The Roots of Education are Bitter, but the Fruits are Sweet :: essays research papers

A time approaches in every person’s life when they must come to learn new things. Speaking on behalf of all those who have attended school at some point in their life, I must say that most do not like it for its educational significance. Today’s youth undervalue the worth of America’s public school system to the point of shame. Hard-working, underpaid teachers and professors prepare to educate these ingrates as their living, and it’s exasperating for the students to not even care. I must be fair though and call attention to the fact that not everyone shares this loathe for education and schooling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of one’s journey of gaining more knowledge, most children don’t mind school, for it is a change of environment for them. The majority of elementary school adolescents even enjoy school to some degree. As time wears on, we usually, and sadly, begin to see a change of heart. Children become fatigued from school and therefore don’t take pleasure in going anymore. Maybe their teachers didn’t teach them in the way that they learn most efficiently, or maybe students just become bored with the whole â€Å"school scene† itself. Whatever the case, it is apparent that by the time they reach high school, their interest for learning alone has died out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having explained the reason most children have become disheartened at the thought of school, I now turn my attention to the students who do realize school’s educational value. These are the students that will continue to prosper throughout their lives because they realize the extreme importance of education. There is a secret, yet not so secret, motivation behind their determination to exceed standards and expectations in school. The secret they withhold is their overwhelming desire to be successful in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"roots† of education, meaning actually going to school, studying, making great grades, and giving it your best, are bitter and tiring. Those students that have not yet become uninterested in learning are the ones that have seen past the strife in the beginning and have the rewarding end in mind. The Roots of Education are Bitter, but the Fruits are Sweet :: essays research papers A time approaches in every person’s life when they must come to learn new things. Speaking on behalf of all those who have attended school at some point in their life, I must say that most do not like it for its educational significance. Today’s youth undervalue the worth of America’s public school system to the point of shame. Hard-working, underpaid teachers and professors prepare to educate these ingrates as their living, and it’s exasperating for the students to not even care. I must be fair though and call attention to the fact that not everyone shares this loathe for education and schooling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of one’s journey of gaining more knowledge, most children don’t mind school, for it is a change of environment for them. The majority of elementary school adolescents even enjoy school to some degree. As time wears on, we usually, and sadly, begin to see a change of heart. Children become fatigued from school and therefore don’t take pleasure in going anymore. Maybe their teachers didn’t teach them in the way that they learn most efficiently, or maybe students just become bored with the whole â€Å"school scene† itself. Whatever the case, it is apparent that by the time they reach high school, their interest for learning alone has died out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having explained the reason most children have become disheartened at the thought of school, I now turn my attention to the students who do realize school’s educational value. These are the students that will continue to prosper throughout their lives because they realize the extreme importance of education. There is a secret, yet not so secret, motivation behind their determination to exceed standards and expectations in school. The secret they withhold is their overwhelming desire to be successful in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The â€Å"roots† of education, meaning actually going to school, studying, making great grades, and giving it your best, are bitter and tiring. Those students that have not yet become uninterested in learning are the ones that have seen past the strife in the beginning and have the rewarding end in mind.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig Coffee

How government political system and economy influence each other? There are many countries in a world, and each country has its specific government system, also different government systems leads to diverse economic results. Otherwise, the economic output shapes the certain government system as well. As a consequence, government system interacts with economic results, and vise versa. Such as the relationship between centrally controlled political system or decentralized political system and economic income. Next, more details information will be given and bring a discussion about how they influence each other.Through searching on the internet, political system is â€Å"a system of politics and government. It is usually compared to the legal system, economic system, cultural system, and other social systems. However, this is a very simplified view of a much more complex system of categories involving the views: who should have authority, how religious questions should be handled, and what the government’s influence on its people and economy should be. † (Almond, 2011) Different countries from all over the world owe their own specific political system and economic results.For example, China’s remarkable economic success rests on reforming political government system foundation. In article â€Å"Federalism, Chinese Style: The Political Basis for Economic Success in China†, it referred that the government political reform provides significant degree of available commitment to markets and lead to the successful economy in China. What’s more, a special type of institutionalized or organized decentralized is reflected by this reform, and author call â€Å"federalism, Chinese style. In addition, Montinola who is the author of this article claimed there are three consequences: at first, it helps to promote competition, not only just in product markets, but also among labour and foreign capital of local governments. And without any dou bt, the competition also lead new forms of enterprises, regulation, and economic relationships are promoted by government trying and learning. After that, it provides incentives for local governments to encourage local economic prosperity. At last, there are considerable amount of protection for local governments and enterprises which come from political intrusion by the central government. 2011). This article describes how the government political system impacts the economy output. On the one hand, China reform the political system depends on the national conditions, and take advantages of this system to develop economy and achieve successful goal. On the other hand, China already got wealthy benefits from the existing political system. Moreover, in article â€Å"US Political System Gets Downgraded, Failure to Deal with Economy the Reason†, Dayen said â€Å"To the extent that there’s any fallout from the political gridlock in Washington, it’s that the country cannot execute the simple, fundamental steps to improve economic performance. (Aug 3, 2011) And also talked about a Chinese rating agency did actually downgrade US debt all the way, which could resonate with their sovereign wealth funds. This agency appeared to not so much downgrade the credit rating as the political system. It discussed if there was not existing good and suitable government political system, and there is no way to develop economic as expect. In other words, instable and inadaptable political cannot help to further the development of economic outputs. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that if there is existing terrible economy, the new type of government system need to form.Government agencies influence the economy through a variety of policies all the time. â€Å"Political system has helped initiate new industries, cushion the effects of economic depression, create a sound economic infrastructure, and protect the living standards of the citizenry. † (n. d. ) Japa n is such a typical country. Japan through adjusting the relationship between government political system and economic income in order to set up the most suitable government and increase economy as much as possible. They focus on enterprise.In other words, Japan's economic development is primarily the product of private entrepreneurship. There is no doubt government make a significant contribution to nation's prosperity. In a word, the enterprise focus need the help of centrally controlled political system, because it can pay a lot more attention to develop their enterprise in order to promote their economy. There are advantages and disadvantages among different type of government political, both of them have opportunity to increase or decrease their national economy.However, it has great challenges to reconcile the centralized and decentralized systems. Most of time, centrally controlled is focus on specific area, decentralized controlled has diverging structure, the scope is much more abroad and wide than centrally controlling. But centrally control can get more attention. So chose the right system need depend on each country’s specific situation. In order to reach the economy goals, it is necessary to look for the right government political system to push its developing.Also under current system, government should consider how to achieve their economy target. Above all, no matter which government systems, such as centrally controlled political system and decentralized controlled political system, both of them could generate significant economic results, at the same time, the country should get wealthy benefit from a specific controlled political system. Reference Almond, G. A. , (June 25, 2011). Comparative Politics Today: A World View. Political System. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Political_system Dayen, D. (August 3, 2011). US Political System Gets Downgraded, Failure to Deal With Economy the Reason. FDL. Retrieved from http://new s. firedoglake. com/ 2011/08/03/us-political-system-gets-downgraded-failure-to-deal-with-economy-the-reason/ Montinola, G. (June 13, 2011). Federalism, Chinese Style: The Political Basis for Economic Success in China. World Politics. Retrieved from http://journals. cambridge. org/action/displayAbstract? fromPage=online&aid=7607848 The role of government and business. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://countrystudies. us/japan/99. htm

Religion in Ancient China

The earliest information found about religion in ancient China is during the Shang Dynasty and so religion in the Xia dynasty remains unknown. Religious beliefs and rituals were prominent during the Shang Dynasty. The most significant deity was Shang Ti, Ti meaning ‘Deity Above’ or the ‘Lord on High’. He ruled as a supreme god over all the other gods and spirits. The gods and spirits were believed to symbolize objects found in nature; the sun, the moon, the wind, the rain, everything from mountains and rivers to the stars in the night sky. Ti is believed to have punished those who disobeyed or offended him and rewarded those who pleased him. It is said that Ti formed a noble court in heaven consisting of all deceased worthy ancestors. The Chinese’s belief in family harmony was associated to belief in the afterlife. The ancestors who were considered commendable served Ti, helping him govern the world. Ancestors were also worshipped and were said to act a mediators between the gods and humankind. It was thought that if ancestors were appropriately honoured, respected, and provided for, they would promote the family's prosperity. A favour or grievance to a member of the family was considered a favour or grievance to the ancestors; consequently, people were reluctant to offense or harm descendants of a powerful family. It was believed that in the afterlife they would live in a celestial court in many ways similar to their earthly courts. Each Chinese family was expected to have an ancestral shrine in the centre of their home to honour and venerate their ancestors. Sacrifice to the gods and the ancestors were also a major part of the Shang religion. When a ruler died, slaves and officials were sacrificed with them in order to guarantee that their afterlife would be the same or similar as their life on earth. People were also sacrificed in smaller numbers when significant events, such as the founding of a palace or temple, took place. Along with their deceased ancestors, the Chinese had people on earth who acted as mediators between the celestials and the human race. Priests were among these intermediates and were responsible for a number of tasks including reading prayers and overseeing sacrifices and funerals. An augur is another type of mediator, responsible for asking gods questions on behalf of humans using various practices of foretelling to unearth the answers. The use of oracle bones was the most notable form of divination. The augur would ask the question, punching holes into the bone, usually the shoulder-bone from an ox, and in some cases the shell of a tortoise. The bone would then be held over a fire, until cracks appeared. These cracks would be made more evident by rubbing ink over the bone. The augur could now read the cracks and determine the answer of the god. Records of the questions and answers of readings were engraved on the bone. Questions on these oracle bones included issues of weather, warfare, agriculture, hunting, childbirth, and sacrifice. In reflection with their agricultural nature, the ancient Chinese use to honour the local deities of soil in order to increase the fertility of earth and to promote the growth of crops. Over time, this practice of earth worship began to dwindle and the veneration of Heaven increased. Divination was considered the only way to determine the requests and future actions of the ruler of Heaven who was also seen as a kind of ancestral figure. The Chinese were animistic and so believed that nature had many spirits. Good spirits, referred to as shen, and bad spirits, referred to as gui, were both thought to dwell in Heaven and Earth. The sun and the rooster were believed to have authority over the gui. This concept of shen and gui later influenced the formation of the yin and yang concept. The people of ancient China believed that there were two contrasting forces abiding in everything in nature; that is yin and yang. This concept was thought to be formed with the influence of the shen and gui concept from earlier ancient China. Yin is characterized as slow, soft, yielding, diffuse, cold, wet, or tranquil; and is associated with water, earth, the moon, femininity and nighttime. Yang, on the other hand, is fast, hard, solid, focused, hot, dry, or aggressive; and is associated with fire, sky, the sun, masculinity and daytime. During the time of the Eastern Zhou, religion in China underwent an evolution. The early gods were forgotten and replaced with ideologies that worked as both philosophies and religions. A phenomenon called the ‘Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought’ took place in ancient China. Schools and philosophers flourished around this time and it was dubbed an era of great cultural and intellectual expansion in China. The four most prominent schools of thought that evolved during this epoch were Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, and Legalism. Confucius was born 551 BC and grew up to become one of the most influential philosophers in Chinese history. Confucianism is a composite philosophy of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought. He built his philosophy around five virtues: compassion, morality, decorum, wisdom and honesty. Compassion was considered the cornerstone, symbolizing loyalty, filial piety, patience and benevolence. He also believed that everyone should be in harmony with one another and establish a society ruled by standard etiquette and conduct. A legendary philosopher by the name of Laozi is believed to have established the religious philosophy of Taoism. The ‘forces of nature’ is the central belief behind the concept of Tao, which is literally translated as â€Å"the path† or â€Å"the way. † Taoism is in many ways the contrary of Confucianism, focusing on the individual within the natural realm rather than the individual within society. It also focuses on the affiliation between humanity and the cosmos, vigour and long life, and wu wei, that is action through inaction, which is said to create harmony with the Universe. Mo Di or Mozi was another Chinese philosopher form the Eastern Zhou period. He was strongly opposed to the teachings of Confucianism and Taoism. Mohism was based on the idea of universal love, ‘everyone is equal before heaven’. Mozi believed that everyone should practice communal love in order to create a heaven on earth. He also believed that an individual’s perception should be the basis of human cognition and not imagination or logic. Mozi advocated abstinence, and therefore opposed music, regarding it as excessive and a waste of resources which could instead be used to help those in need of basic necessities such as food, water and shelter. He even opposed elaborate funerals also regarding it as a waste of money which could be used in more useful matters. He also advocated pacifism thus disapproving of offensive war, only accepting aggressive action to defend the weak. Legalism, while the term itself was invented in the Han dynasty, was one of the major doctrines followed during the Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought. It was established by Han Feizi and Li Si and theorizes that the human race is evil and in order to prevent this evil causing chaos, laws need to be put in place. Legalism wasn’t concerned with the nature or purpose of life, not even the welfare of the public; rather it sought the states prosperity and military aptitude. Out of these four philosophies, only Confucianism and Taoism are considered religions by scholars, as only they contain spiritual elements. Confucianism and Taoism both became part of what is now known as The Three Doctrine. Buddhism is the third doctrine however it was imported from India and flourished during Imperial China.

Greek City state and the Roman Empire

Greek City state and the Roman Empire The Americans and the Western nations’ political systems and ideologies are in a way based on the ancient Greece and the Romans’ ideas. These countries are not the only ones that were affected. However, most of the ideas that are being used by governments in the world were originally borrowed from Greece (Wolin, 1960).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Greek City state and the Roman Empire specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Issues of Democracy and republican governments are some of the major political ideologies that were adopted from these two ancient states. People’s participation in political constitutions and content has its origins in these societies. Changes that occurred in Greek city-states and Roman Empire that explain the emergence of specific understanding of politics Firstly, the ancient Greece was once never a unified state but a conjugant of different nations. The large geographic bound aries that resulted in travel and communication difficulties brought the need for communities to adopt their own governing bodies and councils. These political units were known as city-states. These city-states, being separated by large geographical terrains, adopted different political systems. For example, the Corinth adopted the oligarchy system of government. Other city-states such as Sparta established mixed forms of government, which constituted both oligarchy and monarchial systems of government. This is how these aspects of politics emerged. Athens developed a democratic form of government that allowed the citizens to participate in the drafting of the constitution and the governance of their city-states. They purposefully did this to quell the long periods of unrest and conflicts in the city-state. These reforms transferred power from the hands of a few nobles to the citizens thus ensuring political participation. This is also known as democracy. Democracy is undeniably the most practiced form of governance in the civilized world. The Athenian government was made up of three major segments. These included the assembly, the council and the people’s court. They consisted of juries made up of the citizens. This was in order to oversee cases involving fellow citizens. Different from the Athenian form of government, the Romans adopted a Republic structure of governance. In this form of government, the elected persons (apart from just governing) were also expected to be responsible and responsive to their voters (Augustine, 1961).Advertising Looking for essay on ancient history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Romans were the first to draw up a constitution, which was a tool that was later adopted by a majority of governments around the globe. These countries exhibited republican tendencies. These sets of laws written down by the Roman government were, at the time, collectively kn own as the Laws of the Twelve Tablets. Nations later came to realize that having the laws written down protected the rights of the citizens and shielded them from unfounded prosecutions. Another important political aspect that was exhibited by these ancient societies was eligibility for political participation. For example, in Athens, the issues of eligibility for political rights and citizenship were seriously upheld. Therefore, in order to fully participate in politics, one had to be a mature male whose parents were both Athenians. The modern world states and nations that came thereafter came up with various qualifications. For one to be able to participate in politics or to be declared a citizen of the respective nation, he or she had to meet those qualifications. Philosophers were concerned about the issue of human action since they were greatly engaged in differentiating between activity, passivity, involuntarism and culpable actions. Action became a major philosophical topic i n the early 1960s and is slowly becoming a major sub-discipline in modern philosophy. A causalist school of thought postulates that an individual’s reason for acting is the cause of his or her action. It can be accurately argued that reasons lead to actions. Some philosophers like Harry Frankfurt have tried to explain the concept of human action and has tried to determine its compatibility with the large concept of determinism. Philosophers argued that political revolutions experienced in the governments of the world were as a result of human action. People are never satisfied with their constitution. They are always grumbling, never quiet and always require that some changes be made on the constitution. Under the concept of human action was another topic of humanism. Humanism marries the concepts of history and human actions. The concept of eligibility for political rights and citizenship were greatly focused upon and qualifications were set for individuals to meet. The mode rn world states and states that came thereafter came up with various qualifications for one to be able to participate in politics. Apart from politics, it was also necessary that one met the set standards before being granted complete citizenship of a city-state (Sayers, 1999). The citizens were the only ones who were allowed to own and keep slaves together with all other forms of property.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Greek City state and the Roman Empire specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Sparta, for example, women were afforded the opportunity and privilege of being literate. This was a different ethical dimension compared to what was the norm in previous years. This was quite different from what other city-states like Athens did to their womenfolk. The liberation of women in Athens, for example, became an inspiration to the contemporary states and societies to recognize the position of women in the society. Another important issue was the payment of taxes. The ancient Greek, Roman and Greek states lay much emphasis on tax payment. These changes in ethical dimensions formed the economic background of a majority of the states that came thereafter. References Augustine, C. (1961). Confessions. Baltimore: Penguin Books. Sayers, S. (1999). Plato’s Republic: An Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Wolin, S. (1960). Politics and Vision: Continuity and Innovation in Western Political thought. Boston: Brown Co.

Given Circumstances Activity for Student Actors

Given Circumstances Activity for Student Actors In a dramatic scene or monologue or improvisation, the term â€Å"given circumstances† refers to the â€Å"who, where, what, when, why, and how† of the characters: Who are you? (Name, age, gender, nationality, physical health, mental health, etc.)Where are you? (In a room, outdoors, on an airplane, in a stagecoach, at a party, at a ball, etc.)When does the action occur? (In the present, in the past, in the imagination, in the future, in a dream, etc.)Why are you present in this situation? (Hiding, celebrating, escaping, seeking?)How are you behaving? (Loudly, stealthily, subtly, conversationally, physically, coyly?) Given circumstances are directly stated and/or indirectly inferred from the text of a script or from the interaction with scene partners in improvisational work: what a character says, does or does not do, and what other characters say about him or her. Student Actor Activity To give student actors practice in considering and communicating given circumstances, here is an activity led by Gary Sloan, author of In Rehearsal: In the World, in the Room, and On Your Own. Materials Needed: PaperWriting instruments Directions: Ask students to think about where they currently are (a classroom, a studio, a rehearsal stage) and then give some thought to why they are there.Distribute paper and pens or pencils and give students this writing assignment: Think about yourself and write a paragraph about your current given circumstances- Who are you? Where are you right now and why are you here? How are you feeling or behaving? Ask students to place the most emphasis on the why and the how aspects of this written reflection. (Note: You may choose to have students identify themselves by name or you can leave that part of the â€Å"who† out of the writing.)Give students 15 to 20 minutes of silent writing time.Call time and ask students to place whatever they have written- even if they do not feel it is complete- on a table or chair or rehearsal box located somewhere in the room, preferably in a central location.Instruct all students to walk slowly in a circle around the object holding the pieces of paper. Then , whenever they feel the impulse to, they should take one of the papers (not their own, of course). Once all students have a paper, ask them to familiarize themselves with what’s written on it- Read it carefully, absorb it, think about the words and the ideas.After giving students 5 or so minutes, explain that each will read the words on the paper aloud to the group as if auditioning for a part. They are to treat the words as if they are a monologue and deliver a cold reading. Tell students: â€Å"Read it aloud as if this is YOUR story. Make us believe you mean it.†One at a time, when a student is ready, have each deliver the words on the chosen paper. Remind them to remain conversational and speak as if the words were their own. Reflection After all the students have shared their readings, discuss what it was like to deliver someone else’s words as if they were your own. Liken this experience to what actors must do with lines of dialogue in a published script. Discuss whether and how this activity increased students’ understanding of given circumstances and how to use them in their character work.

Nurse Facilitated Hospital Discharge Planning in an Elderly Unit Literature review

Nurse Facilitated Hospital Discharge Planning in an Elderly Unit - Literature review Example Patients with complex care needs, including frail and elderly or those with mental problems, may require continuing care in special housing, residential or nursing homes, and need a ‘package of care’ to support them back to good health after hospital discharge (McKenna et al, 2000, p.594-601). Such population demands effective discharge arrangements. Discharge planning is â€Å"a facet of the overall care of the patient, developed through the application of the nursing process† (Watts, 2005). It is a process â€Å"that is dependent on inter-professional collaboration between health and welfare professionals† (Atwal, 2002). Study of problems of discharging patients from hospitals have been in focus during the last two decades, and some of the shortcomings identified are: â€Å"poor communication between hospital and community; inadequate notice of discharge; over-reliance in informed support and lack of support; inattention to patient’s needs before leaving hospital; and wasted or duplicated visits by community nurses† (McKenna et al, 2000, p.594-601). â€Å"Cost effective, coordinated, high-quality discharge planning† is integral to control increasing healthcare costs and hospital personnel must become more adept at preparing patients for discharge as there is a decrease in length of acute hospital stay, and increase in care shift to communities and homes (Lalani & Gulzar, 2001). â€Å"Aged care assessment team (ACAT)† model, operating in Australia, may be helpful in streamlining hospital discharge process in the U.K. (Robinson & Street, 2003). ACAT, a key multidisciplinary group primarily comprising nurses and paramedical staff, is involved in determining the discharge needs of older people Hence, decreasing length of patient stay in hospitals is paramount agenda in every health care planner and eliminating long waiting lists and freeing up of ‘blocked beds’ could be possible with effective an d efficient discharge planning procedures.  

Dietary supplements (e.g vitamins,herbal extracts,etc) Research Paper

Dietary supplements (e.g vitamins,herbal extracts,etc) - Research Paper Example Amino acids, which are the individual building blocks of proteins, are part of these substances. The supplements can come in form of pills, tablets, capsule, or liquid form. They add to the usual daily diet and must not be considered for food. They are widely available and some people take them for healthy purposes or because of health related complications. Minerals and vitamins are the common supplements. They include vitamin C or multivitamin, herbs and plants and natural source substances like omega-3 fatty acids. The supplements, according to the processors, contribute to well-being and health maintenance, but may treat, diagnose, or prevent infections or disease. Many people have used the ingredients for many years to treat illness and help health. At times some of these supplements are a basis for common medicines today. For instance, willow bark tea, for centuries, has been a fever control mechanism. Phamceutical firms eventually realised that it contained a chemical that helps in fevr reduction and used the knowledge to come up with aspirin (HOLLENSTEIN, 2007). The researcher used random questionnaires to collect information from people around his locality. The questionnaire had questions related to the necessity of using dietary supplements. Some of the questionnaires were online while the researcher distributed others manually to collect information locally and internationally. The method used was survey questioning where information from online questionnaires was compiled and related with that of the other respondents. They do provide a nutritional support to the body of a human being and help in meeting optimal nutrient levels to ensure health from the baseline. 35% of the respondents believe that dietary supplements are good for consumption, 4% think that some of them prevent influenza, 2% take them for boosting their immune, 10% support its consumption