Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Political Science - Essay Example In 2003, Dinesh DSouza wrote an article published on the web in the National Review Online, titled â€Å"10 Great Things: What to Love About the United States† that said that the wealth gap was not a problem, that their was an upside to the wealth gap and that the critics â€Å"ignore what is unique and good about American civilization.† This discussion will compare and contrast these two articles. The themes and conclusions of both articles have been presented in the first paragraphs of this discussion. Next, the arguments the authors use will be briefly outlined. Then the persuasiveness of each article will be evaluated. Norton and Ariely use quantitative evidence or numerical evidence. They present various statistics: Specifically, three sets of statistics. They begin by identifying the wealth gap. In the United States today the wealthiest 20% of the population owns 85% of the national wealth and the bottom 40% â€Å"own very near 0%.† In fact, since many are in debt and have no assets they may control negative wealth, or even less than zero. These numbers came from an analysis by Edward Wolf of New York University. In The LA Times survey the sample was asked what they thought was the distribution of wealth in America (not what it is but what they think it is). They thought the distribution of wealth was less unequal than it is. They thought that the wealthiest 20% owned only 60% of the wealth and the bottom 40% had 10% of the wealth (not zero or even less). Then when asked what they wanted the â€Å"ideal distribution of wealth† to be they said even more even than their perception. They want the top 20% to own 30% of the wealth and the bottom 40% to own 25%. Basically, most Americans do not realize how uneven wealth distribution is in the United States, they think it is less uneven than it is and they want it to be even less uneven than they believe that it is. In â€Å"10 Great Things:

Hormones on Sexual Arousal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hormones on Sexual Arousal - Essay Example It is easiest to study male and female arousal in other primates because we have greater control (Carlson, 2002) . The ability to mate is not controlled by ovarian hormones. A woman can have intercourse at any time in her cycle. This makes it difficult to know exactly how much influence ovarian hormones have on arousal. Most studies show that these hormones have only a minimal effect on female arousal. It should be noted that these studies have been done on married women who are with their partner daily. It should be considered that a woman may take part in intercourse because of her husbands desire. Studies of female monkeys have shown that the menstrual cycle does have a strong effect on female arousal (Wallen, 2003). Studies of married women show that these females were, when tested through their entire cycle, more aroused when their testosterone levels were at their highest. When the adrenal glands, the gland that produces androgens, are removed from female monkeys the sexual drive of the money was greatly reduced. Adding testosterone reinstituted sexual arousal. Oxyctocin levels also seem to place a role in arousal. Higher levels start contractions of the uterus and the vagina that accompanies orgasm. It is likely that the pleasant â€Å"afterglow† that follows intercourse is also due to oxyctocin (Wallen, 2003). Pheromones are generally odors that are generally received through the olfactory portion of the brain but can also be absorbed through the skin. These pheromones tend to enhance hormone production in the female including oxyctocin. That would give a second explanation as to why touch enhances hormone production. There is also evidence that vision influences the production of oxyctocin (Wallen, 2003). Researchers are beginning to believe it is the combination of high testosterone levels and high oxyctocin levels that motivates female arousal. If both

Changing Concepts Of Amphibious Operations Management Essay

Changing Concepts Of Amphibious Operations Management Essay Amphibious flexibility is the greatest strategic asset that a sea power possesses. -B.H. Liddell Hart Deterrence or Defence, 1960 INTRODUCTION Amphibious operations are operations launched from the sea onto the land by naval and landing forces. It uses naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In the present day, amphibious warfare is the most complex of all military manoeuvres. The undertaking requires an intricate coordination of numerous military specialties, including air power, naval gunfire, naval transport, logistical planning, specialised equipment, land warfare, tactics, and extensive training in the nuances of this manoeuvre for all personnel involved  [1]  . The National Defence Strategy 2008 (NDS) of the United States projects that over the next twenty years,, population, resources, and environmental changes combined with social and geopolitical changes would create instability and uncertainty  [2]  . The situation calls for a change in military capabilities and capacities commensurate to the requirement along with institutional agility and flexibility to plan early and respond effectively along with other services and international partners. The Worlds population will, by 2025, would increase by more than 30 percent and be more heavily concentrated within the littorals. More than 60 percent of the Earths population will live in urban areas in 2025  [3]  . This portends a world dominated by complex urban littorals, where competition exists for vital resources and at the same time a youthful population becomes increasingly disenfranchised. Concurrently, there will continue to be a blurring of what was previously thought to be distinct forms of war or conflict. Mass communications will highlight the drama of human suffering, and disadvantaged populations will be ever more painfully aware and less tolerant of their conditions. Extremist ideologies will become increasingly attractive to those in despair and bereft of opportunity. Criminal elements will also exploit this social instability  [4]  . Diminishing overseas access is another challenge anticipated in the future operating environment. Countries may be hesitant to grant access for a variety of reasons. Diminished access will complicate the maintenance of forward presence, necessitating new approaches to responding quickly to developments around the world  [5]  . All of these challenges illustrate the importance of being able to operate in littoral regions, this demand signals the applicability of amphibious forces for missions across the range of military operations. The range of operations extends from military engagement, security cooperation, and deterrence activities to crisis response and limited contingency operations, and if necessary, major operations and campaigns  [6]  . AIM The aim of this paper is to examine new concepts in Amphibious Operations taking place in the world to respond to the new world order and asymmetric threats in the 21st century. PRESENT DAY AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS Amphibious operations employ a landing force embarked in ships or craft to accomplish a number of assigned missions. These missions may be conducted in permissive, uncertain, or hostile environments across the range of military operations. A landing force is composed of Army forces task-organized to conduct amphibious operations, while an amphibious task force is composed of Navy forces task-organized for the same purpose. An amphibious force is a landing force and an amphibious task force put together  [7]  . Recent history, the strategic environment, and maritime strategy all imply that individual naval platforms, forward deployed and globally distributed, must be capable of more diverse, smaller-scale amphibious missions while retaining the ability to re-aggregate for larger-scale events. The following types of amphibious operations, are in vogue presently  [8]  :- Amphibious Engagement and Crisis Response. A type of amphibious operation which contributes to conflict prevention or crisis mitigation. These may include operations such as security cooperation, foreign humanitarian assistance, civil support, non combatant evacuations, peace operations, recovery operations, or disaster relief. Amphibious Raid. A type of amphibious operation involving a swift incursion into or a temporary occupation of an objective, followed by a planned withdrawal. Amphibious Assault. A type of amphibious operation that involves the establishment of a landing force on a hostile or potentially hostile shore. Amphibious Withdrawal. A type of amphibious operation involving the extraction of forces by sea in ships or craft from a hostile or potentially hostile shore. Amphibious Demonstration. A type of amphibious operation conducted for the purpose of deceiving the enemy by a show of force with the expectation of deluding the enemy into a course of action unfavorable to him. MODERN CONCEPTS IN AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS Operational Manoeuvre from The Sea (OMFTS) OMFTS is not merely a way of introducing an expeditionary force onto foreign soil but also of projecting expeditionary power directly against a centre of gravity or critical vulnerability  [9]  . OMFTS was developed by the US in response to the change in the global threat from the cold war to the chaos in the littorals. OMFTS enhances the naval expeditionary force by providing a task-organized, Sea Based, Operational Manoeuvre Element (OME) that can respond across the spectrum of conflict. Because expeditionary forces operate in international waters and are not restrained by global political pressures, the ability to respond quickly to a combatant commanders requirement is key when a quick response is necessary  [10]  . Concepts that help provide flexibility, protection and decisive impact to OMFTS are operational depth, mission depth, tempo, reach back, enabling force and exploitation force  [11]  . Operational Maneuver from the Sea links naval warfare and manoeuvre warfare. OMFTS uses critical components of warfare such as speed, mobility, fire support, communications, and navigation to exploit enemy weaknesses across the entire spectrum of conflict. OMFTS enables expeditionary forces to provide Army and Air Force flow when sustained operations are required. This can be as simple as creating the command and control architecture for the combatant commander to use or as complex as taking a forward air base for the flow of larger forces. An OMFTS capable task force can also act as an exploitation force when serving as an OME by attacking units or supply depots of enemy forces already engaged by other friendly forces.  [12]   The capture of Seoul in 1950 was a classic example of an Operational Manoeuvre from the Sea. It was a completely focused operation, unified under a single commander, that flowed coherently from San Diego, Sasebo, and Pusan, through an amphibious power projection at Inchon, to key objectives well inland. The Seoul operation was focused on a critical North Korean vulnerability, the lines of support (and withdrawal) through the Han River Valley at Seoul. It maintained that focus and with it an unmatched tempo of aggressive action. As a result, it was crushingly successful, leading to the destruction of the North Korean Army and the liberation of South Korea. If the operation had lost its focus, however, and been planned and executed as merely an amphibious lodgement at Inchon, it would have generated only an operationally insignificant tactical victory.  [13]   Use of the sea is the main difference in OMFTS from all other types of operational manoeuvre warfare. The sea ensures an avenue for friendly movement at the same time it acts as a barrier to the enemy and a means of avoiding disadvantageous engagements. OMFTS applies across the full spectrum of military operations, from Major Theater War (MTW) to Small Scale Contingencies (SSC) and applies manoeuvre warfare to expeditionary power projection in naval operations or as part of a joint or multinational campaign. OMFTS is not merely moving around the enemy but projecting power to the enemys Center of Gravity (COG) on our terms. By using a manoeuvrable naval power to launch an assault at the time and place we determine, the enemys weakness will be decisively exploited. OMFTS envisions making the beach transparent to amphibious warfare through STOM.  [14]   Ship to Objective Manoeuvre (STOM) OMFTS requires new tactical concepts for amphibious operations. Although the focus is on operational objectives ashore, the sea becomes essential manoeuvre space for the landing force. Successful execution of OMFTS demands that the landing force maintain the momentum gained by manoeuvre at sea. This is achieved by Ship-to-Objective Manoeuvre (STOM)  [15]  . STOM employs the concepts of manoeuvre warfare to project a combined arms force by air and surface means against inland objectives. It takes advantage of emerging trends in Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence and Information C4I2 Systems to land forces in their tactical array from the ships directly to the objective, replacing the cumbersome ship-to-shore movement of current amphibious warfare. True STOM is not aimed at establishing a beachhead, but at landing combat units ashore in their fighting formations, to a decisive place, and in sufficient strength to ensure mission accomplishment. The advantages of STOM over conventional amphibious operations are  [16]  :- STOM provides tactical as well as operational surprise, something seldom possible in past amphibious operations. Operations can begin over the horizon and project power deeper inland with more speed and flexibility than conventional amphibious operations. The enemy has to defend a vast area against seaborne mobility and deep power projection as compared to conventional beachhead. This will also force the enemy to thinly spread his defenses thus allowing friendly forces greater freedom of manoeuvre at sea and ashore. The gradient of shores and relative location of beaches with respect to the objective is rendered insignificant. Naval forces can take advantage of night and adverse weather conditions, as well as the ability to control the electromagnetic spectrum. These capabilities will enable exploitation of known enemy vulnerabilities, create opportunities, achieve tactical surprise, and result in mission accomplishment. Tenants of STOM. The key elements of STOM are  [17]  :- Operational objective. Focuses on the operational objective and provides increased flexibility to strike enemy critical vulnerabilities. Sea as Manoeuvre Space. The open sea can be a protective barrier or a freeway of supreme mobility. Movement of forces is faster on sea than on land. Outflanking of enemy defence forces can easily be achieved. Strength against Weakness. STOM applies strength against weakness and projects combat power through gaps located or created in the adversarys defenses. These gaps are not necessarily geographical; they may be exploitable weaknesses, such as limited night fighting capability, poor command and control, lack of endurance or low morale. Tempo. Air and surface units manoeuvre from ships to inland positions faster than the enemy can effectively react. The landing force maintains the initiative and operates at a pace that allows it to dictate the terms of engagement. Operational surprise delays enemy identification and disrupts his response. The enemy continues to face dilemmas and a tempo of operations that denies him control of the battle and keeps him off-balance and reactive. Integration. Integrates all elements in accomplishing the mission. Thus employing all available assets in support of ship-to-objective manoeuvre in order to maximize the effectiveness of the landing force. Successful implementation of the STOM concept requires improvements in mobility, command and control, intelligence, fires, sea-based logistics, organisation, doctrine, training, and education. STOM takes advantage of innovations in technology to enhance the capability of naval forces to conduct amphibious operations in the 21st Century. Ship-to- Objective Manoeuvre directly links manoeuvre at sea to manoeuvre on land by seamless manoeuvre from over the horizon directly against objectives deep inland. SEA BASING Sea basing represents a future capability with antecedents in amphibious operations. A seabase is a system of systems enabling personnel, material, fires, and command and control to come together rapidly, integrate, and be projected as a flexible force capable of undertaking a broad spectrum of over-the shore operations. Such operations could range from humanitarian relief, operations other than war, and conflict prevention to brigade sized or larger combat operations. Even larger operations could be enabled by the addition of more seabases or by the ability to flow additional forces through the seabase. A seabase may serve as an integration point for joint as well as coalition forces. Sea basing is more than simply traditional amphibious assault operations. It entails the projection of land forces substantially beyond the beachhead, independent of in-theater land bases. A seabase also needs to sustain such forces for prolonged periods  [18]  . Sea basing can be defined as: The capacity and/or capability to project rapidly sustainable military power ashore from the sea  [19]  . From the period prior to the onset of a crisis through the completion of stabilization operations, Seabasing provides scalable power projection option through sequential and concurrent integration of the five primary Seabasing lines of operation as stated below and are described as  [20]  :- Close. Rapid closure of joint force capabilities to an area of crisis. Assemble. Seamless integration of scalable joint force capabilities on and around secure sea-based assets. Employ. Flexible employment of joint force capabilities to meet mission objectives supported from the sea base. Sustain. Persistent sustainment of selected joint forces afloat and ashore, through transition to decisive combat operations ashore. Reconstitute. The capability to rapidly recover, reconstitute and redeploy joint combat capabilities within and around the manoeuvreable sea base for subsequent operations. Overview of Sea Basing  [21]   Principles of Seabasing. There are seven overarching Seabasing principles that apply across a wide range of scenarios  [22]  : Use The Sea as Manoeuvre Space. Seabasing exploits the freedom of the high seas to conduct operational manoeuvre in the maritime (includes littoral) environment relatively unconstrained by political and diplomatic restrictions, for rapid deployment and immediate employment. Sea-based operations provide an operational flexibility to support the immediate deployment/employment/sustainment of forces across the extended depth and breadth of the battlespace. Leverage Forward Presence and Joint Interdependence. Joint forces operating from the sea base, in conjunction with other globally based joint forces; provide an on-scene, credible offensive and defensive capability during the early stages of a crisis. Combined with other elements of this joint interdependent force, forward deployed joint forces can help to deter or preclude a crisis or enable the subsequent introduction of additional forces, equipment, and sustainment. Protect Joint Force Operations. Seabasing provides a large measure of inherent force protection derived from its freedom of operational manoeuvre in a maritime environment. The combined capabilities of joint platforms in multiple mediums (surface, sub-surface, and air) provide the joint forces a defensive shield both at sea and ashore. The integration of these capabilities and freedom of manoeuvre effectively degrades the enemys ability to successfully target and engage friendly forces while facilitating joint force deployment, employment, and sustainment. Provide Scalable, Responsive Joint Power Projection. Forces rapidly closing the sea base by multi-dimensional means (air, surface, and subsurface) give the ability to rapidly scale and tailor forces/capabilities to the mission. Seabasing provides an option to mass, disperse, or project joint combat power throughout the battlespace at the desired time to influence, deter, contain, or defeat an adversary. Sustain Joint Force Operations From The Sea. Sea-based logistics entails sustaining forces through an increasingly anticipatory and responsive logistics system to support forces afloat and select joint/multinational forces operating ashore. The sea base is sustained through the interface with support bases and strategic logistics pipelines enabling joint forces to remain on station, where needed, for extended periods of time. Seabasing uses selective off-load to assemble and deliver tailored sustainment packages directly to joint forces operating ashore. Expand Access Options and Reduce Dependence on Land Bases. Seabasing integrates global and sea-based power projection capabilities to provide multiple access options to complement forward basing, and reduces reliance on forward basing when the security environment dictates. This includes theater access capabilities at improved and unimproved ports and airfields. Create Uncertainty for Adversaries. Seabasing places an adversary in a dilemma through the conduct of dispersed and distributed operations. The options of multiple points and means of entry require an adversary to either disperse or concentrate his forces, creating opportunities to exploit seams and gaps in defenses. NEW EMERGING PLATFORMS MV-22 Osprey. The Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. The MV-22 originated from the United States Department of Defense Joint-service Vertical take-off/landing Experimental (JVX) aircraft program started in 1981.  [23]   LHA-6. The USS America (LHA-6) is based upon the USS Makin Island (LHD-8) design. The USS America is a gas-turbine powered warship capable of carrying a Marine Expeditionary Brigade with the capacity for carrying many Marine helicopters, MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, and F-35B V/STOL Joint Strike Fighters. This warship is due to be delivered to the Navy in 2012. At a displacement of 45,000 tons, and carrying a complement of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, it will be able to serve in the role of a small aircraft carrier, an America-class ship will be able to operate as a flagship for an expeditionary strike group or amphibious ready group. Warships of this type may also play a key role in the Maritime Pre-Positioning Force  [24]  . Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV). The JHSV Program will provide high speed, shallow draft transportation capability to support the intra-theater manoeuvre of personnel, supplies and equipment for the U. S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Army. The JHSV program merges the previous Army Theater Support Vessel (TSV) and the Navy High Speed Connector (HSC), taking advantage of the inherent commonality between the two programs. JHSV will be capable of transporting 600 tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots. The ships will be capable of operating in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities, and on/off-loading a combat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tank (M1A2). Other joint requirements include an aviation flight deck to support day and night air vehicle launch and recovery operations.  [25]   Mobile Landing Platform (MLP). The MLP is intended to be a new class of auxiliary support ship, as part of the US Navys Maritime Prepositioning Force of the Future (MPF-F) program. Theyre intended to serve as a transfer station or floating pier at sea, improving the U.S. militarys ability to deliver equipment and cargo from ship to shore when friendly bases are denied, or simply dont exist.  [26]   LMSR. Military Sealift Commands Large, Medium-Speed, Roll-on/Roll-off ship, or LMSR, program significantly expands the US sealift capability for the new millennium. All of the LMSRs have been prime movers of U.S. military equipment during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, supporting both combat and humanitarian missions. These vessels are among the largest cargo ships in the world and can carry more than 300,000 square feet of combat cargo at speeds up to 24 knots  [27]  . CONCLUSION 27. The future of Navies lies in ability to operate in the littoral regions of the world. The Naval forces of today have to continually evolve, maintain a robust amphibious capability and develop countermeasures to the hostile anti-access capabilities manifested in the growing threat of littoral warfare. The principles of war are constantly evolving. Speed and tempo of operations along with quick response are critical to success. Joint operations and ability to synergise forces are the order of the day. Future operations will be conducted with unilateral, joint or multi-national forces and will require a ready force that can respond quickly, project power, and attack with force across the entire spectrum of conflict. New concepts such as OMFTS, STOM and Sea Basing offer todays commander a scalable, interoperable, swift and decisive means to shape the international environment. The traditional concepts of establishing beach heads and hard landing is a thing of the past. The concept is to hit the objective directly without going through the tedious process of amphibious landings. Though these concepts place a greater demand on procurement and upgradation of present force levels and equipment, it is a necessity for the future. Niladri Bose Date : Sep 10 Cdr Student Officer Effective Words 3300

Machiavelli Prince Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The evolution of modern politics is strongly influenced by Machiavelli’s tactics in The Prince. The fast nature, smooth talking, and lack of original thought seen in modern politics is evident in Machiavelli’s work. It is a small but powerful thing to gain favor in politics, and Machiavelli accomplishes this well throughout The Prince. In applying his brain to assume a logical means to keep the status quo a political roadmap is created. Giving this work to the reigning Medici family gains their favor thus granting Machiavelli’s release from prison. Machiavelli’s work is a political piece written as a simple means to an end, another chance to live as a free subject. The Prince is fast talking politics describing itself, a small treatise acting as a well written guide. As a result of playing favor to both sides of a turbulent political conflict Machiavelli, with no specific powers, finds himself in prison at the beginning of the Medici Rule. By his own rules and examples set forth in The Prince he should, at the very least, be imprisoned for the rest of his life if not sentenced to death. While suffering in prison it is Machiavelli’s overwhelming desire to be free. Calmly collecting his thoughts and employing logic he prepares a treatise for the ruling hand and sets himself free in the process. Using very specific language Machiavelli creates a work which begs to be read. The Prince is fast, easy, and pleasing read ...

Science fair project: sun light vs artificial sun light

Sun light vs articical light One of the main benefits of artificial light is that you can control how many hours of light per day your plants receive. This way, those living in northern or southern latitudes can provide their plants with light for growth and development even when the sun sets early, in essence tricking the plants into believing that it is summertime and that they should continue to grow rather than become dormant or, in the case of annuals, die. In addition, your plants will receive constant direct light for as long as you leave the lights turned on.Read more: http://www. ehow. om/about_6720270_sunlight-artificial-light-plant- growth. html#ixzz2isDOMJQa Incandescent Light Although affordable, incandescent lights provide little of the blue-spectrum light essential to plant growth. They are less efficient than other artificial lights as they produce less illumination while utilizing more energy. To draw the most benefit from an incandescent light, you would have to pla ce it close to your plants, and because incandescent lights produce more heat than other types of bulbs, this would likely result in burning your plants.Incandescent bulbs also have very short lives. High- Intensity Discharge Light High-intensity discharge lights produce far more illumination while using much less electricity than incandescent bulbs. In addition, while they produce a considerable amount of heat, you can hang them twice as far away from your plants as you would an incandescent bulb, so burning of the plants is less likely. High-pressure sodium lamps emit much red-spectrum light and little in the blue spectrum, making them ideal for greenhouse flowers to supplement natural sunlight and encourage blooming.Metal halide bulbs emit more blue-spectrum light, making them perfect or indoor growing operations for plants that will not flower, such as decorative plants and herbs. HPS bulbs last 12 times longer than incandescent bulbs, and MH bulbs can last five times as long. F luorescent Light Fluorescent lights produce less luminosity than high-intensity discharge lights, though far more than do incandescent bulbs. Fluorescents also produce very little heat and can hang very close to your plants.Bulbs rated in the higher Kelvin temperature range (5,000 to 6,500) emit more blue-spectrum light and those in the lower range (2,700 to 3,000) emit more red-spectrum light, although both also provide ull-spectrum light in lower intensities. Compact fluorescent lights will last five times as long as incandescent bulbs, and the straight T-5 full-spectrum fluorescents will last 10 times as long. Read more. nttp://www . enow. com/aoou growth. html#ixzz2isEHgmnp In general, sunlight is better for plant growth as it is intense and contains the full spectrum of electromagnetic radiation required for optimal plant growth.Artificial light, if it is an ordinary room light, will only support low-light tolerant plants. Most artificial light sources (fluorescent and incandes cent) do not provide the full isible light spectrum that is required by plants for optimal growth, this results in plants that are tall and spindly (etiolated) and sometimes discolored. However, there are special lights with a spectrum that is tailored for growing plants. They have to be on for longer hours than sunlight, but as long as a plant is getting enough light-energy to manufacture its food, it will grow well.It doesn't matter whether that light is coming from the sun or from grow lights. The downside to extended exposure to light is the plants metabolic functions operate twice as hard for the same amount of output. Recent studies have also highlighted ome of the negative aspects of extended photosynthetic periods (extended light reactive period and shortened dark reaction period). There are times when artificial light has an advantage. Hydroponic gardening with artificial light makes it possible to grow plants in unreliable climates that are lacking in sunshine – thi nk of the long â€Å"night† periods of areas of the northern hemisphere.In some places in Canada forage for animals is produced indoors during the winter months in artificial conditions. Supplemental lighting is used in horticulture to produce plants in flower outside of their normal flowering period. For instance Christmas cactus, poinsettias, tulips, narcissus, chrysanthemums, etc. Many houseplants grow better under artificial lamps, not because of the lights, but because it keeps them away from drafty windowsills! Plants will grow better under sunlight; artificial light lacks the complete spectrum of light provided by the sun. But a photon is a photon – and light is light – wnetner It comes Trom tne sun or a Tlasnllgnt vastly more energy comes Trom tne sun than from any artificial light. But the light from the sun is different from a street lamp another way: most artificial light doesn't emit as much energy in the red and blue region of the light spectrum as sunlight does. In other words, different ratios of reds, yellows and blues all combine together to make up white sunlight.Researchers can successfully grow plants using only artificial light in growth chambers. But sunlight is best for most plants. It's generally more intense than artificial light, and it's pretty equally distributed among the different wavelengths that earthly plants have evolved to like best. And there's another difference between lamps – even â€Å"grow lamps† – and sunlight. Grow lamps need energy to light up. Sunlight is unlimited and free. http://earthsky. org/human-world/artificial-light-plant- growth

Reflective Practice in Teaching

Reflective Practice in the context of teaching ESOL Reflective practice engages practitioners in a continuous cycle of self-observation and self-evaluation in order to understand their own actions and the reactions they prompt in themselves and in learners (Brookfield, 1995; Thiel, 1999). Reflective practice is considered as an evolving concept which views learning as â€Å"an active process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice. (Reid, B 1993 cited in Garfat, T. 2005). In my opinion, implementing reflective practice approach to professional development in order to expand our knowledge is a challenge. This challenge involves teacher’s ability to â€Å"reflect on his or her practice† in order to â€Å"bring about change and improvement†, especially in the ESOL context that is represented by variety of learner groups, curricula, available resources, and amount and type of teacher prepar ation (Schellekens, 2007, p. 199). To me, nowadays, teaching students to meet their requirements does not only involve the effective and professional use of methodology, training and concept alone. I think that it is all about the ability of integrating both theory and practice with highly exploratory process of reflective practice. I consider reflective practice as a reflective professional development tool, which I treat merely as a personal low-tech way of incorporating reflective practice in day-to-day classroom teaching in order to make my class more effective. Developing own reflective or critical thinking skills should engage various aspects of teaching, such as preparation process, receiving feedback form the learners, self-evaluation process, feedback or criticism from the colleagues, statistical data, teacher’s diary, training/development and own teaching experience. According to The Institute for Learning’s policy statement on professional formation, reflective practice is a professional requirement to show reflection on the impact of professional development (Lifelong Learning UK, 2007). The Institute’s online personalised learning space, REfLECT, requires teachers to submit variety of individual reflective practice evidence that includes: * self evaluation – an individual analysis of the applicant’s learning needs and goals for the next 12 months, * professional development planning – n individualised learning plan detailing the actions the applicant will take to address the needs and goals identified through self assessment, * reflective practice – reflection on the impact of professional development on the applicant’s teaching practice, the benefit to learners and wider communities of practice: could include, or be a mix of, a personal reflection on the impact of CPD, peer review, learner obse rvations, observation of teaching and learning, collaborative working, etc. (IfL, 2008) The models of reflection, which I have chosen to mention in this paper, promote looking at what has been learned and planning how those lessons can be applied if similar experiences re-occur. The two models of reflective practice in the context of teaching are: Brokfield’s model of four reflective â€Å"lenses† and The Reflective Cycle by Gibbs (1988). 1. Brookfield’s model of four critically reflective lenses In his â€Å"model of four critically reflective lenses†, Brookfield (1995) suggests that we should make use of the four â€Å"critical lenses† through which to view and reflect upon our teaching practice, and he suggests the following: 1. ur own view (which he refers to as autobiography); 2. that of our students; 3. that of our fellow professionals; 4. and the various theoretical perspectives propounded in educational literature. Brookfield treats teacher’s personal experience as the most important insight into teaching to which teache rs have access, and this personal experience should combine both: considerations of classroom and lesson management as well as whether or not the learning experience was a profitable one for the students. By talking to colleagues about what happened in the classroom, not only may we find solutions to problems but also share and broaden our teaching experience. (Brookfield, 1995; p. 31-36). 2. The Reflective Cycle by Gibbs (1988) Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988) encourages a clear description of the situation, analysis of feelings, evaluation of the experience, and analysis to make sense of the experience to examine what you would do if the situation arose again. This straightforward and therefore useful cycle appeals to me in several aspects. An incident is identified and thought about to provide a description of what happened. The abstract aspects of the situation – the emotional dimension – are taken into account and reflected upon. This has to be done because if I can stand back from what happened and identify how I felt then those feelings can be evaluated. In the light of reflection I could see how perhaps extremes of emotion affected my outlook and thus actions. Was there anything positive that could be carried forward into the future or negative that needs to be addressed? Is it possible to find the cause of these positive and negative aspects that I might examine later? This analysis allows me to break down the incident into smaller parts that made up the situation. The question I ask myself is: What were the issues, key factors and influences and how did they combine to bring about the incident? Once I have this deeper understanding drawn from all the information I have about the situation I can try to work out what else could have been done at the time. Having concluded what, upon reflection, would have been the way to address the situation I can produce an action plan for the next time the same situation arises. By applying this reflective practice cycle to similar situations the outcome should be steady, gradual improvement, associated with stimulating personal and professional growth, and closing the gap between theory and practice. DESCRIPTION My reflection below describes a critical incident involving my 17 year old, Entry 1 ESOL student from Somalia with undifferentiated Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). In undifferentiated ADD, the primary and most significant characteristic is inattentiveness but hyperactivity is not present. The student manifests problems with organization and distractibility, even though he may seem quite and passive. The symptoms I noticed in the classroom environment included: * a short attention span, * occasionally impulsive behaviour, * difficulty sitting still, * a tendency to express the wrong answer, * inconsistent levels of task-attentiveness, * a tendency to appear forgetful as the consequence of inadequate access to actually well-stored information, * inconsistent levels of task-completeness, often losing things necessary for tasks * an appearance of being forgetful, when in fact the information was never really received or processed, * compromised summarization/paraphrasing competencies. FEELINGS I have found myself wondering whether this student might have a learning disability about three months ago as I noticed that his learning issue, ADD, is impeding his progress in English. At times I was also slightly frustrated with the students’ classroom behaviour and lack of his academic progress. I was advised to take a â€Å"wait and see† approach to this case. I decided that there must be a better way of handling these exceptional students. In order to help me understand the complexity of the issue I decided to do extensive research on students with ADD and ADHD and how to tackle the issues in class, as well as how to help my student achieve in ESOL. EVALUATION After careful evaluation why my student may advance through his ESOL studies at a slower rate than their peers and having done a detailed â€Å"tick-off† evaluation sheet of all of the symptoms I noticed during lessons, I decided to explore future solutions to this problem. Extensive research about students with ADD and ADHD helped me understand the complexity of the issue and how to tackle the issues in class. It really motivated me to find out how to help my student achieve in ESOL. ANALYSIS During my reflections after each lesson and reflective analysis of the student’s action during lessons, I thought it was essential to uncover his special needs before he could get into disciplinary trouble, lose all self-esteem, or drop out of school. I realised that a â€Å"wait and see† approach is this case was not a way to go. Instead, I should act fast and refer this student to be professionally assessed by the Educational Psychologist and organise a Study Support Assistant. In conclusion, I became conscious of the fact that having a special education aide in the ESOL classroom, cross-training of special education and ESOL teachers, and making resources on this topic (literature and trained staff) more available, would be of great help in recognising such learning difficulties and dealing with them on regular day-to-day basis of ESOL teaching. CONCLUSION On the positive side, this reflective practice raised my awareness of the numerous reasons some ESOL students may reveal through inappropriate behaviour and/or limited language learning progress. I have learnt and I will continue to observe such students, incorporating teaching strategies for teaching students with learning disabilities in the classroom, analyse teaching and learning process to help them, make adjustments in delivery of the language when dealing with students with ADD/ADHD, and promptly refer students that present truly special education needs. On a slightly negative side, the previous teacher did not identify the student’s problems early enough or did not have enough evidence to justify my student’s ADD/ADHD as a potential threat to his achievement in ESOL class. I started teaching this student about three months ago but it was only a month and a half ago when I started applying various strategies to meet his individual learning needs to help him success in ESOL despite his ADHD, such as: student monitoring, self management, discipline, and encouragement. In more detail, I provided supervision and discipline through enforcing classroom rules consistently, encouraging him to positive self-talk, trying to be very patient with him, avoiding all distracting stimuli and transitions, physical relocation, changes in schedule, and disruptions, developing an extensive individual learning program, simplifying instructions, giving extra time for certain tasks. I strongly believe that his learning difficulties should ave been identified much earlier and appropriate strategies put in place at the beginning of the course. ACTION PLAN Next year, I am planning to apply the background information obtained by this reflective practice in the new group of ESOL young learners and to relay it to my colleagues. I will also connect with a special education professional who will be happy to observe my ESOL students next year and to provide assistance with strategies to use in my classroom, if the students with learning difficulties are going to be identified. I will also research some literature resources to educate myself more about placement procedures for students with special education needs, practical reading strategies for ESOL students with learning disabilities, and teaching teens with ADD and ADHD. As the most immediate action plan, I shall incorporate special reading and writing strategies for the student with ADD/ADHD. These may include the following strategies. However, the student will be required to give me feedbacks which of them works best for him, and these include: * Using â€Å"previewing† strategies by being aware of the following reading problems: 1. Reversals when reading (i. e. , â€Å"was† for â€Å"saw†, â€Å"on† for â€Å"no†, etc. ) 2. Reversals when writing (b for d, p for q, etc. ) 3. Transposition of letters and numbers (12 for 21, etc. ) 4. Loss of place when reading, line to line and word to word * Shortening or lengthening the amount of required reading * For all assignments, clearly identifying expectations in writing * Making required book lists available prior to the first day of class to allow students to begin their reading early or to have texts put on tape * Encouraging the use of books-on-tape to support students reading assignments * Providing students with chapter outlines, or handouts, that highlight key points in their readings * Having students make a chart similar to the one below of their strengths and challenges so that they, as well as I, can learn from their perceptions of how well they read, write, remember, listen, speak, attend and get ideas out. Skills| Strengths| Challenges| Comments| Reading| | | | Writing| | | | Memory| | | | Listening| | | | Speaking| | | | Attention| | | | Getting Ideas Out| | | | To sum up, reflective practice is perhaps best understood as an approach which promotes autonom ous learning that aims to develop students’ understanding and critical thinking skills. It also helps students to understand that learning is individual. It is an act of being able to reflect on our strengths, weaknesses and areas for development. It is also an emotional response that complements our knowledge and what we understand about a subject, and which enables us to act in a situation. Personally, I strongly agree that the importance of reflecting on what we are doing, as part of the learning process, is one of the defining characteristics of teaching professional practice. References * Brookfield, S. (1995) Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey Bass * The Excellence Gateway http://excellencegateway. org. k/tlp/cpd/assets skills_life_basic_key. rtf (accessed 13/05/2011) * Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. * The Institute for Learning http://www. IfL. ac. uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/4640/ProfessionalFormationStatement. pdf (Accessed 13/5/11) * Lifelong Learning UK, 2007, New Professional Standards for Teachers, Tutors and Trainers in the Lifelong Learning Sector. http://www. lluk. org/documents/professional_standards_for_itts_020107. pdf (Accessed 05/5/2011) * Reflection Models http://www. brainboxx. co. uk/a3_aspects/pages/ReflectionModels. tm (Accessed 16/05/2011) * Root, C. – A Guide to Learning Disabilities for the ESL Classroom Practitioner http://www. cc. kyoto-su. ac. jp/information/tesl-ej/ej01/a. 4. html (Accessed 16/05/2011) * Schellekens, P. 2007. The Oxford ESOL Handbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press. * Strategies For Teaching Students with Attention Deficit Disorder (AD/HD) http://www. as. wvu. edu/~scidis/add. html#sect0 (Accessed 16/05/2011) Professional Values and Ethics Values are enduring beliefs, both hard-wired (meaning acquired genetically) and shaped by cultural context, about preferred â€Å"end states† (Urbany, Reynolds, & Phillips, 2008, p. 75). According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2009), ethics is discipline dealing with good and evil and with moral duty or moral principles and practice. Professional ethics and values guide the decision-making process of all companies and organizations. Most businesses and organizations state their values and ethics in their mission statement and in their code of ethics. The professional ethics and values of a business or organization will set the tone of how they conduct their operations, how they interact with customers and how employees interact with each other. Sources of Professional Values and Ethics The three groups include the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA), Ethics Resource Center and the Institute for Ethics. The CEJA develops ethics policy for the American Medical Association by preparing reports that analyze and addresses ethical issues (AMA, 2009). The Ethics Resource Center develops practical solutions for physicians who are confronted with ethical challenges and provides continuing education and outreach programs for medical students, practicing physicians, and residents. The Institute for Ethics is an academic research and training center on ethics in health care. The Institute covers issues such as, professionalism, health information policy and health preparedness (AMA, 2009). Association of American Educators (AAE) The ethical conduct toward students outlines how teachers should interact and communicate with their students. This principle states that teachers hould take responsibility to ensure that students learn qualities that will help them evaluate the consequences of and accept the responsibility for their actions and choices. The second principle, ethical conduct toward pra ctice and performance instructs teachers on assuming responsibility and accountability for their performance and maintaining the dignity of their profession. Ethical conduct toward practice and performance also covers official policies and laws. The third principle, ethical conduct toward professional colleagues discusses issues such as confidentiality among colleagues, and making false accusations about colleagues or the school system. The final principle, ethical conduct toward parents and community includes issues such as, effectively communicating with parents, respecting the values and traditions of the diverse cultures, and manifesting a positive and active role in school/communities. Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) How Ethics and Values Affect Success Professional ethics and values can have both positive and negative affects on a business’ or organizations’ success, â€Å"Values, whether neutral, virtuous or not so virtuous, drive our decision making† (Urbany, Reynolds, & Phillips, 2008, p. 76). Many companies have made millions using unethical strategies, while others have been destroyed by them. For example, several banks were lending money to individuals who they knew could never pay back the entire amount owed as a result most of the banks went bankrupt. However, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the biggest offender in this situation was bailed out by the government with a slap on the wrist. On the other hand, there are several companies that pride themselves in choosing to make the tough ethical decisions. For example, companies that recall millions of dollars worth of products to ensure their customers safety, or companies that choose to operate in the United States although they could operate at a lower cost outside of the United States. Conclusion {text:bookmark-start} {text:bookmark-end} References American Medical Association (AMA). (2009). American Medical Association. Retrieved from www. ama-assn. org Association of American Educators (AAE). (2009). Association of American Educators. Retrieved from