What Does it Mean to Be Human in a Technological Age Essay

What Does it Mean to Be Human in a Technological Age - Essay Example They have become vital to understand the mysteries of nature also but they have also introduced new factors and issues which are detrimental to the survival of future generations. It would not be wrong to suggest that the impact of technology on human society has to a great extent, tried to subvert the values and contextual reality of being an empowered human being. As McKibben says, with science and new technology, we have traded in old contexts that informed human lives, bargaining them in return for freedom, for liberation (15). One of the greatest philosopher and economist of the ninetieth century, Karl Marx stated that, â€Å"The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.† This famous quote was based on one of his economic discussions where he argued that the pursuit of convenience through technology would only result in a high volume of useless people. In other words, the advancement of technology would result in higher rates of unemployment . According to Bill McKibben, an American environmentalist, technology and science have negatively affected other areas of human civilization such as the loss of traditional jobs such as farmers to more technologically oriented jobs which have led to the growth of capitalism, and the proper treatment of every part of the environment to devastation of the environment for the sake of natural resources, and advancement of modern human societies (15). McKibben’s concern is primarily intended as warning for scientists and rationalists as not to become God. The far reaching repercussions of genetic engineering when applied to human beings can be dangerous in its content and detrimental for the safe existence of our future generation. The importance of science and technology in our lives cannot be denied. But the time has come to reflect seriously as to what has been gained at what cost? It is easy to contribute the develop of society on the advancements made in the area of science and technology. But one forgets that it has also impacted adversely on the environment and has also been responsible for increasing unemployment across the globe. People have lost jobs to the machines which are invented to work longer hours and with more precision, thus making workers redundant. In short, technology has also brewed more discontent in the society where previously order reigned and legacy of work was carried forward by the next generations! Genetic engineering has been seen as panacea for creating perfect human being by the scientist fraternity. By altering human genes, babies can be created as per the requirements of the parents. Beautiful babies with perfect features and high IQ that can be eternal source of pride for the parents has now become a gross reality. The experiments on animals have made scientists confident of replicating desired genes in the embryo to create designer babies. McKibben fears that this could threaten the very rules of existence of human race t hat thrives on learning through experience and by using its intelligence to make empowered decisions. The new creed of human beings could well be programmed creatures who could also start questioning their intelligence because of the programmed intelligence! The unlimited possibilities of

Conflict Resolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conflict Resolution - Essay Example blems faced by its employees with regard to dissatisfaction at work, conflicts among employees or between employees and managers; etc., which may have a strong impact on their morale. According to research, there is a strong and direct relationship between leadership and communication whereby effective leadership is known to result in better communication among the staff members and hence result in effective conflict resolution at work, thus ultimately influencing employees trust in the leader (Kasper-Feuhrer & Ashkanasy, 2001). Increased trust in the management is further associated with improved employee morale and performance, higher job satisfaction, and greater commitment to work (Costa 2003; Dirks and Ferrin, 2002; Cornell et al., 2003; Corbitt and Martz, 2003). This paper on Conflict resolution in workplace focuses on various issues such as policies and strategies implemented by management in order to improve employee / staff morale; address concerns with regard to internal conflict resolution; and resolve issues related to management of cultural diversity, and various forms of discrimination experienced by staff members. The Toyota Motor Sales Inc., has successfully implemented a unique dispute resolution policy whereby the grievances faced by the employees are resolved to the best of their abilities by the management. The company has developed a special forum which serves as a common platform for its employees to share their problems and issues faced by them with regard to disputes at workplace; in a bid to ensure that the same does not negatively affect their overall productivity. The company believes in quickly resolving conflicts at workplace through effective and prompt communication strategies and providing a healthy working environment whereby the employees are free to share and speak up regarding issues and matters most important for them. This is done through a unique communication policy developed and put into practice by the company, referred

Implementing Computer Technology in Secondary Schools Essay Example for Free

Implementing Computer Technology in Secondary Schools Essay In 1999, The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) conducted a study on pedagogical practices of teachers and students of elementary and secondary schools in 30 nations, and the role of technology the said practices (â€Å"The Second Information Technology in Education Study: Module 2†, n. d. ). It was found out that as of 1999, 12% of elementary students and 3% of those in intermediate and secondary schools do not have Internet access in their schools (â€Å"Computer Technology in Schools†, 1999). Such number would considerably be large still, if the period when the benefits of the application of computer technology in education was implied, is taken into account. Computer technology for the use of students in schools started out as computer laboratories (Lynch, 2000), which until now, is continuously evolving to becoming a tool for learning. That the integration of computer technology in schools is still on process, suggests that although its advantages have been persistently advocated, there are also powerful sociocultural and developmental forces that oppose its progression. According to Meredyth, et. al. , (1999), the status quo in the mode of instruction slows the efforts to integrate computer technology in secondary schools. At first, the people who were against the implementation of computer technology in schools argue that this would result in the replacement human instructors and making them obsolete (Richmond, n. d). As it becomes clear that the this would not necessarily become so, that is, there would only be an evolution of role from plain instructor to facilitator, the problem with the implementation now centers on the lack of physical resources (Richmond, n. d. ) and the instructors’ lack of training (Lynch, 2000). This implies that the role of computer technology in the education of secondary students per se is not, today, the major consideration in its application and the need for a clear definition of its role is necessary to speed up decisions on whether there is really a necessity for the addition or retention of the number of computer hardware in schools, or should there be in need of compulsory technical training for instructors. According to Richmond (n. d.), there are two major problems in the implementation of computer technology in education: (1) the goals and purposes of implementation are unclear; (2) the implementors do not fully understand the changes necessary for the implementation of technology in education. These problems must be addressed first if success is wanted. Although both are important aspects of the implementation, this paper will focus in defining the goal, purposes or role of computer technology in student achievement at the secondary school level. To understand this critical role, it is very important to know first the basics about some theories of learning and its current application to education technology. The theory of Cognitive Constructivism states that learning happens through the learners’ active efforts to assimilation new information imposed either by the instructor or by self-discovey (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). This means that learners must be able to relate what they learn to their experiences or experience the learning itself to be able to fully understand it. One example of this is driving. In order to learn to drive a vehicle, one must not only know that vehicles are powered by gasoline, controlled using a steering wheel, has a gas pedal to move forward or backward and a break pedal to make it stop. He or she has to experience driving to know and fully understand the significance of each theory he or she is made to know. And this experience is very important if he or she is to make life-or-death decisions once he or she takes the road. Computer technology, when related to learning may be applied in a similar way, by providing a means to simulate reality to give the students a feel of what may or may not happen as a result of their decisions. Such is the function of simulations: to instill in learners goals which are similar to reality and resultant feelings that are similar to what may happen in real life because of the as a result of the decisions imposed by the program. A lot of simulation programs have now been developed for different purposes. Sim City provides the learner-gamer an experience of building a city and a feel of becoming a Mayor. The learner-gamer is subconsciously taught of the importance of planning and how each decision might give a positive effect (here, in the form of increase in the city’s revenue) or negative (in the form of rallies and decrease in the city’s revenue). Business simulations provide learners with vicarious experience of actually owning and handling investments without the need of using or losing real money. Design programs provide the learner-designer with an idea or view of the possible perspectives or outcome of each design in mind and an opportunity to manipulate or change it according to his or her desires even before actual realization of the design. There are also simulations in many different subjects like biology physics and chemistry, which can provide the learner with the opportunity to visualize the theories and manipulate situations and then see the results as would happen if the theories are applied. Simulations have been used for decades by the aviation and military industry and just until recently, the costs of simulations have prevented smaller institutions to avail its benefits (Boehle, n. d. ). Although, still not cheap, mass production, added to the said drastic improvement in learning retention rates (Boehle, n. d. ), simulations provide a very efficient tool for learning. There is a 75-80% boost in learning retention rate for students in simulations (Boehle, n. d. ) Social Constructivism believes that knowledge is socially constructed, that is, retention of information is achieved through group efforts (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). † This is learning with others and through others’ input and ideas conjoined with one’s own. This theory emphasizes the importance of other’s opinion usually for the purpose of the improvement of the said work. Applied to computer technology in its role in secondary education, this allows for interaction among many different people, not limited to those in classroom but also stretches to people in different time zones. This allows for assimilation of new and varied ideas from different people from different places who usually have different ideas about different issues, strengthening ones reasoning and improving one’s knowledge about many different areas and at the same time improving one’s social skill. The most usual form of technology which applies the Social Constructivism theory is forums. A lot of forums can be found in the internet, all areas of knowledge with its own: arts, sciences, mathematics, and philosophy. The Theory of Behaviorism believes that knowledge is a â€Å"repertoire of behavioral responses to environmental stimuli (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). † According to this theory, learning happens through repetition and reinforcement, usually with the instructor speaking and the learner, listening. This learning theory is opposite of Cognitive Constructivism in that learners gain knowledge passively. This is the most common type of instructional mode used in schools. Still, this instructional mode can also be applied to computer technology. Tutorials in cd’s are now widely available in the market. These products simulate what and how teachers teach in an actual class, explaining concepts with voice recordings combined with moving pictures for visualization. It also comes with practice exercises much like what teachers would give to their students to evaluate the student’s learning. The only difference is that, these products can be used by the student alone, even at home.

The factors affectingthe resistance of a wire Essay Example for Free

The factors affectingthe resistance of a wire Essay An investigation into the factors affecting the resistance of a wire Outline: Start with a simple paragraph saying what you are going to do. Factors affecting resistance of a wire: Material, Temperature, Length and Cross-sectional area Material is the same (constantan) and we are trying to keep the temperature constant. (you need to say this) Length and cross sectional areas will be varied. This needs to be done in two separate experiments (Fair Test) Length and cross-sectional area are the independent (input) variables. The dependent variable (output) is the resistance Science (essential). Use a textbook/internet/secondary source to find this information. Say where you found it, it must be relevant to GCSE! Detailed knowledge will get the higher marks. Ohms Law which gives the relationship between the resistance, voltage and current. Give units and equations (show correctly) How resistance is related to length (draw a picture, it can also be used as your prediction). Back it up with an explanation (longer path for electrons) How resistance is related to cross-section (draw a picture, it can also be used as your prediction). Note, there are two plots here! Back up with explanation (more pathways). Prediction: Say what you are doing and use your science to back it up Safety: The experiment should be safe and you will follow safe laboratory practice Equipment: At a glance you might well need: crocodile clips, power supply, voltmeter, ammeter, variable resistor, leads, constantan wire, meter rule, micrometer (to measure wire thickness). Include a circuit diagram. Remember you might need to change equipment after the preliminary experiment. Say what any equipment is used for. Preliminary Experiment: The purpose is to see if your method is suitable to test your prediction, make sure things work and make any changes. You will need to record these results and plot things. Use this information carefully and mention if you make no changes or changes. If the preliminary data looks sensible, then you are on the right track. Repeating Measurements: The same idea as for Chemistry, there needs to be enough different lengths (5 min) and cross-sections (5 min). Measurements need repeating and checking. If a particular set of data is not looking good, discard it and take another measurement. You ideally want 3 sets of similar data! Precision: Voltages, currents, resistances, lengths and wire thickness need to be recorded and presented to the correct level of precision. Say what ranges data will be collected over etc. Data Tables and Plots: Must have clear and correct units, titles, etc. These can be presented using spreadsheets. Plots must be done on graph paper (not computer). Must cover more than half of sheet and have suitable axes. Graphs must be correctly labelled and the points should be crosses drawn in pencil. Best fit-lines should also be shown. Seek help on this if not sure. References: Most likely you found out things, say where you found this information. Fair Test: Absolutely crucial to show. In a fair test you only allow one thing to vary.

Negative Impact Of Texting On Teenagers English Language Essay

Negative Impact Of Texting On Teenagers English Language Essay Texting is a very fast form of communicating with others. It consists of brief messages often typed in abbreviations known as text speak. Though it delivers thoughts with lightning speed, those who believe it is as, if not more effective than face to face conversations have their heads in the sand. Whether you are meeting someone for the first time or conversing with an old friend, face to face interactions have superior quality. Facial expressions can be seen, voice inflections heard and body language interpreted. Valuable verbal and nonverbal information essential to human interactions is lost in text messaging. In person conversations are self regulating while the silent nature of text messaging is not. Many young people text constantly no matter where they are or who they are with; hence, they are in a perpetual state of distraction and are unable to maintain focus beyond the next text. There is more to communication than sending and receiving bits of abbreviated text. Conveying emotions and feelings along with conversation adds depth and aids in interpreting meaning beyond words on a screen. Further, face to face communication allows for body language and facial expressions to enliven and enrich conversations and one another. Texting relies on emoticons (little faces that show happy, sad etc) which are a sorry replacement for human gestures and emotion. The purpose of interpersonal communication is to encourage the listener to fully grasp the thoughts and ideas the communicator wishes to convey. Though texting enhances access to others, it limits the ability to personally connect with others and bond. The more people choose texting to connect with others over interpersonal communication the further apart they become. In face to face communication people do not rely solely on words to understand what is being said. Intrapersonal communication is 7% spoken words, 38% tone of voice and 55% non verbal. This means that 93% of communication is determined by nonverbal cues; therefore, if text messaging is the chosen means of communication 93% of the intended message is lost. (http://www.dest.gov.au/nwt/hospitality/comm_non.htm, Non Verbal Communication (body language). There are six types of nonverbal communication: facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, posture and body orientation, proximity and paralinguistics . Facial expressions confirm how information is being received and delivered. Smiling for example is an expression that is welcoming while scowling is the opposite. Eye contact is extremely important in that consistent (not starring or ogling) eye contact during a conversation makes the listener feel relevant, and heard. Gesturing can insert warmth, connectedness, and personality into one on one or group communications. Posture and body orientation (how you stand, walk and sit), sends a multitude of messages. A person who is shy or nervous may convey it by slouching or turning slightly away; contrarily, a confident, relaxed individual will exhibit a relaxed posture and face their conversation partner or group. Proximity is the distance an individual places between themselves and the person they are conversing with. If too much distance is placed between individuals it signals that one or both is uncomfortable with the conversation. It can also become uncomfortable if someone (particularly if they are not a friend) stands too close or touches too often. How your voice sounds is paralinguistics. Tone, inflection, pitch, volume and rhythm give richness and depth to a conversation. Paralinguistics can also reveal when there is a hidden or different meaning than the stated words suggest (http://www.focused-momentum-lifecoach.com/types-of-nonverbal-communication.html, The Six types of Nonverbal Communication). Computers and text messaging sources were originally created for data, not for the intricacies of human interactions. Yet, over seventy five billion text messages are exchanged each month in the United States. The majority of the texters are between the ages of thirteen and seventeen and each average two thousand, two hundred seventy-two texts a month. An extreme example was reported by Greg Hardesty, a reporter who wrote a story about his thirteen year old daughter racking up 14,528 texts in one month. After the story appeared in the Orange County Register, his daughters volume rose to 24,000 messages. Her parents took no action until after her grades fell precipitously. Thankfully, they took her phone away. (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26teen.html, The New York Times, by Katie Hafner, May25,2009). David E. Meyer, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan said that texting is a huge cultural phenomenon with huge down-the-road consequences (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2008774199_texting23.html, O.M.G.! Teens lives being taken over by texting, By Donna George, The Washington Post, February 23, 2009). Some educators believe those consequences are currently surfacing in the classroom. They are seeing declines in word choices, spelling, the complexities of writing and an inability to stay focused. Further, educators are seeing text speak (LOL-laugh out loud, THX- thanks, L8R-later) and emoticons show up in assigned papers as well as a growing absence of punctuation (http://www.wsbt.com/news/national/40499712.html, Constantly Texting Teens Worry Parents, Experts, March1, 2009, Rockville Md. (AP). Many educators (and parents) are concerned about teens seeming inability to stay focused and tuned in to the world around them. Their attention is constantly divided between where they are at and what they are supposed to be doing and the next text message. It takes self-discipline to pay attention and learn and self discipline is not a character avid texters display. Texting distracts from the here and now of daily activities and interactions with others. A person is often exchanging texts with four or more individuals while trying to converse with others around them. Neither the in person or texting group has the full attention of the texter. The focus of the texters attention is constantly being pulled in several directions so no one benefits from the exchange. The same holds true in the classroom. To master the knowledge being presented, the full attention of the learner is required; therefore, a student who spends class time sending and receiving texts cannot be receiving the information required for learning. In the long run, it is the texter who loses from this addictive and rude behavior. Relationships both inside and outside the family deteriorate as does the quality and quantity of their education. Texting is undermining communication skills and therefore, human interactions. Texting is producing a generation that is self absorbed, distracted, unable to communicate in the here and now effectively and have no sense of propriety. Communication that is void of nonverbal cues and tones, laced with abbreviated speech which lacks grammar and punctuation and consumes ones time from dawn to dusk, clearly is destined to severely negatively impact the future of intrapersonal communication and interactions. Texting is inferior to communicating face to face and enjoying the richness and depth that language (verbal and nonverbal) provides.

Holden Caulfield: Typical American Teenager Essay -- Catcher in the Ry

It is difficult to really define American teenagers, but they’re seen as confused and without any real identity age wise. Although not as prominent as in the 20th century, teenagers have to deal with a misleading phoniness in society today. The teenage years are when a person really decides (or has a decision forced on them) how their views will develop, such as living with optimism or pessimism. Because of pressure from media, peers and parents, teenagers either try to grow up too quickly or simply refuse and get left behind. All of these characteristics are related to Holden Caulfield in various ways. Even just on the surface, Holden is a typical teenager, with his low self esteem and bad language. Therefore, based on what it means to be an American teenager, The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger is supposed to be the picture of a typical teenage experience. Generally, the American teenager has enough to be confused with in his own life but society’s phoniness can greatly add to that uncertainty. Most of a person’s adult behaviors are learned in the teenage years, but with people such as politicians being â€Å"phony,† teenagers are getting more upset and confused by the appropriate way to act. If they see people in these kinds of powerful positions lying and embezzling, what would they assume to do other than imitate that behavior? That’s why there is a lot of teenage crime in this country- the crimes of â€Å"phonies† in prominent standing that, to some extent, are endorsing these bad and sometimes ilicit activities. In Holden Caulfield’s case, he lets phoniness run his entire life. The biggest insult he can give something is that of â€Å"phony,† and he stops doing things he would like to do, not wanting to be perceived as a ph... ...t from his own parents. They keep sending him to private schools away from home and that’s forcing him to grow up because there’s nobody else to rely on really. That is the case with most teenagers like Holden, they try to grow up too quickly and miss some potentially great childhood moments. In conclusion, The Catcher in the Rye is a picture of a typical teenage experience because Holden is confused and without any real identity. He has strong views, like most teenagers, on phoniness, view of life and growing up. Holden is a typical American teenager, maybe a little less fortunate than some others, having to fend for himself, really. Nonetheless, nearly all teenagers go through a time in their lives that is emotionally like that of Holden Caulfield. Work Cited Salinger, JD. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston, Mass: Little, Brown and Company, 1951

Classical COnditioning Essay -- essays research papers fc

Ivan Pavlov and Classical Conditioning 1904 Nobel Prize Winner, Ivan Pavlov was born in Ryazan, Russia on September 14, 1849. Pavlov is best known for his intricate workings with the drooling dog experiment that lead to his further research in conditioning. This experiment, which began in 1889, had an influence on the development of physiologically oriented behaviorist theories of psychology in the early years of the nineteenth century. His work on the physiology of the digestive glands won him the 1904 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. CONTRIBUTIONS Pavlov's first independent work focused on the physiology of the circulation of the blood (Girogian, 1974). He studied the influence of variations in blood volume on blood pressure. He also investigated the nervous control of the heart, and argued that four types of nerves control rhythm and strength of cardiac contractions. It was during this first independent study that Pavlov used unanesthetized, neurologically intact dogs (Girogian, 1974). This method became the mainstay of Pavlov’s methodology. Pavlov’s second independent work centered primarily around digestion. He started studying digestion as early as 1879, and it was his major focus from 1890 to 1897 (Girogian, 1974). His work was an accumulation of observations on the nervous control of one organ system through the method of chronic experiment (Girogian, 1974). The study of digestion involved developing "fistulas" through which secretions from salivary glands, stomach, the pancreas, and small intestine could be collected (Girogian, 1974). His technique was truly unique in that he did not cut the nerve supply nor contaminate the secretions with food. The most famous and well-known experiment of Pavlov is that he 'conditioned' dogs to start a salivary response to the sound of a bell. He began by measuring the amount of salivation in response to only food. As the experiments continued, he rang a bell as he presented the food (Girogian, 1974). Again, he noted a salivary response. Finally, by only ringing the bell, Pavlov observed the same response as having presented food to the dogs . . . salivation (Girogian, 1974). These experiments defined what has been a "conditioned response". CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Classical Conditioning is the type of learning made famous by Pavlov's experiments ... ... a Nobel Laureate for his research in a different field (Fredholm, 1999). In 1904, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering studies of how the digestive system works. Until Pavlov started to scrutinize this field, our knowledge of how food was digested in the stomach, and what mechanisms were responsible for regulating this, were quite foggy. In order to understand the process, Pavlov developed a new way of monitoring what was happening. He surgically made fistulas in animals' stomachs, which enabled him to study the organs and take samples of body fluids from them while they continued to function normally (Fredholm, 1999). WORKS CITED "Pavlov, Ivan Petrovich," Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com  © 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. Mischel W. (1993). Behavioral conceptions. In W. Mischel, Introduction to Personality, 295-316. New York: Harcourt Brace. Girogian, NA: Pavlov, Ivan Petrovich. In The Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Charles Schribner’s Sons, New York, Vol 10, pp. 431-6, 1974. Fredholm, Lotta. Ivan Pavlov. Science Journal. May 15, 1999.