Cholera Essay examples -- Vibrio cholerae Infection Disease

Cholera The disease, cholera, is an infection of the intestines, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. As stated in Microbes and Infections of the Gut, the bacterium is â€Å"a Gram-negative, comma- shaped, highly motile organism with a single terminal flagellum† (105). Cholera is characterized by the most significant symptom that presents with the disease, diarrhea, and victims can lose up to twenty liters of body fluids in a day. Cholera can be a serious disease, due to the serious dehydration that can occur, but it is only fatal if treatment is not administered as soon as possible. This research paper includes information on the causes of cholera, symptoms, ways of treatment, studies of treatments, complications that may occur, the tests and diagnosis for cholera, and finally, the ways the cholera bacterium may be transmitted. Introduction Cholera is a disease caused by the cholera bacterium Vibrio cholerae infecting the intestines. Usually, the illness is mild, and for some, symptoms of cholera never even present, but sometimes, the disease can also be severe. A severe case of cholera is â€Å"characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. In these persons, rapid loss of body fluids leads to dehydration and shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours† (Cholera Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment). Normally, in a gentler case of cholera, the infected person only has mild diarrhea. â€Å"In 5-10% of cases, however, patients develop very severe watery diarrhea and vomiting from 6 hours to 5 days after exposure to the bacterium. In these cases, the loss of large amounts of fluids can rapidly lead to severe dehydration. In the absence of adequate treatment, death can occur within hours† (Cholera Symptoms, Ca... ...a Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment." MedicineNet.Com. 31 Aug. 2005. . 9.) "Cholera: Treatment." MayoClinic.Com. 30 Mar. 2007. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. . 10.) "Frequently Asked Questions and Information for Travellers." World Health Organization. . 11.) Goodwin, Charles S., ed. Microbes and Infections of the Gut. Melbourne, Oxford, London, Edinburgh, Boston: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1984. 103-113. 12.) O'neal, Jackie. "Bengladesh Medical Study on Cholera." Kidsnewsroom.Org. 13.) "Treatment of Cholera." World Health Organization. . Cholera Essay examples -- Vibrio cholerae Infection Disease Cholera The disease, cholera, is an infection of the intestines, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. As stated in Microbes and Infections of the Gut, the bacterium is â€Å"a Gram-negative, comma- shaped, highly motile organism with a single terminal flagellum† (105). Cholera is characterized by the most significant symptom that presents with the disease, diarrhea, and victims can lose up to twenty liters of body fluids in a day. Cholera can be a serious disease, due to the serious dehydration that can occur, but it is only fatal if treatment is not administered as soon as possible. This research paper includes information on the causes of cholera, symptoms, ways of treatment, studies of treatments, complications that may occur, the tests and diagnosis for cholera, and finally, the ways the cholera bacterium may be transmitted. Introduction Cholera is a disease caused by the cholera bacterium Vibrio cholerae infecting the intestines. Usually, the illness is mild, and for some, symptoms of cholera never even present, but sometimes, the disease can also be severe. A severe case of cholera is â€Å"characterized by profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. In these persons, rapid loss of body fluids leads to dehydration and shock. Without treatment, death can occur within hours† (Cholera Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment). Normally, in a gentler case of cholera, the infected person only has mild diarrhea. â€Å"In 5-10% of cases, however, patients develop very severe watery diarrhea and vomiting from 6 hours to 5 days after exposure to the bacterium. In these cases, the loss of large amounts of fluids can rapidly lead to severe dehydration. In the absence of adequate treatment, death can occur within hours† (Cholera Symptoms, Ca... ...a Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment." MedicineNet.Com. 31 Aug. 2005. . 9.) "Cholera: Treatment." MayoClinic.Com. 30 Mar. 2007. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. . 10.) "Frequently Asked Questions and Information for Travellers." World Health Organization. . 11.) Goodwin, Charles S., ed. Microbes and Infections of the Gut. Melbourne, Oxford, London, Edinburgh, Boston: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1984. 103-113. 12.) O'neal, Jackie. "Bengladesh Medical Study on Cholera." Kidsnewsroom.Org. 13.) "Treatment of Cholera." World Health Organization. .

Has The De Beer Diamond Lost I :: essays research papers

"And while the law [of competition] may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the survival of the fittest in every department." -Andrew Carnegie Since the 1930’s when Sir Ernest Oppenheimer established the Central Selling Organisation, De Beers Consolidated Mines have controlled the selling and marketing of approximately 80% of the world’s rough diamond production (Capon, 1998). However, in 1996, Australian company, Argyle, stunned the world by announcing that they would no longer market diamonds through De Beers C.S.O. Many economists predicted that Argyle wouldn’t be able to compete against the mammoth De Beers. Yet in the year to December 31, Argyle recorded a profit of $142.5 million, an increase of 76% (Treadgold, 1999). De Beers is currently looking like losing the monopoly it has had on the diamond industry for almost seventy years. A monopoly is an industry in which there is only one organisation that supplies a particular good, service or resource which has no other similar alternatives. Monopolies are created by barriers which restrict the entry of new organisations (McTaggart et al, 1999). In a perfect monopoly, the seller has total control over the quantity of goods or services available for sale and the price at which the items are sold (Butterworths Business .. Dictionary, 1997). De Beers Consolidated Mines Central Selling Organisation has had a monopoly on the selling of rough diamonds since the 1930’s. A monopoly industry is characterised by having no close substitutes. Although there are substitutes for diamonds such as rubies, emeralds and cubic zirconias, many believe that there are no other gems that exhibit the same beauty of the diamond. Perhaps this belief was created out of De Beers advertising campaign, â€Å"A Diamond is Forever† (Capon, 1998, pg 6) which began in 1947. Whatever the reason that consumers want diamonds, and diamonds only, doesn’t matter. Consumers demand the real thing and will pay for the luxury. The second factor which creates a monopoly market are barriers to enter the market. Common barriers to entry include licenses, patents, entry lags, economics of scale and control of inputs (Browning & Browning, 1989). Control of inputs is the factor that constricts entry into the diamond industry. â€Å"De Beers Consolidated Mines of South Africa, through its ownership of mines and its central sales organisation, controls 85 percent of the world’s diamond output† (Browning & Browning, 1989, pg 330).

Multistep Synthesis of Benzilic Acid

Multi-Step Synthesis of Benzilic Acid from Benzoin Abstract: The main purpose of this experiment was to convert a secondary alcohol to a ketone, utilizing a mild and selective oxidizing agent. In addition, this converted alpha diketone was then subjected to rearrangement to a carboxylate salt, then acidification, to produce an alpha-hydroxyacid. In this experiment, benzoin was used and converted into benzil, which was then used to synthesize benzillic acid. The yields were not ideal: . 081g of benzil- a 27. 5% yield; . 038g of benzilic acid- a 34. 7% yield. The matching melting points and IR readings, however, confirmed a high degree of purity for each compound: 95. 6 °C for benzil, and 104. 5 °C for benzilic acid, meager . 632% and . 333% discrepancy from literature values, respectively. Finally, the IR absorption frequencies on the attached graphs illustrate the successful removal of the alcohol in the oxidation step and successive return of the alcohol/creation of carboxylic acid, following rearrangement. Multistep syntheses are essential to producing complex molecules.This experiment illustrated the importance of verifying intermediary products are pure, by utilizing different techniques such as IR and melting point. Below is a diagram of the overall reaction. First Reaction: Second Reaction: Introduction: The multistep reaction from Benzoin to Benzillic acid involves multiple organic chemistry concepts, such as oxidation and re arrangement. The first part of the experiment involves the oxidation of benzoin to benzil, utilizing a mild oxidating agent. The process of oxidation is used in all organic chemistry labs and is essential to a wide variety of synthesis reactions.In addition, oxidation reactions are essential in the the biochemistry of most living organisms. This experiment also breaks down oxidizing agents into selective and non-selective agents. For this experiment’s purposes, nitric acid was used, as it is selective towards secondary alcohols, oxidizing them to ketones. The second part of this experiment involves the rearrangement of benzil to benzillic acid or, more generally, the reaction of an alpha-diketone to an alpha-hydroxyacid. This reaction was first conducted by Justus von Liebig in 1838 (1).The basics of this reaction involve the formation of a carboxylate salt from an alpha-diketone; acid is then added to produce an aromatic alpha-hydroxyacid. The reaction conducted in this expe riment is an essential base step in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and certain hallucinogenic drugs. The synthesis of Benzil from Benzoin is shown below: The above reaction shows the condensed oxidation of benzoin to benzil. The following diagram shows the condensed reaction of benzil to benzillic acid. Rearrangement occurs to form a salt, then the salt is acidified to form benzillic acid.Once the products of each step were obtained- benzil and benzillic acid- their melting points and IR readings were obtained. These two measurements were used to prove that the correct product was formed without any impurities. One of the major risks in this experiment is loss of product through multiple filtrations. To minimize this problem, the filtration steps should be carefully and slowly executed. This ensures that the least amount of reactants are lost. In addition, recrystallization can occur too quickly if a hot solution is directly placed in an ice bath, allowing impurities to be trapped within the precipitate’s crystal lattice.To avoid this, the solutions should be given ample time to cool to room temperature before adding the solutions to an ice bath. These precautions were taken to try to reach our goal of a high percent yield of product with little to no impurities. There were no new techniques used in this experiment, however there were old techniques used to provide information/obtain a product. The first technique was crystallization which was useful to obtain a solid product that can then be purified. Another old technique utilized was filtration, via hirsch funnel and vacuum. This technique was used to obtain a purified product, removing impurities.Once the final solid product was obtained in both reactions the melting point procedure was used to determine the level of remaining impurity of the final product, comparing the experimental and expected values found in literature. In conjunction with the melting point procedure, infrared spectroscopy was used to reveal the different functional groups of the products. In other words, the IR machine indicates whether our final product matches up with the desired one, matching carbonyl and alcohol absorption peaks (or the lack thereof) to their theoretical presence (either benzil or benzillic acid).Procedure: 1. 5ml of nitric acid was added to . 30g of benzoin in a conical vial with a stir vane. The mixture was then heated in a 70 degree Celsius water bath, while stirred, for one hour. The mixture in the conical vial was then cooled to room temperature and, using a pipette, the solution was transferred to a beaker containing 4ml of ice water. The mixture slowly crystallized in the beaker and the crystallized product was filtered on a hirsch funnel with vacuum. 5 ml of cold water was used to wash the product and then the product was allowed to dry.The solid product was then collected from the funnel and added to a hot 95% ethanol solution in an Erlenmeyer flask and completely dissolved . Once the solid was dissolved completely, the solution was allowed to cool to room temperature. Once yellow crystals formed, the solution was placed into an ice bath. The product was then collected and filtered again on a hirsch funnel with vacuum. The product was then washed with ice cold 95% ethanol. Once completely dried, the crystals were weighed and the final mass, percent yield, melting point, and IR reading of the crystallized product measured/calculated. 100g of benzil and . 30ml of ethanol were mixed in a conical vial.The solution in the conical vial was then heated to about 100 degrees celsius until the benzil dissolved. Then . 25ml of potassium hydroxide was added dropwise to the vial. The mixture was then heated to 110 degrees for 15 minutes, then allowed to slowly cool to room temperature. The product was transferred with a pipette to a 10ml beaker and cooled in an ice bath for 15 minutes. 1ml portions of ethanol were added once crystallized and filtered. The product w as then transferred to a 10ml beaker with 70 °C water, allowing the product to dissolve. 0. ml of HCL acid was added dropwise and the mixture was allowed to cool and then transferred to an ice bath. The crystals were collected on a hirsch funnel and washed with 4ml of cold ice water.The crystals were dried and collected for final mass, percent yield, melting point, and IR reading. Results and Discussion: Table 1: Mass and Molar Quantity of Starting and Synthesized Materials; Percentage Yield and Both Experimental and Theoretical Melting Points of Products and Percent Discrepancy| Compound| Mass (g)| Quantity (mol x10-4)| % Yield| M. P. EXP ( °C)| M. P. THEO ( °C)| % D| Benzoin| 0. 298| 14| -| -| -| -| Benzil Yield| 0. 081| 3. 5| 27. 50%| 95. 6| 95. 0| 0. 632%| Benzil Start| 0. 1001| 4. 76| -| -| -|   | Benzilic Acid Yield| 0. 038| 1. 67| 34. 97%| 149. 5| 150| 0. 333%| The initial mass of benzoin and its yield of benzil in the first part of the experiment, as well as the star ting mass of benzil and its yield of benzilic acid in the second part.Note that the yield from part 1 was not the same amount used at the start of part 2. Also shown: the converted molar quantity of each mass and corresponding percent yield for the two synthesized compound, as well as their experimental and theoretical melting points and percent discrepancy between these values. As noted, the â€Å"Start† weight of Benzil- in row 3 of Table 1- differs from the â€Å"Yield† weight- in row 2. The yield, itself, was not used in the second part of this experiment: the synthesis of benzilic acid from benzil. Furthermore, an error occurred in the second portion of the experiment and very little acid product was salvaged; thus, the yield shown for benzilic acid is data that has been shared from another synthesis (this product yield was from _____ and his lab partner). Additionally, this alternative product was the one used in determining a melting point. Graph 1 illustrates t he successful oxidation of benzil, as the alcohol has been eliminated. As expected, it also retains a strong peak at ~1657cm-1, indicating the carbonyl groups present in the diketone, although this is a slightly lower absorption than expected. Graph 2 also presents a successful synthesis, as a relatively strong and somewhat broad peak appears around 3390cm-1, suggesting the reemergence of an alcohol and potential presence of the carboxylic acid; that the peak at 1715cm-1 remains strong, confirms his.SAMPLE CALCULATIONSCalculation of Benzil Percent Yield: Moles BenzilMoles Benzoin=. 081g? 210. 23g/mol. 298g? 212. 24g/mol=3. 85? 10-4mol14. 0? 10-4mol=0. 275? 100%=27. 5% Calculation of Benzilic Acid Percent Yield: Moles Benzilic AcidMoles Benzil=. 0380? 228. 25g/mol. 1001? 210. 23g/mol=1. 67? 10-4mol4. 76? 10-4mol=0. 3497? 100%=34. 97% Calculation of Percent Discrepancy in Benzil Melting Point: %D=xTHEO-xEXPxTHEO? 100%= 95. 0? -95. 6? 95. 0? =. 00632Ãâ€"100%=0. 32% Calculation of Perc ent Discrepancy in Benzilic Acid Melting Point: %D=xTHEO-xEXPxTHEO? 100%= 150. 0? -149. 5? 150. 0? =. 0033Ãâ€"100%=0. 33% Both steps of this experiment’s synthesis are considered successful. Though not in the desired quantities, a product of benzil was obtained from benzoin and that of benzoic acid from benzil. The initial step, synthesis of benzil, resulted in a yield of 27. 5%, despite an encouragingly smooth synthesis. The synthesis may have called for a second, more thorough recrystallization to appeal this yield.The recrystallization was performed correctly; however, the mixture was likely not allowed to cool at an ideally slow rate. It was removed from the hot plate and, shortly thereafter, transferred to the ice bath- likely, before it had calmed to room temperature. This could have interrupted the ability for the product to crystallize without impurities being trapped within its lattice. During the second portion of this experiment, a known, pure quantity of benzil w as used to synthesize a 34. 97% yield of benzilic acid. This small yield is likely also due to factors similar to the aforementioned.Additionally, the recorded yield was shared from another synthesis; the original synthesis performed yielded too small and impure an amount of product to effectively determine a melting point and I. R. spectra. This failure may certainly be attributed to an error during the recrystallization, prior to the initial filtration. Proper care was taken to allow the solution to cool very slowly during this second recrystallization. Unfortunately, once the solution was transferred to the ice bath, a large chunk of ice crystals somehow fell over the lip of the flask and into the mixture. Being that the intermediate was relatively water

Planning a Successful Birthday Party

Planning a birthday party is not as easy as attending one. In fact, it requires skill and talent one could not imagine. In my experience, planning a birthday party for my friend gave mixed feelings of excitement and thrill. I was excited of how the whole thing would come up, and thrilled at the same time, thinking I might forget something important on the occasion itself. To have a successful birthday party, one should have adequate time to prepare. Also, it is important that the organizer has some background of the host.In my case, since the host is my close friend, it was easy to communicate and know what he wanted. Therefore, I had the party planned to his wish, and everything seemed to come out perfectly. To make sure everything fell into the right place, we initially made a checklist of all the things we had to accomplish. Just like in any gathering, the first thing to consider was the budget. The number of guests, amount of food, kind of venue and entertainment all depend on th e budget. Since my friend allotted an average budget of around USD___, we had to stick to it and make sure we did not exceed the limit.Considering the budget and the popularity of my friend in the neighborhood, we came up with a list of 100 guests. The invitees included close relatives, friends, and some important people in the neighborhood. When the guest list was done, it was time to decide on the time and venue for the party. Due to the rain showers in the afternoon, we opted to hold the party in the morning. This could likewise allow more time for socialization and on-stage presentation. We chose ____ as the venue and after reserving it, we sat down to prepare the invitation.In it, we mentioned the theme, â€Å"Sing, Dance and Laugh: Feel the Joys of Youth. † This gave the guests an idea of the singing, dancing, and other fun activities they could expect at the party. When everything was set, we printed out the invitations and sent them to the guests __ days ahead of the big day. The next thing we did was to decide on the food. Aside from the budget, we deemed it important to consider the appropriateness of the food to the celebration. Since my friend wanted to have a casual party, baby back ribs, hamburgers, hotdogs, and softdrinks made up our menu.We also included some low fat cottage cheese, carrot and celery sticks with dip and flavored water for those who preferred a low-fat diet. To grace the occasion, we planned a one-hour presentation. We asked some friends to render song numbers, while the other guests danced to the beat of the songs. As the big day drew near, we got more excited with the preparations. I sensed that my friend was excited to see his invited guests, while I dwelt on the thrill of knowing how our plans would take place.On the day of the party itself, we were happy to see everything the way we planned it. The venue, the food, and the presentations made the guests feel the warmth and joy my friend wanted to share on his birthday . The efforts we had during the preparations were truly rewarded by the laughter and smile on the faces of the guests. Although holding a birthday party can be heavy on the pocket, it surely helps people get to know each other and cherish relationships. I am truly happy for my friend and for being part of the entire celebration.

Handling information Essay

1. Understand requirements for handling information in health and social care setting 1.1 identify legislation and codes of practice that relate to handling information in health and social care: All of the staff need to make sure that confidentiality is paramount. Staff have to read and understand the Data Protection Act of 1998. We have to make sure that we are clear about our standards of conduct, that we are expected to meet. We are encouraged to use the codes of conduct to maintain our own practice is good and we need to look at any area’s that we can improve on. When it comes to Medication, staff have to make sure that all stock is listed on the MAR sheet. The Human Rights Act 1998 details the right to a private life. There is also the GSCC code of practice for social care workers, which provides a clear guide for all those who work in social work, setting out the standards of practice and conduct workers and their employers should meet with regards the handling of information. There is also Caldecott standards which govern the sharing of information based on the Data protection Act. 1.2 summarise the main points of legal requirements and codes of practice for handling information in health and social care. The 8 Principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 states the personal data must be: Processed fairly and lawfully Processed only for one or more specified and lawful purpose Adequate, relevant and not excessive for the purpose Accurate and kept up to date Kept for no longer than is necessary Processed in line with the rights of the individual Secure against accidental loss, destruction or damage and against unauthorized / unlawful processing Not transferred to countries outside the European economic area The six main points of the gscc code of practice states that health and social care workers must provide the following: Protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers. Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers. Promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm. Respect the rights of service users while seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people. Uphold public trust and confidence in social care services. Be accountable for the quality of your work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills. 1.3. describe features of manual and electronic information storage systems that help ensure security Manual systems inevitably mean paper type records (text, photos, X-Ray, hand written notes or comments, etc.) These require to be out of general view when in use and locked away when not in use or attended. Lockable filing cabinets, locked rooms (by key or number pad), locked briefcase (when in transit) and special vaults and safes. Electronic records can be protected by password access to the computer, to the folder, to the file. Some systems allow access (to anything electronic) by only authorised personnel based on employee number or similar. Some computers are not connected to the internet to avoid the risk of intervention. Movement of data should require that the data is first encrypted so if intercepted cannot be viewed.

Common Core and the effects on America

Language Learners Since being introduced in 2010, forty-four States have now adopted the Common Core State Standards Initiative. This initiative provides standards in English, Language Arts and Math. Every child in a public school will be expected to meet each standard for their grade level In these areas. These standards are designed to guarantee that every child In America will be on par with each other. They use the example In their 3 minute video about a child In Seattle who has an A In his English class but would be receiving a C in a public school in Chicago(understandingCommon Core). These standards are also designed to insure that American youth are graduating high school with the ability to compete with other nation's graduates worldwide. So not only do American school children need to compete with their national peers but they are also competing on a global level (Common Core). Professor E. D Hirsch In an excerpt from his book â€Å"On Cultural Literacy† discusses h ow cultural literacy is the only way for Impoverished children to rise above their lot In life.Part of his assumptions are that every American child needs a basic foundation, such as the subjects proposed by Common Core, to be provided by the American Education system. Hirsch argues this foundation will ensure every child is culturally literate,†only by accumulation of shared symbols, and the shared information that the symbols represent, can we learn to communicate effectively with one another in our national community† (36). This statement Is based off of the assumption that all Americans speak the same language (Bezel 661). This Is simply no longer true.Between 2010-2011 there were 4. 7 million English Language Learners (ELL) in the American School system (Fast Facts). Unlike No Child left behind act, Common Core acknowledges that they cannot define and meet every need that ELLS have in order to learn the language being used by Common Core on the same level as their p eers (English Standards 6). Without going in-depth into the standards, the most accessible Information on the website Is specific on how to accommodate special needs children, but for ELLS all the standards say Is â€Å"It Is possible for every child to meet the standards†(6).This paper will address the potential effects of Common Core on ELLS, by using the proposed effects of both Common Core supporters and Common Core posers. There is a lack of public information as to how these state standards are going to affect English Language Learners (ELL), there needs to be more focus on how state standards and federal tests are going to accommodate the growing number ELLS. In 2001 the Bush administration Implemented the No Child Left Behind act. (UNCLE). Under Title Ill in UNCLE it was clearly stated how ELLS were to receive special attention.It allowed for extended time on test and occasionally for the test to be administered in the learners own language. These methods were not eff ective cause ELLS were still testing twenty to thirty percent lower than their English proficient peers. UNCLE required schools to break their students Into subgroups one testing in comparison with their English proficient peers. For ELLS the test was not only used to gauge their progress in that particular subject but also their progress in English proficiency.Not surprisingly the ELLS were doing significantly worse on their English and language arts test than on Math and Science. A glaring fault of UNCLE was that once a child began to test on the same level as their English proficient peers hey were removed from the ELL subgroup and expected to keep succeeding without the extra accommodations. These ideas were implemented without there ever being proof they would work. Abide and Tilted finish their 2004 Winter report for CREST with the statement, â€Å"For a goal to be within reach of all schools, at least one school should have already attained it.To date we have yet to see a sc hool with a sizeable ELL population that meets the 2014 UNCLE requirements†. (5) In preparation for the continued rapid growth of the ELL population, which according to a TESTS brief is errantly approximated at 6 million, Common Core broke down English proficiency expectations into four categories (4). An independent study conducted by Stanford defined the four categories are reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language (3,5-7). Reading requirements are designed to make sure students can read and comprehend complex text across all subjects.Writing standards ensure students are prepared to research, analyze and argue. The need for speaking and listening is to ensure that every student has the ability to understand and articulate orally their ideas and arguments and the arguments of others. Finally the language requirement refers to grammar; in the paper the authors students need to understand that English is â€Å"as much a craft as a set of rules†(7). This pap er argues that according to the standards, language will tie the four brackets together (7).The opposition to Common Core is that Common Core will force teachers to teach to the test. Ritual standardized testing increases pressure on students to find the right answer instead of encouraging learning and independent thought (Hawkins). According to New York City teacher Katie Alphas in a letter to Carmen Farina, ELLS articulacy in grades third through eighth are â€Å"encumbered with standardized testing. † Here is a quote from a resignation letter by former Colorado Springs English teacher Pauline Hawkins â€Å"l am supposed to help them think for themselves,†¦ Instead, the emphasis is on Common Core Standards and high stakes testing that is creating a teach to the test mentality for our teachers, and stress and anxiety for our students. † This anxiety is increased when a student is not only being tested on their comprehension of the material but also their comprehe nsion of the English language. The majority of teachers who oppose Common Core want less regular testing and a more diversified way of evaluation. Common Core is moving fast. For most teachers they are being required to rewrite curriculum to match standardized testing, which is binge implemented in some states as early as April 2014.In particular for ELLS in grades third through eighth, who have been in the country for a year or less they are allowed one exemption from a test. After that they are required to test to the level of their English proficient peers. There is an extra time allotment for ELLS UT as Katie Lymphoma states in a blob post titled Battling the High-stakes Testing Beast: from NAPE to NYSE, â€Å"the state has generously offered to give you extended time (time and a half) on the tests; instead of 90 minutes per day for six days (3 days for testing day. That's a total of 13. 5 hours! Hours upon hours of testing for a fifth grader who is working twice as hard to com prehend the test does not seem like the right answer. Lymphoma in the same post discusses how she as their teacher does not have access to the test results only the scores of her students. To summarize searchers are required to conform curriculum to the tests. The same test where they are not allowed to see which material their students failed on. The ELLS are exempt from only one test in the entirety of their schooling. During the testing ELLS could spend up to twelve plus hours a week testing.According to the association of Teaching English to Speaker of Other Languages (TESTS) and an independent Stanford Study, Common Core will present significant challenges to ELLS but will also provide an education that will offer them the same opportunities as their native English speaking peers. When Common Core was first developed English Language Proficiency Development (ELOPED) Standards were left up to the individual states. Starting in 2012 Common Core recognized that a standard for ELOP ED would need to be developed. In 2012 the Council of Chief State Officers produced a basic framework for states to use when adapting their ELL standards.They also hired the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers and Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium to prepare the assessment test prototypes. According to TESTS on testing â€Å"[the tests will] be administered by computer, both consortia are exploring technology-based accommodations, such as pop up glossaries and captions for audio. To ensure the widest accessibility to the test items† (7). By using measures such as extra glossaries and captions it should take some of the pressure off the students.Common Core firmly states that only by regular standardized tests can teachers and the rest of the education community truly understand what students are learning. The Framework for English Language Proficiency Development Standards corresponding to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generatio n Science Standards is vividly clear in that they do not force schools to adopt a curriculum. Instead they simply provide what information students are expected to master at every grade. There is no proposed curriculum or any specific standards to guide teachers.The Framework along with Common Core has yet to address what will happen if a child can not meet the standards. UNCLE clearly defined that if a child failed, then the school would be required to use [article title] funding to provide the student the ability to travel to a school where they could get better education. Diana Rancidity in her article with the Washington Post poses the same question what will happen to students who fail. How much funding will go to provide tutoring? What will the repercussions be for teachers whose students are not meeting the standard? Will schools who consistently fail the standards be closed?These are Just some of the many unanswered questions raised by Common Core for ELLS. The Framework ans wered some questions, like which type of questions students are supposed to be able to answer by each grade, what type of thinking process they should have mastered and what kind of tests they should be able to pass. No one on either side of the issue is making light of the extra struggle the ELLS re going to have on top of the rigorous workload of an English proficient student. Those who are pro Common Core firmly state that by going through the Common workforce or further education.Whether that statement is true or not has yet to be seen. Only time and testing will prove whether Common Core is truly beneficial to ELLS. The facts state that there are approximately six million ELLS in the American public school system today. Until we have a working ELL program that has proven results it is counter productive to expect those students to perform well on the Common Core tests. The government is in the awkward middle ground of some of the information being released without enough inform ation to determine whether or not the program's success is even plausible.

Analysing The Concept Of Karma

Analysing The Concept Of Karma The Hindu and Buddhist religions both believe in karma. In the Hindu religion karma influences how you are born in your next life. You can be born in lower life forms such as an animal, plant, or insect. You could even be born into a lower caste system. It works the opposite way as well and can cause you to be reborn in a higher form even as a demigod or superhuman. Buddhists have a different take on karma. The Buddha rejected the notion of a soul but accepted some notion of rebirth. Buddha says that even though there is no soul the personalities of a being could recombine and continue from one life time to another. He uses the example of a flame going from one candle to another or the wind on blades of grass. To understand karma first it needs to be defined. Karma can be described as a form of cause and effect. The dictionary defines karma as sum of person’s actions in one of his successive states of existence, viewed as deciding his fate for the next. In Sanskrit karma is d efined as volitional action that is undertaken deliberately or knowingly. This also fits together as self-determination and a strong will power to abstain from inactivity. Karma also separates human beings from other creatures in the world. Karma is a notion that constantly proves the Newton theory of every action creates an equal and opposite reaction. Every time we do something we create a cause and in time will produce its corresponding reaction. It is the personality of the human that causes either negative or positive karma. Karma could be caused by both the physical and mental aspects of the body regardless of if it brings achievement now or in the future. Karma cannot be affected by the natural reflexes of the body. â€Å"A person is responsible for his or her own karma†(Karma and Reincarnation, 2010). In other words it is up to a person to give themselves good karma and move to a higher form in the next life or their doing for bad karma and devolving to a lower form. There are three types of karma savtik karma, rajasik karma, tamasik karma. Savtik karma is without attachment, selfless and for the benefit of others. Rajasik karma is selfish where ones focus is on ones gains to oneself. Tamasik karma is undertaken without regard to consequences and is supremely selfish and savage. The ancient yogis have assigned three categories to karma. These are sanchita, prarabdha, and kriyamana. The first category, sanchita, is the sum total of past karma yet to be resolved. Prarabdha, the second category, is the portion of sanchita being experienced in the present life. The third category, kriyamana, is the karma you are currently creating. It is important to understand that past negative karma can be altered into a smoother, easier state through the loving, heart-chakra nature, through dharma and sadhana. If you live religiously well you will create positive karma for the future and soften negative karma of the past.