Assessment and Feedback Essay Example for Free

Assessment and Feedback Essay Many of my lessons involve embedding literacy into a topic so it is more meaningful for the learners. There are various ways of assessing work which are used. One method that is used is initial assessment, where the learners at the beginning of their induction into our pre-16 program do an online BSKB initial assessment in Maths, English and ICT. This is to ensure that the learner is at the right level of learning. These tests are formative and convergent where choices of multiple choice questions give indications of gaps in the learner’s knowledge. Once the learner has  completed an initial assessment they are then given the diagnostic BSKB assessment to see what subject strengths and weaknesses they have. These learners tend not to have attended much school therefore it is difficult to assess the work they produce as very often little or no work is achieved. Assessment is about making a judgment to make sure that learning is taking place. It is about identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the learner so that the learner is progressing with the work that is set. Assessment in all forms that involve making a judgment and it includes an element of subjectivity by me. It should be objective, fair and transparent. It plays an important role in the education process as it determines the work students undertake and affects their approach to learning. There are varying degrees of assessment that are designed primarily to serve the purposes of accountability, or of ranking, or of certifying competence. However, an assessment activity can help learning if it provides information that I can use and can give students feedback. Feedback can be used to modify teaching and learning activities in which the learners are engaged in. Such assessment becomes formative when  the evidence is actually used to adapt the teaching work to meet learning needs. Much of what teachers and learners do in the classroom is assessment based. Tasks and questions prompt learners to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills. How the learners respond and interpret this can give indications of how their learning can be improved. Verbal feedback and discussion tends to be the main method that I use where opinions can be discussed and attainment of knowledge can be assessed during lessons. This is classed as affective learning where topics can gain an emotional response or a tone of interest/values that the  learner may have prior knowledge or experience. These types of responses are 1 usually focused on the learner’s feelings, and they are often difficult to measure in quantifiable terms. However, in my classroom, I want the learners to feel that their work is valued and that the effort has been worthwhile. During lessons, informal assessment is the preferred choice for me and my pre-16 colleague as students are wary of tests or exams. The reason for this maybe the learner’s previous experience of learning or the fact that they feel vulnerable when the word test, exam or assessment occurs within the learning environment. Informal assessment is easily incorporated into classroom routines and learning activities. It can be used at any time without interfering with teaching. The results give indication of the learner’s performance on the skill or subject of interest. However, it is not intended to give a broader view of the learner’s ability apart from the lesson that took place. This is not to say that informal assessment is spontaneous or absent from accuracy. Formal tests assume a single set of expectations for all students and come with prescribed criteria for scoring and interpretation. Informal assessment, on  the other hand, requires a clear understanding of the levels of ability the students bring with them. Only then may assessment activities be selected that students can attempt reasonably. Measuring the validity and reliability of informal assessments is achieved by expected goals and objectives outcomes. Once the work is completed, I assess the knowledge that the learners have gained by their attempted completion of the tasks. Scoring procedures can be used to measure progress and achievement in content areas and literacy skills can be measured by oral, reading and written work. Reliability is a statistical measure of which we can trust the results of a given writing test. Reliability estimations and their interpretations will vary according to particular assessment contexts and purposes. In real practice, high score reliability is indeed necessary and feasible in large-scale assessment, where the actual tests are the main source of interpretable information. In more local contexts (e. g. classrooms), reliability measurements are to a great extent unfeasible and, simultaneously, other sources for qualitative evaluation are available. The work that the learners produced enabled me to assess their level of  understanding and also their literacy progress. Feedback was given in written format on the activity worksheet, to identify strengths and weaknesses of each individual 2 learner. All the learners attempted the worksheet and I gave feedback in the format of Petty (2004) medals and missions. Medals (sometimes called positive reinforcement) are given when the learner has done something well, such as spellings or written something in their own words although most of the learners just wrote down what was on the computer screen. This was what I commented on as missions where the learners need to improve, correct or work upon. Written tasks, alongside oral questioning, should encourage students to develop and show understanding of the key features of what they have learned. Opportunities are given during lessons for the learners to respond to comments made about their work and advice is given on what areas they are struggling on. The key point to feedback is for it to be effective and for the learners to think about the good and bad points in their work and that clear goals can be achieved. The negative aspect of feedback for disaffected learners is that low self-esteem influences their reaction to feedback. Building self-esteem and confidence is one of the main aspects in my classroom. Low self-esteem can knock confidence and ability and their previous experiences of learning can have a considerable impact on their academic ability. In this environment learners are in a vulnerable position and in some cases their low esteem can be forgotten by teachers due to distractions and challenging behaviour. The comments I make have to be sensitive and constructive so that the comments do not impact on the learner’s self-esteem and confidence. The comments are to be constructive and build on their learning capabilities. When I  ask the learners whether or not they understood the feedback given regarding their work, the learners give the appearance that they are not bothered about the feedback or acted disinterested. Students find the feedback messages hard to understand and complex in their meaning especially in the written form. However, when feedback is used as dialogue within the lesson it provides opportunities for feedback and feedforward. This is a good scenario as the learner responds to initial feedback with their opinions. This gives the chance for the teacher to help the learners develop their understanding and has an instant response in correcting  misunderstandings. Although, the response to verbal feedback regarding the learners knowledge, skills and understanding is feasible in the classroom, further development of feedback and feedforward is required so that the student can improve and grow in their 3 understanding of the subject and true learning has taken place. When I assess a learner this has an impact on my teaching. The feedback I get from the students gives me the opportunity to reflect on my practices and adjust accordingly so that the learners are engaged, focused and completing the tasks given during lessons. However, learners’ indifference to learning and feedback can cloud my judgement about what I am doing right or wrong. In my sessions I need to develop the dual narrative where the learners work together as a group but also there are one to one opportunities. This would work towards full differentiation where students are working independently but within a whole group setting. This has been difficult to achieve yet it is possible; progress has been made with the learners providing work that can be assessed verbally or written. However, it has taken six months to gain  trust, confidence and self-esteem of the learners to provide any work at all. Nonetheless, with a longer time restraint development of feedback and feedforward can be achieved. The learners need to see feedback as a reflection on their work not that it’s personal to them, the problem these learners face is to understand what feedback is and what its intentions are. The trouble is that once the disaffected learners arrive at Rathbone they already feel that school as failed them therefore feel disengaged with the learning environment. This can be a contributing factor to the way they feel towards assessments. The attitude towards motivating and engaging the learners towards learning objectives is a more social context. Therefore, the attitude of Rathbone and its staff is to gain confidence, trust and self-esteem so that learning is more enjoyable to them. This then becomes a platform for the learners to want to learn post 16. As their teacher, the environment is complex and challenging however I feel that the learners are starting to become aware of what is required of them in the classroom. This means that I am doing something right and that my assessments, judgement and feedback are starting to be acknowledged.

Mobile Sensor Network for Indoor Environment

Mobile Sensor Network for Indoor Environment 4 node sensor network without collisions. Update of every sensor reading in the network at least once per second (available from all nodes). Single frequency channel (i.e. no frequency multiplexing permitted). Error checking (CRC) included to ( Measure at least 2 parameters (e.g. temp, light..) Data presented on serial I/O port in a format that is easily readable on a text terminal. 1. Background knowledge 1.1. System structure The aim of this coursework is to design a mobile sensor network for an indoor environment, communicating with a 2.4 GHz wireless link (IEEE 802.15.4). All the sensor nodes can realize data link, which means each board can get others information. All the sensor boards have the function of receiver link to the computer, and can present the sensor data (for all nodes in the network) to the serial I/O port in a format which is easily to be understand on a text terminal. If the nod which connected to pc is broken, the other 3 nodes can replace it and realize the function of receiver. Each sensor node will include a number of sensors interfaced to a microprocessor (for our group temperature, sounds, touch and light). The microprocessor will gather sensor data, communicate with other sensor nodes via a wireless transceiver, implement a network protocol and provide a PC interface via a serial I/O port for data display. The structure of whole system is as follow: Figure 1 Architecture of Wireless Sensor Network 1.2. Basic hardware The principle hardware used in this project is the PICDEM Z [3] development board from Microchip Technology Inc. There is a PIC18F4620 microcontroller on every node board and every group has 4 board available. The PICDEM Z has a prototyping area which must not be used for circuit construction. First, we need veroboard to construct a circuit, then interface it to the header J6. The next figure shows the structure of the board. Figure 1 The structure of the board And we also have other devices can use in this course: 1. 9V DC power socket (J1) for operation from mains adaptor. 2. 9V battery terminal (BT1) for mobile operation. 3. ICD connector (J5) for connection to MPLAB ICD3 in-system programmer/debugger cable. 4. RS232 serial port connector (P1) for connection to PC COM port. 5. Microchip MRF24J40 2.4GHz transceiver module connected to J2. 6. LEDS RA0 and RA1 for indication. 7. Push buttons RB4 and RB5 for simple logic input. 8. Header J6 giving access to analog and digital I/O pins Vcc (3.3V) and GND. This may be used to interface additional sensors. 1.3. Microchip MRF24J40 2.4GHz The MRF24J40 wireless transceiver [5] provides the physical layer for your wireless communication network. This is a 2.4GHz (IEEE 802.15.4 compliant) device which transmits data rates up to 250kbps and is connected to the PIC via SPI bus, as well as a small number of digital I/O pins. The picture of Wireless transceiver is as follow. 1.4. MPLAB-ICD MPLAB-ICD is an inexpensive development tool for MICROCHIPs PIC16F87X series MCU. MPLAB-ICD is an online debugger, and a programmer. It works in the MPLAB-IDE integrated development environment, and use online serial programming technology of MICROCHIP (In-Circuit Serial Programming), the monitoring program is embedded to achieve real-time simulation in the simulation of the MCU (PIC16F87X). The simulation head is directly connected to the MCU socket of the application system, running the users application as a PIC16F87X. The picture of MPLAB-ICD is as follow. 1.5. Wireless sensor network Wireless Networks use radio waves, infrared, or any other wireless media to link to any devices. It can cover a large area, in which case it will be called a Wireless WAN, or it can cover an area or some floor of building, such as school, hospital and railway station, in that case Wireless LAN (WLAN) appear and describe the situation[4]. It appears a large number of wireless communication standards nowadays, including ZigBee, Wi-Fi, WiMax, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) et al. Wireless sensor network (background) became a more and more popular way to solve the problems of large-scale tracking and monitoring applications because it has low-data-rate, low-energy-consumption, and short-range link network [1]. It give people a chance to monitor and control the physical world in a more simple way. WSN applications include many ways in our life, such as industrial monitoring, security, electronics industry, military sensing, asset tracking and home automation. WSNs research has mainly pay attention to energy consumption, routing and data transmission, particularly focusing on collecting and data summary in specific networks with an associated sink node, called a WSN gateway [1]. Some research has carried out the interface of different sensor networks for a single or complex applications. Wireless sensor networks is aimed to monitor and control the physical data of environmental conditions at remove locations and it can collect their data to a main location and send their control command to achieve the result of remote control. A WSN includes plenty nodes, ranging from a few to hundreds and thousands, in addition each node may be linked to one or more other nodes. One node can be designed for carrying out one or more different sensors which have various functions and we can also design combined sensors choice to complete complex use or exchange data with another network[4]. A node for sensing is called a sensor node, everyone can collect the data of other sensor node. As a result, any place with a sensor node can get all the data with a very fast speed at any time. 1.6. Error detection Cyclic Redundancy Check Error detection segment is necessary in a data transmitting system since the correctness and efficiency of data transmitting must be ensured. In this project, there are 3 approaches which can be applied to error detection: parity bit, check sum and cyclic redundancy check (CRC). Parity bit is also known as check bit, the function of which is to judge whether a number of 1-bits in the string is even or odd by adding a bit to a string of binary code. The realisation is that the bits with value 1 is counted for even parity while the coding reverses for odd parity. Although parity bit is easy to implement, the shortcoming is apparent that only when there are 1, 3, 5, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ bit(s) errors can the error be detected. The principle for check sum is to define a string with a small size with designed algorithm of calculating, and the result of the calculations of before and after the transmitting will be different even the data changes slightly so the error could be detected in this way. Similar to parity bits, the disadvantage of check sum is that error cant be detected under some circumstances. Cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is a method of error detection that is easyto be implemented by shift register and look-up table in S/W. The process is shown in figure1. In this project the value of P(z) is 0x91 (11001 in reversed binary) which is known as generator polynomial and the divider. Assuming that the data needed to be transmitted is 110011000, then we have the message polynomial D(z). C(z) is the remainder which is calculated by D(z) divided by P(z). The realization of division operation is by XOR. Only when the least significant bit of 1 byte of the message is 1 will it XOR with CRC polynomial, then we should shift it to the next bit and repeat the XOR. At the transmitter, the string of CRC depends on the whole frame on a bit-by-bit basis with binary division. And at the receiver, the received bit string is again divided by the same bit-by-bit basis with a serial shift register. The resultant CRC result should be all zeros at the end of the frame, or there must be errors in the process of data transmitting. Grahame Smillie, 10 Bit error detection and correction, In Analogue and Digital Communication Techniques, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxf ord, 1999, Pages 185-230, ISBN 9780340731253, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-034073125-3/50012-7. 2. System Design 2.1. Sensor design and calibration and Analogic digital converter ADC In our group 4 kinds of sensor are designed to meet the requirement, and they are temperature sensor, light sensor, touch sensor and sound sensor. In order to obtain data from all the 4 sensors in the wireless network, a PCB board is required to connect to the sensor node board. In the lab, a breadboard is available for testing the circuit. When finishing the circuit on the breadboard, it can be interfaced to PC to have a preliminary test. If done, a PCB board will be used to finish the final product which can connect to node board. The method of calibration is to get the value of light, sound, temperature or touch that is detected using physical measurement. For example, if the temperature of the environment T0 and the result of the ADC conversion D0 that collected by the sensor in the same testing environment are known, we can derive the proportional function of temperature and ADC data with another pair of coordinate (T1, D1), which is obtained by changing the temperature of testing. Then the code that controlling display of temperature value should be modified so that by the time the temperature of the environment changes, the displaying value on the PC is exactly the temperature. Code for this part is shown as following: 2.1.1. Temperature sensor Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) thermistors are temperature sensitive semiconductor resistors which decrease in resistance value when absolute temperature increasing. Change in the resistance of NTC thermistor can be brought about either by a change in the ambient temperature or internally by self-heating resulting from current flowing through the device. (NTC Thermistor Discs and Chips | Ametherm, Ametherm, 2017. [Online]. Available: http://www.ametherm.com/thermistor/disc-and-chip-ntc-thermistors. [Accessed: 07- Jan- 2017].) Most of the practical applications of NTC thermistors are based on these material characteristics. Time and temperature are two of the most frequently measured variables. There are various ways to measure temperature electronically, most normal is by thermocouples and negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistors. In addition, NTC temperature sensors can operate over a wide temperature range (-55 to +300 °C). They are stable throughout a long time, and are small and cheaper than other kind. [3] Figure 1 circuit of Temperature Sensor It can be seen in the figure 1 that temperature Sensor is a more complex circuit design. On the left part It=Vcc/(R1+Rt) and Vt=Vcc*Rt/(Rt+R1), then connect the line to the positive side of the LM358 amplifier to amplify circuit and Vt becomes the input of the amplifier. After that, use formula V0 = Vt*(1+R3/R2) to get the voltage value of v0. From this formula we can know, the value of V0 depends on R3 and R2, so R3 and R2 are both simply chosen 10 Ohm. Then the voltage value of V0 is exactly twice as much as that of Vt. Next use formula to transfer ADC data to temperature, when it comes to the lab temperature (23 degrees Celsius), ADC data is 613. While it comes to the people body temperature (abort 38 degrees Celsius), ADC data become 530. Finally, we can calculate the linear parameters by these two sets of data. 2.1.2. Light sensor The Light Sensor is a passive devices that transfer light energy visible or invisible into a output of voltage signal. Thus Light sensors are more commonly known as Photoelectric Devices or Photo Sensors [2]. Photoelectric devices can be classified into two main categories, those which generate electricity when illuminated, such as Photo-voltaics or Photo-emissives etc, and those can change their electrical data (voltage) in some way such as Photo-resistors or Photo-conductors. [2] Light sensor is the easiest sensor of our 4 sensor, so we also use the simplest structure, when luminance become strong, the value of photosensitive resistance become larger. Thus the voltage of Vt increase which result in the raise ADC data. Then use formula to transfer ADC data to luminance, when it is dark (lux 0), ADC data is 30. While it comes to the lab light (about 330 lux), ADC data become 895. Finally, We can calculate the linear parameters by these two sets of data 2.1.3. Sound sensor 2.1.4. Touch sensor The MPR121 is the second-generation sensor controller after the initial release of the MPR03x series devices. The MPR121 will feature increased internal intelligence in addition to Freescales second generation capacitance detection engine. Some of the major additions include an increased electrode count, a hardware configurable I 2Caddress, an expanded filtering system with debounce, and completely independent electrodes with auto-configuration built in. The device also features a 13th simulated electrode that represents the simultaneous charging of all the electrodes connected together to allow for increased proximity detection in a touch panel or touch screen array [5]. 2.3. Time Division Multiple Access TDMA It is required that there are at least 4 nodes of sensor without collision in a wireless transmitting network based on a certain channel. Each sensor must be ensured to be able to receive and transmit, in other words, each node can serve as both a receiver and a transmitter. The node which connects to the PC is responsible for the display of the data that collected by each sensor and each sensor is supposed to send the data string to the chosen node within 1 second. There will be collision with the four nodes if we dont define the order of the data transmitting and receiving or just simply define by applying time delay, hence TDMA is necessary to meet requirements above. TDMA is a method of communication technique that derived from the P2S (parallel to serial) conversion. In the process of TDMA of this project, receivers obtain a same signal at the same time but only the appointed receiver reacts and does the next action, which is then transmitting and serving as new transmitter, and the new transmitter will wait for the next appointment without doing nothing unless it is appointed once again, which means it gets the same order in a new loop. The process repeats and there will not be data collision in the transmitting and receiving. As is illustrated in figure2, there are 4 nodes so 4 slots are needed in 1 second according to the requirement, hence each slot takes up 0.25 second, during which time of period each node should finish data transmitting, so the calculation of the time that is needed for sending and receiving is necessary. 2.3.1. Data packet structure 2.3.2. Timers We apply timer0 to control the time of running, different initial values have been given to timer0 in each slot so that transmitting and receiving within 1 second without collision can be ensured. In this case, node 4 is the main node which connects to the PC. The start of the process is the transmitting of node 4, and by the time other 3 nodes receive data from node 4, the text packet ID of the transmitter will be checked and only node 3, which is the transmitted ID 4 minus 1, will display the data that collected by node 4 and transmit its own data collected by its sensor. Following actions will be carried out by node 2, and node 1 within a certain time of period, like shown in figure3. Figure3 4. IoT Data Service and Visualisation

The Brotherly Connection Of Sonny Blues English Literature Essay

The Brotherly Connection Of Sonny Blues English Literature Essay Both stories show the importance in having that brotherly connection and a desire to be accepted by the one you admire. In Sonnys Blues, it is established that all Sonny wants is for his brother to understand and accept his way of life. Even though the narrator does in fact care for his younger brother, Sonny, he sees it as more of a promise to his mother that I wont let nothing happen to Sonny (Baldwin 218), which gave the narrator more of an incentive to just watch Sonny rather than being there and listening to his brother, when he needed it most, ultimately severely hurting Sonny., Throughout the story Sonny cries out for his brothers attention and acceptance. In the midst of a significant conversation with one another Sonny blatantly says, I hear you. But you never hear anything I say (Baldwin 221) and which could be one of the narrators biggest mistakes. The narrator once gain ignores what Sonny is saying and starts explaining to Sonny how he will live while his brother is away at war. Experiencing the lack of his brothers affection evidently turned Sonny severely against his brother, and turned his attention to an environment where he knew hed be accepted, playing jazz with the good-time people (Baldwin 219). That choice was not made entirely by Sonny; it was formed by his experiences during childhood. Sonny plays music not only to express himself fully but also to replace the drugs that he is trying to escape from. Sonnys choice of music reflects his attitude towards life and his experiences, and if only his brother can take a moment to listen to that, instead of instantly judging Sonny, their relationship could have been a lot less deficient throughout the years. The need for acceptance between brothers is also portrayed in The Red Convertible, at the same time the reason for their separation is not as preventable as in Sonnys Blues. Unlike his brother Lyman, who was lucky when it came to numbers, Henry ws never lucky in the same way (Erdrich, 236) and was picked for the draft shortly after returning from their summer road trip. About three years had passed until theyd met again, only for Lyman to discover that Henry wasnt the same when he returned from the war. Frustrated and upset about what happened to Henry, Lyman desperately tried to find a way to bring back his old brotherly connection. Symbolic to their relaitonship, Lyman went out to the car and ran the piss right out of it (Erdrich 238) in hopes that it would bring back whatever was left of Henry. When Lyman intentionally damaged the car so that Henry would have to fix it, Henry understood what Lyman was trying to do for him. Rather than responding with anger or bitterness, he fixed the car so that Lyman would have it. Henry knew how lonesome the effect of war left himself, and Lyman also noticing just how different the war made him, they both slowly came to reality to the beginning of the end of their relationship. The brothers in Sonnys Blues and The Red Convertible both have a point in time where they grow apart and experience a major life changing occurrence. Despite Sonnys arrest and misfortune it takes the death of the narrators daughter to finally get a better understanding of his brother. It seems that the narrator could better understand Sonny now, and has decided to write to his brother. In The Red Convertible Lyman destroys the car as he views his and Henrys relationship. Henry understands what Lyman is trying to do for him, and shows his brother that he still cares. The capability to put their differences behind them and restore an old connection that was once so significant can be evident in ones want to finally change. Unfortunately some unexpected cases of events are bound to happen, that we either have no control over or as bad as it may seem, are better off. It is not until now tha tLyman realizes that Henry and he will never gain back that tight bond that they once shared. When Henry jumps into the water, in a strange way, he is showing Lyman that he is doing all he can to be the old Henry. You can dryly put it together that Lyman understands his brothers decision to end his life, in his actions following his brothers suicide. The sinking of the red convertible symbolizes the end of Henry and Lymans relationship and creates a very ironic end to what was once a very strong bond among two brothers. On the contrary, these two brothers had another chance to take up again that connection they once had. After finally beginning to understand Sonny for who he truly is, the narrator steps inside of Sonnys atmosphere, so to speak. Upon entering the Jazz club and meeting all of Sonnys acquaintances, the narrator is impressed and seems very fond of how well liked and appreciated his little brother is. The most important and influential person the narrator meets is Creole, upon meeting him the narrator says one of the most significant statements of the whole story. This is the point where the narrator finaly comes to a true appreciation about who Sonny truly is, not only as a person but for the true talent that he expresses in his music. Due to the hardships of separation and neglicence, both brothers understand the certainty of their relationships after drugs and neglecting are incorporated into the situation. Although both stories do not give the same opportunity to find a way to revive the old beat up relationship, both pairs of brothers finally realized the importance of being there for one another. The way the two brothers reuinte through addiciton, memories and strife make their bond seem stronger than ever.

Finding Wisdom in Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Travels :: Essays Papers

Finding Wisdom in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels A wise man once said, "That which does not kill us only makes us stronger". Jonathan Swift obviously made good use of the moral of this quote when writing his book, Gulliver's Travels. In this book, Swift tells of Lemuel Gulliver's travels to fantastic nations that exist only in Swift's own imagination. However, as Gulliver journeys to these new places, his attitudes about the state of man and his morals gradually change. In every stage of his travels, Gulliver sees a new side of mankind that makes him pity the state of his kind, while allowing him to see the light and become a better individual himself. So as Gulliver progresses from Lilliput, to Brobdingnag, to Laputa, and finally to the Land of the Houyhnhnms, he learns different facets of the human character that depress him somewhat but cause him to emerge as a stronger person. On his first voyage, Gulliver learns the corruption and pettiness of humans and how these emotions can lead to distress. When he first lands on the island, he seen as a threat to the security of the people residing there and thus is treated accordingly as a prisoner. However, as the people of Lilliput become accustomed to the "man-mountain", he becomes somewhat accepted into their society and thus he sees all the disadvantages of their moral character. The people of Lilliput are corrupt and very materialistic. People earn places in the government by performing tricks on a rope not by using their merits and qualification for the job. Gulliver sees the petty differences between the Lilliputians emerge into full-scale wars that result in many deaths. However, Gulliver sees something else that causes the main sorrow in his heart. He sees the similarities between these characteristics of the Lilliputians and the people of his beloved England. Though he doesn't come out and say it he knows that the argument between the Big-Endians, and the Little-Endians, is no different than the differences between Whigs and Tories, and Catholics and Protestants. Though seeing his culture's petty differences illustrated in front of him made Gulliver see the error of his ways and this realization allowed him to be ready to benefit from the Utopia he would visit next. In Brobdingnag, Gulliver is in sorrow because he sees what people can become if only they try.

Race in Social Problems :: essays research papers

Last semester when I signed up for classes, I thought Sociology 260: Social Problems in the US would be a course where a minimal amount of time would be spent on discussing social problems and a maximum amount of time would be used to discuss public policies to combat such social problems. I wanted to jump the gun. I did not see that in order to implement a public policy, which would be of use, I had to fully understand all facets of the problem. Through these various books and articles, The Condemnation of Little B by Elaine Brown, "The Ghosts of 9-1-1: Reflections on History, Justice and Roosting Chickens," in On the Justice of Roosting Chickens by Ward Churchill, Perversions of Justice: Indigenous Peoples and Angloamerican Law by Ward Churchill, No Equal Justice: Race and Class in the American Justice System by David Cole, Welcome to the Machine: Science Surveillance, and the Culture of Control by Derrick Jensen and George Draffan, "Mastering the Female Pelvis: Rac e and the Tools of Reproduction," in Public Privates: Preforming Gynecology From Both Ends of the Spectrum by Terri Kapsalis and "Race and the New Reproduction" in Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts, a better understanding came to light on social issues currently seen as problematic like poverty, health care, race and discrimination, gender inequality and crime. In the book The Condemnation of Little B, Brown's central theses is the criminal justice system. Throughout the book the one argument she is constantly supporting is the idea that young black boys, in their early teens, are arrested and put through the criminal justice system in a new age version of lynch-mob justice. The alleged crimes of these young black boys recieve much media fanfare, but when they are cleared of any wrong-doing nothing is said about it in the media. She makes her arguments by using the story of Little B as a frame for her theses. By taking his story and stripping away the prosecution's rush to judgment in the investigation and trial; using the words of drug dealers awaiting sentencing and addicts, such as Little B's mother, to ramrod through a conviction in which there was no physical evidence connecting the boy to the killing. To supplement the frame she recaps high profile cases of young black children being arrested and charged for crimes despite evidence to the contrary.

Teachers of Today †Who They Are and What They Need to Know

Assignment 2 – Paper – Teachers of Today – who they are and what they need to know Word count (2,382): Final Word count (2,264): INTRODUCTION Exciting, and rewarding are just some characteristics that explain teaching. Overcoming anxiety and nerves in the first year is our greatest challenge. Moving into the classroom for the first time can be a daunting and challenging experience for everyone. You are required to immediately equip four years of knowledge into your teaching and classroom management. While this may seem to be a difficult time, it will only get easier. There are many rewards with being a teacher, however it is important to note that it is not a role to be taken lightly – it is a difficult role to fill. As teachers, we need to understand that every child will learn differently. No matter their culture, gender or socioeconomic status, so as teachers you have to encourage and have a level field in your classrooms. You have to know how to reach each student. As teachers you need to let the students know that they don’t have to follow the stereotyped roles of society. The teachers of 2010 and beyond will face many challenges that we are currently unaware of. What we can do to prepare for those challenges is look at where things may be headed in terms of technology and population and cultural diversity. PROFESSIONALISM & TECHNOLOGY â€Å"A professional doesn’t view his or her profession as a just a job, but rather sees it as a calling that is all about caring for children† – Kramer, 2003, p. 23 As an independent Australian Comics publisher (and short film producer), professionalism is what helps us stand out from the crowd. Look and presentation is vital,  we have to stick to various guidelines depending on your audience and where we are showcasing,  all this requires some serious  decision making and – when dealing with multiple artists – juggling some serious egos! Developing and maintaining relationships with other artists is imperative for us to continue to grow, and is just  as important to the relationship of student and teacher. We need to keep up to date with market, media  and consumer trends  just as both students and teachers must with  syllabus and curriculum†¦ nd indeed those same market, media and consumer trends. Change and adaption is incredibly  important as well, because without  it  you can't  move forward or stay fresh. To be a professional teacher you can't be a dictator,  but  more of great  artist  whose success is  drawn from the love of the craft,  nurturing the medium and understanding what the final masterpiece is meant to c onvey. In 2010 and beyond, our classrooms will transform into more of a technological teaching and learning environment. There are many new ways students can research information they need through resources such as the Internet. Teaching has also been altered, with the use of interactive whiteboards. To fulfil a professional role as a teacher, there are many different aspects to consider and behaviours to demonstrate. As role-models, these will pave the way for the students to become more professional themselves. It is important for a teacher to relate to each student in a professional manner. There are many ways to tutor students through advancements in technology such as the Internet, thus expanding the opportunities to be passed on to a new generation. Teachers should always teach with passion and a burning desire to touch hearts and change lives. Remember: it’s not just a job – it’s an honour. MOTIVATION and TEACHING STRATEGIES The description of motivation and the descriptions of the many various differing theoretical explanations for them are as follows†¦ The process of motivation itself is – simply put – starting towards a goal and keeping on the path until you achieve the goal. (Eggen and Kauchak 2010). An individual may well have different ideas in mind when achieving heir goals – whether they are moved by an extrinsic motivation (ie: the need to get there simply as a means to an end) or intrinsic motivation (doing it for the love of the subject) – the results are the same and both methods are valid. Admittedly, if you enjoy a subject it will give you more value as it will your teacher/s, but striving for that end result regardless will be an achievement. There are various theories of motivation, which shall be dealt with below. Through various cognitive theories, we know people really need to understand the world and their experiences to make sense of them and their place in that world. They can be as follows: Need for Self-Determination: this is where an individual feels the need to act on and control their environment to understand it – to have choices and to decide what they want to do. Praise, offers of help and other emotional factors can also be a part of self-determination. Need for Autonomy: here the individual feels the need to not only act on their environment, but to alter it to their way of thinking so that they can relate to it and learn more effectively. Need for Relatedness: this is where an individual feels the need for social connection and approval to facilitate their learning. Indeed, this factor is quite important as it fulfils the desire for approval and positive judging. Need to Preserve Self-Worth: simply put – this is the need to feel important – whether this is in a family group, friends, employment or any other social aspect – if we feel intelligent and important then our ability to learn likewise grows. Belief about future outcomes: This is a very personal part of learning and unique to each individual. The ability to guesstimate what the outcome of a project will be based upon your own knowledge of your capabilities will greatly influence your learning skills – the more you think you can, you will (Little Engine That Could – Watty Piper – 1930) Beliefs about Intelligence: the belief that you can or can NOT do a task will have a huge psychological impact upon your learning abilities. This can also be influenced by outside positive and negative feedback from others. Unless you are rock-solid positive you can do something despite negative criticism, that very criticism can undermine your belief in your own intelligence. The challenge is to find motivators for each and every student and use these to engage them in their education and learning. In terms of teaching and learning, motivation is the engagement that students have in their studies, and the efforts that they make to achieve their goals. Motivation can be split into two types, refer to Table 1. 1. Understanding student motivation is vital to the development of effective teaching strategies and necessary to discover different approaches to motivation and how these impact classroom decisions. pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Table 1. 1 – Types of Motivation The behaviourist approach suggests that a student will gain a reward, either extrinsic or intrinsic, then the individual will be motivated to complete the task so as to receive it. From this we can determine that reward systems within the classroom can be used to increase student motivation, however Eggen and Kauchak (2010) stress that extrinsic rewards should be used to increase intri nsic motivation so as to promote learner independence. As teaching moves forward into 2010 and beyond, behaviourism is amongst the many learning theories in practice that is essential to good teaching. With diverse backgrounds and environmental factors, watching for the appropriate and inappropriate key behaviours in students is a complicated process in assuring desired behaviour is maintained. The cognitive approach suggests teachers should model how to claim responsibility for their success and failures, and should acknowledge that with additional effort past failures can be used as a learning tool. The Individuals’ Memory Stores play an important role, which contains the sensory memory to capture stimuli, working memory, phonological loop for words and sounds, and our visual-spatial sketch pad for our visual and spatial surroundings. All these various processes are active when we learn, and are fascinating examples of how the human mind operates. The humanist approach to motivation is dominated by the belief that all individuals have a number of needs that must be fulfilled (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010). These needs are categorised in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs outlined in figure 2. . The hierarchy suggests that if any of the lower level needs are not met then it is not possible for higher order ones to be fulfilled. Teachers must understand that these needs will not always be fulfilled within the home environment and various programs can be established to aid students when the home environment fails. [pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Figure 2. 2 – Maslowsâ€⠄¢s Hierarch of Needs We must also remember that an integral aspect of motivation lies in aiming towards a particular achievement, or goal. A goal is an outcome that an individual is striving to achieve. Goals can be divided into four different types, see table 3. 3. [pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Table 3. 3 – Types of Goals Classical conditioning is yet another form of learning that occurs when an individual produces an involuntary emotional or physiological response, similar to instinct or reflex (Pavlov, 1927). Figure 4. 4 (below) outlines the concepts in greater detail. [pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Figure 4. 4 – Classical Conditioning Operant conditioning is where a response changes in frequency or duration as a result of a consequence (Skinner, 1953). This can be presented through either positive or negative reinforcement or through the presentation or removal of a punishment and shaping (Premack, 1965). Operant Conditioning can have a negative impact if used incorrectly, which can result in students not feeling safe, stressed and anxious about their environment. Constructivist Learning Theory is a theory that seems like common sense when you think about it, stating that learners create their own knowledge of topics they study as opposed to simply recording that information. Piaget 1952/ Vygotsky 1978). There are two primary perspectives for Constructivism: Cognitive Constructivism – focuses on internal construction of knowledge. Social Constructivism – focuses on constructing knowledge socially before internalising. Cognitive Apprenticeships is a process designed to places less able learners with more able ones to assist in developing their abilities. Peer-to-peer assistance provides many characteristics that assist learners through a new teaching experience. Some of these are modelling (watching demonstrations), scaffolding (being asked questions to prompt their learning), verbalisation (expressing their beliefs), increasing complexity (which does what the name implies) and exploration (finding new ways to use knowledge). This tool allows teachers to monitor other less able students, knowing that appropriate peer-to-peer learning is being undertaken with other less able students. The learning process of students will be influenced by many factors as you can see above. As they do, we need to keep a watchful eye on how they unfold. The challenge of teachers in 2010 and beyond is to find these motivators for each and every student and use them to engage them in education and learning. In the end, when teachers effectively motivate students their interest will increase along with their ability to learn. COMMITMENT and CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT When committing to creating a productive learning environment, the developmental stage of students should be considered. High-school students have different capabilities of primary-school students, so their classroom activities need to be more challenging (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010). Younger students are more responsive to concrete examples, while older students are capable of understanding theories and complex situations. If computer software is to be used in the classroom, it should be tailored to those stages of development. Younger students would require simple interfaces, less challenging problems, frequent feedback and recognition of achievement. Classroom management will also determine how effective the teaching is. Part of effective management is setting rules and procedures, and following them throughout the entire study period. The selection of topics attracts several issues. For the most part, teachers will be following a curriculum, but will prefer to place emphasis on particular sections of this framework. Their own personal knowledge and commitment, as well as the information that they deem important and useful, contributes to the various topics. There is also a need to plan how these topics will be delivered. Traditional instruction using lectures provides little interaction and feedback, so other strategies need to be looked at and implemented. The author Tony Newton intends to try and maintain a level of control using humour in much the same way his own third grade teachers did when he was young. Keeping in mind all the various technologies and ground rules that have to be in place, as well as students’ abilities and social interaction, (Maximizing the Time and Opportunity for Learning – Eggen and Kauchak, 2010 – pg 355) a classroom MUST be organised, arranged appropriately and personal. For Mr. Newton’s own class, he also firmly believe if kids have fun, they will learn more. Then we have Ability Grouping, being the practice of sorting students into groups of similar intelligence/ learning capabilities. We need to remember that if we begin segregating students early on, then those who are quicker cannot scaffold or mentor the slower ones up to speed. Social ramifications here are also dangerous where those smarter think they may be â€Å"better† than their less able peers†¦ and friendships can then also suffer. Tolerance and assistance must be cultivated to prevent these prejudices from booming out of proportion in later life. CONCLUSION The theories of learning and teaching covered above provide useful background information for new teachers entering the workforce. Situations that we encounter will be unique, though it is always beneficial to be prepared and plan for the journey ahead. Reviewing literature and applying some of these techniques can assist with understanding how people learn, different teaching methods, and the factors to consider when building a classroom. Moving forward into 2010, teachers are advised to consider these theories and incorporate many different levels of educational tools, through appropriate modes, that assist in developing the students’ learning construction. Although we do not know what classrooms will be like in the future, this is something that we actually determine ourselves. When we are first starting out, we will need to create our own style and approach, making up our own rules. Although teachers are expected to give instruction, it is still a learning experience. Thankfully there are a lot of resources at our disposal. Remember to keep improving our teaching craft, and we will be able to adapt to the demands of classrooms in 2010 and beyond. Reference List Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations on Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman. Borko, H. , and Putnam R. (1996). Handbook of educational psychology. Macmillan; United States of America. Eggen, P. , and Kauchak, D. (2010). Educational Psychology: Windows On Classrooms (8th ed. ). In H. Gardner, and S. Moran, The Science of Multiple Intelligences Theory. United States of America: Pearson International. Mayer, R. , (2002). Teaching of subject matter. Annual review of psychology,55, 715-744. Pavlov,  I. P. (1927). Conditioned Reflexes translated by G V Anrep. Oxford University Press, London, England. Piaget, J. (1977). Problems in quilibration. In M. Appel, and L. Goldberg, Topics in cognitive development: Vol. 1. Equilibration: Theory, research, and application. New York: Plenum Press. Premack, D. 1965). Reinforcement theory. In D. Levine (Ed. ), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation (Vol. 13, pp. 3-41). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. New York. Macmillan. Woolfolk, A. , and Margetts,K. (2007). Educational psychology. Sydney, Australia: Pearson Education Australia. Vinesh Chandra and Darrell L. Fisher (2009). Students' Perceptions of a Blended Web-Ba sed Learning. Environment. Learning Environ Res. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Thought and Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. The Little Engine That Could – Watty Piper – 1930

Context Aware Data Center Allocation

The method to find a proper data center is based on six contextual parameters: 1) Geographical distance network delay) between a consumer and data centers, 2) Workload of each data center 3)Power usage effectiveness 4)Network monitoring 5)Facility monitoring 6)Allocation delay time. The proposed model can successfully allocate the decanter based on above mentioned parameters. Objective or Aim: To allocate each consumer request to an appropriate data center among the distributed data centers based on the location Of consumer and the location of data centers.Scope: Using the proposed model can expect fast allocation time, but also future response time. The proposed model can successfully allocate the data center tit minimum distance between user and data center, workload, power usage effectiveness, network traffic, allocation delay, good facility. Problem Statement: Mapped/Reducer Provider computing service providers deliver their resources to consumers as a service, for example, softw are, platform and Infrastructure. Those services are based on the demands of the consumers, and the provider offers the services to consumers through brutalized resources.The resources of the providers are usually hosted by a data center. Since the location of consumer is different in geographically, a service provider should have strutted data centers throughout the world to deliver its services. Therefore, to find an appropriate data center for a consumer request is very much necessary. Existing System: Dynamic resource allocation problem is one of the most challenging problems in the resource management problems. In [7] authors have explained the algorithm for negotiation protocol for resource provisioning in detail. In authors have made a comparison of many resource allocation strategies.In [9] authors propose a model and a utility function for location- aware dynamic resource allocation. A comprehensive comparison of resource allocation policies is covered in [10]. In [1 1], au thors propose an adaptive resource allocation algorithm for the Mapped/Reducer Provider system with predictable tasks in which algorithms adjust the resource allocation adaptively based on the updates of the actual task counterinsurgency Allocation [1 2] is a subject that has been addressed in many computing areas, such as operating systems, grid computing, and data center management.For example, developers can have network requirements, such as bandwidth and delay, and computational requirements, such as CAP], memory and storage. The RA should deal with these unpredictable requests in an elastic and transparent way. This elasticity should allow the dynamic use of physical resources, thus avoiding both under-provisioning and over provisioning of resources. Proposed System: In this project, we propose a Context aware data center allocation model which allocates the consumer's request to an appropriate data center. Here, we assume the VIM run on the providers data centers infinitely a fter they are successfully allocated.Also, the VIM allocated in only one data center. Context aware data center allocation is designed to demonstrate the data enter allocation. In this model we have consumer and Mapped/Reducer Provider service provider, and coordinator agent. Coordinator agent works on behalf of each consumer and Mapped/Reducer Provider service provider. System Architecture: Working Principle: In this project, we assume the VIM run on the provider's data centers infinitely after they are successfully allocated. Also, the VIM allocated in only one data center. That means a VIM has not allocated a VIM in multiple data centers to support the consumer requests.For this reason, the workload of each data center has not depends on its resource availability, but the allocated Vim's specification (number of Cups) in the data center. Context aware data center allocation is designed to demonstrate the data center allocation. In this model we have consumer and Mapped/Reducer Pr ovider service provider, and coordinator agent. Coordinator agent works on behalf of each consumer and Mapped/Reducer Provider service provider. In this model, a Mapped/Reducer Provider service provider consists of several data centers that are geographically distributed.Likewise, there are consumers that are geographically distributed, or else they may be moving entities. The intent aware data center allocation model consists of different kind of agents; 1) User Agent, 2) Coordinator Agent, and 3) Monitoring Agent. In this agents; 1) User Agent, 2) Coordinator Agent, and 3) Monitoring Agent User Agent: A user agent sends a demand to the coordinator agent by sending an allocation request message on behalf of a consumer. Request message format is as follows: Request (allocation_ARQ_size, Location details of user).The user agent waits to receive an allocation result message from the coordinator agent. Coordinator Agent: A coordinator agent is responsible to coordinate resource allocat ions for geographically disturbed data centers and consumer. The coordinator agent finds an appropriate data center for a consumer request. When the coordinator agent receives an allocation request, the agent evaluate each data center to allocate the consumer request based on the location of consumer, workload on data center, Power usage, Facility monitoring, Network monitoring, and allocation delay latency of data centers.Functional Requirements The functional requirements for a system describe what the system should do. These requirements depend on the type of software being developed, the expected users of the software and the general approach taken by the organization when writing requirements. When expressed as user requirements, the requirements are usually described in a fairly abstract way. However, functional system requirements describe the System function in detail, its inputs and outputs, exceptions, and so on.Functional requirements are as follows: The proposed system s hould allocate each consumer request to an appropriate data center among the distributed data centers The proposed model can expect fast allocation time, and also future response time. Non-Functional Requirement Non-functional requirements, as the name suggests, are requirements that are not directly concerned with the specific functions delivered by the system. They may relate to emergent system properties such as reliability, response time and store occupancy.