Is the American Education System in Trouble Essay

Is the American Education System in Trouble - Essay Example Literacy's worth has changed and America has apparently become a "dropout nation". In answer to this dilemma, fingers are pointing to several aspects of America's education system; there are incompetent educators, obsolete curriculum, overcrowded schools and lack of funding for the system. It is an unending blame game where there is no winner and all are losers. Frank Salvato (2006) vividly mentions in an online article that: "It is ironic that liberal institutions of learning complete with accelerated courses in the humanities, sociology and ethics, are increasingly producing graduates who have no ethics, no understanding of morality and no mastery of the skills that can reasonably be described as the basics of education". Here, Salvato is clearly pointing to how dismal students are being taught even in the so called well established academes. Many have been calling out for an overhaul in the system to refocus its aim to teach or educate students on what is important and relevant. Old curriculum's and traditional teaching methods tend to be boring for students nowadays. Boredom leads to disinterest, which is one of the common reasons high school students drop out of their schools. The most obvious reason for dropping out of high school is poverty and poor academic performance. But even in suburban areas in America where money is not a big issue, parents and school authorities are finding it hard to keep kids at school. Often than not, students are not motivated to go back to school. Some dropouts choose to go direct to work and earn money instead of "wasting" time learning things they can learn themselves. Dropping out of high school has become so common especially since the law gives anyone who is 16 years old (or 18 years old in some states) the right to discontinue his/her education given that they have valid reason to do so. In fact, according to a recent PR News Today (2006) online article, 3,000 American students drop out of school for every school day and that most of them are poor readers. Moreover, only half of the high school graduates continue on to finish their college degrees. What most people tend to overlook is that dropping out of high school means minimum wage jobs and slim chances of going up the ladder. It's an almost certain way of being in a degenerative cycle, where dropouts rear children who choose to drop out of school eventually too. It is certainly a challenge for the school administrators, parents, and the society at large to make students realize that staying in school is the most important step they could take to improve their financial capacity in the future. In an online article by the Oprah Winfrey Show (2006) website, it was stressed that American students used to be among the best in the world about 20 years ago. Presently however, American students are lagging in academic rankings and even ranking behind poorer and smaller countries like Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and India. There are also an increasing number of high school graduates who later find college level education hard to cope with. Their high school curriculum evidently did not train them to be apt to that level. Even more disappointing is that some who graduated top of their classes perform miserably in their college years. What happens if the American education system continues to fail The country and its

The Paintings of Rococo, Neoclassicism, and Romanticism Essay

The Paintings of Rococo, Neoclassicism, and Romanticism - Essay Example The essay "The Paintings of Rococo, Neoclassicism, and Romanticism" explores the Rococo, Neoclassicism, and Romanticism art. The subjects are well mannered, smartly attired, and joining in lighthearted conversation. "Pilgrimage by Cythera" draws the viewer into the scene with its non-threatening use of composition. Rococo paintings would often use a touch of nudity and coy scenes to elicit a feeling of naughtiness. The end of the 18th century witnessed a return to a more formal style of painting known as Neoclassicism. More serious subjects replaced the gaiety of Rococo and color became more dark and brooding. The "Oath of the Horatii", commissioned in 1784, was painted by Jacques-Louis David (Jacques-Louis David). It is a sharply contrasted painting with sharp edges and depicting conflict. The painting uses abrupt angles to capture a cold and rigid feeling. In David's painting we see the intricate attention to detail that is displayed in the architecture and the metal swords reflect the sharpness of the tone. The women are sullen as if saddened by an upcoming loss or introspecting on their subservient position that was common of the period. The period of 1800-1850 saw the introduction of Romanticism in art. The paintings were often directed toward nationalism and regularly used to portray historical events. In Eugà ¨ne Delacroix's "Massacre at Chios" we see Greeks waiting their impending slaughter by the Turks. The human form is more detailed and more serious. The colors are more realistic and haunting.

Class. Race, Gender, Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Class. Race, Gender, Sexuality - Essay Example On the other hand, race and gender influence social position of women and men, their educational and work opportunities (Foley 70). Race and gender have a great impact on social inequalities and rights, freedoms and life challenges. Through a complex interaction of identification processes, symbol systems, and social institutions, gender differences are produced--typically in the form of a dichotomy that not only opposes masculinity to femininity but also translates these oppositional differences into gender hierarchy, the privileging of traits and activities defined as masculine over those defined as feminine. Thus, although it is important to recognize the cultural variation in how gender differences are formed and expressed, it is also important to stress the political nature of gender as a system of difference construction and hierarchical dichotomy production that is constitutive of almost all contemporary societies. From the point of views of the ethnographer, the categories of class, race, gender and sexuality can be separable because they determine different social processes which can be considered in isolation. For instance, it is possible speak about race or sexual prejudices, stereotypes and inequalities. In education, race and class prejudice can affect groups' achievement and those who are minority students (Foley 72). Classes exist in a given society to the extent that there are significant links between these three levels of social life: if economically determined posi ¬tions correlate significantly with people's lived experience and consciousness, and if both of these have a significant bearing on how they behave as consumers, workers or citizens - on how they live, the organizations they join, the parties they support, and so on. On the other hand, gender and sexuality can also be considered in isolation in such cases as discrimination and sexual harassment. Foley (1990) underlines that: "they [men] gained their gender status through winning a male's attention and loyalty and through domesticating a sexually restless, domineering male" (69). Women becomes a suffer group because they often come to be stereotyped as victims. By bridging the personal and the political, gender also provides an alternative basis for action; helping to build up networks that cross other boundaries, whose actions have become increasingly significant. These categories are not fixed changing over time. During the XX century, different theories were developed in order to describe and interpret the ideas of race and sexuality. For instance, Foley (1990) speaks about such thing as 'bonded sexuality' typical for mexian communities. "This idea of a "bonded sexuality" legitimates pre-marital sex in a traditional cultural setting. This exchange relationship between males and females was not necessarily egalitarian, however. Each sex made rather different concessions for the advantages gained" (70). There is a shift in attitudes towards greater acceptance of gender and sexual equality, despite abundant evidence of continuing prejudice, inertia and discrimination. Till the beginning of the XX century, women sexuality was also ways denied. Recent years the understanding of race has been changed, because as a

Learning to Manage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Learning to Manage - Essay Example Therefore, I must be able to manage myself if I want to manage others. In order to be an effect manager and leader one must be able to influence others to willingly do things with quality and standard that is above average and above the norm. A good manager is one who sets the example for others. He or she must be do what he or she expects of others and be able to do it even better and more willingly. An effective manager is both a follower and a leader and he or she should be able to direct the behaviour of his or her staff in order to accomplish the objectives of the company or business. The roles of a good manager also include helping people to be committed to achieving organizational goals and encouraging constructive change that is necessary. and knowledge. By creatively organizing, leading, and managing a good manager can match an individual's assets with the jobs and responsibilities. Then it is possible to help individuals work as a team. There are many different learning styles. Some individuals learn better by receiving information verbally. Others learn by incorporating motor skills and yet using intellectual skills work best with various individuals. Gagne (n.d.) suggests, "five major categories of learning: verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills and attitudes. Different internal and external conditions are necessary for each type of learning." People also learn better by doing and by participating actively in the learning process. Interactive learning keeps the students, or learners, involved as this type learning involves interactions, either with other staff members, students, employers, teachers, the environment, or the learning materialInteractive learning offers involvement." There are many theories about learning. Learning theories suggest that learning is a process. There are various theories. One theory is the stimulus-response model. This is the behavourist orientation to learning. This theory states that behaviour is observable, learned by a change in behaviour, and is shaped by the environment that surrounds individuals. In other words, this theory suggests that external factors such as environmental elements determine what individuals learn Learning to Manage 4 instead of individual learning. Another learning theory is the cognitive orientation to learning. This focuses on the mental procedure, or the act/process of knowing, of learning. People who support this theory believe that learning comes from expectations, connotation, and the making of different connections. Thoughts and perceptions are viewed as a whole or a pattern instead of individual images. Individuals use knowledge and information that was gained

Monitoring of users Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Monitoring of users - Essay Example lantic have set up monitoring policy that ensures that their systems are protected and they can detect attributes of managed resources that are not operating within the specified parameters. Therefore, this paper shall seek to explain some of the rules of monitoring users of monitors executed by College of North Atlantic. First and foremost, College of North Atlantic’s monitoring policy asserts that it is mandatory for everyone using electronic system that belongs to the institution to comply with the agreements and guidelines stipulated in the policy. All the institution’s employees, contractors, subcontractors, students and volunteers must abide by the provisions of the procedures, policies and Acceptable Use Agreement that govern usage of the institutions electronic information systems (College of North Atlantic). The monitoring policy also stresses the importance of this by having administrative and academic managers responsible for ensuring that the policy is complied with. In doing this, College of North Atlantic will ensure that the monitoring policy is followed to the latter. The software policy enforced by College of North Atlantic plays an integral in ensuring that the institution’s computers and software are not destroyed. For example, the monitoring policy states that all software installed in the system in any department, the original set of software must be kept in an accessible and safe place in the corresponding department. Additionally, if software was installed and a license document was acquired, then the license document must also be stored in the respective department in an accessible and secure place. In order to ensure that this policy is followed to the latter, then the institution has ensured that the administrative and academic managers of the respective departments are responsible for the software licenses acquired in their departments (College of North Atlantic). Employees of College of North Atlantic are not allowed to install

Information Tech for Mgmt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Information Tech for Mgmt - Essay Example Therefore, working with big data should use systems for bulk data logging for better storage, management, security and federal compliance. The main focus is on the importance of using a data logging system that is made especially for bulk data storage and retrieval. But despite their availability, many still resort to basic log systems or spreadsheets, which are effective in small amounts of data, but may not be adequate when indexing many data, which could result to inconclusive results during a search (Olavsrud 2). Also, of the 207 respondents to the survey, only around half are concerned with big data management, and above half do not have sufficient tools to manage their large amounts of data (Olavsrud 1), and opportunities for growth can get bypassed as a result of non-upgrading. If ordinary logging systems are used, storage can be a problem, as well as filing, indexing and searches. In my opinion, it would be a good change for companies to resort to bulky data management systems, and upgrading their systems can help in making their work and data retrieval faster and more efficient. Lastly, if proper data management is used by these organizations, they could lessen chances of having their data leaked by integrating a security system along with their log management system solution. The upgrade’s benefits can be seen in the long run, especially to those that use previous data to come up with better work

Dunkin Donuts in England Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dunkin Donuts in England - Research Paper Example Finally, this proposal includes a thoroughly researched site selection process and final implementation strategy. The hallmark of Dunkin’s business model is customer loyalty. John Costello, Dunkin’ Donuts’ Chief Global Marketing and Innovation Officer, identified the opportunities for our team; guests of Dunkin Donuts have developed a connection with the brand that is truly unique. (Restaurant Magazine, 2012) The customer relationships we foster help sustain our profitability and success within the domestic and international markets. An increase in customer loyalty of only 5% can lift lifetime profits per customer by as much as 95%. For the sixth year in a row, Dunkin’ Donuts has been ranked #1 for coffee brand loyalty by Key Brands Consulting, (Brand Keys, 2012). This recognition is a testament to the quality of the products and services offered in each establishment across the nation. While Dunkin’ enjoys domestic brand loyalty from Americanâ€⠄¢s within the U.S., the competition is gaining strong competitive advantage in England. For example, Starbucks has opened over 700 stores in the U.K., (Barnett, 2011) which has allowed them to capture brand recognition and customer loyalty in this seemingly untapped market. Dunkin’ Donuts understands how to build, execute, and maintain a better and stronger customer loyalty from offering superior products and value. For this reason, the strategic team believes that expanding Dunkin’ Donuts to the U.K. will prove to be a tremendous success. England is ready to â€Å"Run on Dunkin’.† Strategic Analysis / Operational Plan Before considering global expansion, several factors should be considered including any currency and economic concerns, the current political environment, cultural complexities and potential trade barriers. The strategic analysis will review each of these with respect to expansion into England. The included SWOT analysis (appendix A) will summarize the issues and highlight Dunkin’ Donut’s strengths and weaknesses with respect to the global situation in England. Currency Concerns The United Kingdom is unlikely to give up monetary policy independence and adopt the Euro (Anonymous, 2012). While this decision has not influenced the high level of foreign investment continued in the U.K., it may be a factor when looking at interest rate risk. However, for the type of direct store structure Dunkin’ Donuts maintains, it should not be considered a barrier to global expansion. Inflation continues to be a concern as it has exceeded the 2% target throughout the past three years. Current inflation is reflective of the increases in commodity prices, higher import prices caused by the depreciation of the sterling, and the increase in the standard rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) (Monetary Policy Roundtable, 2011). The valuation of the sterling also influences England’s trade by lowering the price of exports relative to the price of imports. This results in a decline of real purchasing power, which could influence whether residents would have discretionary funds available to support new Dunkin’ Donut’s locations. However, the increase in available jobs that the new locations would bring should have positive