A Taste of Honey How does Shelagh Delaney present the changing factors of Jo’s character? Essay

In this essay I am going to be looking at the play a taste of honey and looking at the factors of Jo’s character. This play was written in 1956 the writer Shelagh Delaney was only a teenager when she wrote this play Helen and Jo are mother and daughter and they live in tatty flats. Helen meets a man named peter and they get married. Helen leaves goes to live with peter. Jo meets a boy who is in the navy. They spend Christmas together Jo gets pregnant and the boy leaves. Jo meets another boy called Geof and they set up home together. Geof is bisexual. Helens marriage breaks up because peter goes off with a younger woman. Helen comes back to and moves back in and get rid of Geof and he leaves and then it is mother and daughter again In the play Jo is the main character as she is always present in the play. In the play Jo meets Jimmy who is the father of her child and she also meets Geof who is bisexual and they have a relationship, Jo also has relationships with her mother Helen. Jo and Helen doesn’t get on well with each other and Helen leaves Jo at home when she goes out in the play a lot happens too Jo her mother leaves she gets pregnant, she lives with a bisexual and her mother returns Thought out the play Jo’s character changes at the start Jo is critical as she says to her mother â€Å"your knocking them back worse than ever† she is capital and organised as she says â€Å"I hate to see an un-shaded electrical light bulb I will put my scarf around it†, â€Å"im not just talented im jeanious† When Jo meets peter her character changes she becomes as she says â€Å"she’s jealous† she says this because she is jealous of her mother. Jo becomes quarrelsome when she says â€Å"I can’t bear to see me being affectionate with anyone† Jo also becomes annoying. When her mother Helen leaves Jo becomes resentful of her mother as she says â€Å"you don’t half knock them back these days† this is her being resentful of her mother. Jo is also hurt as her mother has left her when she says â€Å"you like to leave me alone† she says this because she does not want here mother with her because she has hurt her. When her mother leaves she also feels unloved by her mother. Jo changes again when she meets Jimmy she becomes flirtatious when she says â€Å"I love you† and when Jo says â€Å"I can’t resist myself†. Jo also becomes coy when Jo says â€Å"it’s my school girl complexion† and â€Å"anything might happen† Jo also likes attention because she did not get any love of her mother. Jo also says to Jimmy â€Å"you enjoyed it as much as I did† she says this because she is getting the attention she wants. Jo character changes again when she meets Geof she becomes insulting my calling him â€Å"a big sister†. Jo also becomes cynical â€Å"it’ll always be number one by itself† and becomes frightened when she is heavily pregnant, she is frightened when she says â€Å"I don’t want this baby I don’t want to be a woman†. When Jo’s mother Helen comes back she gets rid of Geof this is when Jo is in labour and becomes less assertive when she says â€Å"are you coming back† Jo becomes resigned â€Å"by baby will be back† she becomes less assertive when she can’t argue back when she is in labour. Shelagh Delaney uses dramatic devices to show the changes into Jo’s character, the first one I am going to write about is Conflict and fights that take place between all characters; there are quarrels between Helen and Jo there is also quarrels and fights between Jo and Peter. When Jo physically attacks peter this is because he is taking her mother away from her. Helen and Jo have had another argument about Helens engament to peter. There is also conflict between Helen, Jo and Geof when they argue about the care of Jo. When Helen and peter are about to split up there is arguments’s between them. It is to avoid conflict that Geof leaves to avoid conflict as he is very selfless. In the play there is a lot of contrast there are love scenes juxtaposed with quarrels with Helen and Jo; Helen and peter and which Jo and Jimmy where they say â€Å"Will you marry me† and â€Å"I love you† and Helen shows love to Jo â€Å"why don’t you lie down† which is another love hate relationship In the play there are two very different people Jo is frightened, Critical, Determined and insecure; Helen is Selfish, bossy, neglectful, and disorganized. There are also 3 different men who visit the flat they are Peter who drinks, insults, and is homophobic; Geof who is bisexual, caring, supportive, and hard working; and finally there is Jimmy who loves, immature, persuasive, and reliable. In the play there is a use of music and dance, each character is introduced with some music can suggest aspects of there character the music gives a surreal effect and can help gives the time gaps in the play Use of dramatic unities is clear unity of place is shaven when everything in the play is in of near the flat people visit the flat, and leave. The only person who stays in the play the whole way thought is Jo. The unity of time is clear when in the play everything happens in a year Jo moves from a school girl to a working loving partner into a loving relationship to a parent. The unity of action is shown when the play comes full cycle. It is cyclical that Helen and Jo are alone in the flat and the cycle of deprivation continues but there is a new life on its way. Jo mirrors Helen in that they have both a failed relationship. In the play the use of language reveals the factors in which cause Jo to change; there are insults between the characters. There is also a use of expletives like â€Å"Silly Bitch† and â€Å"little bastard† and â€Å"sour faced old bitch†. The educated language of Helen shows her using impressive vocabulary like when she says â€Å"The only conclusion I can find in your immediate presents is your ultimate absents†. Jimmy also has an educated language as he has knowledge of Shakespeare. The social conclusions manifest aspects of Jo’s character. Poor housing is clear in Jo’s character; Jo lives in a small 1 bed-roomed flat and it has a shared bathroom with the other flat. The flat is in Manchester and it is by the ship cannel which is polluted; the flat is also by the gas works which smells, this means that the cost of housing in the area is low. Helen has a low income as she is a prostitute and Jo has 2 low paided jobs. Geof has a student grant from the government and he makes clothes for the baby as it is cheaper than buying them. Helen is a prostitute she properly became a prostitute because she might have had no money and she also had a child to support.

Education and Social Mobility Essay

Historically, due to our post-colonial background, that of the plantation society, education was only afforded to the white, upper class individuals. In order to establish and reinforce a hierarchy of power and ownership, wealthy capitalists ensured first-rate education for their children, while actively excluding members of the lower classes from this luxury. Due to the caste system, students or individuals are stratified, where individuals from non- traditional school have less opportunity for social mobility, solely due to fact that students or individuals from traditional schools are of such social class, that their opportunity is based on their ascribed characteristics, which influences them in a profound way. Nonetheless, it is my view that this is a fact, due to the differences in class and culture, students will have varied access to resources with regard to education, and therefore, there will be different opportunity for education and social mobility within our society. Firstly, while conducting the research on this thesis, it was found that the functionalist theory was not applicable, as the functionalist view studies the ways in which education aids society, as such, this sociological perspective did not support any of my points being made within this research paper. However, this research proved that the main views are supported by the Marxist conflict theory, which studies the ways in which education manages the imbalance of power in our society. Due to socioeconomic background of individuals, those from low-income backgrounds are less likely to graduate from high school, less likely to go to university and even if Comment [A1]: Very good they do graduate, they are less likely to complete university if they enrol. Consequently, the gap between children from the lower socioeconomic strata and those from the middle and upper strata tends to increase with the level of school. This relates to social class; where the higher the social class, the more likely parents are to hold high expectations, and positively influence the child to attain a high degree of education. This suggests that schools contribute to educational inequality, where children who are deprived by their social background when they enter school become even more disadvantaged as they progress through school, and as such at a greater difficulty for social mobility. Comment [A2]: Good This is supported by an article taken from the Jamaica Gleaner, by contributor Michael Waul, who agrees with this notion. Students from marginalised socio-economic backgrounds, giving rise to disparate educational experiences is greatly evident in the preparatory/primary and traditional/ non-traditional high-school divide. Where access to quality education remains largely determined by societal class, a fact evident not only in the differential resources available to schools but also the background of students entering better-resourced institutions. Comment [A3]: What does a conflict perspective say about this issue? This helps to perpetuates historical societal divisions, that of our post-colonial plantation society, where rewarding those from higher social classes while placing those from lower classes at an increasing disadvantage. This results in low CXC pass rates, increasing number of high-school dropouts in regards to non-traditional high schools, therefore leading to a decrease in the number of students attending university for tertiary education. Subsequently, with regard to primary and/or preparatory schools, a great majority of students are passing the GSAT examination; however with the majority of the passes, students are being placed into non-traditional high school, where only a minority of students are being placed in traditional high schools. This only proves to further the division between the upper class and the lower class, while other students are placed into non- traditional schools solely because of the environment in which they live. Even though some students may excel in their examinations, due to where they reside, they are placed in schools that are close to their homes, and as a result their chance for social mobility diminishes, as they are not able to have access to resources Comment [A4]: Issue of screening and facilities, that are available at traditional schools, and as such greatly disadvantage from the start of their education, and as such there is social inequality. This is supported from an article from the Jamaican Gleaner, by Michael Waul, noting that access to tertiary education is a difficult option for the poor. As such, poverty prevents economic freedom and choice, and so despite ones willingness, this circumvents many realities of their experience, where the poor is held in the vicious cycle of continuous poverty, and as such at a great disadvantage for social mobility for those students from non-traditional schools which are mostly individuals from the lower socioeconomic background. Another element which affects the social mobility of students from traditional school versus students from non-traditional schools is that of the neo-Marxist reproduction theory, which involves what is known as â€Å"tracking†. This involves the assignment of students according to class and basic work roles. This grouping by ability, or tracking of students, has been common in non-traditional schools. In fact, as students progress through school, they tend to take classes that ensure they will remain in the same track, where they are at a disadvantage for social mobility. So instead of promoting democracy, social mobility and equality, schools reproduce the ideology of the dominant groups in society. This is supported by theorist Pierre Bourdieu, where each individual occupies a position in a social space, by his or her habit, which include beliefs or mannerism and also by cultural capital, where belief and mannerism are in some cultural settings, however, not in some. This is evident between the cultures of traditional schools and non-traditional school. Similarly, another aspect which affects, and illustrates my notion of the inequality of traditional school versus non-traditional schools is referred to as the hidden curriculum. This system includes values and beliefs that support the status quo, thus reinforcing the existing social hierarchy, which include the books we read and various classroom activities that we participate in. On the other hand, theorist and other individuals will disagree with my argument, and contest that students from non-traditional schools do have a great opportunity for social mobility. Others believe tracking systems does allow for some mobility, and the effects of tracking depend upon the way the tracking is organised according to Gamoran. This view is supported by an article in the Jamaica Gleaner, by Micheal Waul where students in traditional schools, such as preparatory schools are not inherently more intelligent than the other students from non-traditional school. However, due to disparity in performance, what differentiates them is largely a matter of economics. This suggests that wealthier parents are better able to fund the private schooling of their children in institutions which are better equipped to meet the students’ learning needs. Likewise, parents who lack financial support are more likely to enrol their children in the non-traditional schools, which is limited to government-provided resources. However, this is not sufficient in allowing student from non-traditional school to acquire the necessary resources needed to be best able to perform at their maximum capacity. Contrary to this perspective, there are the rare occasions that occur when students from non-traditional schools strive against all the odds, and actually excel in their examination. Thus allowing them to be placed in traditional schools, which in turn provides them with the necessary resources needed to move upward on the social ladder. This is evident as I have read in the Jamaica Observer, that the top performing boy and girl in the GSAT examination in 2013, are from non-traditional schools, and as such are the rare cases. Another view, contrary to my belief, is from an article from the Jamaica Gleaner, by Robert Buddan, in which individuals from poorer or less-advantaged communities and households can achieve and while poverty hinders, as previously stated. Also individuals from lower class society and single-parent families can achieve given good personal and institutional guidance. However, the students have to be dedicated and committed, and teachers who have confidence in each other can make up for the lack of financial support and other disadvantages which may arise. This is evident in the case of traditional schools such as St. Georges College and Kingston College. The founders of the institutions could have established the school ‘uptown’ instead of ‘downtown’, as other institutions such as Campion and Ardenne High School have done. However, they built their school downtown, and as such the founders did the opposite in all respects. The schools were established downtown, and as such opportunities were offered to great numbers from all classes in order to make education affordable. However, contrary to the beliefs of the conflict theory, the interactionist theorists believe that students from non-traditional schools can achieve social mobility. This is possible through social interaction with peers. Due to the fact that not all upper class students are placed in traditional schools, there are the few that are placed non-traditional school. This allows a mix of social class, and as such, some children will push themselves to achieve more, to that of the standards of the upper class. This outcomes allow students from traditional school to be able to interact with other students from upper class society, thus the student would be shaped in such a manner. This intern allows the student to gather and grasps the different cultures and values from that of the elites of society, on how to behave in our modern society, and thus becoming more affluent in relating to individual from the upper class of society. This will allow them increased opportunity for social mobility, due the fact that student would interact with their peers from their school, allowing them the opportunity to different aspects of the social world, and thus have a different view from that of student from non-traditional school This is evident as students from a lower socioeconomic background, when placed in a traditional school, due to interaction with other students from that school, there attitude and values gradually tend to start changing. Due to this interaction, these individual strive to be similar to those higher economic background, and as such are at a greater position for social mobility. Nonetheless, it is evident that students from non-traditional school have increasing opportunity for social mobility, as our society is gradually changing, where the need for skilled labourer are becoming more necessary. It is in non-traditional school, where the more technical skills are being offered such as mechanical engineering and technical drawing. As such, these students from non-traditional schools are being offered more opportunities for social mobility, as the employment sector has become more diverse, and has changed from the past, where mostly teachers and government employees, had prominent positions for social mobility. However this has not bridged the gap in social classes in entering top level positions. In conclusion, with regards to my thesis statement, the most important sociological perspectives of this research are both the Conflict theory and Interactionist theory. The Functionalist theory did not support the points being made in this research, as the functionalist believe that education is equal, where my belief completely contradict this view. After detailed reading and research I found that the gap between social mobility between students from traditional school versus non-traditional school have greatly decrease over the last 40 years, and now traditional school, does not necessarily ensure social mobility of it students. However, there is still a great gap present, but it is gradually becoming closer. 12/15 While the functionalist theory does not support your point, it would have been good for you to mention some of their key issues and how education reinforces social norms and then you can then refute some claims. Very good attempt overall – very astute in your thinking and writing.

Imaginative: Context Justice

Individuals will go to extraordinary lengths?even fight against an entire, community ?in order to seek Justice. Dearest Scout, I know that as I write this, you are much too young to understand the events that are happening around us which will affect you one day. I hope that as you read this five, ten, or even fifteen years in the future, you can understand my motives behind what I have done. Our family name has come under great scrutiny because I took on a case that I feel I was called to do by our Lord himself. I was approached to defend TomRobinson against claims that he had committed unlawful acts on a young girl he lived near. I knew from the moment I accept this case that I would not win. A colored man on trial for a crime such as rape Is never going to win. Just talking to someone of color Is considered a terrible act In today's society. You are Intelligent enough to realism how the Finch family Is considered now that I have fought long and hard for Tom. During the trial, I di d not want you or your brother In the town because I knew what the townsfolk would whisper or gossip about as you walked by In your own innocent, imaginative state in which I admire every day.They whisper terrible things about me, that I love Negroes and don't appreciate the responsibility and ‘privileged' life I have because of my skin color. Scout, you are the brightest young lady I will ever know, and I pray that you, too, realism that just because someone has dark colored skin, doesn't make them a terrible person. Everyone deserves the right for justice – regardless of their gender, age, status or skin color. The accepted notion of society in South Alabama is that blacks do not have the same rights as white, and hat a black man's testimony in court is not as credible as that of a white man.I attempted, in the courtroom, to go against the accepted views of society by putting Tom Robinson on the stand and offered his testimony in direct conflict with that of the white so-called victim. This was seen as a disgusting act against the American justice system. However, sometimes, all a case needs is one person to put their hand up for someone in order to turn their life around. That one person could, potentially, change the outcome of someone's life.You must be careful though, Scout, because if the wrong person is put in charge, he can take severe advantage of people and ruin society- Just like in that book you loved when I read to you, ‘Animal Farm'. When the animals put all of their trust and hope in the hands of Napoleon, he does them wrong and manipulates them to see the wrong In others so his wrongs are hidden. I hope, and I pray, that you will see that I am not a terrible person for doing what the community think is a wrong' against our family. Society Is very similar to Napoleon.It often highlights the flaws in others In order to hide and defend Itself. I have bought you up so you won't Just take on any pollen. You are highly opinionated and aren't easily pressured into thinking or doing something you do not agree with. May you always have this opinion, as I don't think that others will In times to come. Sometimes one has to go against the normality In society to unsure that Justice Is seen for everyone. I have had to do this, and I hope that you do too, as It Is one of the bravest acts one could do for another. I love you, Scout. CICS.

The Choice by Russell Roberts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Choice by Russell Roberts - Assignment Example He claims that as a nation, America can specialize in producing televisions but it is much better for them to concentrate their resources on producing goods or services which they are really good at and leave the production of goods, like television, to other countries (Japan). This way they (Americans) better utilize their time and resources for making more money than as compared to Japan (Roberts 10). The reverse is also true for Japan, which may or may not be good at making drugs, which Americans are good at. Roberts provides a convincing argument on the theory of comparative advantage. I agree with Roberts that instead of protecting one's own industries and businesses, the trade should be shared to even the weaknesses and strengths of the world's economies. If America is good at making drugs and can fetch a higher price for them then it would be better to concentrate resources to market drugs to other countries. It should create a niche by developing drugs, (or any other products) to maximize its resources. Since time and labor are scarce resources in economic terms, it is logical that a country's authority makes the right choice to free trade regulations to help its industries to "swap" products. The real deal is the ability of the country to find the products that should be sold to other countries and chooses products which are cheaper in comparison. This is necessary for the theory of comparative advantage to work for an economy to earn profit from the "swap". Roberts makes this claim based on Ricardo's theory, assuming that other countries of the world are willing to trade as well and that all economies of the world are stable in their production and resources. However, what happens when an economy, A, is not stable? What will happen if the other country, B, is not willing to trade due to lack of "money" or lack of product to sell to A? In such a scenario, I believe the theory of comparative advantage will not wor of well.  

Effect of retiring baby boomers to US economy Research Paper

Effect of retiring baby boomers to US economy - Research Paper Example In this regard, it has been projected that the world will have about 1 billion elderly people by the year 2030, which accounts for about 33% of the world population3. As earlier stated, the U.S. is one among the countries facing the challenge of an aging population. This is because its population has been aging very fast though as fast as that of Japan. Research indicates that the U.S. aging population increased to 13.1% in 2010 up from 8.3% in 19504. The growth is projected to reach around 19.9% by 2030 and 21.2% by the year 2050. However, the research also found out that as the aging population continues to increase, the population consisting of children and the working class will decline in a few decades to come. Projections suggest that the U.S. aging population will increase by double digits in the next forty years. In this regard, the elderly age group above 65 years will increase to about 88.5 by the year 2050 up from 40.2 million in 2010. The United States is currently worrie d with the rate at which the aging population is increasing. This is because it implies that it will soon retire many baby boomers that have been very important to the U.S. economy5. In this regard, many U.S. citizens including economic analysts in the country claim that retiring baby boomers might adversely affect the U.S. economy being that it is currently struggling to recover from recession. However, not everyone is of opinion as some are skeptical arguing that retiring baby boomers may not affect the economy in a negative way. Baby boomers are basically those born between 1946 to about 1960s6. Mathematically, people born during this time are approaching their retirement age as per U.S. labor laws where the retirement age stands at 65 years of age. Mckinsey Global Institute reveals that the latest census report on America’s population found out that there are about 78 million baby boomers in the U.S. born somewhere between 1946 and 19647. This implies that a very huge num ber of baby boomers are likely to be retired in the near future, something that will most likely affect the economy in one way or the other. The objective of this paper is to examine the impacts that retiring baby boomers may have on the U.S. economy. To begin with, retiring baby boomers will impacts on the U.S. economy in different ways both positively and negatively. Currently baby boomers form the majority of workforce in the U.S. In fact, the baby boomers have contributed greatly to the growth of the United States something that cannot be denied8. This is evident from the kind of development that the America has experienced since 1946 to date. Research indicates that the American baby boomers numbering about 79 million according to a census report have earned huge amount of incomes, created wealth, which in turn spurred economic growth9. Therefore, retiring this population will most likely leave a big vacuum in the workforce, as there will be a reduction in the skilled workforce to help restore the economy of the U.S. to where it was before the financial crisis of 2007/2008. However, since the U.S. economy is still struggling to recover from the recent financial meltdown, retiring baby boomers may worsen the situation according to some economic pundits. This is because there will be little expertise to help in revamping the economy

A multinational company maximises its competitive advantage by Essay

A multinational company maximises its competitive advantage by controlling its own supply chain. Discuss - Essay Example According to Caves (2007) any business, which has showed potentiality of having varied number of chain stores located in different parts of the world is capable of achieving adequate economies of scale such as timeliness, humble use of global resources and market dominance amongst other aspects, which can only be relevant to the maintenance of supply chain. Globalization and FDI The globalization of commerce has a major impact on modern business (TOMAR, 2009). Globalization affects the way business is carried out and the geographical area where a business can operate. With globalization, even small businesses are able t operate in the global arena, which then leads to Foreign Direct Investment. Foreign Direct Investment affects and in turn is affected by the supply chain. It also affects the supply chain decisions which a firm is likely to make with regard to whether they are going to manage their entire supply chain or if they are going to outsource the supply chain to a third part. With regard to choosing a supply chain model, businesses look for the model which will offer them strategic edge over their competitors. It is therefore not a matter of choice, but it is a matter of choosing the most efficient way of survival in a marketplace that has been made even more competitive by the existence of globalization. Issues of competitive advantage simply entail an organization being able to dominate the market over other firms who trade in the same line of product. Firms that have numerous numbers of chain stores in different countries have got potentials of achieving increased sales volume. Besides proper choice of the location of an industry is the most practical way of distribution of production cost. Therefore, with very minimal cost of production a company can easily enjoy the competitive advantage. Moreover, with several advantages associated with supply chains, the company would be left with principal mandate of concentrating on other internal aspects of pr oduction, and this makes appropriate benefit to the maintenance of supply chain by an organization (working mother, 2001). The Coase Theory of Transactions Costs and Decisions Making The Coase theory postulates that in the absence of transactional costs, businesses would be able to share the property space without having to worry how resources are allocated (Jager, 2008). In regard to the supply chain, what this means is that if there are no negotiation costs between two firms which are at different levels in a single supply chain, the two firms would not mind continuing to depend on each other to complete the supply chain. The Coase theory was developed by Ronald Coase who tried to understand the free markets and why regulations are not necessary. According to the Coase theory, an organization would only then choose to control all its supply chain if there were costs of negotiating the terms of service with other firms in the supply chain. If these costs of negotiation do not exist , the costs of outsourcing some of the supply chain would not hinder a firm from outsourcing. In fact, according to the Coase theory, where transactions of negotiations do not exist, the two (or more) firms in a supply chain would naturally gravitate to the most efficient relationships with the most efficient supply chain. This implies that in the abs

Two Visions in The Heart of Darkness by Edward Said Essay

Two Visions in The Heart of Darkness by Edward Said - Essay Example Therefore, in a reflective analysis of the impact of colonialism and imperialism on the colonized nations as well as the visions provided in the novel Heart of Darkness, it becomes lucid that the author makes an important point when he refers to a network of interdependent histories. As Edward Said maintains in his article â€Å"Two Visions in The Heart of Darkness†, the network of interdependent histories provide the best illustration of why the former colonies of the European countries undergo a fundamental crisis in the cotemporary. The situation in these countries is not the result of self-inflicted wounds or the total responsibility of the colonizers. According to the author, â€Å"blaming the Europeans sweepingly for the misfortunes of the present is not much of an alternative. What we need to do is to look at these matters as a network of interdependent histories that it would be inaccurate and senseless to repress, useful and interesting to understand.† (Said, 4 22) A reflective analysis of the famous novel by Conrad, which reflects the imperialist settings of Africa, confirms that there is a network of interdependent histories which resulted in the contemporary situation of the post colonial world. The role of patriotism, chauvinism, ethnic, religious, religious, and racial hatreds in worsening the current situation makes the argument clear. In short, the author makes an essential point when he suggests that a network of interdependent histories have contributed to the contemporary.

Emily Dickinson a unique voice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emily Dickinson a unique voice - Essay Example She becomes more of a life force than a person and can see and experience almost anything. She shows that even the smallest things around us—a grain of sand, a pismire, a cow—contain an enormous history and an enormous power. A mouse is capable of inspiring the awe of an entire religion (Blake 56). Most significantly, she seems to believe, like Whitman, that â€Å"the narrowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery.† This is a celebration of all that has gone into creating the world and how deeply it can inspire us—like the best romantic poetry. Once again nature is an enormous canvas which is all interlinked and inspires great beauty. The bee is â€Å"kinsman† to the grass, and all the things of the world are â€Å"sweet litigants for life.† And on top of these sentiments, the bee is â€Å"sovereign.† These emphasis on nature shows how unique she is. Two important elements of romanticism are the individual versus society and a reliance on human emotion over cold rationality. Both of these principles can be seen in effect in Rousseau’s Confessions and Emily Dickinsons poetry (Knapp 102). Rousseau’s long autobiography Confessions constantly points out how different and apart he is from other people. "I am not made like any of those I have seen; I venture to believe that I am not made like any of those who are in existence. If I am not better, at least I am different" (Rousseau 23). This is a central theme of romanticism. The person who lives truly, understanding himself and nature, in tune with his emotions, is a person apart. The romantic is often portrayed as alone and sensitive—either ostracized by others because of his uniqueness or choosing like a hermit to be free of the conformist and corrupting world of society. This book also celebrates the power and centrality to life of emotion. He writes that, â₠¬Å"If I had ever, a single time in my

Should the university cancel on-line courses Essay - 1

Should the university cancel on-line courses - Essay Example The results of such studies insinuated that the positive perception regarding online education has continued to grow. Apart from the previously mentioned driving factors, the study also revealed that its growth is facilitated by the increase in the adult population who seek education. It has also grown because most school leaders have endorsed it as an equally competitive option. Above all, the advancement in the information technology concepts has triggered the adoption of online education. This paper focuses on discussing whether universities and colleges should cancel online courses. The initial theory and stand of the argument is that online education provides an alternative that is equally competitive in every aspect compared to the traditional or classroom learning approach. For this reason, higher learning institutions should not cancel online education. One of the most obvious reasons why online courses should not be rescinded is owed to the flexibility and convenience presented by the education system (Ni, 205). The learning system allows individuals who have tight schedules such as working mothers, to access education at their convenient time. Other people who exist in the same category include managers and students who wish to pursue multiple courses at the same time. In this context, such people can access education without interfering with other equally important agendas. On the same context, it helps students to access education without being inconvenienced by longer distances of separation between the location of the institutions and their locations. Secondly, it provides alternatives for students who cannot find their preferred courses in the universities near them without having to relocate to other regions. Studying online is also advantageous because the web is full of different kinds of information that may support students study progress.

Teaching Strategies Adopted by the Teachers in Science High School Handling II-Acacia Essay Example for Free

Teaching Strategies Adopted by the Teachers in Science High School Handling II-Acacia Essay Abstract The researchers sought to determine the teaching strategies of the II-Acacia teachers. This study intends to help various people. The data gathered in the study will be beneficial to the students, faculty, parents, DepEd, and future researchers. Through this study, the strengths and weaknesses of the teaching strategies can be determined. Specifically, it will seek answers to the following sub-problems: 1. What teaching strategies are used by the teachers? 2. What teaching strategies are most often and most seldom used by the teachers? 3. What are the implications of the findings to classroom instruction? 4. What are the recommendations to improve classroom instruction? The researchers used questionnaires. The questionnaires were distributed to teachers. Afterwards, the data was retrieved then organized in tabular form. Then it was copied in to the SPSS. Each teaching strategy employed in the II-Acacia was interpreted one by one. Then, a conclusion was derived. Introduction Since the beginning of time teachers started to pass on their knowledge to their students, over the years they started developing techniques for teaching from basic demonstration to the use of visual aids. Teachers have become an integral part in the society; they provide knowledge to make the child ready when we become adults. Teachers have different strategies to use for the students to learn. According to oregon. gov there are 4 varieties of teaching methods and these are Demonstration, Question and Answer, Role Play, and Short Lecture. As part of a teacher’s teaching strategy they also have a variety of teaching materials which they can use. These can be Audiovisual, Interactive computer, or Games. A teacher is nothing without a student. Students are the main reason why teachers exist. Students have learning techniques to suit them. According to mindtools. com students have 8 learning styles these are Sensory, Intuitive, Visual, Verbal, Active, Reflective, Sequential, and Global. Sensory learners prefer concrete, practical, and procedural information. They look for the facts. Intuitive learners prefer conceptual, innovative, and theoretical information. They look for the meaning. Visual learners prefer graphs, pictures, and diagrams. They look for visual representations of information. Verbal learners prefer to hear or read information. They look for explanations with words. Active learners prefer to manipulate objects, do physical experiments, and learn by trying. They enjoy working in groups to figure out problems. Reflective learners prefer to think things through, to evaluate options, and learn by analysis. They enjoy figuring out a problem on their own. Sequential learners prefer to have information presented linearly and in an orderly manner. They put together the details in order to understand the big picture emerges. Global learners prefer a holistic and systematic approach. They see the big picture first and then fill in the details. Research Problem The researchers want to determine what learning method is commonly used and evaluate it if the learning technique is really effective. This study evaluates and assesses the different teaching strategies of teachers utilized by the teacher in AQ Science High School. The researchers will use SPSS as the statistical tool to evaluate the data. Specifically, it seeks answers to the following sub-problems: 1. What teaching strategies are used by the teachers? 2. What teaching strategies are most often and most seldom used by the teachers? 3. What are the implications of the findings to classroom instruction? 4. What are the recommendations to improve classroom instruction? Related Literature and Studies Institutions of higher learning across the nation are responding to political, economic, social and technological pressures to be more responsive to students needs and more concerned about how well students are prepared to assume future societal roles. Faculty are already feeling the pressure to lecture less, to make learning environments more interactive, to integrate technology into the learning experience, and to use collaborative learning strategies when appropriate. Teaching methods are best articulated by answering the questions, What is the purpose of education? and What are the best ways of achieving these purposes? † For much of prehistory, educational methods were largely informal, and consisted of children imitating or modelling their behaviour on that of their elders, learning through observation and play. In this sense, the children are the students, and the elder is the teacher; a teacher creates the course materials to be taught and then enforces it. Pedagogy is a different way by which a teacher can teach. It is the art or science of being a teacher, generally referring to strategies of instruction or style of instruction. Resources that help teachers teach better are typically a lesson plan, or practical skill involving learning and thinking skills. A curriculum is often set by the Government with precise standards. These standards can change frequently, depending on what the Government states. A study from . asian-efl-journal, the bulk of research into Chinese students’ problem with plagiarism in both the Anglophone and Chinese contexts has given much attention to the culture/education versus language debate, and the development versus morality debate. This study explored the views of two groups of Chinese college English teachers in those regards, one with an experience of English-medium academic training (the PGDELT trainee teachers, n = 29) and the other without (the EFL in-service teachers, n = 30). All participants completed a questionnaire with a few being interviewed. The results indicated that (a) the EFL in-service teachers tended to see Chinese college EFL learners’ plagiarism more as a linguistic problem, whereas the PGDELT trainee teachers tended to see it more as a cultural/educational problem; and (b) the EFL in-service teachers seemed to take a moral perspective as indicated by their penalty-oriented approach to the learners’ plagiarism, whereas the PGDELT trainee teachers appeared to take a more developmental perspective as shown by their pedagogy-oriented approach to the learners’ plagiarism. However, while there seems to be strong evidence for the differences between the two groups in their perceptions regarding the culture/education versus language debate, there is only limited evidence for their different perceptions concerning the development versus morality debate. Moreover, the two groups were also found to differ to some extent in their perceptions concerning the causes of, remedial approaches, and punitive reactions to student plagiarism. Finally, the implications of this study are discussed and recommendations for future research presented. Most teachers and pupils have experienced misunderstanding in an English as a Foreign Language class. Take for example this episode of a teacher being puzzled by a pupil coming to the board, because he said, â€Å"Can’t hear! † (not â€Å"come here ! †). Communication is ruined if there is phonological misunderstanding. Troubetskoy explains that a learner is deaf to foreign sounds, which receive an incorrect phonological interpretation since they are â€Å"strained through the phonological sieve of one’s mother tongue†. As a result, there are numerous misinterpretations (1986, p. 54). This shows how tricky phonological appropriation can be for EFL teaching. By phonological appropriation, we mean matters of sounds, that is phonetics -the study of speech sounds , but also, rhythm and intonation, phonology â€Å"the abstract way phonemes function† (Roach, 2000, p. 44), as well as a mastering level of a linguistic form and its meaning, allowing a learner to use it in an authentic communication situation. Interaction is social and reveals how communication between the learner and other speakers leads to the FL appropriation. By interaction, we mean a language-dynamic communicative exchange among individuals in a functional pragmatic frame (Bailly, 1998, p. 135). This paper is based on both research and teaching, since its author is a researcher and a teacher trainer; it aims at raising this crucial question: Can oral interaction be a trigger to phonetic and phonological appropriation? To start with, this was posed to a group of 80 EFL supervisors coaching teacher trainees in partnership with the University School of Education in Reunion Island (IUFM de la Reunion, France) and their answers were staggering: Can interaction activities favour phonological learning? Yes: 9 No: 39 Don’t know: 32 Can discrimination activities favour phonological learning? Yes: 63 No: 13 Don’t know: 4 This quick survey shows that, unlike discrimination, interaction is not necessarily considered as a means of furthering phonological appropriation. By discrimination, we mean an auditory decoding process allowing the learner to match a speech sound with what he knows. The above-mentioned survey indeed raises many more questions: What about the consequent distinction between the conscious and unconscious process? What about the dichotomy between a form-focused versus a meaning-focused process? What is the respective role of input and output in phonological appropriation? To what extent can motivation help? The main problem raised here is whether cognitive psychology can address all questions, and what could be done to sort it out. It will therefore be worth wondering in this qualitative, descriptive, analytic and experimental study, whether oral interaction, which is now a full skill in the Common European Frame of Reference for Languages, can be seen as a real trigger to phonological appropriation. This study is built on a teacher trainee’s experience in Reunion Island, Indian Ocean. Reunion is the 23rd French region. L1 is Creole French; L2 is French. The major first foreign language taught at school is English (80% choose English, the others taking Spanish, German, Chinese or Tamil). Pupils start learning English as early as primary teaching at the age of 7. The teacher trainee involved is a 24-year-old French-speaking colleague who studied English both at the local university and abroad through an Erasmus exchange programmed. She passed the national competitive proficiency exam for EFL secondary teaching (known as CAPES). The University school of education tutor, who is also the author of this article, visits her in class three times in the year. The class involved is a B1 class (Threshold level in the CEFRL) of 24 fifteen-year-old teenagers. The school mentioned is a secondary high school. This group level is somewhat average with a majority of girls. The group personality is somewhat inhibited and introverted. Their fluency is slowed down by pronunciation difficulties. None has gone to an English speaking country before and all often feel self-conscious when they have to communicate in a foreign language. Our analysis will be threefold. We shall first examine an experience in this B1 class, in which phonology is acquired through phonological discrimination and tested through interaction. We will therefore deduce theoretical and practical issues. In a second part, we will enlarge our theoretical scope and try to find answers to our issues. Eventually, this will lead to a second experience and us to practical assumptions in the same B1 class, this time integrating oral interaction as a trigger to phonological appropriation. A comparison between the two similar assessments should be revealing: sound acquisition, word and sentence rhythm, intonation will be tested by three persons, the trainee for the sounds, the supervisor (a qualified teacher at that school) for rhythm, and myself (a lecturer and a trainer at the university school of education) for intonation. An average class situation was set up in November 2006 (Classe de seconde 4, 24 pupils, Lycee Boisjoly Potier, Tampon, Reunion) taught by our teacher trainee. The sequence was planned for three lessons. The cultural unifier was violence in New York. Two documents were studied: â€Å"Rudolph Giuliani† (Appendix 1) as a listening activity (Assou, 2004, p. 57), â€Å"New York City Mayor disturbed by police officer’s use of force†, November 28, 2006 (Appendix 2), as a reading activity. Once listening and reading, together with speaking will be over, phonology will be acquired through listening discrimination. A final interaction test should help to measure this acquisition. Related Studies The respondents from the college of Nursing and Health Sciences of ­ten preferred to use the following teaching methods: Lecture/Discussion Combination, Class Discussion and In-class Demonstration. They rarely preferred to use Jigsaw Method, Guest speakers, Oral presentations and Panel of experts. The data indicate that some faculty still hold the traditional passive view of learning which involves situations where materials are delivered to students using a lecture-based format. Although the findings of a study by de Caprariis, Barman and Magee (2001) suggest that lecture leads to the ability to recall facts and discussion produces higher level compre ­hension, a more modern view of learning where students are expected to be active in the learning process by participating in collaborative activi ­ties may prove more effective. A research on group-oriented discussion methods has shown that team learning and student-led activities not only produce favorable student performance outcomes, but also foster greater participation, self confidence and leadership ability (Perkins and Saris, 2001; Yoder and Hochevar, 2005). The results of the study of Hunt, Haidet, Coverdale, and Richards (2003) on the student performance in team learning methods show positive learning outcomes as compared to traditional lecture-based methods. In contrast to these findings, a study by Barnes and Blevins (2003) sug ­gests that active, discussion-based methods are inferior to the tradition ­al lecture-based method. However, a comparison of lecture combined with discussion versus active, cooperative learning methods by Morgan, Whorton, and Gunsalus (2000) demonstrated that the use of the lec ­ture combined with discussion resulted in superior retention of material among students. The Polytechnic Institute (PI) supports the curricula designed to culti ­vate and promote among the students high levels of scholarship, desire to seek understanding, a solid foundation in professional and personal responsibility, desire for service, and an ability/willingness to serve as leaders within both the engineering and architecture profession and soci ­ety. Thus, the graduate of PI must possess the ability to identify, formu ­late and execute solutions to multidisciplinary problems encountered in the practice of engineering and architecture. In order to realize these objectives, the faculty of the PI adopts certain teaching methods adapted to the subject matter, capacity of the students, situational needs and related to actual life situations and practices. The data show that the respondents from the Polytechnic Institute always preferred Lecture/Discussion Combination and role playing. Also they always preferred to use lab work and applied projects as teaching methods. They never preferred the Jigsaw Method; Index Card Exercise; Guided Imagery; Socratic Methods; ILPE Method and Brain Writing. The development of problem-solving skills is one of the primary goals of the PI curricula. Problem solving involves five basic components: rec ­ognize and define the problem; formulate the model and identify vari ­ables, knowns and unknowns; select an appropriate solution technique and develop appropriate equations; apply the solution technique (solve the problem); and validate the solution. Solution validation is one of the most important steps in this process and includes interpreting the solu ­tion, identifying its limitations, and assessing its reasonableness using appropriate approximate solutions or common sense. Allowing the stu ­dents to engage in lab work and project studies will help them develop problem solving skills. Also, role playing when properly used introduces problem situation dramatically, provides opportunity for the students to assume roles of others and thus appreciate another point of view. Fur ­thermore, it allows the students to explore solutions and provides oppor ­tunity to practice the skills. The faculty of the College of Business Administration envision to contrib ­ute to the intellectual and personal growth and development of the students and to enhance the competence of the students to engage in all phases of business activity and management. In order to achieve these objectives, the data show that they always preferred Lecture/Discussion Com ­bination and Class Discussion but rarely preferred to use Jigsaw Method, Index Card Exercise and Panel of experts as teaching methods. This means that the faculty of the College of Business Administration believed that by using the Lecture method combined with class discus ­sion, the students would be able to acquire knowledge on the core areas of business, perceive the global nature of organizational and economic activities, recognize the role of law and ethics in business behaviour, un ­derstand and appreciate the impact of demographic diversity on organi ­zations and understand and appreciate the impact of sustainability and the natural environment on organizations, the impact of organizations on sustainability and the natural environment, understand organizations and the process of management, develop the ability to work effectively, inde ­pendently and collaboratively, and integrate core area skills in problem solving and decision making. The College of Arts, Sciences and Education brings together disciplines in the arts, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, and social scienc ­es and education t o form the intellectual heart of the University. It fosters liberal education, promotes lifelong learning, research, creative activ ­ity, social and professional responsibility, and growth. To these ends, its faculty challenges students to think critically and intuitively, cross disci ­plinary boundaries, recognize and value diverse perspectives, and solve problems creatively by through the use of different teaching methods. Since the College of Arts, Sciences and Education is committed to a liberal education orientation, it must provide the students with oppor ­tunities for: expansion of the boundary of knowledge, preservation and enrichment of a countrys cultural heritage, development of personal and social adjustment, cultivation of intelligent citizenship, acquisition of self-discovery and self-understanding, development of an oral and writ ­ten competency, maximization of the capacity for critical and imagina ­tive thinking, and understanding of international relations and affairs. This awareness of the commonly held objectives of the college provided broad bases for the faculty’s use of various teaching activities and meth ­ods. Thus, in this college, learning should provide opportunities beyond the knowledge of the subject matter of a particular course. The courses should not be restricted to the instruction of abstract theories, but should afford opportunities for students to develop skills of effective oral and written expression, to improve their ability to relate to others, to learn to think critically and scientifically, and to feel the need for continuous growth even outside the university campus. The importance of such in ­tellectual and social stimulation beyond the mere knowledge parameters of the course content should be emphasized. The college has the following major departments: Natural sciences, Mathematics, Social Sciences, LLH/Communication and MAPE/Profes ­sional Education. It is assumed that the teaching methods used in the class may differ from subject to subject since the method that the faculty may prefer to use may depend on the goals of the subject. The goal of the Natural Sciences component of the curriculum is to help the students increase their scientific literacy and capacity to ap ­proach scientific materials intelligently, and to convey the general understanding of science as a way of looking at the world. In order to achieve these goals, the faculty of the Natural Sciences Depart ­ment often preferred to use Lecture/Discussion Combination, Team Project Method, lab work, Worksheets/Surveys, In-class Demonstra ­tion, Panel of Experts and Explanatory Discussion as their teaching methods. However, the data show that the respondents had never preferred to use guest speakers, applied projects, Simulation and the ILPE Method. The next data on the teaching method preferences are from the Mathematics teachers of the College of Arts, Sciences and Education. The findings of the study show that this group of respondents always preferred in-class exercises. This group of respondents never preferred to use Jigsaw Method, guest speakers, Videotapes, Report-Back Session, Role Playing, Panel of ex ­perts, Explanatory Discussion, Reflective Discussion, Debate, ILPE Method, Guided Imagery, Brain Writing and PBL as teaching methods. This implies that the faculty adopted these teaching methods in order to provide the students precision in numerical expression, logical thinking and problem solving. However, other instructional methods may also be proven effective for developing mathematical comprehension. The most important of these could be the use of hands-on, active learning tech ­niques in the classroom. Of equal import is the need to make students understand the utility of the material they are being taught. Students need to understand and appreciate the need for their courses. Many students leave their mathematics courses thinking that the material will never be used in their courses. It is essential that mathematics courses have some future value in their program of studies. The mathematics portion of a student’s curriculum should not be simply something â€Å"to get through. † This means that the faculty teaching mathematics and others must coor ­dinate their curriculum. They must teach concepts and methods that are applicable to current practice, and these methods must be employed in other curriculum within a reasonable time period after the students learn the techniques. In mathematics teaching, teachers provide students with adequate oppor ­tunities to engage in math activities to help them in the self-exploration and cooperation and exchange in the process to really understand and master the mathematics knowledge and skills, ideas and methods, and to learn valuable math. Thus, participation and learning efficiency of the method is used when appropriate relevant. The social sciences component of the curriculum aims to make the stu ­dents aware of the general problems and issues, especially those with relevance to the Philippine society; and to enhance students’ awareness of the importance of scientific approaches to the discussion and analysis of social issues. In order to achieve these aims, the faculty teaching the social sciences always preferred Brainstorming as their teaching method but rarely preferred Role Playing, Role Playing, Index Card Exercise and Panel of experts. Another data of the teaching method preferences are from the LLH/Com ­munication faculty of College of Arts, Sciences and Education. The data indicates that this group of faculty often preferred Lecture/Discus ­sion Combination, in-class exercises, Brainstorming, Class Discussion, Explanatory Discussion, Reflective Discussion and Simulation. Most probably these are the teaching methods that the faculty teaching LLH/Communication perceived that could provide the students with effec ­tive communication skills in both English and Filipino, foster critical understanding and appreciation of how people give expression to their experiences in the world, develop in the students the students to see the grammatical relationships between words, group of words and sentence within the discourse level; train the students in the effective use of ver ­bal and non-verbal symbols towards ethical speech communication; and develop in the students writing skills in their respective discipline. Like ­wise, these teaching methods will help them teach the students how to reflect on the totality of the human experience; formulate for themselves a human perspective that integrates all branches of knowledge in a pro ­found understanding of the individual as well as society; and contribute to the understanding of the beautiful and the good in human experience. They rarely preferred to use Jigsaw Method, Report-Back Session, Team Project Method, lab work, Worksheets/Surveys, Index Card Exercise, Guided Imagery and In-class Demonstration as teaching methods. The faculty teaching MAPE and Professional Education are committed to the production of quality teachers who could be at par with the other pro ­fessionals through a deliberate effort to improve instruction, research, and community extension. These efforts are reflected in their teaching meth ­od preferences. Simulation is an event or situation made to resemble real classroom situ ­ation as closely as possible. The faculty uses simulation most probably because it is an excellent venue for the education students to learn ex ­perientially since it provides opportunities for them to practice problem solving and psychomotor skills in a safe, controlled environment. In a simulation, students create connections mentally which is rarely, if ever, accomplished through conventional teaching techniques. Conse ­quently, the learning has a greater impact, plus the new knowledge and skills are retained much longer. It works because the students become more engaged with the subject matter than through more conventional approaches to teaching (lecturing, debates, discussion, videos, etc. Thus, compared with these traditional methods, this method of teaching and evaluating learners is more realistic, enhances both acquisition and re ­tention of knowledge, sharpens critical-thinking and psychomotor skills, and is more enjoyable. Simulation can be used to teach theory, assessment, technology and skills. The emphasis in simulation is often on the application and inte ­gration of knowledge, skills, and critical thinking. Unlike a classroom setting or a paper-and-pencil test, simulation allows learners to function in an environment that is as close as possible to an actual teaching situa ­tion and provides them an opportunity to think. The Team Project method is the appropriate pedagogy of choice of most faculty in the professional education courses, since it combines knowl ­edge with practical experience and improve interpersonal and commu ­nication skills which are essential to the knowledge growth and perfor ­mance of future educators. Furthermore, besides technical skills and knowledge, the MAPE and Professional education courses is required to give students opportunities to improve their interpersonal, collaborative and communication skills. It requires students to apply in practice per ­sonal competencies and improve problem-solving skills such as explor ­atory searching, critical thinking and decision making (Hawking et al. 2001). The method also provides students with experiential learning op ­portunities to actively develop their knowledge and experience, as they cooperate in group projects. The discussion method is always a preferred teaching method since it involves the entire class in an extended interchange of ideas between the teacher and the students and among classmates. The members in the class may approach the discussion topic with many and varying points of view, however, the teacher focuses the discussion in the direction most conducive to effective and purposeful learning. In summary, the respondents from the College of Arts, Sciences and Ed ­ucation often preferred to use Lecture/Discussion Combination, in-class exercises and Class Discussion in teaching. Rarely, they preferred to use Jigsaw Method, Explanatory Discussion guest speaker, video tapes, Re ­port-Back Session, Role Playing, Reflective Discussion, Debate, ILPE Method, Guided Imagery and Brain Writing. As a whole the faculty of Aquinas University as reflected by the data, often preferred Lecture/Discussion Combination, Team Project Method, lab work, in-class exercises, oral presentation, Brain storming, Class Discussion and In-class Demonstration. They rarely preferred Jig ­saw Method, guest speakers, Index Card Exercise, Debate, ILPE Meth ­od, Brain Writing and Socratic method. Lectures although combined with class discussion (4. 34) remain the core teaching method in most the colleges. Their role is best suited to pro ­viding an overview of the subject matter and stimulating interest in it, rather than disseminating facts. Since this is the most preferred teach ­ing method, the faculty must remember that students would appreciate good quality lectures with clear objectives which could be placed in the course handbook, with the lecture summaries, clear overhead acetates or slides; a paced delivery; and appropriate handouts which would provide students with complex diagrams or difficult or critical text. The class discussion that follows could be used to clarify certain points in the lec ­ture. Thus, lecture when combined with discussion widens the intellectu ­al horizons of the student, making it possible for them to gradually move toward acquisition of self-discovery and self-understanding. It enables the instructor to correct error in literature and articles read by the student. Also, it affords opportunities for an instructor to explain a particularly equivocal ambiguous point of idea, or a complicated, difficult, abstract process or operation and resolves conflicting points of view and clarifies misunderstanding of different schools of thought. It could also enliven the learning situation by adding the voice, gesture and the personality of the instructor. The discussion that follows the lecture will promote interest by giving the students a share in the responsibility for the course and in search for knowledge. It compels the students to be active learners and motivates them by keeping the work within their intellectual bounds and by allying it with their aptitude. It enables the instructor to constantly appraise the students’ understanding of the issues under discussion. Discussion method is also a preferred teaching method since it sharp ­ens the students’ ideas and concepts by forcing them to express them in their own words. This facilitates intellectual comprehension and applica ­tion of new knowledge to life-situations. It permits the students to chal ­lenge statements with which they disagree or which they misunderstand, thereby facilitating the process of self-discovery and self-understanding and developing the sense of self-assertiveness. In addition, it develops in the students the skills essential to effective group discussion and verbal communication. The discussion method forces the students out of their classroom lethargy, so that every learner will react either in support or in opposition to the issue under discussion. In using this teaching method, each student learns to feel free to express his/her opinions, to argue with mutual respect and to defend his/her own stand in the light of logic and rationality. It also develops facility in oral expression, critical and cre ­ative thinking, and intellectual and imaginative problem-solving ability. Thus, lecture when combined with discussion sustains and strengthens most of the elements essential for productive learning. The provision of feedback and class participation heightens the learners motivation, facilitates the intellectual grasp of abstract concepts and the learning of problem-solving skills. The data also show that Brainstorming is an often preferred teach ­ing method. Alex Osborn describes it as a conference technique by which a group attempts to find a solution for a specific problem by amassing all the ideas spontaneously by its members† (http://www. moneyinstructor. com/lesson/brainstorming. asp. According to him in this process more ideas could be generated than in any normal dis ­cussion and that by producing more ideas, people had a better chance of finding useful ones: from quantity came quality. A key part of the process is to come up with wild or silly ideas because these in turn can spark off really useful ones. This finding of the study implies that brainstorming is often preferred as a group process so that the members of

Key Technologies LTE And Lte Advanced Information Technology Essay

Key Technologies LTE And Lte Advanced Information Technology Essay LTE is pre-4G technology which provides high data speed, volume, and more coverage area. Besides that, LTE can decease the delay process; the operational cost of the system as well as evolution of 4G in the future is maintained. This paper will introduce the difference between LTE and LTE advanced, LTE performance as well as critical technologies of LTE system. LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the latest standard in the moblile network technology tree that previously realized the GSM/EDGE/ and UMTS/HSxPA network technologies. It is a project standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as a major enhancement to 4G 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. LTE being described as 3.9G technology since the first release LTE does not fully meet with the IMT Advanced 4G requirements as defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) such as peak data rates up to 1Gbit/s. Hence, ITU has offered the submission of candidate Radio Interface Technologies (RITs) following their requirement.[1] the LTE Advanced is reach and surpass the ITU requirement. **LTE Advanced is the pre-4G standard that designed to increase the capacity and speed of mobile telephone network.** LTE Advanced is backwards compatible with LTE and uses the same frequency bandwidth, while LTE is not backwards compatible with 3G systems. LTE and LTE Advance is more advantage than other mobile network technology because LTE improves capacity, coverage and ensures user fairness. Besides that, it have more ability to leverage advanced topology networks. And it optimized heterogeneous network with a mix of macros with low power modes such as picocells, femtocells and new relay nodes. Furthermore, it introduces multicarrier to be able to leverage ultra wide bandwidth, up to 100MHz of spectrum supporting very high data rates. Nowadays, LTE advanced is more nearly achieve the target of ITU, below are the comparision between LTE and LTE advanced: [2] Peak data rates: downlink 1Gbps; uplink 500Mbps. Spectrum efficiency: 3 times greater than LTE Peak spectrum efficiency: downlink 30bps/hz; uplink 15bps/hz Spectrum use: the ability to support scalable bandwidth use and spectrum aggregation where non-contiguous spectrum needs to be used Latency: from Idle to Connected in less than 50ms and then shorter than 5ms one way for individual packet teransmission. Cell edge user throughput to be twice that of LTE Average user throughput to be 3 times that of LTE Mobility: same as that in LTE Compatibility: LTE advanced shall be capable of interworking with LTE and 3GPP legacy systems. Channel characterization The main principles of LTE physical layer design, which lead to new Radio Resource Management (RRM) opportunities that are significantly different from the ones applied in GSM and WCDMA/HSPA. [3] Downlink: OFDMA LTE downlink modulation is based on multicarrier transmission of subcarrier signals, ie. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). [3] As long as the channel delay spread remains within the CP, the subcarriers are orthogonal. In the transmitter, the subcarrier signals are generated in the frequency domain by an Inverse FFT. In the receiver, after discarding the CP, the FFT is used to recover the transmitted signals. In LTE, the data of different users is multiplexed in the frequency domain, and accordingly the downlink is characterized as OFDMA. LTE uses OFDMA as downlink multiple access plan as figure 1. Figure 1: LTE Downlink Multiple Access Uplink: SC-FDMA LTE uplink is designed to be in-cell orthogonal. This is contrary to the WCDMA/HSPA uplink, which is non-orthogonal and targets at randomizing the intracell interference by long scrambling sequences. Non-orthogonal multiple access is in theory superior to orthogonal, if ideal multiuser detection is used. However, channel estimation imperfections limit the multiuser efficiency, especially at high load and high SNR. Another important feature underlying the selection of the LTE uplink transmission technique is the need to sacrifice power and symbol resources for the channel estimation. Spreading the transmission over the whole bandwidth is not sensible for transmitters with limited power resources-the wider the bandwidth, the larger the overhead needed for the pilot signals. Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) is the basis uplink user multiplexing together with the bandwidth flexibility target of LTE. To keep the peak-to-average power ratio small, a Single Carrier transmission for mat was adopted. In this respect, LTE uplink returns to the GSM principle of utilizing power efficient modulation, which was partially sacrificed in uplink HSPA. To solve the equalization problems, a Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) transmission format with a cyclic prefix was adopted. This allows for a power efficient modulation, yet equalizable in the frequency domain, SC-FDMA can be interpreted as DFT-spread OFDMA. LTE uses DFT-SOFDM (SC-FDMA) as uplink multiple access plan. Figure 2: LTE Uplink Multiple Access System performance LTE baseline performance is the cumulative throughput experienced in a cellular network serving multiple users per cell. The baseline here means that moderate antenna configurations are used at the base station sites, and the UE capability includes 2 receive antennas. This type of analysis also reveals fairness among the served UEs. In cellular networks, cell edge performance is often valued because it is the most challenging regime of signal processing and signaling, and the region where the interference limitation of cellular networks is most strongly felt. For a uniform geographical user distribution, relatively large number of users gets served at cell edge areas. Key technologies MIMO( Multi input Multi output) The DL MIMO transmission schemes already supported in LTE Release 8 include transmit-diversity and open-loop and closed-loop spatial multiplexing with up to 4 layers. However, the performance of the multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) scheme is limited by coarse quantization and the lack of support for cross-talk suppression at the UE. Fortunately, LTE releases 9 and 10 is going to fix the MU-MIMO performance. It will improve the single-cell DL MU-MIMO support, extend to 8-layer DL spatial multiplexing, extend to 4-layer UL spatial multiplexing and add DL CoMP support. How it going to improve the single cell DL MU-MIMO support? First, in LTE have 2 layers of orthogonal UE specific reference signal have been introduced. This enables an eNB to transmit 2 layers of data to a UE set using spatial multiplexing in a closed-loop mode by constructing antenna weights using channel reciprocity. Additionally, this enables an eNB to transmit 2 layers of data to 2 UE sets using the same time-frequency reso urce in MU-MIMO fashion. Swithcing between single and dual-layer transmission to a single UE set, as well as between SU-MIMO and MU-MIMO is supported in a dynamic fashion. The control signaling overhead for supporting dynamic and transparent MU-MIMO transmission is small because UE is not explicitly informed of the presence of co-scheduled UE, for the purposes of feedback or demodualation. The 2 layers of UE-specific reference signals are overlaid on top of each other and a UE, after subtracting out its channel estimate, may estimate a covariance matrix representing the combined interference from a co-scheduled UE and outer cell transmissions. This feature can be used by a receiver to significantly suppress the interference due to MU-MIMO. The MU-MIMO enhancements in LTE release 9 provide substantial gain in sector throughput when the eNB is able to form transmit beams using reciprocity-based techniques. Note that with channel reciprocity based MU-MIMO, there is no restriction based MU-MIMO, there is no restriction on the number of transmit antennas that can be employed at the eNB. In addition, up to 4 layers of quasi-orthogonal UE-specific reference signals is available for MU-MIMO enabling co-scheduling of up to 4 UE sets in the same time-frequency resource. [4] LTE-next generation technology.pdf MIMO enhancement LTE advance improve MIMO transmission. So, the gain for additional diversity becomes smaller. Anyway not always wanted e.g. frequency selective scheduling. Besides, gain from spatial multiplexing only is questionable. It will limit to hotspot and indoor environment (small cells, scattered propagation environment, very low user mobility) and the only way to achieve the very high peak data rates. The Spatial multiplexing in general needs high SNR regions. It will use of beam forming combined with spatial multiplexing within different beams could be most beneficial. Downlink MIMO transmission need 4UE receive antennas and 44 MIMO become baseline. Then, downlink peak data rates achieved by the use of 88 MIMO ( reference signals for 8 antennas required) For Uplink MIMO transmission, it need 2 UE transmit antennas and 22 MIMO could become baseline. And uplink peak data rate, but also coverage and capacity. 4G Wireless Technology in Car If vehicle can applies LTE wireless technology car solution concept, consumer would be able to access network and cloud-based applications, putting on-demand entertainment, infotainment, diagnostics, and navigation. [5] Engineer in Russia carried out experimental investigation will car speed is 140km/h. The interactive system to send and receive signals works with data rates of 10Mbps. Though this implementation, this will enabled ultra-hign bandwidth technology, [5] Using 4G wireless in car, Jegor Mosyagin Conclusion The LTE technology to radically bring the 3G networks to a new 4G performance era. Through the key technologies above, we are more understood and know how the LTE technology is important in our life now. Hence, LTE are clearly be the future technology for the wide area mobile data coverage in dense traffic areas globally. LTE advanced reaches the target set for IMT-advanced [3],[9] in wide area evaluation scenarios. New releases of LTE, including technology components such as uplink MIMO and carrier aggregation, will improve LTE performance in local area scenarios, and factually realize 1Gbit/s peak rate, often seen as a rate characteristic of 4G systems. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_Advanced [2] (from Radio-Electronics.com/info/cellulartelecomms./4g/3gpp-imt-lte-advacned-tutorial.php) [3] intro LTE 14.9.10 [9]ITU-R, Requirements related to technical performance for IMT-advanced radio interface(s), Report M.2134 (2008).

Impact of ICT Innovations at NG-CDF

Impact of ICT Innovations at NG-CDF The Board acquired internet from two ISPs (internet service providers), Safaricom and Accesskenya, providing availability of reliable redundant global connectivity. Connectivity therefore has allowed access to internal systems such as email, ERP (Enterprise resource planning) and website at ease. Learning through research on the internet has improved. The Local Area Network (LAN) and Wireless LAN has provided interconnectivity within the office. Resources can be shared among users and computers with minimum movement of staff. Wireless LAN on the other hand has also encouraged BYOD (bring your own device) culture in the organization and improve staff mobility. Recently the Board implemented MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) to regional offices providing access to internet and telephony services at a minimum cost. MPLS is a multipoint connectivity system that allows regions and HQ to communicate to each other like they are in one office. The regional offices can now be reached by a telephone extension. Connectivity through MPLS has also allowed the implementation of SIP telephone services whereby a pilot line is given which in turn allows for configuration of 999 parallel lines hence direct lines. The firewall protects the organization from internal and external threats. These threats come in form of spam messages, phishing sites and viruses. Threats penetrate networks using services or ports that may be or may not be used in the organization. The firewall therefore assists in filtering out those services that may allow threats into the network. In addition, internet bandwidth is a limited resource and therefore need to be controlled, services that consume a lot of bandwidth are then disabled so that users can have a fair usage of internet without affecting their duties. The firewall also allows for scheduling and QOS to prioritize certain services at a certain time. Kaspersky central Management allows the system administrator to monitor threats to the organization systems in form of computer viruses. The central management is an all in one portal where admins can perform certain tasks remotely from a server e.g. install, manage and license Kaspersky remotely, push updates remotely, manage devices, enable or disable e.g. USB To secure the server room CCTV is installed to monitor physical access and intrusion of unauthorized staff members thereby improving on data security and management. The CCTV system allows for live picture and playback options and to save/export a video for future reviews The Board has a registered domain name, cdf.go.ke and subsequently each staff member is assigned an email address. The email system, running on the latest version is accessible 24/7 anywhere anytime through a computer or supported mobile devices. Guidelines and manuals to access the mail portal have been developed by the department to help staff members adapt to the system easily. The Board has installed Spiceworks helpdesk system which is an open source helpdesk system that allows the department to have a bona fide support ticket-tracking system and generate reports of the same to gauge their performance. Users raise tickets by email, telephone call or through the Spiceworks portal, the ICT department then are able to view and prioritize them accordingly. Once the case is solved, the ticket is closed. The bulk SMS system is web based system which the Board uses to disseminate important information through short messages to staff members within the shortest time possible. Within the system, targeted groups and individual contacts have been preloaded to the system; these groups are All Staff, FAMs, directors, HQ Staff etc. The board has seen improvement in communicating matters relating to the board or staff on time without the need for lengthy and slow means of communication; this has improved the accuracy of the information passed and avoided speculations on sensitive Board matters. The system provides information to the Boards customers using USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) is a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication technology that is used to send text between a mobile phone and an application program in the network. Information available is allocations and disbursements for each constituency from FY 2013/2014 to date. The USSD is integrated to the bulk sms system so that results can be sent to the end user. The user queries by dialing *483*6# from their mobile phone, then select the constituency by a quick search, they will then choose whether they need allocations or disbursement information. Once confirmed, the results are then sent through SMS to the users phone via the bulk sms system implemented by the board. 100% of individual offices have been connected by a telephone extension, 70% of staff have an extension on their desks. The Board maintains a PBX which interconnects these extensions and the regional office extensions. Staff can communicate within offices on 10th floor, 5th floor and regional offices conveniently and for free. Trunk calls (external calls) can also be made and received by the board via providers like Orange Telkom and Safaricom. Orange provides the landlines while Safaricom provides a SIP line which emulates a mobile number with 1000 lines which can then be configured as direct lines. The SIP trunk therefore allows for multiple calls to be made without engaging or congesting the lines. A unique number is assigned, for the Board, this is 0709894, and the last 3 digits have then been assigned to a specific extension Number for example 0709894000 is configured on the extension at the reception as a pilot line, any other extension has also an incoming route creating a direct line scenario. Web portals are websites that maintain personalized information in a database in the background. Unlike any website, portals allow authorized users access to specific information meant for them specifically. They are even allowed to customize information they want to be displayed in their portal (space). The Boards web portal is integrated portal in that, the fund account managers can create their own websites within the portal by logging in to the system. The public can therefore access information on any constituency from one website www.ngcdf.go.ke by a click of a button. CDFMIS stores, organizes and makes access to project and financial information easy. It not only stores all the information relating to current and past years projects, but also stores the approved budgets for these years, details on inflows and outflows of funds. The CDFMIS Projects database is composed of four different functional aspects, each corresponding to a set of tasks the constituency must carry out as a part of its mission, these include project Information, bursaries Information, budget and Finance Information and Complaints Information. Data and Applications Software are stored in servers at the computer center located at CDF Headquarters in Nairobi. Operations data are entered at the various user locations at the Constituencies and Head office. Interconnectivity of the system is through Wide Area Network between the constituencies and the Servers; and through Local Area Network between the Servers and Head Office workstations. CDFMIS is operated the basis of on-line real-time; that is to say that updates occur immediately a transaction is completed; thus making information as current as the last transaction. Access to the system will be done via the internet/intranet through use of a web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.). Unique user-names and passwords are given by System Administrator. Microsoft Dynamics SL is a financial/accounting system used by the Boards Finance and Accounts Department. Microsoft Dynamics SL is one of Microsofts enterprise resource planning (ERP) software products for project-driven small- and medium-sized enterprises. It is part of the Microsoft Dynamics product family. The functionality includes finance, project accounting, manufacturing, field services, supply chain management, analytics, and electronic commerce. The major module used by the Board is the finance module.

History of the Old Testament of the Bible Essay -- Religion Christian

Studying the Old Testament is not as straightforward as some may think. Being able to recall stories of the Bible does not necessarily mean you have a thorough grasp on the history of Israel and the surrounding nations. Some people read and discuss the Bible without a solid understanding of the history and social issues that were going on at the time. Being able to relate to the stories in the Bible and struggle with some of the same problems faced by the people in the Bible gives you a greater appreciation for the works in the Bible. I feel that having a firm understanding of all the related history of Israel gives a student of the Old Testament a far greater understanding of why these stories are in the Bible and what was meant to be learned from them. In this paper I give brief, yet significant, explanations of the Old Testament from the death of King David to the Maccabean revolt. To begin our study and understanding of old testament it makes sense to start from the earliest time. King David is responsible for bringing together Israel into one nation. The idea that David is a prophet is debated among scholars and is something worth looking into, since these are decisions we must make regarding the Old Testament. Some believe that Psalms 22 is an accurate account of the crucifixion of Jesus; others find that there are large discrepancies within the passage and claim that the metaphors in the passage are taken too literally. As students of the Bible knowing the history of these works can help us better form our own opinion on such topics. We will find that this will be a common argument within the bible, whither to take it literally or metaphorically. After the Death of King David, his son Solomon becomes... ...nant of land, people and a blessing to all families. By this time in the Bible all three of these promises have been demonstrated. And the love of God for his people is finding to be everlasting, an idea that will be then carried into the New Testament. After reading these brief accounts of an enormous span of time we can begin to understand how and why the stories of the Old Testament are complied into the Bible. There is far more detailed accounts of all of the stories, people, places and issues I have mentioned yet this paper ties together all of them into a comprehensive paper which displays the interaction of all aspect of life from the time of the old testament. My goal for this paper was not to simply give a factorial timeline of events but go through the history of Israel and make connections within the span of King David up to the Maccabean Revolt.

Optimal Sexual and Reproductive Health and Happiness :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Like most wives, sometimes I drive my husband crazy. And even though he's a good sport about it, one of the most consistent ways in which I do so relates to one of my most pronounced idiosyncratic behaviors. For example, we will arrive appropriately early on a Saturday night at a theater to see a movie that will undoubtedly be sold out. And after picking the perfect seats, (one for him that gives him room to stretch out his long legs, and one that affords me the ability to have room to see around anyone who sits in from of me who will inevitably be much taller than I) and then I'll get up and move. What, you may be wondering, would cause me to behave this badly? Well, it is really a matter self-protection. It's because of all the people who have been socially conditioned to interfere with nature and act upon the belief that they must be disinfected, deodorized and then re-fragranced. While this may be a headache for my husband, for me it could be a migraine. Many migraine sufferers report that strong smells can trigger a migraine (1); and in my case, perfumes are among the worst offenders. Of course, people are not setting out to make life uncomfortable for those, like me, with hypersensitivities to chemical odors. But discomfort or even extreme pain is often the consequence of people's over utilization of substances that remove their natural fragrances and their replacement of them with chemical substitutes. However, it is my contention that it may also be detrimental to the health and happiness of those who engage in such practices. Americans, in particular, have been taught that human body odors and secretions are offensive. And consequently they wage a daily battle against those that their own bodies produce and hope that others will do the same. However, those dreaded smells and secretions play an important role in many human behaviors, most notably those related to sexuality and reproduction and the health of those systems. But some of the time, much to my husband's relief, I actually can tolerate the chemically scented world in which we live better than at other times. The intensity of my sensitivities wax and wane in accordance with my menstrual cycle. This is because a woman's ability to smell varies over the course of her cycle and at the time of ovulation is believed to increase over 1,000 fold from that of the time of menstruation (2).

RENE DESCARTES PROOF OF GOD’S EXISTENCE: ACRITICAL EXPOSITION Essay

The question of God is a perennial subject of debate in the history of philosophical scholarship and can be located in nearly all the epochs of philosophy. The subject however occupies a central space in the medieval epoch that was characterized by religious thinkers. The debate is largely between two schools of thought. There are those who opine that there is no such entity as God. To such thinkers, the question of God does not amount to anything but is largely a product of human imagination. On the other hand, there are certain group of thinkers who insist that God is a reality that exist and must be given due consideration. Thus, the onus lies on the one who affirms the existence of God to explain who or what this God is and to prove his existence. The subject of God may have being difficult to explain because the term God does not refer to any physical entity in the universe. Rene Descartes who is widely revered as the father of modern philosophy affirmed the existence of God and proffered two arguments for the existence of God. Many scholars have bore their minds on the question of God, but our aim in this paper is to examine the various ramifications of Descartes’ proof of God’s existence. To achieve this aim, our exposition shall follow this outline: Life and works of Descartes Who is God? The historical trajectory of the problem of God The cogito: a background to the Cartesian prof of God’s existence ï  ¶Descartes’ proof of God’s existence Criticisms of the Cartesian proof of God’s existence Evaluation Conclusion Life and works of Rene Descartes Descartes is the first major philosophical thinker of the modern period and the father of modern philosophy. He was born in La Haye, a small town near Tours in France on the 3rd of March he received a Jesuit education at the Jesuit college of La fleche in Anjou, one of the best schools of his time. Upon completion of his studies, he went to Holland where he joined the army in 1618. The following year, he travelled to Germany where he began to develop his ideas concerning how knowledge should be acquired. Descartes  returned to France in 1628 but soon returned to Holland where he remained until 1649, when he went to Sweden at the request of Queen Christina to come and tutor her in philosophy and knowledge in general. He is said to have died of pneumonia on the 11th of February 1650. Descartes has many achievements to his name, he invented the analytic geometry and the Cartesian coordinate system named after him. His major works include: The Rules for the Direction of the Mind (1628), the world (1629), Discourse on Method (1637), Optics (1637), Meteorology (1637), Meditations on first Philosophy (1641), Principles of Philosophy (1644) and Passions of the soul (1649). Who is God? Much of the disagreement about â€Å"proofs† of God’s existence is due to different conceptions of God. Classical theism, for instance, characterizes God as a supreme metaphysical being. Despite extensive writing on the nature of God, these classical theists did not believe that God could be defined. They believed that it would be contradictory to the transcendent nature of God if mere humans are able to define him. By contrast, much of Eastern religious thought (chiefly pantheism) presents God as a force inherent in every accessible and conceivable experience. In modern times, the concept of God typically entails a monotheistic, supreme, ultimate, and personal being, as found in the Islamic, Christian and Hebrew traditions. A historical trajectory of the problem of God. Since the ancient epoch of philosophy, philosophers have always grappled with the problem of the existence of God. Thus we shall examine the general posture that the discourse of God assumed before and after the advent of Descartes. This would properly position us to understand the background from were Descartes emerges. The ancient Western tradition of philosophical discuss of the existence of God began with Plato and Aristotle, who made arguments that would today be categorized as cosmological. In the medieval epoch of philosophy, other arguments for the existence of God have been proposed by St. Anselm, who formulated the first ontological argument; Avicena Averroes and Thomas Aquinas, who refined the cosmological argument (the kalam argument and the first way, respectively). In the modern period, Descartes, asserts that the existence of a benevolent God is logically necessary for the evidence of the senses to be meaningful; and Immanuel Kant, also contended that the existence of God can be deduced from the existence of good. The cogito: a background to Descartes prof of God’s existence Descartes was skeptical of the knowledge he acquired over the years, because he thinks that real knowledge requires certainty. To attain certainty, we need a foundation and then, we need a way of building from that foundation to other truths. Descartes describes his foundation in the first meditation. His starting point is the collection of beliefs. Thus he looks for grounds of doubt for certain basic beliefs and having found certain grounds for doubt, all other beliefs based on the basic beliefs will tumble. He rejects beliefs acquired through sense perception on the ground that we could be dreaming. He further rejects a priori beliefs for example mathematical truths on grounds that there could be an evil deceiver who is so powerful and possibly responsible for making him conceive of these beliefs. Having doubted his beliefs, Descartes discovers that he exists, for even if there is a powerful deceiver, he must exis t. The reason for his certainty about this belief is that he is thinking, whether this thinking consists of being deceived by the evil deceiver or not. In other to be thinking, he must exist. He avers cogito ego sum-I think, therefore I exist. Thus, his existence serves as a model for acquiring other kinds of knowledge. However, Descartes has not totally extricated himself from his self-imposed doubt and to do so, he proves the existence of a God who is not a deceiver. The Cartesian proof of God’s existence. Descartes proffered two arguments for the existence of God in the meditations, neither is original. The first is a version of the cosmological argument espoused by ancient thinkers and the second is a reformulation of Anselm’s ontological argument the starting point for the two fold argument is his clear and distinct idea of God. That is, he infers the existence of God from his idea of God. The causal argument for the existence of God Descartes’ first argument can be summarized as an attempt to prove God’s existence by causal reasoning. He asserts that his idea of God could only have been caused by God. Below is a concise presentation of his causal argument: †¢All effects including ideas are caused by something. †¢There must be at least as much reality in the cause as there is in the effect. †¢I have an idea of God as an infinite and perfect being. †¢The idea of God in my mind is an effect that was caused by something †¢I am finite and imperfect and thus could not be the cause of the idea of an infinite and perfect God. †¢Only an infinite being could be the cause of such an idea. †¢Therefore, God (an infinite and perfect being) exist. The first premise of the causal argument derives from a commonly held belief that has long being a premise in other arguments for the existence of God. The logic behind Descartes’ second premise can be explained thus, he says a cold object such as a pot of water cannot become hot unless something else causes that heat. But, the cause must have a high degree as the effect. For it is impossible for one level of reality (the boiling water) to be produced by a cause that is less than the effect (a cold stove). Just as heated water is an effect that requires a cause, so Descartes’ idea of an infinite and perfect being is an effect or a phenomenon that needs to be accounted for. It is possible that Descartes could have produced the idea of God himself. But for him, a finite object can only produce another finite object. Hence, Descartes says ordinarily, the idea in his mind does not tell him if there is the existence of any external reality. However, the idea of perfection is unique. If he could not have manufactured it himself, then it will necessarily follow that he is not alone in the world, but that some other thing which is the cause of this idea exist. That thing can only be God therefore, God exists. Descartes further corroborated his argument by demonstrating that his sustained existence requires an adequate cause. Using a variation of his causal argument, he argues that a being such as himself who contains the idea of perfection cannot come from an imperfect cause. In the cause of searching for an explanation for his own sustained existence, he introduces the principle that there cannot be an infinite regress of causes therefore; these causes must culminate in an ultimate cause and that cause is God. He conceives God as an infinite substance who is Omniscient, omnipotent, everlasting, unchanging, perfect, and the creator of all things. The ontological argument. In the meditation, Descartes employed a version of Anselm’s ontological argument to buttress the existence of God. Descartes begins by stating that the essence of a thing is different from its existence. The essence of a thing is that property without which it cannot be what it is. He argues that, to be a perfect being, a being must include in itself all perfection. Existence is perfection, therefore a perfect being (God) necessarily exist. The main outline of Descartes’ version of the ontological argument is as follows: †¢I have the idea of a God that possess all perfection, †¢Existence is a kind of perfection †¢If the God I am thinking of lacked existence, then he will not be perfect †¢Hence, if I can have the idea of a perfect God, I must conclude that existence is one of God’s essential attributes. †¢If existence is one of God’s essential attributes, he must exist †¢Therefore God exist. Descartes’ bases his argument on the notion that when one clearly understands the nature of something, one would be lead to conceive of all its essential properties. The idea of God according to Descartes is always thought to be the idea of a perfect being. As such, such a being cannot lack perfection of any kind, including existence. And no other being has existence as a part of its essence. Thus Descartes says, it would be contradictory to say, I think of a perfect being who necessarily has existence as its property but who does not exist. Having proved the existence of God, Descartes uses the existence of God to explain his existence. He now sees God as the source of his existence and sustenance. Prior to his discovery of God, he had no idea of why he existed, for he could find no power within him that could bring about his existence. He now realizes that he is imperfect finite and dependent on God. Criticisms of the Cartesian proof of God’s existence. There are many problems with Descartes’ argument. Perhaps, the most obvious are his reliance on the causal principles, his acceptance of his previous scholastic beliefs about the degrees of reality of ideas and of things and his claim that his idea of God is clear and distinct. Descartes posits that the light of nature teaches us how to distinguish what is clear and distinct from what is not. One problem that still remains a puzzle concerns how we  can know when the infallible light of nature is guiding us and when our natural impulses are leading us since we do not have any means of detecting when our natural impulses are leading us from those instances where we are led by the light of nature. Several theologians of Descartes’s time challenged the claim that infinity and perfection must precede all thoughts of finitude and imperfection. One of such critics puts it thus, â€Å"I can surely take a given degree of being, which I perceive within myself, and add on a further degree of being, and thus construct the idea of a perfect being from all the degrees which are capable of being added on.† If finite minds can construct the idea of infinity or perfection in this manner, we do not need to look outside of ourselves in an attempt to account for the origin of our idea of infinity.’ Though many theologians who used this argument agree that there is the existence of God, they simply think that Descartes provided an inadequate argument for the existence of God. Many philosophers have also objected that existence is not a property at all, hence cannot be derived from the concept of God in the same way as God’s benevolence or omnipotence. We can also question Descartes’ claim that his idea of God is clear and distinct. Perhaps, the idea of a supremely perfect being contains a contradiction. Even i f we were to grant Descartes that reality or existence is a property, why must we think that there is a most perfect being-that is, that there is a top to the scale, at which actuality is reached? From our exposition, it is apparent that Descartes’ rationalistic method has led him out of the slit of doubt. He is now certain of the existence of himself and God. The existence of God for him is particularly important because it released him from the prison of his mind. He now knows that something exists outside his own mind and its ideas. Thus, he uses his certainty of the existence of God as a bridge to the external world. It is important to note however that Descartes aim is to show that all knowledge can be derived from reason. He begins with the ‘cogito’ which shows him that he exists as a thinking thing. From the cogito, he knows that what he clearly and distinctly perceives by the ‘light of nature’ must be true. Then he discovers certain clear and distinct principles which together with a clear and distinct idea of God enable him to derive God’s existence. And  ones he has done this, he is able to remove the evil demon as a ground o f doubt since an even more powerful benevolent perfect deity exist. We have successfully examined the issue of the existence of God. We began by examining the ambiguous nature of the concept of God after which we attempted to understand how the truth of the cogito led Descartes to the discovery of the existence of God and the terrestrial world. from our exposition, we can say that conclusions on the existence of God can be divided along numerous axes, producing a variety of independent classifications such as; Theism and atheism, Gnosticism and agnosticism, Ignosticism, and Apatheism. Though Descartes can be criticized and has been criticized on many fronts, his contribution to the God question cannot be over emphasized. He has inspired many after him who have also contributed their quota to the problem all in a view to proffer solution to the perennial problem of God. Bibliography Lawhead F., William, the Voyage of Discovery: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy, second edition, U.S.A: Wadsworth, 2002. Sutchile F. E., Descartes: Discourse on the Method, (trans.) London: Penguin Books, 1968. Ariscombe E. and Geach, P. T., Descartes philosophical writings (Ed.) New York: Open University Press 1971. Beardsley C. Monroe, The European Philosophers from Descartes to Nietzsche, New York: Random House Inc. 1992. Norris C., on Truth and meaning: Language, Logic and the Grounds for Belief, London and New York: Continuum, 2006. Jimoh K. A., Certitude and Doubt: A Guide in Epistemology, Ibadan: Ebony Books and Kreations, 2013.