Ratio Analysis Essay Example for Free

Ratio Analysis Essay The aims and objectives of this report are to compare the two companies, Kingfisher Plc. and Home Retail Group Plc., using their annual report published for the year 2011. With the help of the financial statements, it will be possible to calculate different ratios that are relevant to the comparison between the two businesses. Through this comments can then be made on the performance of both companies for the year, stating some of the possible factors that could have made affected this. Comparison will be on a year-to-year basis and then between the two companies as a whole. When comparing two companies like Kingfisher and the Home Retail Group, there are a few limitations needed to be considered before this is possible. The first would be the different accounting policies that each corporation have chosen to adapt to their financial statements; this could be in regards of the depreciation or inventory valuation method used for the preparation of relevant statements. Another important point to note is that financial statements are based on historical information and therefore this would not be as objective to when we come to use them for the comparison. Expanding on this, the closing balances on the statement may make the ratios appear misleading when comparing the two companies for the period, i.e. seasonal sale boost; Christmas and New Year promotion. The main issue that should be considered is the date that they have published their account Kingfisher being 31st January 2011 and Home Retail Group at 28th February 2011. So it would not be possible to make a more accurate comparison, as the economic conditions may have changed for that one month Kingfisher did not trade. Although it would suggest comparing the two businesses is not ideal, the two companies are somewhat similar. Therefore this should make the approximation more accurate and thus the comparison more meaningful. Kingfisher PLC Kingfisher is a company that focuses on mainly offering its customers home improvements products for DIY and such likes. Its main retail brand in the UK is BQ with a market share of 14% and they are currently top of the market. They are also making a respectable breakthrough in France with their brands, Castorama and Brico Depot taking 21% of the market share with the top place. Moreover they have expanded to Germany, Turkey, Spain, China, Poland and Russia

Descartes Views on the Mind and Body

Descartes Views on the Mind and Body In Meditation VI (see week 5 reading) Descartes argues that there is fundamental difference between mind and body. Do you think Descartes is right? If yes, explain why, if not, explain why The mind body dilemma has been subject of philosophical analysis for decades and has yet to be fully understood. As the principal advocate for dualism, Descartes states that as humans we are composed of two major substances: the mental and the physical which manage to exist side by side. Without a doubt, Cartesian Dualism was one of Descartes major contributions to the study of philosophy; idea with which I agree based on the following analysis. The fundamental choice between the mind-body problem and its contra argument is the existence of materialism and its denial. Descartes states that the mind is separate from the body based on the reasoning that the mind exists and stands alone as a substance, therefore; they must be separate things. He then proceeds to add that anything that is physical occupies space. Unlike the mind, the body can be altered due to its materialistic nature, and can be changed and divided into smaller components. We find further support in Leibniz Law, which states that if a has a property that b lacks, then a is not identical to b which are applicable to the mind and body, as the mind does not occupy space, it is just housed by the body. Another argument is the one of introspection, which relays on the rationale that our best evidence for the existence of mental substance is the access to our own minds. Via introspection of the mind, we are capable of accessing and assessing different features of our own minds such as feelings, sensations, desires, etc. None of them have physical properties. Descartes then elaborates on this principle stating that there are certain things that come naturally to us as humans such as desires, which come instinctively. However, there are others such as thinking, which needs to be based on intentionality. Among these features we also encounter consciousness, which has been defines by Descartes as the epitome of the human nature, although it is not something that can be perceived by the senses, thus, it is not physical. We are capable of imagining the existence of our mind without the body. In the case of any material object, you can describe object a as existing or object a as not existi ng; however there cannot be a blending of both premises. Contrary to this, we have consciously just pictured the mind existing without the body, therefore it must follow that the mind and the body are separate things. As written in Descartes Mediation VI: And although I may, or rather, as I will shortly say, although I certainly do possess a body with which I am very closely conjoined; nevertheless, because, on the one hand, I have a clear and distinct idea of myself, in as far as I am only a thinking and unextended thing, and as, on the other hand, I possess a distinct idea of body, in as far as it is only an extended and unthinking thing, it is certain that I, that is, my mind, by which I am what I am, is entirely and truly distinct from my body, and may exist without it. [i](Descartes, Meditation VI) An example would be a paralyzed patient, where he is totally aware of his environment, and is conscious about his desire to perform an action, yet he cannot do so. He lacks the capability to acquire sensations physically, although he can still imagine what it would feel like to perform such task. As with any major idea, we find opposition, in this case, on the hands of the scientific community. The notion that Descartes work fails to completely explain how the connection between mind and body works is enough to trigger a response. As explained in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Willis wrote about the pineal gland that we can scarcely believe this to be the seat of the soul, or its chief faculties to arise from it because animals which imagination, memory and other superior powers of the soul have this glandula or kernel large and fair enough. (Lockhorst, 2013)[ii] Furthermore, Descartes idea has been rejected based on the fact that the attributes linked to the mind are simple responses to neurological and chemical stimulus in the brain. An example can be the use of any drug. Although the mind is supposed to be an independent entity from the body, when any sort of chemical/drug is ingested it can alter the mental state, though most of the time, it also alters your body as well. Same analogy applies if the patient suffers some physiological damage to the brain; it will yield physical consequences and changes in motor coordination. Although the bridge between the mind and the body may not lay at the pineal gland, a clear distinction between these two properties has been done in the past and it should not be neglected the fact that according to Descartes the single most important characteristic of the human nature is consciousness and not the soul as the human essence, our ability to think and rationalize our thoughts. As in all, although Descartes dualism theory is not infallible and it fails to thoroughly explain how exactly the connection between body and mind works, it does satisfy the purposes of explaining why would the mind be something different from the body via means of his very simple, yet logical arguments. Descartes went as far as creating what it is called a trialistic distinction where he unites and acknowledges the possibilities of the existence of the mind, the body and the union of the latter as a third state. References [i] Descartes, Meditation VI Canvas excerpt. [ii] Lokhorst, G.-J. (2013, September 18). Descartes and the Pineal gland. Retrieved March 5, 2017, from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pineal-gland/

Disposal Issues And Solutions Of Electronic Waste Environmental Sciences Essay

Disposal Issues And Solutions Of Electronic Waste Environmental Sciences Essay Electronic waste E-waste is the result of obsolete electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones. E-waste isneeds to be distinct from other forms of industrial waste chemically and physically; it contains both valuable and hazardous materials and causes harm to environment and human health whenwithout the use of special handling and recycling method are not used (Robinson 2009, p.184). Rapid changes in technology, poor coordination between new software and existing hardware, and the expenseiveness offor reusinge or recycling result in a large amount of e-waste annually. These electrical obsoletes are either landfilled, or exported from rich countries to poor countries (Robinson 2009, p.184). Since at least 2002, cases of unmanaged disassembly and recycling e-waste in developing countries have been reported (Gibson 2006, p.323).This will lead to not only detrimental effect on workers in e-waste receiver countries but environmental contamination, and may adversely impact human health risk. Thus, issues stemming from e-waste are considered as a global transactional issue amongst producers, consumers in rich countries and e-waste receiver countries in poor countries., These which may require international policies or supports by governments and organisations. Design for the environment in products (Amos, Deathe, MacDonald Amos 2008, p.322), e-waste take-back (Xu 2008, pp.1-3) or other municipal and organisational policies have addressed the issues as environmentally friendly approaches. This will enable consumers to reduce, reuse and recycle more greater and perhaps will perhaps lead to more environmentally friendly operating procedures. The purpose of this report is to describe issues of e-waste, analysis of the problems, some approaches for producers and e-waste receivers in order to deal with the issues along with organisations and government policies. 2. Growth of e-waste asand a global transactional issue 2.1. The growth of e-waste Technological advents in the electronics industry and the short life-cycle ofin products have been generating enormous amount of electronic wastes (e-waste). Consumers accept the benefit of technological innovations and a. A gGrowing volume of waste electronic equipments are generated as consumers continue to upgrade and replace obsolete, broken devices everyin a few years. The total global e-waste production iswas estimated to be 20-25 million tonnes per year, with most e-waste being produced in Europe, the United States and Australia (Robinson 2009, p.183). According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, over 100 million computers, monitors, and televisions are becoming obsolete each year. Most estimate say that 20 million computers and televisions become obsolete annually, and less than 6 % are being recycled (Gibson 2006, p.322). As a result, the total global production of e-waste has continued to increase considerably, and most e-waste is currently landfilled or exported to dev eloping countries for recycling. Rapid technological evolution in electronic products and competitive electronic marketplaces means more consumers in rich countries are generating large amount of waste equipments, much of which is still operational. Robinson (2009, p.185) states that the total number of computers and other potential possible e-waste devices is potently correlated with the country ¿Ã‚ ½fs GDP, and consequently, he predicts Eastern Europe, Latin America and China will become major e-waste producers in the next 10 years. The concern over e-waste is not only the amount produced but also the toxic footprint involved in the course of the disposal disassembly and destruction of the equipments. Unlike other waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) such as washing machines and refrigerators, e-waste contains potential environmental contaminants (Robinson 2009, p.185). Clearly, it is necessary to take effective actions to address the exponential e-waste production and the concentration of environmental contaminants associated with e-waste, taking into account recycle and reuse. 2.2. E-waste producers and consumers ¿Ã‚ ½f dilemma The shorter lifespan ofin electronic products means that consumers continue to purchase or replace a product within a few years, and the design of a product is often incompatible between new software and existing hardware. A replacement frequency of computers or cell phones is 2-3 year in 2005, which was dropped from 4-6 years in 1997 (Cairns 2005, p.238; Robinson 2009, p.185). Cairns (2005, p.237) argues that current product design features and changes in technology and wireless services often cause users to necessitate frequent replacements of operational electronics equipment. Many software or hardware companies usually set an end-of-support policy in their products so that it will encourage their potential customers to migrate old version of their products to new ones, which makes it difficult for customer to keep old ones. Therefore, consumers are pressured into replacing their products regardless of their inclinations. According to Huang (2009, pp.115-116), the development process of information systems which have been used for decades, is divided into five stages; planning or investigation, analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance. Many of the current electronics have a lack of the concept of sustainability in each stage. For example, the battery of some MP3 players or mobile phones requires intricate disassembly. It is often cheaper to consider the purchase of a new one instead of sending it to a customer support for the replacement. This will in turn lead to create the customers ¿Ã‚ ½f dilemma to use out-dated electronic items. It is essential for producers to listen to customers ¿Ã‚ ½f voices and design their products to meetting the demands including a sustainable life-cycle. This will enable customers with enough information, less costly for reuse and recycle, and technical support to encourage and facilitate product upgrades and repairs. ? 3. Impacts of e-waste 3.1. E-waste receiver countries Most electronic equipment that fulfils its lifespan by product strategies or faults is discarded without being recycled or reused. However, substantial quantity of the obsolete electronics is exported to developing countries, especially to China, after India, Pakistan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Nigeria and Ghana for recycling or disposal (Puckett el al. 2005, cited in Robinson 2009, p.187; Cairns 2005, p.241). It is reported that some 70% of all exported e-waste is delivered to China (Liu et al. 2006, cited in Robinson 2009, p187). Although some exported electronic devices might be used for some time, most of them will be disassembled and landfilled due to inability to cope with the increasing e-waste globally. In e-waste receiver countries, operations for the disassembly may be primitive and landfills may be poorly managed. The process of mechanical separation of component contains smelter, reclamation and burn, and can be automated or carried out by hand burn (Cairns 2005, p.241; Robinson 2009, p.187). Since an electronic device consists of many components and most products are hardly considered the disassembly process in their designs, the workers in the receiver countries may work in their own way without enough information for the dismantlement processes. These processes may contain an environmental hazardous. 3.2. Environmental issue Many e-waste contaminants may be involved in the process of the dismantlement without the use of special handling or tools. Most developing nations have more relaxed environmental regulations, especially in China, India, and Pakistan (Ruth 2009, p.75). The loose regulations for the e-waste dismantlement can lead to insurmountable environmental problems within the e-waste receiver countries. For example, villagers and workers who engage in the de-assembling process use environmentally unfriendly techniques including the open-air burning and wastewater discharge at the factories (Robinson 2009, p.188). A result of the dumping, burning hazardous chemicals and the wastewater disposal of e-waste will cause a variety of environmental problems such as water, air and soil contaminations. E-waste that contains some base materials or valuable components may be environmentally important, while these devices may contain high concentrations of flame retardants and heavy metals (Cairns 2005, p.241). The e-waste contaminants bring an adverse effect on an aquatic ecosystem. Many studies discover the fact that higher rate of hazardous elements in the livers or creatures such as waterfowl is found in the downstream areas from e-waste recycling factories and towns (Robinson 2009, p.188). Combustion of e-waste by melting plastic or burning invaluable metals has resulted in concentrations of toxic percentage in aerial samples from areas near the e-waste recycling workshops (Robinson 2009, p.188). Soils are also contaminated in e-waste sites where acid leaching was used to recover valuable metals (Gibson 2006, p.323; Robinson 2009, p.188). Uncontrolled burning, disassembly and disposal processes of e-waste in the receiver countries can have a horrific deterioration on ecosystem such as groundwater contamination, air pollution, or even water pollution not only within the e-waste disassembly areas but other areas and neighbouring countries. 3.3. Human health A lack of adequate facilities for recycling with primitive techniques may involve significant risk to the workers as well. The workers in most villages currently use unsafe primitive techniques without goggles, masks or gloves, which have adverse effects on the workers (Robinson 2009, p.188). The primary route of exposure to a toxic chemical is spread into the air via dust, and contaminated dust is found in human breast milk (Dealthe, MacDonald Amos 2008, p.321). Consequently, it is difficult to minimise the expanding damage caused by e-waste. The flux of electronic products that generates in rich countries and exported to poor countries may contain many serious transactional issues in some cases. Foods or products imported from the e-waste receiver countries, where are environmentally deteriorated may also threaten human health. For instance, children ¿Ã‚ ½fs toys, imported from China, are reported to have elevated rates of toxic elements (Chen et al. 2009, cited in Robinson 2009, p.189). The content of detrimental substance is collected in the ground and surface-waters, agricultural soils, rice, egg, fish and eventually humans (Robinson 2009, p.189). Hence, the contaminant implicated in e-waste is not only the issue within the e-waste receiver countries but ultimately to humans in other countries. 4. E-waste solutions 4.1. Organisation and government policies Problem of most electronic products currently is a lack of the concept for reuse and recycle in their products. Producers should focus on creating reusable products and provide a rule of e-waste take-back at the obsoleteness. There are several ongoing projects to create environmentally-friendly electronic products and recycle policies in several States in the US, Canada and EU countries. These challenges encourage product makers to design for remanufacturing in order to minimise disposal of harmful components of electrical equipment, share design information, and protect against negative health and environmental impacts along with organisations and governments policies. 4.2. Deposit fees for recycling and guidelines It is important to raise capital in order to introduce and continue with the recycling approaches. However, the cost of electronic products generally does not include extra fees for e-waste collectors and recyclers (Deathe, MacDonald Amos 2008, p.327). In California, consumers pay fees when they purchase a certain type of electronic devices so that the budgets will be used for managing these devices (Gibson 2006, p.324). Similarly, a Statewide Computer Recycling Pilot Program in Maryland requires computer manufactures to submit fee for the state recycling (Gibson 2006, p.328). In addition to the recycling fee, it is necessary to be implemented guidelines and legislation in order to manage or define hazardous substances in electronics. Several states in the U.S. , Canada and EU countries set disposal guidelines or regulations, and have banned the sale of certain electronic devices that contain specific hazardous materials (Gibson 2006, p.324; Deathe, MacDonald Amos 2008, p.329). 4.3. Design for Environment For producers, it is also crucial to review the design of their products more environmentally-friendly to create recyclable and reusable products. To do so, it will be necessary to determine guidelines or policies in order to standardise the implementations. The International Standards Organisation has standardised the implementation of design for environment and instruct producers to create a roadmap of product design in order to minimise environmental issues (Deathe, MacDonald Amos 2008, p.322). Huang (2009, p.116-119) proposes Sustainable Systems Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) that on each stage of product developments; Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation, Maintenance and Disposal, producers should consider sustainability for the products. With regard to new products, these policies and regulations will protect against negative health and environmental impacts. For existing waste, for instance, the EU WEEE Directive requires for producers to be assigned financial responsibi lity based on their current market share (Deathe, MacDonald Amos 2008, p.326). These will reduce a product ¿Ã‚ ½fs hazardous footprint. 4.4. Producer Take-Back Programmes Another approach for producers is e-waste take-back programmes. Products are taken back to the producers or take-back disassembly centres to disassemble safely (Xu 2008, p.1). Since electronic devices are made intricately, it must be difficult and unhealthy for the workers to break down the parts in e-waste receiver countries where there is little knowledge of disassembly. Instead of e-waste being exported to developing countries, it would be environmentally effective to take-back the e-waste within the producer countries. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for each electronic will be easier to track the process of e-waste take-back when they are obsolete (Xu 2008, p.1). If the products still can be used then they can be transported to second-hand makers for sale while there is no value (Xu 2008, p.2). Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Apple have already introduced their own take-back programmes in Canada (Deathe, MacDonald Amos 2008, p.322). RFID also provides excessive range of information on their products. 5. Conclusions ?

Common Microorganisms Essay examples -- essays research papers

INTRODUCTION Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungus, mold, and yeast are present and common in almost every environment on earth. The normally microscopic organisms can easily be seen using differing types of agar, which creates an ideal environment for the organisms to form colonies, which are groups of hundreds of organisms that can be seen with the naked eye. In order to see individual microorganisms, it is necessary to use the magnification of a high-powered microscope. These techniques of microbiology are used in the following five experiments. The first experiment used Trypticase Soy Nutrient Agar (TSA), which can grow a wide variety of organisms and contains casein and soybean meal and a minute NaCl, to study the effectiveness of alcohol as a skin antiseptic. The second experiment tested the effectiveness of different kinds of mouthwashes as antiseptics using TSA as well. Experiment number three explored the normal human flora existing on skin and in nasal cavities, and two types of agar were used, including TSA and Mannitol Salt Agar, which contains manitol sugar, phenol red, and 7.5% NaCl. Mannitol Salt Agar tests for the presence of staphylococci bacteria that can survive in the salt that inhibits the growth of most other bacteria. Some forms of staph bacteria ferment mannitol and produce a yellow color around the colonies, which can easily be seen against the red background. The fourth experiment studied the number of bacteria in a diluted sa mple of uncooked hamburger meat using nutrient agar and a Quebec counter to count the colonies. The final experiment involved the growth of yeast cells under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. MATERIALS - Trypticase Soy Nutrient Agar -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mannitol Salt Agar -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sterile alcohol swab -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Listerine mouthwash -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tubes of nutrient agar -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Diluted hamburger meat -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quebec colony counter -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Apple juice -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anaerobic yeast culture -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hemacytometer -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iodine METHODS Experiment 1. Effectiveness of alcohol as an antiseptic 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All experiments must be done in a sterile environment; Lysol can be used to sterilize the a... ...ide had a lot of large tan colonies and dense, small colonies. The Listerine side seemed to destroy all most all of these small colonies, but the larger colonies were actually more numerous. The other mouth washes used were salt water rinse and Scope. The salt water did almost no damage to the bacteria, and the Scope killed the most.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In experiment three, there were a lot of different kinds of organisms persent on the agar. On the plate that contained nasal micro-organisms, large yellow colonies appeared on the Mannitol Salt Agar, indicating Staphylococcus aureus. On the TSA side, small creamy white colonies were also present. These could possibly be yeast. On the plate that contained the skin swab, there was a large amount of large, fuzzy white and black growth, which is mold. There was a single light-orange colony on the TSA side, possibly a growth of Flavobacterium.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the fourth experiment, there were a number of different kinds of colonies on the EMB plate with the meat swab. There were black dots, which indicate the presence of E-coli, pink dots, which indicate lactose-fermenters, and a few white and gray colonies.

Technology Expansion Essay -- Technology, Education, Teacher

Technology Expansion Technology expansion in Georgia’s K–12 education indicates that learners demand new and more challenging academic experiences to achieve success in a wireless technology rich culture (Hennessy, Harrison & Wamakote, 2010). The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) developed a plan to meet the â€Å"2008 ISTE National Technology Standards (NETS-T) number 5 â€Å"Engaging in professional growth and leadership† (Oliver, 2010). The Georgia K–12 technology plan mandated the expansions of information and information technology (desktop, wireless technology, handhelds tools, and portable video players) in K–12 classrooms. Essentially, this expansion along with Internet access created a new way to access and send information, thus, impacting teaching and learning in a social constructivism (SC) way. The GaDOE (2008) technology plan was designed to address teacher attitudes and determine ways technology contributes to statewide objectives to Kà ¢â‚¬â€œ12 public school students. In essence, the GaDOE‘s plan also focuses on achieving benchmarks, strategies, and evaluations. To issue common goals to combine efforts of GaDOE, other state-funded education organizations, municipal systems, and education partners supplementary underwent challenges with educational technology innovations. To address the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act of 2001 guidelines and state guidelines enforced their state technology plan. The technology plan is also in place to utilize as a guide for both federal and instructional state technology funding (GaDOE, 2008). All school district teachers participated in the Georgia Technology Plan for 2007-2012 survey. The purpose of the survey was to assess teacher feedback and address ways... ...ional usage. Kay and Lauricella utilized an anonymous, online survey to gather data. The data collections provided assistance and a framework for best practices regarding wireless laptops usage. Kay and Lauricella’s (2010) concurred that there are no conclusive analysis for the general population quasi-experimental methods concerning reliability and validity of the data. Although, the population in Kay and Lauricella’s (2010) study was college and university student, K–12 students will inevitably be faced with working with technology in not only the higher education world, but also in the workforce. Teacher training can facilitate technology based activities aligned to cross curriculum strategies, employ basic information and technology skills on the K–12 level. Innovative technology provides students with an edge on advanced technology (Weston & Bain, 2010).

The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling Essay -- Pro Con Essays

All children in America have the right to a quality education. Most students receive that education through conventional means, going to a public or private school. There is another option for today's children, home schooling. Home schooling is a controversial issue. While it does have its benefits, some people believe it has too many downfalls to be an effective method of education. In this paper, topics such as academic impact, social impact, and parental opinions of home schooling will be discussed. Perhaps the most significant impact of home schooling is the actual learning. There are many academic advantages. In a home schooling situation, there is no doubt a more individualized program of study than any traditional school can offer. Whatever a child's pace or level of ability is, it can be met directly. A parent or tutor can focus exactly on what the child needs extra help or improvement in, as well as what the child excels at.(Ray, 2014) In a public school, teachers must teach to "the middle" and have little time to cater to an individual student's needs on a regular basis. There is also room for a better quality of learning in a home schooling setting. Parents or tutors in a home school setting do not have to waste time with administrative tasks or repeating directions. They can get down to learning and reviewing. If a child is ok with a subject, they can move on. A child who is home schooled also has the opportunity to take part in a greater number of alternative learning experiences. For example, if a parent feels that a trip to a museum will better get a point across, on the spur of the moment they can take their child. Such spontaneity would not be possible in a regular school classroom. A certain structure is expected in a public school. In home schooling, parents or tutors are free to teach using methods they deem appropriate to the situation and the student. In a traditional school, much time is wasted. The students need time to change classes, get out their homework, pass out papers, etc. Even getting to school is a long trek for some students. In a home schooling setting, these trivial tasks are greatly reduced. For example, the first day of school in a public or private traditional school normally means a lot of paperwork and administrative tasks. Students spend most of the day getting lockers and filling out emergency cards so t... ...l that it is a decision that a parent needs to make, based on what they feel are important standards for learning. Home schooling provides a more relaxed environment, with a one on one learning environment and a flexible schedule. It also provides a pace that is best for the child, an environment on areas children want to focus on as well as confident student who doesn ¦Ãƒ t have to deal with the feelings of others. However, it decreases the socialization of the child, less exposure to different ethnicities and a limited view of the real world. The parents probably do not have the knowledge they need to teach, there are more distractions to deal with and parents may not know how to teach. These ideas are serious to think about and only add to the controversial idea of home schooling. Articles/Scholarly Sources Ray, Brian D. Customization through Home schooling Education Leadership, April 2014, Volume 59. Issue 7. Romanowski, Michael. Common Arguments about the Strengths and Limitations of Home Schooling Clearing House, Nov/Dec 2014, Vol.75, Issue 2. Internet Sources www.homeschooling.about.com www.learninfreedom.com www.homeschoolingonline.org

Nel Noddings Essay

Noddings went to Montclair State College in New Jersey where she received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics, and moved on to gain her master’s degree in mathematics from Rutgers University, in New Jersey as well. Noddings received a doctorate in educational philosophy from Stanford University where she presently is the Jacks Professor Emeriti of Child Education. Lastly, she received her Ph. D. in 1975 after changing from mathematics and education to a broader field of educational theory and philosophy. She also currently occupies the John W. Porter Chair in Urban Education at Eastern Michigan University. As Noddings makes clear in many of her works, schooling played a central role in her life, and her early experiences with caring teachers contributed to her life long interest in student – teacher relations. She also contributes her professional life as a result of â€Å"various accidents and awareness of opportunity† (Johnson, Reed, 2011). As Noddings states, (1997, cited in Johnson & Reed, 2011) † all of these accidents†¦ involve love, or led to love, and these loves, like bits of colored glass, are the elements from which my life has been composed. Her approach to education begins with the idea that caring is basic to human life. She believes that all people want to be cared for and that the need to be good comes out of the remembered experience of being cared for. Her approach to caring is described as a feminine approach because it is based on the voice of the mother as a nurturer. It is her belief that if women created the educational system and its disciplines, they would have organized the curriculum around the stages of life. Noddings ideally wants the home to be viewed as the primary educator. She feels this is the best form of educating because it is done non-threatening and conversational matter. Critics of Noddings would claim that making the home be viewed as the primary educator, it would force teachers to go beyond what is expected in today’s educational environment. Noddings suggests teachers to involve themselves in all of their student’s lives. She recommends three approaches for teachers to follow: dialogue, practice, and confirmation. In dialogue, the teacher is open to any opinions on any topics. In practice, Noddings would encourage the teacher to involve the class in community service activities. In confirmation, the teacher must speak only positively about a child. Noddings would rather the teacher not give an exam and semester grades, but instead have the student and the teacher work together to create positive evaluations. Nel Noddings wants students to be comfortable enough in the classroom to feel at home. She used her three approaches to create an environment of love, and prevent hate. Her approach also would require teachers to get to know all aspects of their students including their likes and dislikes, wants and needs, and ideas. In doing so, the teachers will be able to create activities that cater to each child individuality and therefore, making learning for interesting. She also wanted the students to learn core subject through experience to make the students want to keep learning. Noddings views about teaching by caring can be useful in that it forces a teacher to really get to know her students, and give them the best possible learning environment. She suggests that children will work hard for people they like and trust. She takes this approach from her own educational experiences. Noddings view about education based on caring suggests that it â€Å"speaks to the existential heart of life- †¦ that draws attention to our passions attitudes, connections, concerns, and experienced responsibilities† (Johnson & Reed, 2011). She believes this approach will eventually create adults capable of caring for themselves and the world we live in. However, the teacher is walking a fine line by doing this. The teacher could nd up becoming too involved in the student’s life, and end up causing more harm then good. She could end up interfering in the family environment instead of helping it. The basic principle to be taken from Noddings is that dialogue is of the utmost importance in a relationship. Without it, a teacher will be unable to establish a bond based on truth, and trust. All of Noddings ideas, once explained make sense and fit very well with the times we live in and the students that we teach, but there needs to be a model to help implement her ideas. As an educator that’s life and professional career was also attributed to the experiences I had in the classroom as a child both positive and negative, I understand her view about how a positive student – teacher relationship is important for the success of what the student is learning. It is my opinion that her beliefs are still an influence on todays learning. I also believe that many teachers unconsciously do practice the beliefs of Noddings. Many times are forced to be more structured in our teachings due to state testing and are unable to be more â€Å"caring† with our teachings.