someone’s penis or vagina. Parents please don’t deny your children to love and be loved. You’ve once experienced it; let your child have the same. An appeal to Filipino parents To the Filipino parents who were blinded by the close-minded culture of social conformity and religious righteousness, please remove your blindfolds. The world is more than what you see inside the box of ignorance. You are parents, and as parents, you should un derstand your children; not make them suffer because you think they deviate from the social norms.Accept them for who they are, not make them someone they are not. Let them see the world the way you saw the world, let them experience life, the way you did. In the end, regardless of their sexuality, they are your children. We are your children, and we need you to guide us to be better people, not a better dick or a better vagina. You, of all the people, should be the first ones to recognize our identity, to empower our senses, and to be proud of us. The arguments that were laid are of pure logic and human reason. There are no concrete scientific evidence to prove the arguments, but at least, they are something to ponder upon.

My Experience in the Military Essay

My darkest hour was also the moment I became a man. When all my years of training, all the blood, sweat, and tears of running, aiming, skills training, and hand to hand combat had finally been put to the test. My first kill. It wasn’t a proud moment but it was one on necessity and choice that I’ve played over and over again and I still get the same result. It would have gone exactly the same. September 21st 1999, 1327 Zulu time. We were flying over Almaty, Kazakhstan. The rattling of the POS tin can they call an airplane was really making me queasy. ‘Man less than an hour before we land. It’s not coming soon enough. ’ I thought. Then came the dreaded command that started the chain of events that changed my life forever. â€Å"AAG! 9 o’clock. I repeat AAG! 9 o’clock! † Yelled our Staff Sgt, â€Å"You know the drill, men. Time to grow wings! † Now to you non-military personnel, an AAG is an anti-aircraft gun. Now it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize, hey we’re in an aircraft. You see where this is going. Time to grow wings means, we’re jumping off this plane. This might be fine and dandy for a para-trooping unit. We were not a para-trooping unit. Now most of our unit has had parachuting training, well all except one, me. Now in my defense I had been busy with officer training so really hadn’t had much time. I now wish I had made time. So as we’re being shoveled out of the plane, there’s AAG blasts going off all around us. Then came my turn where I never thought you could get a jumping lesson in 30 seconds. Well it was enough for me. Out I went. Exciting, exhilarating, and scary as hell, were the first three things that came to mind. Now I’m no meteorologist but there are these invisible paths the air flows called vectors and if you don’t know what you’re doing you can be rerouted from you initial path. This is how I ended up drifting away from my unit. I pulled my chute once I realized this and landed about half a click north of my click. I landed in a courtyard and did the most natural instinct that could come to mind. I ran. Now the guys manning these AAG’s also had troops on foot and they figured out real quick where I was, and that I probably would make a real nice hostage. A US officer is a gold bar waiting to be snatched. I went for high ground as I checked my GPS tracker looking for my unit. Once on the roof of a nearby building, I began running south from rooftop to rooftop looking for a good place to either regroup or stand my ground in case of a firefight. I didn’t know how far behind me the enemy was but I felt them breathing down my neck, so to speak. I looked ahead on my route and noticed a 25’foot gap between me and the next building and it was a floor shorter than the building I was on. I had 10 steps to make a choice. Ten, I detach my pack. Nine, off goes my helmet. Eight, I increase my speed. Six, five, four, ‘This isn’t going to end well’, Three, I rear up, two, one†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I leapt. For a second I thought this is it. But then realized I’m going to clear it, I’m actually going to clear it. I did, right into a window. I rolled twice and started to catch my bearing and get up when I felt a searing pain in my back. I was being tackled. I looked up while on my back to a sweaty, angry look I recognized all too well, the look of a man wanting to kill me. I don’t know where he came from or who he was but I knew these were things I would have to worry about later. For now I have to stay alive. I felt his arm pressing into my throat and damn it hurt. I brought my right fist up and into his temple. It jeered him enough to release the choke. He reached back with the same arm and pulled something out from what looked like his back pocket, a knife. As soon as I realized what it was it was already headed at my face. I took both arms and grabbed for the wrist of the armed hand. He twisted his hand and sliced at my left forearm, I lost grip only with that hand for a slight second, jabbed him in the ribs giving me enough time to re-grip. He was trying to put all his weight into the armed hand and still hold me down while I kept my eyes and both hands focused on the knife filled hand and wrist. I was holding up until the pain from the slice began to overwhelm me and I felt woozy. I felt like this was it, I am going to lose my grip and this knife was about to go into my face. I quickly thought of everything that would follow and everything that has happened to me up to that point in an instance. Then as if a blessing from God, the door burst open and I redirected my focus to the door. So did he, which was his mistake. I quick glanced back at him and noticed two things. His eyes were off of me and his push weakened just for a second. The only second I needed. I pivoted my upper half to my right and pulled his arm towards where my head once was, jamming the knife into the hardwood floor. I brought my right elbow into his head and he toppled over. I reached for my side arm, rolled away, up on to one side, aimed and fired twice. My pistol and eyes both rose up and to the left to the doorway and fired three more times. Both enemies, cancelled. I took what seemed like an eternity to curse, catch my breath and regroup myself. I stood up and realized the fight wasn’t over. I still had to make it to my unit. I made my way through the apartment I earlier crashed into, out into the hallway and back up to the roof. I noticed insurgents on the rooftop directly behind me making half-ass shots at me. I leapt to the next rooftop, made cover behind a chimney, pulled my pistol took two deep breaths and†¦.. Well you’ll just have to wait for next time for that one. You ask yourself what I would do if I were in a life and death situation. Did it turn out like I thought? Nothing like it. Because when it really happens you go into autopilot. It all happened so quickly, but when I relive it in the nightmares that haunt me to this day, it seems like forever. It wasn’t a cool thing to do it, but was it necessary for my survival? Yes. If I could do it all over again, I would have taken the para-trooping courses.

Clever Quotes From Great Thinkers

Clever Quotes From Great Thinkers Would you like to sound smart? Do you want to impress your peers with clever words? Here are some clever quotes rescue you when the situation arises. Kiss those thinking caps goodbye because who needs to think on their feet, when they have clever quotes handy? Henry FordWhether you think you can or whether you think you cant, youre right. Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. George Bernard ShawYou see things; and you say Why? But I dream things that never were; and I say Why not? We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience. Bertrand RussellMost people would rather die than think; in fact, they do so. Maya AngelouA bird doesnt sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song. Groucho MarxOnly one man in a thousand is a leader of men the other 999 follow women. Albert EinsteinTwo things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and Im not sure about the universe. When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. Thats relativity. Benjamin FranklinWine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. Harry S. TrumanYou want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. Elbert HubbardEvery man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit. Ralph Waldo EmersonThe years teach much which the days never knew. Johann Wolfgang von GoetheEnjoy when you can, and endure when you must. Toni MorrisonIf you surrender to the wind, you can ride it.

20 Synonyms for Expert

20 Synonyms for Expert 20 Synonyms for â€Å"Expert† 20 Synonyms for â€Å"Expert† By Mark Nichol Just as the many synonyms for beginner should be picked over with care to capture the correct connotation, the numerous alternatives available for referring to an expert have sometimes unique or specific senses appropriate for some contexts and unsuitable for others. Here’s a usage guide to such words: 1. Ace (ultimately derived from the Latin word as, â€Å"one,† â€Å"unit†): Originally, a combat pilot with at least five (later, ten) confirmed kills, or enemy planes shot down, and by extension a highly skilled person. The slang designation stems from the most valuable card in a deck and far predates powered flight; it was used to denote excellence, and eventually â€Å"top of the deck† athletes were so designated. The term is still employed in sports, as in gaining a point on a serve in tennis or hitting a hole in one in golf, as well as in the scholastic sense of performing well in a course or on a test. 2. Adept (from the Latin word adeptus, â€Å"having reached, attained†): Usually has the connotation of a mystical or secret pursuit or body of knowledge; this sense stems from the use of the term in Middle English to refer to an alchemist, and the term is widely used in heroic-fantasy literature featuring wizards and sorcerers and in writing about mysticism, though it is appropriate for general usage. 3-4. Artist (ultimately from the Latin word ars): Originally referred solely to a practitioner of art, but now often applied to someone who demonstrates skill with an artistic flourish in any pursuit. The French form, artiste, is used only facetiously or by or in reference to the pretentious. 5. Authority (from the Latin word auctoritatem, â€Å"advice, opinion†): Connotes the go-to source for, well, authoritative information or advice, or the governing agency or institution for a body of knowledge. As you may have guessed, the Latin term from which this word derives is also the source of author. 6-7. Connoisseur (from the Latin word cognoscere, â€Å"to know†): Usually employed in gustatory or artistic contexts, identifying someone with a refined taste in wine, for example, or a specific school of painting. The term, which comes to English from French, has an Italian cognate, cognoscente, which, when borrowed into English, has the same sense or that of â€Å"one in the know.† (The plural is cognoscenti.) 8-9. Doyen (from the Middle French word meaning â€Å"leader of ten,† stemming from the Latin term decanus, and ultimately from the Greek term dekanos, both with the same meaning): Carries a connotation similar to that of connoisseur or maven, of a person with knowledge about or skill in a rarified topic or area. Dean, sometimes used to denote an expert in or master of a specific field as well as in its academic sense, derives from doyen. 10. Guru (from the Hindi word for â€Å"teacher† or â€Å"priest,† from the Sanskrit term guru-s): Originally denoted a spiritual mentor, but the meaning was later extended to a secular sense and then generally to an expert. 11. Hotshot: Originally referred to a headstrong person or a headlong object; it now is usually employed in the sarcastically derogatory sense of someone who considers themselves more knowledgeable or capable than they are. 12. Initiate (from the Latin word initium, â€Å"beginning†): Originally, this word identified one who had undergone or was about to undergo an initiation ceremony, but now it is also a designation for one privy to certain knowledge or skills. 13-14. Maestro (from the Italian word for â€Å"master,† ultimately from the Latin term magister): A term for a gifted composer, later extended to orchestra conductors and now sometimes used facetiously to refer to those with pretensions of genius. The English form master denotes both an academic leader (hence â€Å"master of arts† and so on) and one who is eminent in any given field of endeavor. 15. Maven (from the Yiddish word, meyvn, â€Å"one who understands,† ultimately from the Hebrew term mebhin): Generally used in the sense of someone with expertise in a sophisticated area of study or skill. 16. Pundit (from the Hindi payndita, â€Å"learned man,† ultimately from Sanskrit payndita-s): Usually employed to refer to commentators, analysts, or consultants, often with a negative sense because of the widespread realization that one can find â€Å"experts† who will support or attack any position one favors or opposes. 17. Scholar (from the Latin word schola, â€Å"school,† ultimately from the Greek term skhole): Originally, referred to a student, but now, except in formal or jocular contexts, denotes an academician. 18. Virtuoso (from the noun form of the Italian word meaning â€Å"skilled, learned,† from the Latin term virtuosus, â€Å"virtuous†): Originally applied to highly talented musicians, but now appropriated in many other contexts to refer to manual or mental dexterity. 19-20. Wizard (from Middle English wys, â€Å"wise,† and -ard, â€Å"one who [is]†): The supposedly traditional connotation, that of a person with magical powers, supplanted the original meaning of â€Å"wise man,† and the modern sense, outside of fantasy-literature and computer-gaming circles, is of someone astonishingly good at a certain endeavor. Whiz is either a short form of wizard or a variant of the onomatopoeic whizz, â€Å"humming, hissing sound or movement.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?45 Synonyms for â€Å"Old† and â€Å"Old-Fashioned†How to Style Legislative Terms

IMIGRATION CRIMES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IMIGRATION CRIMES - Essay Example To clear this dilemma, this research investigates on the relationship between immigration and crime in the USA. Statement of the Problem Different studies carried out around the world have led to opposing views on whether or not immigration correlates with crime. According to Ellis, Beaver & Wright (2009) in ‘The Handbook of Crime Correlates’ which is a review of studies of variables related to crime, a majority of studies carried out on immigrants have led to the discovery of high crime rates. This however differs greatly depending on the countries of origin. Other studies conclude that indigenous population have higher crime rates than immigrants. Actualization of the situation in USA is vital for the establishment of immigration policies advised by facts rather than generalizations. Crime Rates for Immigrants vs. Native-Born Crime rates for immigrants have been discovered to be lower than for the native born by a century of research. During the former period of large scale immigration in the early decades of the 20th century, several federal commissions discovered lower levels of crime amongst those that are foreign born as compared to the native born individuals. A 1994 report by the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform came to a similar conclusion. Using data from the outcomes of community studies in Miami, El Paso, San Diego and Chicago; the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health; and the 1980, 1990, and 2000 Census, academic researchers have also reached the same conclusion (Ellis, Beaver & Wright, 2009). No matter their legal status, immigrants do not cause or even worsen the problem of crime in the United States (Motomura, 2007). This is not surprising at all as the main aim of most immigrants coming into the United States is to go after educational and economic opportunities which are not available in their home countries; and to make a better living for themselves as well as their families. They therefore have much more to los e and very little to gain by engaging in law breaking activities. Undocumented immigrants especially have even more reason to stay clear of law breaking activities given that they are at a risk of deportation due to their lack of legal status if caught. Violent and Property Crime Rates As the undocumented population doubled in size, there was a subsequent drop in property and violent crime rates. Even though from 1994 to 2005, there was a double increase in the undocumented immigrant population to approximately 12 million, there was a reduction in the property crime rate in the United States by 26.4%. The violent crime rate on the other hand fell by a significant 34.2% (Schaefer, 2011). This reduction in crime rate experienced was not only national but also happened in the border cities plus other cities that have large populations of immigrants. Some of these cities include Miami, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, El Paso and San Diego. The reduction in crime rate was in part because of the successful establishment of new strategies in crime-fighting such as community policing which have greatly assisted in formation of cooperative relationships between the police and their communities. How successful such cooperative approaches to law enforcement will be in immigrant communities is dependent on how willing crime witnesses and victims are to come forward to the police (Ellis, Beaver & Wright, 2009). This should be irrespective of their legal status or the legal status of members of their family. According to data

The economies of two neighbouring states Assignment

The economies of two neighbouring states - Assignment Example While the southern part of this island formed a separate republic called the Republic of Ireland, the Great Britain took hold of the Northern part and 18 provinces are under it. While Northern Ireland forms a part of the United Kingdom, the Southern part enjoys independent and separate governance. Both Ireland and Northern Ireland form an island and this is covered with green surroundings. Ireland is called the Emerald Island because of its greenery and so tourism is one of the major inputs for their economy. The economy of Ireland has transformed in the recent years from agrarian to technology based service industries. Moreover, the trade and investments in the country have made it one of the wealthiest countries in the European Union. Similarly, the economic growth of this country of the period from1995 to 2000 has brought them the name ‘Celtic Tigers’. On the other hand, the economy of Northern Ireland is the smallest in the subordinate states of U K. However, just like the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland also attracts many by its green surroundings and so tourism contributes heavily to the economy of the nation. Northern Ireland is a very deep rooted industrialized country and one can notice that industrialization flourished here even before it took its root at the Republic of Ireland. The nation had such industries like ship building, textiles and rope manufacturing. However, recently many heavy industries were replaced by services as in the case of The Republic of Ireland. But it is amazing that Northern Ireland has greater GDP than that of the neighbouring states like East England and Wales. Tourism plays a vital role in bringing up the economy of the Northern Ireland. Around 70% of economic output and covering 78% of employees fall in the service industry. It is also worthwhile to consider how the recent economic recession has adversely affected the economy of both the states. While there was a considerable