Essay about The Evolution of Writing - 1147 Words

Writing has been a staple of society since its creation centuries ago. The evolution of writing has caused the definition of an acceptable writer to also evolve, and there are many ways to become a practiced writer. Decent writing requires dedication, creativity, and structure. Writing must be a routine in a society for its citizens to become skilled writers. These aspects of writing are found and explained in many articles. In the article, â€Å"Writing in the 21st Century,† Kathleen Yancey spells out how writing has evolved over the years. The author takes us through some key events that shaped writing into what it is today. Yancey brings the reader back to when writing was something that rarely happened outside of the classroom. â€Å"Reading†¦show more content†¦George Sand wrote after making love. Friedrich Schiller sniffed rotten apples stashed under the lid of his desk,† (Wyche 52). Although some of these rituals are odd, they help the writer get the work done. Wyche states that every writer has a ritual to get them focused whether they realize it or not. To prove her point, Wyche conducted a study with students to figure out there rituals. In this study, all the students said they procrastinate. Wyche believes that procrastinating can only hurt you. â€Å"The problem with waiting until the last minute to write is that ideas rarely appear on demand. Instead, they come when listening to others, while reading, or dreaming, or in the middle of other activities† (Wyche 59). She really stresses how crucial it is to give your writing time and effort. Wyche ends her article with steps and ideas that might help readers while they work on their next assignments. David Bartholomae defines, â€Å"Inventing the University,† as a writing process that a college student must undertake every time they begin a new writing piece. He states that students have to assemble and mimic the language of the specific discourse community they want to join. â€Å"He has to learn to speak our language, to speak as we do, to try on the peculiar ways of knowing, selecting, evaluating, reporting, concluding, and arguing that define the discourses of our community,† (Bartholomae 511). If a college student wants toShow MoreRelated The Evolution of Writing as an Important Form of Communication2953 Words   |  12 Pagesprocess of writing starts to take shape, an ide a must be developed and contemplated. The underlying question at the beginning of this process is, Why am I writing? For many, the initial response would be for a job, a grade, or to prove a point. On a basic level, however, animals behave according to two influences: instinct or experience; humans, since they are animals, are no different. There is a debate over whether humans write because it is in their genetic code or because writing is a usefulRead MoreEssay about Arguing Evolution1120 Words   |  5 PagesArguing Evolution There is a blurry and indistinct line between giving the best possible scientific support for a theory in which one strongly believes that has only incomplete evidence, and writing a persuasive piece that will draw people to one side of an argument based on feelings as well as facts. Indeed, there may be no line at all, upon close inspection, but that would be an unpleasant thought to most scientists, who value their ability to write objective reports on subjects and end upRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution, Introduced By Charles Darwin,1265 Words   |  6 PagesThe theory of evolution, introduced by Charles Darwin, is the process by which populations of living organisms change and diversify over time. Evolution has been one of the most controversial topics since the very first day it was proposed. In terms of evolution, science and religion are two separate topics. However, there are some who believe in theistic evolution, which is the study of religious teachings about God (also kno wn as creationism) that are then intermingled with the modern understandingRead MoreStory and Truth in Edwin Blashfields The Evolution of Civilization1284 Words   |  6 Pagesthrough the medium of government-sponsored art, and provide a relatively young nation with a story about themselves -- a visual â€Å"literature† which would connect them to the distant past.1 Among the most famous of these murals is Edwin Blashfield’s The Evolution of Civilization which occupies the massive dome of the Main Reading Room; twelve cultures are represented in the circle, each credited with a unique contribution to Western civilization.2 In one case, ancient Egypt is depicted as having contributedRead MoreGuided Evolution and Intelligent Design: A Guide to the Jewish Perspective783 Words   |  3 PagesRichard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett, tell us that, according to the theory of evolution, neither God nor any other agent has designed or created the living world, and that evolution, therefore, clearly contradicts the central tenant of theistic religion (which Dennett labels â€Å"entirely gratuitous fantasy† ). If what these experts say is true and we must understand evolution only in the context of naturalistic, unguided evolution, â€Å"then evolutionary theory is deeply incompatible with theistic religion,Read MoreHow Charles Darwin Changed the World Forever1409 Words   |  6 Pageschance and would change the world looked at life forever. Charles Darwin had a significantly great impact on culture, writing, and religion by showing the world that we are no longer God’s gift, things happened through probability, and the bible is not a book history. Charles showed the world that we were no longer God’s gift to the earth by showing that we were created through evolution and not placed here on earth by God. One way the Charles Darwin showed this was through a book he wrote called theRead MoreThe Church Of Liberalism By Ann Coulter1729 Words   |  7 Pagesand how teachers are the saints for leftists and schools are like churches of socialism. Then Coulter states that educators are indoctrinating students with false beliefs in evolution and turning children away from Christianity. Finally, Coulter attempts to disprove evolution a very small amount understanding of what evolution really is. In Godless: The Church of Liberalism, Coulter’s misunderstanding of the words she uses, abundance of logical fallacies, and structural problems lead to a book thatRead MoreThe Classic Treatise Evolution By Jay Gould1171 Words   |  5 Pagespaleontologist who once described himself as an â€Å"agnostic leaning towards atheism,â €  wrote the classic treatise Evolution as Fact and Theory for Discover magazine back in 1981. His distinguished career and scientific achievements did earn him respect amongst his peers, but to the general public he is best known for his popular science writings and, to smaller circles, as a champion of evolution. As his treatise was written for a non-academic, science themed magazine, a basic understanding of scienceRead MoreNeil Shubin s Your Inner Fish Essay1689 Words   |  7 PagesReview With a writing style that is enabled by an obvious adoration of the subject, Neil Shubin explores the predecessors of the human species in his book Your Inner Fish. Shubin draws upon his unique background as a paleontologist, embryologist, and geneticist to trace defining phenotypical traits that are inherent to humans to even the simplest of organisms. He delves into the difficult details of evolution that have long remained mysteries until recent years, specifically analyzing the transitionRead MoreWriting And Mathematics, Two Vital Mesopotamian Creations1183 Words   |  5 PagesWriting and Mathematics, Two vital Mesopotamian creations What kind of world would we live in without being able to write or perform mathematic functions? Writing and mathematics are two of the most indispensable creations crafted by the Mesopotamians that helped shaped our society as we know it today. The Mesopotamian conception of writing allowed society to keep records, to document events, and to establish a formal educational system. With the ability to keep records, a system of mathematics

Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Essay...

Business ethics and corporate social responsibility have become an increasing area of focus for organizations today. However, this has not always been the case in the American business environment. Chapter three Conducting Business Ethically and Responsibly (R.W. Griffin R.J. Ebert, p.56 - p.87) concentrates on the development of ethical codes of conduct as it relates to business. The chapter also focuses on the social responsibility an organization holds in relation to everyday decision making. Ethics and social responsibility go hand in hand. Ethics affects individuals or groups within the workplace, whereas social responsibility refers to the overall route in which a company decides to balance its involvement with employees, stake†¦show more content†¦It has been working world wide to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue in handling work-related issues (ILO, 2008). In an attempt to comply wi th ILO standards, companies like GE are now joining organizations like the Business Leaders Initiative on Humans Rights (BLIHR) whos goal is to create practical ways of applying the aspirations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights within a business context and to inspire other businesses to do likewise(BLIHR, 2008). Since American Civil War, business practices, attitudes and norms have evolved over time for the most part. The evolution has progressed from obstructionist, to defensive, to accommodative to the now increasingly accepted proactive stance. This change in approach to social responsibility is directly related to the change in American/World values and culture. Over this same period of time institutions like slavery, colonialism, segregation, sexism, child labor and other questionable and /or abusive business practices have fallen by the wayside. As civilization has positively evolved, so have ethical standards and attitudes toward social responsibility. The way in which businesses function does in fact depend on what the Socio-Economic Environment in which it exists wouldShow MoreRelatedBusiness Ethics And Corporate Social Responsibility Essay1382 Words   |  6 PagesSOLUTION Business Ethics Business ethics are moral principles that guide the way a business behaves. The same principles that determine an individual’s actions also apply to business. Acting in an ethical way involves distinguishing between â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† and then making the â€Å"right† choice. It is relatively easy to identify unethical business practices. For example, companies should not use child labor. They should not unlawfully use copyrighted materials and processes. They should not engageRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility And Business Ethics8391 Words   |  34 Pages CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND BUSINESS ETHICS Final Project Report for Legal Aspects of Management Submitted To Prof. Dr. D.S. Sengar Professor, IIM Lucknow Submitted By Group 9 Abhinav Bansal, PGP31186 Chheda Adarsh Jayesh, PGP31199 Manideep Akarapu, PGP31213 Ritika Srivastava, PGP31226 Surbhi Aggarwal, PGP31239 â€Æ' Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Acknowledgement 4 Business Ethics 5 Corporate Social Responsibilty 7 CSR Law 7 Crisis Management CSR 10 Read MoreBusiness Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility756 Words   |  4 PagesBusiness Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility April Duhon DeVry University The United States has several laws that are intended to further fair, balanced, and competitive business practices. Do you think that such laws are effective? If so, why? If not, why not? The effectiveness of the laws that the United States have that are intended to further fair, balanced, and competitive business practices depends on how ethical a business is. Below I will explain why I do not believe theseRead MoreBusiness Ethics And Corporate Social Responsibility1502 Words   |  7 Pages Nowadays, a business wants to exist and grow in a society, which business ethics and corporate social responsibility are sensitive and crucial objectives, the business should do what is right. Many people agree that business does not exist beyond society, it is a citizenship in the society. Therefore, business has to have many certain obligations and social responsibility. It generally means business have to do something good for the community, making social contribution, and using effectivelyRead MoreBusiness Ethics : Corporate Social Responsibility Essay1675 Words   |  7 PagesSeydina M. Fall E-Business Ethics A corporation must try to avoid egregious negative externalities, must actively promote corporate social responsibility (CSR), and must engage in philanthropy. Let’s take the example of the mining industry, in which 75% of mining companies (diamonds, copper, uranium, cobalt, etc.) are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange1. For Canada, mining is a source of economic prosperity that brings along with it some risks. To maintain their competitive advantage, it is crucialRead MoreBusiness Ethics And Corporate Social Responsibility1512 Words   |  7 PagesSocial Responsibility ITC Ltd has worked exremly hard to start several procedures that have led to compliance of the standards of social responsibility. ITC’s dealings within the tobacco industry have contributed to the increase in company revenues and the company has worked towards following the triple bottom line and giving back to society. Most, businesses pay little attention to their social responsibilities and make it part of their overall strategy, instead they concentrate more on financialRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility : Business Ethics1964 Words   |  8 Pagesfrom the variety of companies that they have the option to endorse. A business can spend millions of dollars on advertising, researching, sampling and surveying customers all of which can be undone by a mistake that ruins their reputation. Corporate social responsibility is a term that has its origins in the 1950s. It refers to â€Å"situations where the firm goes beyond compliance and engages in actions that appear to fu rther some social good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required byRead MoreCorporate, Social Responsibility And Business Ethics1958 Words   |  8 PagesCONCEPTS applied by the organization CAT (based on 3 units-communication skills, ethics and behaviour, goal settings) We did some research online and decided to choose CATERPILLAR as our subject. Its performance is used as an indication to figure out world’s economy today. This is a six sigma company and follows all the quality standards and all the business process discussed in the text book. Thus we have applied our concepts and applications based on the work done by Caterpillar Inc. It is anRead MoreBusiness Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Essay722 Words   |  3 PagesEthics are a collection of principles of right conduct that shape the decisions people or organizations make. In a market economy, a business put all possible effort in its own best interest in order to make the best profit. In other hand, businesses are involved each other in that process. It’s ethical in business to do the best possible for your own business without harm the interests or profits to other businesses involved. Ethical behavior is what all carrier people should have in all businessesRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility : A Business Ethics Stance Essay897 Words   |  4 PagesCorporate Social Responsibility From a business ethics stance â€Å"corporate social responsibility† (Velazquez, 2007, pp. 23), refers to the social interest an organization manifest in the environment it operates. SoftMagic has not seized opportunities from corporate social responsibility. In the U.S., the use of pro-bono activities to develop networking is fundamental considering that multiple leaders of different firms participate and engage in activities that consequently offer an opportunity to

Buddha religions Free Essays

As we come to know it, there are five major religions in our world. For centuries, these five religions, namely Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism have dominated and influenced the world and its views in life, death, heaven, and earth. Now, the writer wishes to state on this paper the different key terms, main arguments, and assumptions of one of the most revered faiths on earth. We will write a custom essay sample on Buddha religions or any similar topic only for you Order Now But before anything else, perhaps we should go through an overview of the history of Buddhism and its founder. The general history of Buddhism started around 566-486 B. C. The traditionally accepted founder of Buddhism is a man named Siddhartha Gautama. Around 486 B. C. , the first Buddhist Council at Rajagaha was formed. It is where the Buddhist Canon, as it still exists today was settled and preserved through oral tradition. Through the passing of centuries, different forms of Buddhism were developed and propagated throughout distant lands. One of the important highlights of the religion’s history is the founding of the Dalai Lama lineage of the Tibetan Buddhism during the 15th century (â€Å"A Timeline of Buddhist History: Major Events†). Today, Buddhism continues to thrive and according to Wikipedia, most estimates put its number of followers at around 310 million (Jones 2006) In relation to the founding of Buddhism, it is a widely accepted fact that Siddhartha Gautama is the founder of Buddhism. Born in luxury, Siddhartha was the son of a king hence making him prince. At the age of 29, Gautama left his palace to view his subjects. However, what he saw was despair that depressed him so. So one night, he escaped from his palace to live the life of a mendicant. Thus started the Buddha’s long and fruitful life and the creation of the different principles and beliefs that would guide the ideology of Buddhism and influence world history (â€Å"Gautama Siddhattha Buddha†). An event that triggered Gautama’s quest for the truth is the one that happened when he left the palace at the age of 13. After seeing the four sights, which namely are an old man, a man with a disease, a corpse, and an ascetic, he became convinced that suffering in this world is inescapable and even all the riches of the world cannot add up to make a man truly happy and in peace (â€Å"Gautama Siddhattha Buddha†). It is also Siddhartha’s experience that meditation alone cannot ease all the anxieties in a man’s mind. After studying with two teachers on meditation, he was not satisfied so he left. He realized that the only way to detach you from all the pain and suffering in this world is through overall tranquility. Buddha is also credited as the creator of the Four Noble Truths. The first of these noble truths is the Noble Truth of Suffering. According to this truth, life is full of suffering such as pain and grief. Even in other religions, they share a common ground; that life is full of torment. According to the Second Noble Truth, which is the Truth of the Arising of Suffering, the agony that people experience is due to the Threefold Craving. The Threefold Craving, on the other hand, is what brings beings from birth to rebirth accompanied by lust and joy. These three craving are the sensual cravings, and the cravings for existence, and wealth and power. The Third Noble Truth, according to Buddha is the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering. According to this truth, there is a way for suffering to stop and that is by giving up the Threefold Craving. And lastly, the Fourth Noble Truth is the Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering. It is in this Noble truth that the Eightfold Path is presented. This path is also known as the Middle Path because this path does not commit to the two extremes of self-mortification and sensual pleasure (â€Å"Gautama Siddhattha Buddha†). The Eightfold Path, or the Middle Path, is the principle that guides the followers of Buddhism in eliminating all suffering from his life. The Eightfold Path is divided into three sections. The first section is called Sila. Sila pertains to the wholesome physical actions. Sila also stands for morality and refraining from objectionable actions of the body and speech. Included in Sila are three of the eight parts of the Eightfold Path. The first one is the Right Speech. In this right, the person should speak in a pleasant, truthful way. The second is the Right Actions wherein the person is taught to do good actions and to avoid doing things that may hurt or harm others. The last part of this section is the Right Livelihood. In this right, the follower should always choose a means of livelihood that does not harm anyone including himself straightforwardly or not. The second section of the Eightfold Path is called Samadhi. Samadhi, according to Buddhism, is the mastery over a person’s own mind. Included in this division are another three rights of the Eightfold Path. The first of these three is the Right Effort or Exercise. This right concerns itself to the effort of the follower in improving his self. The second in this section is the Right Mindfulness or Awareness wherein the mental ability to perceive things with clear consciousness is emphasized. And the third one on Samadhi is the Right Concentration or Meditation. It is in this right that awareness of the current reality that happens on self is realized. The absence of craving or aversion is also included in being aware to the reality in one’s life And lastly, the third section of the Eightfold Path is called the Prajna. Prajna is mainly concerned with wisdom that purifies the mind. The last two rights of the Eightfold Path is included in this section. The first of the two is the Right Understanding. This right teaches that one should reality as what it really is and not just how it appears to be. The last of the rights is the Right Thoughts. In this right, an alteration in the pattern of thinking is taught. Different ways of interpreting the Eightfold Path exists. Some people believe that it is a series of progressive stages. This interpretation stresses out that the mastery of the first right will lead to the beginning of the mastery of the next right and so on. Others believe that the Eightfold Path and its rights should be developed simultaneously (â€Å"The Eightfold Path†). According still to the Buddhist faith, Samsara is the cycle of birth, suffering and agony, death, and rebirth in which humans are bounded. But once a man becomes successful in grasping the Four Noble Truths and in following the Eightfold Path and eliminates all cravings from his life, it is when he experiences Bodhi. Bodhi is the awakening or enlightenment felt by Buddhas. It is also the time when greed, hate, and delusion are eradicated. In addition to this, it is also the time in which Nirvana or â€Å"highest happiness† is attained. These are only some of the basic principles held by the Buddhist faith. The teachings and beliefs of Buddhism are too many to be mentioned in this paper. However, this paper wishes to analyze some of the beliefs of the aforementioned religion. As a world-leading faith with hundreds of millions of followers, Buddhism has influenced not only the faith of multitudes but world history as well. Aside from these, Buddhism has also played a part in the development of oriental art and architecture. One of the strengths of the Buddhist religion is that their followers are not afraid to show that they are devoted to their belief. And being devoted to their belief has its own advantages. Because these followers adhere to their principles, it becomes better for them to be guided in their everyday lives and decisions. However, being too much devoted to the faith has its own disadvantages. Some people become too dependent on the principles that it starts to interfere with their normal lives. However, we cannot comment on that issue since it is their own choice and therefore are responsible for their own actions. In Buddhism, there are no recognized gods but there is the Buddha or enlightened beings. In the teachings of Buddhism, it is emphasized that in able to reach true happiness, one must live a simple life. This life that they would live should be one of humility and righteousness. Only then would they achieve nirvana. In parallel with other faiths, especially in Christianity, it is also stressed out that in able to attain salvation, one must live in truthfulness and simplicity. So this is why Christians, especially the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Church have their own monasteries where people could live in seclusion; far from all the temptations and sins of the Earth. It might be said that most religions, particularly the five leading ones, share the same principles of the need to do good to others and live in humbleness in able to attain salvation. Others believe that the foundations of Buddhism are vague and inaccurate. And still others criticize them for their unique nature. But let us all remember that even though we share different faiths and beliefs, even though we are separated by cultural and spiritual diversity, some principles are still being shared. And one of those principles is to do the right thing and to never cause harm to anyone. I, as the writer, personally adhere to the belief that we should have religious tolerance. As long as our beliefs do not interfere or cause harm to anyone, then we should free to worship and believe what we desire. And above all, respect is what is needed in a society that prejudices and criticizes what they perceive as odd. In spite of everything, we are all, in the broadest sense, humans, and therefore, equal. Works Cited â€Å"Gautama Siddhattha Buddha. † 12 Sept. 2007 http://www. crystalinks. com/buddha. html. Jones, Judy, and Wilson William. â€Å"Religion†, An Incomplete Education. 3rd ed.. Ballantine Books, 2006. â€Å"The Eightfold Path. † 2000. About, Inc. , A part of. 12 Sept. 2007 http://buddhism. about. com/library/bleightpath. htm. â€Å"Timeline of Buddhist History: Major Events. † 12 Sept. 2007 http://www. buddhanet. net/e learning/history/b_chron. htm. How to cite Buddha religions, Papers

Business Research Widespread Production

Question: Describe about the Business Research for Widespread Production. Answer: Context: According to (Gulikers, Bastiaens and Martens, 2005), learning in the authentic learning environment leads to higher performance and also improves the intrinsic motivation of the students. Authentic learning environment provides a platform for the students to enhance their knowledge and skills that would be useful in their life. This includes a virtual or physical environment that resembles real world with the real world limitations and complexity and provides possibilities and options that are present in real life. The authentic task and authentic learning environment is not the same as because authentic task resembles a task performed in non educational settings and requires students to apply a broad range of skills and knowledge. Sternberg and Davidson (2005) have stated that gifted individuals possess outstanding natural intellectual, physical, social and creative potentialities. Most importantly, the gifted children and the young people might or might not be high achievers, while they might have outstanding potential they can be disengaged and under-achieve. It can be stated that around 10% to 15% of public might fall inside the full variety of exceptional capabilities, however, high to intense levels of giftedness are only widespread in very small production of the whole populace (Gulikers, Bastiaens and Martens, 2005). Recognition of giftedness in young children The terminology gifted is used in respect to a young child it clearly means that the child has evidenced the capability of achieving certain goals in the context of intellectual, education, creativity or other academic genres (Reid and Romanoff 2016). There exists several numbers of ways and characteristics that can identify a young child that might be gifted. There are behaviors that can be observed that indicate when a childs thinking or learning is advanced and the examples are the followings: Early development of language Abstract thinking Strong and sharp memory Potentiality to concentrate on the tasks of high interest Intellectual curiosity A strong motivation to learn Although the overall development might be rapid in some particular areas, all the young gifted children have the same learning to master as all children. Young gifted children might also behave in a more sophisticated manner than their peers. This can have different consequences, for instance, it could result in them taking on the role of leader in play. Or it might put them out of the step with some other children, making social interaction more difficult. Reid and Romanoff (2016) have stated that the major purposes to the exceptional teaching are enhancement and speeding up. Therefore, it can be stated that an enrichment program teaches additional, related material, however, keeps all the students progressing through the curriculum at the same rate. For instance, it can be stated that after the gifted children have completed the normal work in the curriculum, an enrichment program might provide them with additional details regarding the subject in the curriculum. Reid and Romanoff (2016) have mentioned in his research paper that an acceleration program advances the children or the students through the standard curriculum faster than normal. It is one of the common features that when the gifted students have successfully completed the normal assigned works, they move on to the next subject in the curriculum, while the other students in the class still working on the first subject. According to (Reid and Romanoff, 2016), in the sprawling charlotte Mecklenburg school, thousands of children are identified as gifted are tackling real world problems and challenges. The reflective and authentic performances assessments are done by the teachers, students and community members in order to show the students that they understand truly. The gifted students have extraordinary problem solving skills in intelligences. The formats for gifted program are widely varied at 83 elementary schools. The problem centered classroom and thoughtful classroom provides a wide platform to the gifted students to develop. The investigation of the skills is crucial that is depicted in this paper which helps in the specification of the grade levels with depicting the general level of the curriculums and thereby the analysis seems to be enhanced in an appropriate manner with emphasizing on the learning theories. There are different approaches to determine giftedness among young gifted children. The researcher can observe the social, cognitive, emotional and physical aspects. Early identification along with intervention is necessary for their growth and development. There is no formal consensus on the definition of young gifted children (Sternberg Davidson, 2005), yet there are some traits that all young gifted children share with. Young gifted children usually display significant advancement in various domains such as superior memory, creativity, strong reasoning, strong visual-spatial capacity, early language and intensive vocabulary, vivid imagination, independent investigations, desire to search for personal identity and social connections, capacity of analysis, synthesis and evaluation by using higher order thinking (Gardner; 1999; Harrison, 2004)though a single gifted child may not demonstrate all of these characteristics. They tend to display great curiosity and a variety of interests with an inquisitive mind to learn and to explore. They show strong analytical and metacognitive skills, enjoying problem solving, preferring complex tasks, and actively engaging in planning, monitoring and evaluating in the learning process (Steiner Carr, 2003; Kanevsky, 2011).They are thus quite different from their peers of their age and are at the risk of getting bored, depressed and anxious when placed in an inappropriate environment. As per the research undertaken by Adelson, McCoach, Gavin (2012), the curriculum and the instructional modifications that are depicted in this case helps in modifications with emphasizing on the approaches that are undertaken for the purpose of employing the open-ended problems in order to create the initial stimulus for the purpose of learning. Henceforth this student centred approach helps them to develop self-dedicated lifelong learning skills with the creation of intrinsic motivation in them(Sousa, 2009). These tasks help in the replication of the gifted students knowledge and abilities for the creation of skills in an effective manner and thereby the unstructured problems can be handled in an skilled way. The effectiveness seems to be developed with focusing on the field testing related to the student creativity and productivity, personal and social development of student and the students self-efficacy (Werts, Tompkins, Culatta, 2007). Authentic learning will allow the students experiment themselves and giving an opportunity to fulfil their curiosity. All this poses a challenge to the teaching practices in the traditional classroom where students play a passive role and focus on abstract and decontextualized concepts of little apparent relevance, (Hill Smith 2005,p. 22) and where limited opportunities are provided for the children to plan their learning activities, to collaborate with team members and to reflect on their own learning process. Contrary to learning practices in the traditional classroom, the Authentic Leaning approach provides students with an environment to engage in complex tasks through interactions and relationships with others in the real-world context. Students are not reduced to mere collectors of facts and procedures, but actively construct knowledge connected to the real-world matters and problems of their interest (Eiserman, Lai, Rushton, 2015). In the authentic activities, learners are given opportunities to collaborate with their team members, develop higher-order thinking skills, apply interdisciplinary knowledge to produce beyond domain-specific learning outcomes, integrate assessments and reflections seamlessly within the learning activities, use different resources and view the tasks form different perspectives,which can lead to competing solutions and diversified outcomes(Herrington, et al. 2002). As refined and further developed by Hill and Smith (2005), the Theory of A`uthentic Learning is characteristic of 10 linked factors: mediation, embodiment, distribution, situations, motivation, multiple illiteracies, identity, career planning, human relationships and teaching attitudes. In such an environment, culture, cognitive and affective, context and collaboration are interrelated; curriculum, instruction and assessment interact with each other and teachers guide students and create for them a variety of authentic learning opportunities to connect them to the complex real world(Kuo, Maker, Su, Hu, 2010). As per the analysis made by the Van Tassel-Baska, Feng, Evans, (2007), depicts the diversification of the various perceptions that are depicted with monitoring the underrepresented gifted programs in order to create an open world. The several dynamic tests are created in this research for specifying the aspects of the particular curriculum and the non verbal tasks for the establishment of cognitive modifying ability in order to increase the general capacity of the st udents (VanTassel-Baska, Feng, Evans, 2007). Purpose and Research Questions: The purpose of the study is To explore authentic learning approach applied for the education of young gifted children. The research questions are as follows: What are the needs of the young gifted children? What curriculum design can be adopted to help to satisfy the needs of these young gifted children? How does authentic learning theory function to meet the needs of the young gifted children and the corresponding curriculum design? Theoretical Framework A constructivist epistemology will be applied to view learning as an active process in which students are engaged in the construction of meaning and knowledge in the authentic learning environment and teachers foster motivated students with developmental appropriate curricular and provision for the young gifted children. Methodologies Qualitative methodologies will be applied to the research of exploring the topic of authentic learning for the young gifted children in depth and in detail and to benefit from the fruitfulness and often greater depth of understanding we can derive from qualitative procedures. (Berg, 2007, p2). A portfolio of two models will be established based on an extensive literature review and further modified based on on-going research observations and results to address two interrelated aspects of the research: an authentic learning model and a teacher development model. The 10 linked factors from the Theory of Authentic Learning by Hill and Smith (2005) will be incorporated into the authentic learning model and the hermeneutics method will be applied to further reframe it in the context of the young gifted children. Two classes of gifted children from 5-6 years old as well as their teachers will form the exemplars of the research. Triangulation will be applied by multiple stakeholders, data a nd methodological sources to achieve credibility and confirm ability of the date collected. The evidence can be teacher observation and notes in classes, research team participant observation, videotapes of students, in-depth interview with teachers and students, a survey with parents, student products, student weekly reports, and peer/self evaluation questionnaires. Disadvantages of quantitative research work VanTassel-Baska, Feng and Evan (2007) have stated that there exist two types of research methodologies, namely qualitative and quantitative. Among these two, based on the nature of the research work, either one or both have been selected. For this particular research work, qualitative research work has been selected instead of quantitative research work. The major disadvantage of quantitative research is the context of the study or the experiments are ignored. Apart from that, it can be stated that the quantitative research work does not study things in a natural setting or discuss the meaning from the perspectives of the target samples. Another disadvantage is that a large sample of the population must be described, the larger the sample of people researched, the more statistically accurate the results would be. Advantages of using qualitative research method This particular research work has been made on utilizing the qualitative research work and this has justified the entire research work. Welman, Kruger, Mitchell and Huysamen (2005) have explained that qualitative research method is designed to reveal the range of behaviors of the target audience as well as their perceptions that drive it with the reference to the particular topic or the issues of the topic. It utilizes in-depth studies of some small groups of people in order to guide and support the firm construction of the research hypothesis. However, it is necessary enough to mention that the outcomes of qualitative research works are descriptive in nature rather than predictive. Therefore, it can be stated that this particular research work has successfully used the qualitative research approach and thus it has used several updated books, per reviewed journals, articles, the giftedness policy of the school boards and some more. The teachers participation will be documented and evaluated, which will provide feedback to the teacher development model to strengthen their skills so as to ensure dependability and transferability of the data and research(VanTassel-Baska, 2013). The research project is viewed from a developmental perspective; the teacher acts like the action researcher and all stakeholders feedback will be incorporated into the two models on an on-going basis to build up developmental appropriate practices. Due to the young age of the research subjects, the research will be conducted under a full ethical review. The researcher will collect information and data from the teachers, people from school boards and principals. The researcher will conduct interview with them in order to determine and analyze their perspectives and perception towards Authentic learning for the young children (Flick, 2009). With the help of qualitative analysis, the researcher will be able to understand their views towards Authentic learning for young children as well as the necessary steps that has been taken for the development of authentic learning (Jha, 2008). It will also help to evaluate the learning model and teacher development model that will be adopted for the development of young gifted children. The research will apply discursive approach to explore their efficiency level while interacting with the participants. The focus of the strategy will vary from the use of language at micro level to social processes, practices and experiences of the participants at the macro level. The discursive research will help to determine the language and culture of the participants which is important during the interview process (Scruggs and Mastropieri, 2006). The researcher should have the required knowledge and skills while interacting with the participants that will help to analyze their views effectively towards Authentic learning for the young gifted children. The documentary analysis is the social research method which is an important tool for research to analyze and interpret information and data. The information and data collected from the participants will be analyzed with the help of documentary analysis (Welman, Kruger, Mitchell and Huysamen, 2005). The interview process will help t o gather data and information about teacher development model and authentic learning model. Contribution to Advancement of Knowledge: Authentic learning approach provides an effective and efficient solution to address the concerns and characteristics of the education of the young gifted children. Authentic learning has been addressed in the settings of higher education, secondary education, and technology education and for children with academic abilities at the lower end of the spectrum, yet very little empirical ( Note: Is it suitable to use this word if I use qualitative methodology in this research?) or theoretical research has been conducted in the field of giftedness education(Williams, 2009). And up till now no research has been done regarding how the authentic learning approach functions in the setting of young gifted children, which makes this study a pioneer in the research area, endowing it with far reaching meanings and significance. Background and Experience: As a first year PhD student, I am currently taking courses such as Curriculum Design with my supervisor, whose expertise and research strength include qualitative methodology, theory of authentic learning, multiple intelligences, problem/project-based learning and curriculum theory and development. I have a diversified, multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary background in both the academic and professional domains at the higher level in education, language and literature, management, project management, culture and technology with several Masters degrees and working experiences in the federal government and educational sectors. My experience of being a gifted student myself and mom of a young gifted child also provides me with some insight and perceptions in the research area. Bibliography and Citations Adelson, J., McCoach, D., Gavin, M. (2012). Examining the Effects of Gifted Programming in Mathematics and Reading Using the ECLS-K.Gifted Child Quarterly,56(1), 25-39. Al-Hroub, A. (2011). Developing Assessment Profiles for Mathematically Gifted Children with Learning Difficulties at Three Schools in Cambridgeshire, England.Journal For The Education Of The Gifted,34(1), 7-44. Berg, Bruce L. (2007). Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences, Sixth Edition, Pearson Education Inc. Dean, G. (2008).English for gifted and talented students, 11-18. London: Sage. Eiserman, J., Lai, H., Rushton, C. (2015). Drawing out understanding: Arts-based learning and gifted children.Gifted Education International. Flick, U. (2009).An introduction to qualitative research. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century, Basic Books, New York. Gulikers, J., Bastiaens, T. and Martens, R. (2005). The surplus value of an authentic learning environment.Computers In Human Behavior,21(3), 509-521. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2004.10.028 Harrison, C. (2004). Giftedness in Early Childhood: The Search for Complexity and Connection, Roeper Review, 25, 78-84. Herrington, J., Oliver, R., Reeves, T. C. (2002). Patterns of Engagement in Authentic Online Learning Environments, Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 19, 59-71. Hill, A.M. Smith, H. A. (2005). Research in Purpose and Value for the Study of Technology in Secondary Schools: A Theory of Authentic Learning, International Journal of Technology and Design Education15, 19-32. Jha, N. (2008).Research methodology. Chandigarh: Abhishek Publications. Kanevsky, L. (2011). Deferential Differentiation: What Types of Differentiation Do Students Want?, Gifted Child Quarterly, 55, 279299. Kuo, C., Maker, J., Su, F., Hu, C. (2010). Identifying young gifted children and cultivating problem solving abilities and multiple intelligences.Learning And Individual Differences,20(4), 365-379. Reid, C. and Romanoff, B. (2016). Repr 21 October 1997, https://web.csulb.edu/~arezaei/ETEC444/discussion/assessing%20gifted.pdf Scruggs, T. and Mastropieri, M. (2006).Applications of research methodology. Amsterdam: Elsevier JAI. Sousa, D. (2009).How the gifted brain learns. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin. Stein, G. Poole, P. (1997). Meeting the Interests and Needs of Gifted Children: A Strategy for Teaching and Learning, Early Child Development and Care, 130, 15-19. Steiner, H. H. Carr, M. (2003).Cognitive Development in Gifted Children: Toward a More Precise Understanding of Emerging Differences in Intelligence,EducationalPsychologyReview, 15, 215246. Sternberg, R.J. Davidson, J. E. (2005). Conceptions of Giftedness, 2nd Ed, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. VanTassel-Baska, J. (2013). Performance-Based Assessment: The Road to Authentic Learning for the Gifted.Gifted Child Today,37(1), 41-47. VanTassel-Baska, J., Feng, A., Evans, B. (2007). Patterns of Identification and Performance Among Gifted Students Identified Through Performance Tasks: A Three-Year Analysis.Gifted Child Quarterly,51(3), 218-231. Welman, C., Kruger, F., Mitchell, B. and Huysamen, G. (2005).Research methodology. Cape Town: Oxford University Press. Werts, M., Tompkins, J., Culatta, R. (2007).Fundamentals of special education. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall. Williams, C. (2009). Interactive Writing as Informed Assessment with Highly Capable Young Children.Gifted Education International,25(1), 14-21.

Homosexuality Essays - Same-sex Sexuality, Sexual Orientation

Homosexuality Summary Two billboards were covered up, yesterday, March 9, as the identity of the man responsible for them was revealed. These billboards angered the civic and gay rights leaders tremendously. Located in Staten Island, they condemned homosexuality by using verses from the Bible. The man responsible for this was Reverend Kristopher Okwedy of the Keyword Ministries in Staten Island. He paid $1,800 to post the two signs for one month's time. These signs cited four translations of Leviticus 18:22. It read: ?Thou shall not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination.? These messages were covered up yesterday with McGruff the crime dog and Smokey the bear, when Guy V. Molinari, the Staten Island borough president denounced it, along with local gay leaders. Mr. Okwedy's name had remained anonymous until yesterday, when the billboard company released it, with his permission of course. He felt that the company improperly censored him. In a statement he said: ?This is the land of the free, home of the brave. You are supposed to protect the rights of free speech. I paid money and did not violate any city laws. Donald Rosenthal, a lawyer for the union that owns the billboards, said that the signs were covered up because they did not disclose who paid for the messages. Mr. Okwerdy said, however, that he was never told that he had to put his name on them. He decided to remain anonymous, but would not have had a problem with revealing his name if asked. Daniel Master, legal counsel of Molinari, said that the message should not have been printed even with the name attached: ?A responsible member of the business community would not have printed this.? Issue There are a couple of issues being discussed here. First of all, there is the issue of the first amendment. The first amendment gives the citizens of the United States the right to free speech. Does covering up the signs violate that right? Isn't he allowed to say what he pleases just as the billboard for a car or for a food franchise? The second issue is gay rights. Does this man have the right to bash homosexuals? If so, aren't the homosexuals having their rights compromised by this billboard. Should the city allow for making so many people angry, uncomfortable and frustrated just because one man wants to have his say? Opinion I am a very big gay rights activist. I feel that they are people just as heterosexuals are, and blacks and Asians and everyone else for that matter. I hate when their rights as citizens and as human beings get violated by bigots and ignorant people. However, I also feel that the Bill of Rights provides laws for everyone, bigots included. So if a person wants to bash gay people, as long as he is not being violent, I feel that he should have the right to do so. The reason that the city gave for covering up the signs was very weak and implausible. Who cares if the person who put up the signs does not disclose his name? They were just getting a lot of pressure from the gay and civil rights activist, so they found a loophole to cover up the signs. This in no was excuses them from ridding a man his Constitutional rights of free speech and free press.

The Touch of God (A Testimonial Story) Essays

The Touch of God (A Testimonial Story) Essays The Touch of God (A Testimonial Story) Essay The Touch of God (A Testimonial Story) Essay My life has consisted of ups and downs just like it would be in anyone’s life. I grew up in the church and knew who God was. It wasn’t until my parents’ divorce, when I started turning more and more to God; and God answered with the simplest thing a touch. It all started on a local mission trip ran by the local Baptist Church. The event was a week long. The purpose of this event was to help families that lost parts of their house during Hurricane Ike. We helped a single mother build a carport and a front porch; also we helped this elderly couple rebuild their whole bottom of their house. I was paired with the group that went to build the carport and porch. The house was fairly old and clearly needed some work. So as the first day went by everything went smoothly we had started on the carport. When we came back to the church it was time for supper and worship. The second day we had started progressing more and more toward the completion of the carport. It was frame day, that meaning that we had lumber to frame out the carport. Anytime you are messing with lumber of any sort that has not been sanded; you are most likely to run into some splinters, and that’s exactly what became my problem. Man oh man them splinters torn me up that day; but it was all for a great cause. The third day we were getting the carport handled so a group started on the front porch I did not take part in that project because of all the splinters the day before, so I just stayed working on the carport. As the day progressed on it got really bad for me due to the fact that more than half of my swings I took nailing I ended up smashing my fingers talk about holding back some very vulgar words, but all in all I got the job done. Then the fourth day came around this was the last day of the mission we finished the carport and the porch; also we fixed up some foundation problems with the house. We finished the house around one that afternoon. Then we got a call

Toyota - Global Environment Forum Research Paper

Toyota - Global Environment Forum - Research Paper Example This is supported by its accountable financial practices, transparent government and open policies. Australia has a legal system that consists of both common laws and statutes. Equality before the law is highly upheld as both domestic and foreigner business stand the same chances before the law. The countries property protection enjoys a higher ranking as it comes in second in Asia. Another advantage it has is in its time zone. It lies 10 hours ahead of GMT. It stands right in the middle of business closing hour in America and opening hour in Europe. This time zone advantage simply allows for a flow of business though out nonstop (Sydney Australia/ New South Wales Government 2012). The tax system in Australia is favourable as business income tax is at 30%. This comes with no capital flow restrictions, capital repatriation, transfers or royalties profit remittances, and other trade-related payments. Major business cities such as Sydney do offer business costs that are competitive. Thi s provision is lower than what is provided in other cities around the world such as Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Paris and Singapore (Sydney Australia/ New South Wales Government 2012). There also exists government subsidies for regional business, subsidies such as reduced power bill, reformed railway freights, reduced port charges, and a streamlined land use planning process and approvals. The major cities also have transport and communication systems that are world class. These are supplemented by support services for business and superior commercial property at affordable prices as compared to other regional cities (Sydney Australia/ New South Wales Government 2012). Australia has a state-of-the-art telecommunication system that consists of fibre optic, microwave, wireless and satellite systems, with fibre optic being the dominant technology. Other favourable factors include multilingual and well educated

Thomas nagel Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thomas nagel - Assignment Example The mental states include beliefs, pain, being, desires and others. The theory tends to look at what something does rather than what constitute them. An example is what makes a mousetrap is not the material but rather the function it plays in catching the mice. Functionalism theory separates the brain state from mind state and concentrates on the mind  to elaborate the function of material rather than what constitute it from the mind state. Functionalism theory tends to differentiate the mind state and brain state by concentrating on the roles of mental state or what these mental states cause that define mental state as oppose to general brain state. Functionalist shows that the mind state is different from the brain state and physical system from which it arises. Identity theory other hand, argues that the mind states are identical to the brain states which is a physical state. The identity theory argues that mind and brain states are the same thing. Identity theory suggests that any mind processes such as image formation are just the brain processes. Consciousness has derivation from the Latin words con that means ‘with’ and scire, which means ‘to know’. Hence, consciousness can perceive and know. Nagel argues that the materialism cannot conclusively account for conscious experience by referring to robots having functional state yet they do not experience consciousness. These automated materials also have an identity and fulfill all requirements for the functional state as noted by reductionist yet they do not have conscious experience in their functions. These automated machines always repeat designed commands that a human can change at any given time. From this point, Nagel sees no sense of defending materialism without showing consciousness of mental phenomena. In his bat view, a human being cannot know how it is like to be a bat due to limiting mind resources in imagination. Human imagination can only give an idea in how to behave like a bat.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Assignment Research Paper

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Assignment - Research Paper Example Concrete and productive strategies are therefore necessary to compact the crime related complications. Crime Prevention Approaches To achieve the entire goal of crime prevention in any society, all stakeholders should be exclusively involved. Policy makers, community members, developers and law enforcers have to work collectively in the battle against criminal activities. Traditionally, crime prevention was the obligation of the police officers and the judicially. Community members and other community key players were not involved. With the modern technology and complexity of criminal activities in the society, the contribution of all informers in society is paramount. Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) has incorporated all stakeholders in addressing criminal activities in the society. According to Crime prevention through environmental design strategy, profound designs and inclusive use of the general environment reduces tremendously the level of criminal activiti es in the society. The strategy works directly and indirectly in fettering notorious criminal activities in a society. CPTED encourages business people, neighbors and community organizations to combine their effort in preventing crime. The guiding principle in crime prevention through environmental design is time to time community consultation (Crowe 209). The constituents of CPTED are divided into two generations, the first generation and the second generation. The first generation entails components of physical designs. In this case physical designs include territoriality, natural surveillance, access control and image. The second generation is composed of social variables of the neighborhoods. Thunder Bay is one of the biggest cities in northern Ontario Canada. The city is mostly occupied by miners. There are very many idlers in the city due to job scarcity (Zimmerman 200). The city accommodates one of the most attractive tourist sceneries in Canada. The city is known for its hig h level of criminal activities. Crime is very rampant in Thunder Bay city. The most apparent criminal activities in Thunder Bay city include, rape, and drug trafficking, murder, prostitution, and theft (Zimmerman 200). The security agencies have tried to reduce this criminal activities but their effort is futile. The criminal activities in the city have discouraged tourist in the area. The crimes activities have also developed fear among the city residents. With proper utilization of the crime prevention through environment design principles, criminal activities in the country can be a thing of the past (Zimmerman 200). There is dire need for intensive inclusion of the available resources in the fight against criminal activities. Proper integration of the crime prevention through environmental design principles by the city planners, community, home owners, and developers is the only apparent solution to criminal activities in Thunder Bay city. There most relevant CPTED principles in the city includes The Natural Surveillance Principle The principle is based on the notion that, criminals do not wish to be observed when doing their criminal activities (Jeffrey 140). The legitimate users of the city or any residential place are expected to be in touch with what is happening on the street. Through this principle suspicious visitors are easily identified .The basic aim of the natural surveillance is to eliminate all the obstacles in the streets, providing adequate lights in

Impact of Seismicity on Performance of RC Shear Wall

Impact of Seismicity on Performance of RC Shear Wall Impact of Seismicity on Performance and Cost of RC Shear Wall Buildings in Dubai, UAE Mohammad AlHamaydeh, P.E., M.ASCE [1]; Nader Aly, S.M.ASCE [2]; and Khaled Galal, P.Eng., M.ASCE [3] ABSTRACT Unfortunately, available probabilistic seismic hazard studies are reporting significantly varying estimates for Dubai seismicity. Given Dubais rapid economic growth, it is crucial to assess the impact of the diverse estimates on performance and cost of buildings. This research investigates and quantifies the impact of the high and moderate seismicity estimates of Dubai on the seismic performance, construction and repair costs of buildings with 6, 9 and 12 stories. The reference buildings are made up of reinforced concrete with special shear walls as their seismic force resisting system. The seismic performance is investigated using nonlinear static and incremental dynamic analyses. Construction and repair costs associated with earthquake damages are evaluated to quantify the impacts. Results showed that designing for higher seismicity yields significant enhancement in overall structural performance. In addition, the higher seismicity estimate resulted in slight increase in initial co nstruction cost. However, the increase in initial investment is outweighed by significant enhancements in seismic performance and reduction in earthquake damages. This resulted in overall cost savings when reduction in repair and downtime costs are considered. Keywords: Seismic Hazard, RC Shear Walls, Seismic Vulnerability, Seismic Performance, Earthquake Losses. Introduction and Background The economy of UAE and specifically Dubai has been rapidly growing over the past few decades. Significant investments are taking place in the various sectors, especially in the real estate sector. In addition, in November 2014, Dubai was announced to be the hosting city of the coming EXPO 2020. As a result, substantial growth is taking place in the real estate sector. Several residential, commercial and hotel buildings are going to be designed and constructed to accommodate the increase in population size. This region suffers from considerable uncertainty in its seismicity level and the design guidelines that should be followed (AlHamaydeh et al., 2012). The seismicity level of UAE and Dubai has been the matter of several research studies, such as Abdalla and Al-homoud (2004), Aldama-Bustos et al. (2009) and Khan et al. (2013). Nevertheless, unfortunately there is not much consensus in these research studies about the seismicity levels that should be designed for in UAE. This could b e attributed to the lack of in-depth seismological data and historical recordings of ground motions in this region. Such data would have been useful in providing comprehensive and sound seismic design guidelines (AlHamaydeh et al., 2013). The minimum seismic design requirements set by the local authorities in Dubai are based on the 1997 Uniform Building Code (UBC97). However, the municipality has been proactive in adapting to tremors that were felt and measured in UAE in April, 2013. They sent a circular to consulting offices in May, 2013 raising the minimum requirement to zone 2B for buildings higher than nine stories and zone 2A for buildings between four to nine stories. Therefore, the unprecedented growth in the number of buildings in Dubai combined with the lack of consensus on seismic design criteria complicate the vulnerability to earthquakes. It is generally believed that the UAE has low seismicity. Nevertheless, over the past few years, a significant number of regional seis mic activities, originating from faults surrounding the UAE, has been recorded by Dubai Seismic Network (DSN). Additionally, DSN has recorded some local seismic activities over the period from 2006 to 2014. UAE seismicity is affected by earthquakes originating from near-fault and far-field seismic sources (Mwafy, 2011). The most recent seismic hazard study for UAE, available to the authors, was published in 2013 by Khan et al. (2013). The study provided a comprehensive probabilistic seismic hazard assessment and spectral accelerations for the entire UAE. Furthermore, it implemented a standardized earthquakes catalogue for UAE compiled from United States Geological Survey (USGS), National Geosciences of Iran (2015) and the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology of UAE (NCMS) (2015) that dates back to 110 years. Furthermore, Khan et al. (2013) have used seven different ground motion prediction equations incorporating three next generation attenuation equations due to the lack of specific equations for UAE. They attributed UAE seismicity to the seismic source zones shown in Figure 1. In addition, the seismic hazard study by Shama in 2011 highlighted several local crustal faults in U AE that might affect its seismicity level. These faults are Dibba, Wadi El Fay, Wadi Ham, Wadi-Shimal, Oman and West Coast fault (Shama, 2011). Unfortunately, the level of seismicity is not clearly set since there is no strong consensus among researchers about the exact seismic level of UAE or Dubai. On the other hand, reviewing the available probabilistic seismic hazard studies conducted for UAE and Dubai clearly shows that there are significant variations in the estimated seismicity levels. In fact, results vary from no seismic hazard to very high seismicity. Table 1 shows a summary of Peak Ground Accelerations (PGA) from several probabilistic seismic hazard studies. The reported PGAs vary from less than 0.05g to 0.32g. This is attributed to the differences in the used source zonation, recurrence parameters, earthquake catalogues and ground motion prediction equations. The differences are mainly due to the lack of detailed seismological measurement and data in this region and such data is required to provide a comprehensive and sound seismic hazard study (AlHamaydeh et al., 2013). The variation in seismicity was a driving factor for many research studies related to the impact on design of buildings in Dubai, such as (AlHamaydeh et al., 2010; AlHamaydeh et al., 2011; and AlHamaydeh and Al-Shamsi, 2013). The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of the seismicity hazard level on the performance, construction, repair and downtime costs of reinforced concrete (RC) shear wall buildings in Dubai. In this regard, six RC shear wall buildings are designed and detailed following the 2012 International Building Code (IBC12) standards. The reference buildings are 6-story, 9-story and 12-story. They are chosen to target the main sectors of buildings inventory in Dubai, UAE. These buildings are designed for two different seismic hazard levels that represent high and moderate seismicity estimates of Dubai. The different designs are compared based on their seismic performance, construction and repair costs in order to investigate and quantify the impact of the seismic design level. The seismic performance is evaluated following the methodology outlined in FEMA P695, which is a technical publication aiming to establish standard procedures for quantifying the seismic performance facto rs of buildings (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 2009). The assessment methodology is based on nonlinear pseudo-static and dynamic analyses. The nonlinear response history analyses are performed using a set of ground motion records selected and scaled to represent the highest possible seismic activity in Dubai. As such, this would highlight the implications on design, seismic performance, construction and repair costs of RC shear wall buildings designed for different seismic hazard levels in Dubai, if the high seismicity estimate turns to be the most realistic. In addition, total construction cost is estimated considering structural and non-structural components. Finally, the repair cost is evaluated based on the structural and non-structural damage percentages adapted from SEAOC blue book (Structural Engineers Association of California, 1999). Details of the Reference Buildings The six reference buildings considered in this paper are intended to represent typical office buildings located in Dubai, UAE. The buildings have number of floors ranging from 6 to 12 stories to represent the majority of common buildings in Dubai. They are made up of RC and have a typical floor plan as shown in Figure 2. The plan consists of five 6m (20ft) bays and total dimensions of 30mx30m (100ftx100ft). Furthermore, the overall structural height varies between 24m to 48m (78ft to 156ft); with a typical floor height of 4m (13ft). The lateral force resisting system consists of special RC shear wall placed along the perimeter of the building. This arrangement ensures that center of mass is close to center of rigidity, hence it avoids inherent torsional effects. In addition, placing the walls along the perimeter boosts the building torsional resistance and reduces the shear demands on walls due to accidental torsion effects. The gravity system consists of RC square columns, while the floor system comprises of cast-in-situ flat plate. However, the gravity system is not designed to be part of the lateral force resisting system. It is only designed to support vertical loads and to satisfy the deformation compatibility requirement. For design purposes, concrete compressive strength () is assumed to be 28MPa (4.0ksi) for columns and slabs, and 38MPa (5.0ksi) for shear walls. Additionally, the yield strength (fy) of reinforcement is assumed to be 420MPa (60ksi). Super Imposed Dead Load (SDL) is 3.6kPa (75psf), excluding the self-weight of the concrete slabs. This SDL value is a conservative estimate commonly used for office buildings in Dubai. The breakdown of this estimate is as follows: 2 kPa (for 100mm of leveling screed and flooring tiles), 1 kPa for partitions (usually movable partitions) and 0.6 kPa allowance for mechanical, electrical and plumping overhanging services. Curtain wall (cladding) load on th e perimeter of each floor is 0.72kPa (15psf). Moreover, for office buildings the typical floors live load is 2.4kPa (50psf) and the roof live load is 1kPa (20psf) as per ASCE7-10. The six reference buildings are designed and detailed according to IBC12 requirements for two different seismic hazard levels representing high and moderate seismicity estimates in Dubai. The selection of the two seismic design levels is driven by the existing uncertainty in seismic loading and the substantial variability in reported seismic hazard levels for UAE and Dubai. Therefore, it is deemed a reasonable choice for the objective of this paper to consider the highest and moderate seismicity levels. This would allow investigating the consequences of the possible alternative seismic loading levels available to designers. The highest seismicity level represents the upper bound, and it is obtained from USGS (2015). The USGS seismic hazard level for Dubai estimate is selected in this study (i.e. Ss = 1.65g and S1 = 0.65g). Moreover, the moderate seismic design level represents Abu Dhabi International Building Code 2011 (ADIBC11) estimate for Dubai. The elastic design response spectra for the two considered seismicity levels along with the ASCE7-10 estimated fundamental periods of the studied six buildings are presented in Figure 3. As shown, at each seismic design level, three buildings with 6-stories, 9-stories and 12-stories are designed with special RC shear walls. Summary of all buildings details including response modification factors (R and Cd), design spectral accelerations and elastic fundamental time periods, and approximate periods upper limit are given in Table 2. It is worth mentioning that the ground motion input parameters (Ss and S1) of the two seismicity levels (high and moderate) result in Seismic Design Category (SDC) D for the six considered buildings. Consequently, ordinary RC shear walls are not permitted by the design code (i.e. ASCE7-10). Thus, all buildings are required to have special RC walls. Furthermore, choosing special detailing for both seismicity levels would allow investigating the direct impact of the seismic design level on th e cost and performance of walls with same level of detailing requirements. The buildings are given a legend showing its ID (i.e. Building1 to Building6), number of stories (i.e. 6Story, 9Story or 12Story), seismic design level (i.e. High or Moderate) and shear wall type (i.e. Special or Ordinary). A site class D is assumed for the six reference buildings. This assumption complies with IBC12 recommendations. Design Summary The buildings are designed and detailed in accordance to IBC12 standards which refers to ASCE7-10 for minimum design loads and ACI318-11for structural concrete requirements. The designs implement the state of the art practices in design and construction followed in Dubai, UAE. For the design purposes, elastic analysis is done using 3D models on CSI ETABS commercial package (ETABS, 2015). To determine the majority of the seismic mass, the gravity system is designed first and fixed for the three buildings. The gravity system is designed to resist axial forces from all vertical loads in addition to the moments and shears induced from deformation compatibility requirements. In order to ensure the structural stability of gravity columns, they are designed to resist the induced actions (bending moments and shear forces) from the deformations that will be imposed by earthquake excitations on the building. The bending moments and shear forces are estimated based on the maximum allowable inter-story drift by IBC12 which is 2%. The stiffness of the columns is estimated using ETABS by applying a force at the top and bottom of the considered story and by getting the corresponding displacement. The shear forces are then calculated by multiplying the maximum allowable displacement by the stiffness of each column. Then from the shear force, the moment is calculated as shown in Equations (1) and (2). (1) (2) Where V is shear force, d is displacement (calculated using ETABS), M is bending moment and L is column height. It should be noted that concrete shear capacity is found sufficient to resist the shear forces due to imposed deformations by applied seismic forces. Therefore, minimum lateral reinforcement (i.e. column ties) is provided in columns with reference to clause 7.10 in ACI318-11. The gravity system components (i.e. flat plates and columns) are designed in accordance to ACI318-11 provisions using in-house design spreadsheets. For an optimized design, following common design trends in UAE, columns cross sections and reinforcement are grouped and changed every three floors. The gravity system is common between buildings with the same number of floors. The gravity columns design details for the six reference buildings are summarized in Figure 4. Figure 4 (a), (b) and (c) show the dimensions and reinforcement details of the 6- , 9- and 12-story buildings, respectively. On the left s ide of each Figure, the columns cross section dimensions are provided over each group of floors. The right side shows the vertical and horizontal reinforcement of the different columns (i.e. columns around the opening and remaining columns) in each group of floors. The minimum required slab thickness is calculated such that it satisfies ACI318-11 Table 9.5(c) minimum requirements. For the longest clear span of 5.3m, the minimum required thickness is 177mm. This figure is rounded up and 200mm thick flat plates are used. The flat plates are reinforced with T16 reinforcement bars spaced at 125mm, top and bottom in both directions. Additional T20 reinforcement spaced at 125mm (2m long) are added on top of columns in both directions. The lateral system is designed to resist the seismic lateral loads determined according to IBC12 Static Equivalent Lateral Force (SELF) method. The SELF method is permitted for all the six reference buildings. This is because the total height for all buildings does not exceed 48m (160ft), the SDC is D and no structural irregularities exist according to ASCE7-10, Table 12.6-1. Linear static analysis is performed using ETABS to evaluate the induced forces and displacements from seismic forces. Then, shear walls are designed to satisfy strength and drift requirements. Inter-story drift ratios are controlled within code, IBC12, limits (2%) by varying the shear wall stiffness through changing its in-plan length. Strength requirements are satisfied by designing the shear walls for the induced bending moments and shear forces by the seismic actions using Quickwall software (Quick Concrete Wall, 2015). Shear walls thickness and reinforcement are changed every three floors to optimize the des ign and to match common design practices in Dubai. However, walls in-plane length is kept constant throughout the buildings height to avoid any vertical structural irregularities. The need for specially detailed boundary elements is checked every three floors using the displacement-based approach. The use of displacement based approach for checking the boundary elements vertical extent is preferred over the use of stress-based approach. This is because the latter approach was proven to provide highly conservative requirements for the special detailing (Wallace and Moehle, 1992) and (Thomsen IV and Wallace, 2004). For practical constructability, boundary elements are designed to have the same wall thickness. Additionally, to comply with ACI318-11 minimum thickness requirements and conform to typical design practices in the UAE, an aspect ratio of at least 25.4mm: 304.8mm (1in: 12in) is maintained between wall thickness and length. The walls minimum thickness depends on the unsupporte d height and length. Therefore, as the walls unsupported heights across the different buildings are constant (i.e. limited by the typical story height), it is necessary to impose a practical criterion on the walls thickness as we change the length from building to building. This approach guarantees that the different designs are subjected to the same guidelines, especially for sizing the walls cross sections. This would result in a fair response comparison among all designs as they follow similar basis that imitates typical design practices in the UAE. During initial dynamic analyses of the 12-story buildings, B5-12S-H-S and B6-12S-M-S, it was observed that the critical section was not at the walls base. This is contradicting the code assumption of having a single critical section at the base of cantilevered shear walls. The critical section resulting in the dynamic analysis was actually shifted from the wall base to the bottom of the lowest floor in upper quarter of the building (1 0th floor). The initiated failure mechanism was governed by higher modes effects and the formation of plastic hinges at upper floors. The optimization done initially to the design by reducing dimensions and reinforcement for upper floors magnified the impact of higher modes effects. As a result, it triggered the failure and plastic hinge formation to be initiated at the reduced cross section. Therefore, the critical section became located at the weak spot at higher levels, which resulted in an unfavorable premature collapse mechanism. This observation has been highlighted by previous researchers, such as Tremblay et al. (2001), Bachmann and Linde (1995), and Panneton et al. (2006). It was also experimentally proven by shake table and cyclic loading tests (El-Sokkary et al., 2013). As an example, the modal analysis of the 12-story building, B5-12S-H-S, is shown in Table 3. It can be seen that there are clear separations between the individual modes characteristics (periods and modal masses). This is generally expected in a flexural cantilever structural type (i.e. shear walls). The first mode effective mass is usually ranging from 50% to 70% and the second mode period is approximately one sixth of the first mode. This is consistent with many research studies which investigated the effects of higher modes on response of cantilever shear walls (e.g. Humar and Mahgoub, 2003 and Tremblay et al., 2001). Furthermore, it is clear that relative modal weights (%) and modal participation factors are relatively high at 7th, 8th and 12th vibration modes which highlights the impact of higher modes. As a result, the design was revised by keeping the cross section and reinforcement constant for the upper half of the 12-story (B5-12S-H-S and B6-12S-M-S) and 9-story buildings (B3-9S-H-S and B4-9S-M-S). For 6-story buildings (B1-6S-H-S and B2-6S-M-S), a single cross-section was used for all floors with terminating boundary element at third floor. This conforms to the state-of-ar t design and construction practices in Dubai, UAE. It also matches the design philosophy adopted in other 12-story and 9-story buildings by keeping the same cross section and reinforcement for upper six floors. Summary of the shear walls design details is shown in Figure 5. Nonlinear Modeling The six reference buildings are modeled using lumped plasticity formulations on IDARC-2D (Reinhorn et al., 2009). Since the buildings are symmetric, mass participation of torsional modes of vibration are low. Therefore, torsional effects are negligible and a two-dimensional model is sufficient to simulate the buildings response. The shear walls are idealized using macro-models by representing the structural members with equivalent elements possessing all nonlinear characteristics. The members nonlinear characteristics depend on distribution of plasticity and yield penetration. A lumped plasticity model consisting of two nonlinear rotational springs located at the ends and an elastic member is used for the shear walls. The nonlinearity is concentrated at the locations of the nonlinear rotational springs. The flexural and shear deformations of the shear walls are modelled using the tri-linear (three parameter) hysteretic model developed by Park et al. (1987). The tri-linear hysteretic models allow controlling the stiffness degradation and strength deterioration due to ductility and energy. In addition, the axial deformations of the shear walls are considered by a linear-elastic spring. For the shear walls, the moment-curvature and shear-distortion are calculated using the fiber elements procedure of IDARC2D. The wall cross section is divided into number of fibers and then subjected to increments of curvatures. From strain compatibility and equilibrium, the strains are calculated and used to compute the resulting axial forces and bending moments in the section (Reinhorn et al., 2009). Results and Discussion The buildings seismic performance is evaluated following FEMA P695 methodology (2009). FEMA P695 approach is based on nonlinear pseudo static (pushover) analysis, Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) and fragility analysis. Pushover analysis is used to validate the nonlinear model and estimate the period based ductility of the buildings. Then, IDA analysis is performed using a suite of far-field ground motion records to estimate the median collapse intensity and collapse margin ratio. The far-field ground motion records are scaled to match the MCE response spectrum of the highest seismicity estimate in UAE. This seismicity hazard level is as estimated by USGS (2015) for Dubai (Ss = 1.65 g and S1 = 0.65 g). The selected scaling level simulates the worst, yet possible seismic hazard scenario from distant sources (e.g. Zagros thrust or Makran subduction zone) as highlighted by Sigbjornsson and Elnashai (2006). Thus, it allows assessing the consequences of the selected seismic design level (i.e. high or moderate) on the seismic performance, construction and repair costs of RC shear wall buildings in Dubai. The calculated collapse margin ratios from the IDA are adjusted to account for uncertainties in design basis, test data, nonlinear modeling and to consider the spectral shape of the ground motion records. The spectral content is accounted for based on the calculated period based ductility. Adjusted IDA results are finally used to calculate exceedance probabilities for ASCE-41 (2013) performance levels, Collapse Prevention (CP), Life Safety (LS) and Immediate Occupancy (IO). Nonlinear Pseudo-Static (Pushover) Analysis Pushover analysis is performed using an inverted triangle displacement profile as a pushing function for all buildings. The intensity is increased monotonically until the ultimate base shear degrades by 20%. The results are used to construct capacity curves (back-bone) for the reference buildings in the form of roof drift ratio versus base shear coefficient (i.e. base shear normalized by seismic weight). Pushover capacity curves are used to assess the buildings deformation and strength capacities. The capacity curves of the three buildings designed for the high seismicity estimate (i.e. B1-6S-H-S, B3-9S-H-S and B5-12S-H-S) are shown in Figure 6. Normalized base shear capacities are 0.57, 0.5 and 0.46 for B1-6S-H-S, B3-9S-H-S and B5-12S-H-S, respectively. As expected, base shear capacity is higher for the shorter building (6-story). This is attributed to the higher design forces which resulted from the relatively higher initial stiffness of squat shear walls compared to their slender counterpart. B1-6S-H-S reached a maximum roof drift ratio, prior collapse, of 6.5%, while B3-9S-H-S reached 6% and B5-12S-H-S reached 7.25%. The three buildings have period-based ductility calculated as recommended by FEMA P695 greater than 8. It can also be observed that in the three high seismicity designs, the capacity curves do not experience severe degradation in strength or deterioration in stiffness. This matches the expected behavior of well detailed special RC shear walls with confined bou ndary elements. It is noticed from the final damage states of the buildings, at 20% strength degradation, that static pushover analysis resulted in a failure mode at the base of the shear walls conforming to the design code assumed critical section. The overall structural damage index reported by IDARC-2D is 0.359, 0.426 and 0.618 for B1-6S-H-S, B3-9S-H-S and B5-12S-H-S. It is worth mentioning that these damages are concentrated at first floor shear walls. Established capacity curves for buildings designed for moderate seismicity (B2-6S-M-S, B4-9S-M-S and B6-12S-M-S) are presented in Figure 6. From shown capacity curves, normalized base shear capacities are 0.31, 0.26 and 0.24 for buildings B2-6S-M-S, B4-9S-M-S and B6-12S-M-S, respectively. Similar to the high seismicity design, the 6-story building has the highest normalized base shear capacity. This is due to its lateral system (shear walls) relatively higher stiffness which resulted in higher demands. Maximum drift ratios, prior collapse achieved by B2-6S-M-S, B4-9S-M-S and B6-12S-M-S are 9.25%, 8% and 3.5%, respectively. The three designs have period-based ductility greater than 8 calculated as recommended by FEMA P695. The overall structural damage index reported by IDARC-2D is 0.371 for B2-6S-M-S, 0.455 for B4-9S-M-S and 0.359 for B6-12S-M-S. These damages are triggered at the first floor shear walls only. Therefore, similar to high seismicity designs, the pseudo static pushover analysis results of moderate seismicity designs suggests a single critical section at the wall base. This conclusion matches with design code recommendation for regular buildings permitted to be designed following the static method (SELF) by ASCE7-10. Nonlinear Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) The seismic performance of the reference buildings is investigated under the random nature of earthquakes. Standard nonlinear pseudo-static analysis does not inherently fully capture the higher modes effects which usually govern the response of tall and irregular buildings. Consequently, the use of nonlinear dynamic analysis is more appropriate in such cases. IDA provides better insight of the expected structural response from the linear range through the nonlinear response and until it losses stability and collapse (Vamvatsikos and Cornell, 2004). The IDA in this case is performed using a very fine increment of 0.1g for the spectral accelerations. The increments are increased until all ground motion records caused the buildings to collapse or exceed the CP maximum drift ratio limit of 2% as specified by ASCE-41. However, the maximum spectral acceleration for all the records is not increased more than 2.5g. The total number of dynamic analysis runs performed for each reference buildi ng is around 1100 (22 records x 2 components x 25 scale factors). Figure 7 presents the resulting IDA curves for high seismicity designs, B1-6S-H-S, B3-9S-H-S and B5-12S-H-S. The structural response derived from IDA curves can depend to some extent on the characteristics of the particular accelerograms used. Thus, the performance is judged based on a suit of ground motion records to segregate this effect. On average, at low drift ratios (approximately up to 1%), the three designs (B1-6S-H-S, B3-9S-H-S and B5-12S-H-S) exhibit a linear behavior. The same linear behavior is resulting from some of the ground motion records up to the MCE spectral acceleration. At higher spectral accelerations, the structural response starts to vary showing several patterns of nonlinearities, such as softening, hardening and weaving. For only few records, the structure seems to soften and move to large drifts rapidly until it reaches collapse. Collapse in these curves, whether resulting from convergence issues, numerical instabilities, or very large drift ratio, is repre sented using a drift ratio of 10% and a flat line in IDA curves. Majority of the earthquake records caused severe hardening and weaving around the elastic response. The weaving observation conforms to the common equal displacement rule stating that inelastic and elastic displacements are equal for structures with relatively moderate time periods (Vamvatsikos and Cornell, 2002). In addition, for some records, the hardening phenomenon in which the structure seems to perform better at higher intensities is somewhat against the common expectation (Vamvatsikos and Cornell, 2002). This is because generally the time and pattern of the time-history governs the response more than just the intensity. Moreover, the upward scaling done to the records makes the less responsive cycles at the beginning of the time-history strong enough to cause damage and yielding of the structural elements. Therefore, some strong ground motion records at some intensity might cause early yielding of a specific flo or, usually a low floor. This floor acts as a sacrificial fuse which reduces the response of higher floors (Vamvatsikos and Cornell, 2002). Another very interesting observation that is clearly seen in IDA curves shown in Figure 7 is what is called Structural Resurrection. This phenomenon has been observed by Vamvatsikos and Cornell (2002) and is defined as a severe hardening behavior. In structural resurrection, the building moves all the way to complete collapse (numerical instability or convergence issues) at some intensity. Then at higher intensities it shows a lower or higher response, but without collapsing. This happens because the time and pattern of the ground motion record at a particular intensity might be more damaging than at higher intensities. In other words, this particular intensity causes the stru

Rembrandt a Religious Painter :: Essays Papers

Rembrandt a Religious Painter â€Å"The beauty of the images moves me to contemplation, as a meadow delights the eyes an subtly infuses the soul with the glory of God.† (CCC 1162 found on Art as a form o Christian Meditation http://landru.i-link-2.net/shnyves/Art_in_Meditation.html ) Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born on July 15 of the year 1606 in the university city of Leiden. His family was Catholic although his father was the only member of his family who converted from Catholicism to Calvinism in the late 16th century. His parents had 9 children, Rembrandt being the second youngest. â€Å"At the age of seven, he was sent to the Leiden Latin School to prepare for the university†¦ as his brothers were sent out to learn a trade. This suggests that at an early age Rembrandt showed a more than average intelligence and that his parents were willing to educate him for a profession, very likely as a city administrator.† (The new Encyclopedia Britannica 1974) Rembrandt left the Latin School, at 14; he was very well trained in classical literature and a â€Å"well-trained Latinist.† Rembrandt then went to Leiden University were he found that his true love was for painting. His parents then removed him from the University and had him sent to a painter, Mr. Jacob Isaacxsz van Swanenburch. After three years with the painter his father took him to Amsterdam to the painter Pieter Lastman where he became an apprentice. His parents did this because Rembrandt showed more a liking in drawing and painting historical and biblical scenes and images and there was no painter in Leiden who was proficient in religious subjects. â€Å"1624 Six months further education at Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam, perhaps also for a short while at Jacob Pynas.† (Rembrandt’s Life- His Biography http://www.screendesign.de/remfus.htm) Rembrandt then returned to Leiden to become an independent painter. He then moved to Amsterdam and was paid high commissions to paint portraits. Rembrandt met a man named Hendrick van Uylenburgh an art dealer in Amsterdam. â€Å"Rembrandt became an immediate success in Amsterdam.† (The new Encyclopedia Britannica 1974) Rembrandt then married Hendrick van Uylenburgh’s cousin Saskia van Uylenburgh in June 22, 1634. â€Å"His religious works were also in demand, and as early as about 1632 he received a commission from Prince Frederik Hendrik in The Hague to paint five scenes from the Passion of Christ, which was completed in 1939.† (The new Encyclopedia Britannica 1974)