Critique One Empirical Article Relating to Adult Education

Critique One Empirical Relating to Adult Education - Article Example Winn et al. (2006) wanted to test if two reading strategies applied to children and adolescents can also be used to improve the reading fluency of adult learners. Fluent reading is a skill in rapid and accurate reading (p.196). The researchers recognized the gap in adult education research in the context of fluent reading and believed that K-12 research can help provide teaching tools, when research on adult education strategies and practices is lacking. They hypothesized that it is important to enhance reading fluency, because this can also increase the preference for reading (p.197). They stated that non-fluent readers are less motivated, have less cognitive resource management success, and have weaker reading reinforcement; thus, it is critical to enhance reading fluency, so that comprehension skill and probability of reading among adults can also be improved (p.197). The study used three reading strategies: 1) controlled, 2) repeated reading (RR) and 3) listening while reading (LWR). The research design was an experimental design with a comparison made between pre and post-results. Their sampling included twelve (12) participants, who studied literacy skills in an adult education center. The dependent variables were words read correctly per minute and errors per minute (EPM). Researchers collected the baseline data for reading fluency using the 1996 Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). Findings showed that RR and LWR conditions showed higher scores in WCPM than the control condition. Errors per minute were lower in RR condition than control and LWR conditions. Furthermore, WCPM scores were higher when RR and LWR conditions were used. There were also no differences in words correct per minute using the LWR and RR conditions. Within subject comparisons of WCPM across LWR, RR, and control conditions showed greater reading fluency under LWR and RR conditions. Hence, RR and LWR both enhanced reading fluency more than the control condition. 3. Implications for Education The information in this article can be used by educators to improve adult education, because it underlines the importance of testing successful teaching strategies in the adult sector, using children or adolescent educational theories and research, it provided practical measures for improving reading fluency among adult learners, and it demonstrated the need for greater research on adult education literacy skills. First, this study showed that successful adult teaching strategies can be based on children or adolescent educational theories and research, although with some modifications. For instance, the topics of the reading materials were based on the interests of the adults, since this can improve the probability of reading. Second, the study gave practical tools and strategies for enhancing reading fluency among adult learners. RR and LWR conditions already h ave step-by-step procedures that can be easily applied to adult learning settings. These steps were also simple and feasibly applied for resource-stricken and time-limited adult education programs and centers. Third, the study recognized the gap in adult education research, such as lack of reading strategy studies for adult students. This points the direction for future studies, which include identification and evaluation of existing reading fluency

Stock Essay Example for Free

Stock Essay A stock sells for $10 per share. You purchase 100 shares for $10 a share (i.e., for $1000), and after a year the price rises to $17.50. What will be the percentage return on your investment if you bought the stock on margin and the margin requirement was (a) 25 percent, (b) 50 percent, and (c) 75 percent? (Ignore commissions, dividends, and interest expense.) Initial Stock price per share$10 # of Shares Purchased 100 New Stock price per share $17.50 Gain= New Price Initial Price $750.00 = ($17.50 x 100) ($10 x 100) Purchase Price =Initial Stock price per share x # of Shares Purchased $1,000 FORMULA: Percentage Return =Gain (Margin Requirement x Purchase Price) SOLUTION to (a): 300%$750.00 $250.00 SOLUTION to (b): 150%$750.00 $500.00 SOLUTION to (c): 100%$750.00 $750.00

Impact of Obama on US Regulatory System

Impact of Obama on US Regulatory System Within the first few years when Obama was elected, there are certain things that he has done right, while there are things that he failed to reflect on the broader portion of society. Yet, one thing he is doing that almost no one noticed, even the liberals, is strengthening the countrys regulatory system. The U.S regulatory system has been heavily weakened by the previous Republican presidents, in order for businesses to soar without any interuptions. However, this seemed to be troubling as proven by the recession in 2008 where the global collapsed due to the inregulated big banks, such as, AIG, that were supposed to be overseen by regulators. The problem is that these regulators were paid by these banks, and one would imagine that these businesses were appointed specific regulators by the government, yet, it was not the case. Hence, these rating agencies and regulators were often understaffed or afraid of losing businesses that these banks had the chance to mess up badly. That is wh y Obama is looking to reform these regulatory agencies. The agencies created in the great reform periods (1901–1914, 1932–1938, and 1961–1972) were intended to regulate all the difficult aspects of the economy, i.e. corruption, polluted environment using their scientific knowledge. Because people in power believed back then that we could administrate our country using scientific methods, which would differentiate itself from prejudice and pressures from the lobbyists, the staffs of our regulatory came from social and natural science majors. The idea was heavily criticized as the staffs are often inadequate to response everchanging aspect of our economy. Many of our previous Presidents believed in this idea, it was not until 1980s when George W. Bush became the President, and the idea was ultimately challenged by the Republicans and his allies. All of the staffs were replaced with business executives, and lobbyists; which actually defeated the purpose of regulating based on scientific expertise. Most of the elected peo ple from the Republican Parties were often unfitted for their positions. One example is Edwin G. Foulke Jr, who was chosen to run the OSHA by Bush. It would have been perfectly fine, if it was not for the fact that Mr. Foulke was previously an enemy of the OSHA agency, and he had actively instructed companies on how to stop union organizations. Another fact is that these chosen candidates are often rendered useless to do their job. It is rather odd to see Jeffrey Holmstead appointed by Bush to run the Clean Air Act, even though he was a representative of the Chemical Manufacturers Association. One is then forced to question whether the purpose of appointing unfitted people for the jobs is to render the regulatory system useless. However, after Obama took the office, the candidates were more carefully selected and properly fitted for the job. For instance, Obama knew that state officials are often the ideal candidates to manage the regulatory system, because they know what the rules are and how they are enforced. That is why he chose several knowledgeable state environmental officials to be in charge of the EPA. Lisa Jackson was picked to run the agency, as she was a chemical engineer who also directed the New Jersy Department of Environmental Protection. Previous Republican Presidents didnt just weaken our regulatory system by choosing the wrong people, they also heavily reduced the agenciess financial plan. This ultimately forced the agencies to lay off employees, which then translates to poor inspections. The number of officers during George Bush time dropped thirty five percentages. What is the point of having regulatory rules if there are not enough inspectors to enforce the rules? Seemingly, that was ho w the Republicans wanted. With all of his efforts, Obama is undoing all the damages to our regulatory system, by having massive fundings to most of the regulatory agencies. In 2010, the EPA was funded with $10.5 billion dollars. Similarly, OSHAs budget increased by ten percentages in 2010, which permitted to employ another 130 inspectors. Remarkably, one important thing that Obama did was that he made it difficult for the Congress to obstruct these regulatory rules. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) was introduced 1981 under Reagans administration. It was created to oversee all the other agencys rules. It has the power to detain or put an end to a rule, if the costs exceed the benefits, which were subjective and elusive to measure. That is why the OIRA became an effective device for the Republicans to weaken the regulatory system. Currently, Obama appointed Cass Sunstein, a Harvard Law Professor to be in charge of the OIRA. Mr. Sunstein shifts the focus of OIRA from the costs-benefits pe rspective to taking care for our future generations. The regulating agencies are now once again functional.Mary Schapiro, appointed to run the SEC, made 1600 inspections on Wall Street money managers. Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, sued Intel from averting computers makers using non-Intel chips. Even though Clinton tried to bring back the regulatory agencies in 1993, but he was overwhelmed by the Republicans domination in the Congress. Things are fine at the moment, yet, history tends to repeat itself. The political power is divided between the executive, legislative and judicial branch. Within the executive branch, the President is the most powerful leader. The process of electing the President is difficult, as our Founding Fathers did not wish for the President to be elected directly from the people. The idea of electing the President from a popular vote seemed too democratic or in another words, chaotic, as it would create imbalances between different classes of society. That is why the Electoral College was created. The numbers of Electoral College in each state depend on the numbers of members of Congress that state has. For instance, California has 55 electoral votes, while Wyoming has only 3 electoral votes. Having the Electoral College was not only meant to restore balances, but also to distribute the candidatess deficient amount of time and money, i.e, the candidates would concentrate their political campaigns on battlegrounds states instead of swing states, as George Bush did in 2004, where he ignored California, as results showed he was hopelessly behind. However, as practical as the idea seems, there were certain circumstances where the candidate received Presidency without having the majority of popular vote, such as, in 2000, even though George Bush received 500,000 less votes than Al Gore, he still managed to become the President by having the majority in electoral votes. Seemingly, this means one person vote is not practically equal to another, which ultimately challenges our fundamental idea of democracy, where one person is politically equal to another. The President is paid in salary annually. However, the Presidents compensation is often smaller compared to other companiess CEO. This reflects on the basic idea of capitalism where the President of a public sector is compensated less than other private sectors. This allows private ownerships to thrive, and reduce the publics cynicism about possible corruption.The powers of the President listed in the Constitution are the power to veto legislation passed by the Congress, to perform as the commander in chief of the armed forces, execute the laws, pardon criminals, make treaties, call Congress into special session, appoint government officials, and recognize foreign governments. But, it is safe to say that the Presidents powers may vary greatly depending on the circumstances. To expand on this thought, the President does not have the power to declare war, the Congress does (as specified in the Constitutions). Yet as proven in the Iraq war in 2001, Bush deployed 200,000 American troops into the war without the permission of the Congress. Only after the troops have arrived, he asked for their permissions, which proved to be completely useless. Furthermore, Bush advanced by freezing assets of suspected criminals involving the 9/11 incidents, and arrested people based on suspictions without any evidences. This was not challenged by the Congress since the issue was sensitive, and no one wanted to be remembered by being on the opposing team. The Presidents public image is equally important. By regular appearances on TV, Bush managed to convince 7/10 Americans that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 9/11 attack without having any supported evidences. Presidents often have different styles that they wish to operate with. Seemingly, John F. Kennedy appeared to be overconfident, while Lyndon Johnson was completely opposite. Reagons office was always a mess as he didnt pay attention to details; yet, he was excellent at communicating his idea to the public to the point none exceeded him. On the contrary, Jimmy Carter paid extremely close attention to details, which was a training that he obtained as an engineer. Clinton allowed his team to exercise their creativity and freedom in performing tasks, while Bush enjoyed restrictions and obidience. The President is elected to be a leader. They are elected to inspire change, to reach for a greater good. Their powers are shared between the Congress and the Judicial System, where the checks and balances remind them where they need to be. Hence there were times when the Congress and the President were alligned in the same page (Vietnam War), yet, naturally, the system was designed so that the Congress will always challenge the Presidents actions, vice versa. With the U.S raising as a super power, so are the Presidents political resources. At the same time, he is always challenged by interest group, lobbyists pursuing their ways that are often difficult for the President to overcome their obstacles. The Presidents goals are then to remain initiative when it comes to the interests of capital at home, and preserve coroparates interests overseas.

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EDGAR ALLAN POE 1809 - 1849 â€Å"Quoth the Raven, â€Å"Nevermore† Edgar Allan Poe – Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dark what is dark? It is defined in the dictionary as: Darkadj 1.Being without light or without much light. 2. Not a light in colour 3.Gloomy. 4. Being without knowledge and culture 5.Secretive – darklyadv – Dark-ness n.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  dark2n 1.Absance of light: Darkness; esp.: night 2. A dark or deep colour – in the dark 1. In secrecy. 2. In ignorance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dark is a major part of Edgar Allan Poe’s work. Take for example â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum†: The main character is locked in a dungeon with no light to see his surroundings. â€Å"I quickly unclosed my eyes. My worst thoughts, then, were confirmed. The blackness of eternal night encompassed me.† (Edgar Allan Poe, story and structure Canadian edition, â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum† pg.357 line 33.) Take also for example â€Å"The Mask of the Red Death†. The seventh room was black. â€Å" But in the western or black chamber the effect of the fire light that streamed upon the dark hangings through the blood – tinted panes, was ghastly and extreme †¦ It was in this apartment, also, that there stood against the west wall a gigantic clock of ebony.† These are just examples of literally darkness with no light. There is also the literary darkness Like in the â€Å"Tell Tale Heart†, the man murders his employer â€Å" He shrieked once – once only. In an n instance I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heave bed over him... the old man was dead†¦I took for the concealment of the body. The night warned, and I walked hastily, but in silence , first as I dismembered the corps. I cut off the head and the legs and the arms†. â€Å"The Raven† the man is mourning over the lost love Lanor. When a raven comes only to torment his already tired soul. With those words of pain â€Å"Never More†. †On this home by horror haunted – tell me truly I implore – is there – is there balm in Gilead? – tell me – tell me – I implore!† â€Å"Quoth the raven â€Å"never more†Ã¢â‚¬    Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion it is said that the greatest writer either write about sex or death and Edgar Allan Poe is one of the greatly misunderstood writers of our day due to the lack of information on him and his life.

A Life Lived in Scouting Essays -- Personal Narrative Boy Scouts Paper

A Life Lived in Scouting 1986: Introduction to the Mystery After the skits, songs, and cheers, the Camp Director (bearing a white sash embroidered with a red arrow and two bars at each end) came forward. The crowd instantly grew quiet and somber. The wind rustled; the branches swayed and cracked; the lake gently lapped the shore. Sitting with my father, I watched bats flutter above two great fires. In a clear yet reverent tone, the weathered old man invoked the beauty of nature, the mystery of life, and the Great Spirit. In solemn words, he added, â€Å"Each has his own path, let the Scout Oath and Law light that path.† A quiet tenor, the Camp Director began to sing. With intimate familiarity, uniformed men, women, and boys rose adding their voices to his. â€Å"My paddle's keen and bright Flashing with silver Swift as the wild goose flight Dip, dip and swing Dip, dip and swing her back Flashing with silver Follow the wild goose flight Dip, dip and swing† Faces stern, backs straight, heads held high, each waited; and, silence fell. Still seated by my father, I watched the fire of fellowship, bright against the water, cast long shadows across the faces of the crowd— the other stood unlit, no flame lived within it or brought warmth to the people. From the distant shore, a canoe entered the water and silently approached— the paddlers in smooth perfect unison. Mateo, messenger of the Leni-Lenape, stood erect and proud in the stern of the canoe. From a pot of flame, Mateo reached and drew a single arrow. Putting notch to string, Mateo released the arrow and smote the lifeless fire. Flame rose from its depths and the voice of Chief Allowat Sakima boomed across the water, across the fire circle, and echoed forth. â€Å"I am ... ... the last song of the final campfire and invokes the memory of all that have come before in Scouting. It is, to Scouts, a sacred song. The light dimmed still further and as we reached the top of the stairs. We stood together, finished humming, and walked down to the car. We shared our final night of Summer Camp together— two weeks later I went off to Basic and my father died in August of 2000. July 2004 will be my first Summer Camp in six years. â€Å"Scouting may be indefinable but it is palpable; and, it moves men and boys to become better human beings through their journey together.† First Verse of Scout Vespers Softly falls the light of day, While our campfire fades away. Silently each Scout should ask Have I done my daily task? Have I kept my honor bright? Can I guiltless sleep tonight? Have I done and have I dared Everything to be prepared?

Preventing Discrimination in the Workplace Essay -- Discrimination Pre

Age Discrimination When an employer mistreats an [potential] employee by not hiring them, refusing to promote, or by holding them to a different standard, because they are perceived as being older, is illegal and would fall under â€Å"age discrimination.† Officially, this ordinance is called the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). However this law is a little more precise. The law restricts discriminatory actions only to those over forty years of age. This law does not apply when a younger employee (under forty) is treated different, but when the difference is between two employees who are both over the age of forty, the law is still applicable (Age Discrimination). In many physically demanding jobs it may be unappealing to hire older workers, even if they can show they are physically fit and capable, due to the stereotype that the older workers cannot perform as efficiently. Additionally, older workers may be undesirable for entry level jobs, or jobs which require a somewhat high degr ee of training. This is because the training increases the expense of the employer, and the employee is closer to leaving the work force which would reduce the return on investment compared to hiring a recent graduate. However these hiring practices can flip where younger employees are disregarded over the issue of stereotypical work ethic, but this is not yet covered under the ADEA. One thing that we do to prevent age discrimination practices is eliminate sections on forms which demand applicants’ date of birth. Also, we change â€Å"Year of high school graduation 19___† to â€Å"High School Graduation? Check _Yes or _No† and â€Å"Year of birth 19___† to â€Å"Over 18 years of age? Check _Yes or _No† so that we are not be influenced by a worker’s age as ea... ...iscrimination. (2013, November 13). Retrieved from U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/race_color.cfm Religious Discrimination. (2013, November 13). Retrieved from U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/religion.cfm Weintraub, J. (n.d.). Pregnancy Discrimination: A Growing Cause of Concern for Employers. Retrieved from Lorman: http://www.lorman.com/newsletter/article.php?article_id=141&newsletter_id=25 Williams, E. (n.d.). Workplace Policies on Disability Discrimination. Retrieved from Chron: http://work.chron.com/workplace-policies-disability-discrimination-13039.html Women in Male-Dominated Industries and Occupations in U.S. and Canada. (2013, March 13). Retrieved from Catalyst: http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/women-male-dominated-industries-and-occupations-us-and-canada

The San Francisco earthquake

Earthquake is a shaking of the earth’s surface. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the earth’s crust is formed by a number of large plates that move very slowly in various directions on the earth’s surface. Most earthquakes occur near a boundary between two plates. As one plate pushes past or over another, great stresses build up in the rock along the edges of the plates because friction prevents them from sliding past each other. Eventually, the stresses become great enough to rupture the rock. The edges of the plates slip a short distance in opposite directions, causing an earthquake.The greater the stresses that have built up, the greater the resulting earthquake is. Some earthquakes are caused by the movement of lava beneath the surface of the earth during volcanic activity. The cause of earthquakes that occur in regions far from volcanoes or plate boundaries is uncertain. An earthquake is accompanied by three types of waves that vibrate the earthâ⠂¬â„¢s surface—primary, secondary, and surface waves. The primary wave alternately compresses and expands the rock of the earth’s interior. This wave moves through the earth at a speed that varies greatly.Under some conditions it is about five miles per second. The secondary wave shakes the rock sidewise as it advances. It travels through the interior of the earth about three-fifths as fast as the primary wave. While the Surface wave is the most damaging, resembles the waves produced when a stone is dropped in a puddle. The surface of the table has not vibrated more than a fraction of an inch. This is why a slight tremor in the earth can create havoc on the surface. Moreover, earthquakes toppled entire cities, killed thousands of persons, and caused disastrous fires and oceanic waves (tsunamis).However, most earthquakes, of which there are thousands each year, are relatively weak and cause little or no damage. No part of the world is entirely free of earthquakes, but t hey occur most frequently in areas in which the earth’s crust is still changing. These areas, called earthquakes belts, include the shores of the Pacific Ocean and an area extending from south-central Asia to the Mediterranean Sea. Major earthquakes often leave visible signs of their power, altering features on the earth’s surface. Reelfoot Lake in northwestern Tennessee was created by a series of earthquakes centered on New Madrid, Missouri, in 1811-12.The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was associated with the great San Andreas Fault in California, a fracture in the earth’s surface that can be traced for more than 500 miles. An earthquake, even a small one, may be accompanied by a low, rumbling sound like thunder. The vibration of a mild quake feels like that caused by the passing of a heavy train. Large quakes are usually followed by many smaller quakes called aftershock. Aftershocks can occur during a period of several months after the original quake.