Techno Kids Is it Equal Oppurtunity for All? :: Technology Computers Papers

Techno Kids Is it Equal Oppurtunity for All? I’ve been planning a dinner party for a week now. It’s my first time doing this and I’m a little nervous. At first I wasn’t sure whom to invite but my English teacher helped me decide. He encouraged me to invite people who will help me learn about how children are becoming more computer literate at such a young age, and if it is all children or only a select group. The guest list consists of Anne Hird, the author of the book Learning from Cyber Savvy Students. She researched a school called Cityview; it is a privatized, college-prepatory school for children who come from low-income families. She studied the students’ knowledge and expertise at exploring the Internet. Through one-on-one conversations with individual students, Anne found that even though the students often knew more than the teacher did, they never questioned the teacher’s authority or knowledge. Anne was able to get on the students level and listen to what they had to say. Even when a girl rambled about how she liked downloading Loony Toon posters off the Internet, Anne put it in her book as valid information.1 David Trend, next on the list, is the author of the book Welcome to Cyberschool and he has very strong opinions that the Internet is geared to middle to upper class white families. He sites the U.S. Commerce statistics that show low-income families are twenty percent less likely to have Internet access then middle to upper class families. David’s tone is harsh when he speaks about conservative people and corporations. Descriptions like crass and â€Å"solitary and internally embattled men† sprinkle the pages when talking about big businesses and authors of cyberpunk novels.2 The last guest is Barbie. She has her own Website with educational games and links to sites that encourage individualism and education for girls around the ages of six to ten. Plus, she’ll add a little spice to the mix. I decided to make Paia, a Spanish rice dish. The main ingredient is yellow rice, but I put in chicken and green peas, too. I stayed away from a meat and potatoes type entrà ©e because David seemed like he wouldn’t appreciate the typical Middle America food. The Paia gave the meal some culture.

Hitlers Rise To Power :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As most people on this planet know, World War II has been over for more than 50 years. The ideals of Hitler, a man wanting to eliminate all Jews and minorities, are views that can be questioned. Most people have difficulties accepting failure, and when failure arises people look elsewhere to blame someone else for their shortcomings. In society these people are called scapegoats. The question that comes to mind is Who was Hitler and what were his thoughts?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most prominent leaders that can be thought of as great dictators were extremely forceful. Julius Caesar and Napoleon both rose up during troubling times of their country. They did this by going to war and winning, they would take over a country, set up a government, and then move on. Hitler was the exact opposite, he was a barbarian who ruled by striking fear into people. â€Å"They regard me as an uneducated barbarian. Yes, we are barbarians! We want to be barbarians! It is an honorable title.† (Rauschning, Hermann. The Voice of Destruction New York, 1940, p.80) The government that Hitler proposed had no real law. The people were to follow what they were told by those who were ranked above them, thus always leading back to Hitler. Hitler taught children to spy on their parents, and then report their wrong doings. He wanted people to hate their neighbors. He wanted those people of different, and for that matter â€Å"wrong† religions, political party, and/or race to be eliminated. A lot of the time when people look at history books and see a leader such as Hitler they might think that it was a long time ago, or that people were not that smart. Hitler rose to power in a time when people were literate, a majority of people were fairly smart, and none the less it was a mere 50 years ago.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As most people across the globe will agree Hitler had unsightly political views. He preached that before a government can reach a victory or a happy state it must first undergo a change. This is why the nazi movement was necessary. Hitler preached propaganda, the information that today would be found in The National Enquire. What he preached was what people wanted to hear, it was an easy route out of all of their troubles. He was able to relay his message across the people in Germany and draw more than a third of a vote in a free contested election.

Gambling †the economy, household and society Essay

The subject of gambling has been a hot subject of debate amongst politicians for many years. The concept of people waging something of value for something not guaranteed is something that baffles many non-gamblers. Long before Christopher Columbus discovered North America gambling was practiced quite often amongst Native Americans (Sheppard, 2012). In fact one can trace the origins of gambling even farther back into biblical times. This is evident by the biblical verses in the Bible about the dangers of gambling and why individuals should not gamble (King James Bible Online, 2013). According to the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, â€Å"The history of gambling in Canada is inextricably linked to the Canadian Criminal Code, which in 1892 declared a complete ban on most gambling activities with the exception of horse racing†(Stevens, 2005). Over the next 77 years the Criminal Code will make many exceptions for smaller-scaled gambling, such as betting on horse races or gambling at ‘summer fair midways’ (Stevens, 2005). Eventually an amendment was made so that federal-run lotteries can be used to help fund meaningful activities, such as the 1976 Montreal Olympics. In more modern times the restrictions for gambling is much more relaxed. â€Å"Ticket lotteries, horse racing, and charitable gaming (including bingo) are currently legal in all ten provinces, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut Territory† (Stevens, 2005). Casino-style gambling is also allowed in most provinces and in all territories, as well as slot machines (Stevens, 2005). The focus of this argumentative essay will be why gambling is bad to Canadian society, and should continue being outlawed. Although one can argue that there are benefits to gambling, but this essay will look to dismiss such arguments and focus on the negative aspects of gambling. In order to go about this efficiently, this essay will look at gambling from an economical, moral and societal viewpoint. From an economic standpoint it is quite easy for one to say that gambling would improve the economy greatly. After all there are many who love nothing more than to poor their entire wallets into a machine, hoping to strike gold, not to mention that casino gambling, the highest grossing form of gambling, is the form of gambling that appeals to individuals the most (McLean, 2013). As I had mentioned previously, federal-run lotteries also helped to fun the 1976 Montreal Olympics. With all this said, gambling actually does not improve a country financially, and casinos will specifically be targeted to prove this point. Detroit is a city with 3 casinos, built with the intent of bringing in revenue to a city needing financial stability and quick income. Now, after over a decade of dumping hundreds of millions of dollars from taxes on the casinos, the city has more or less nothing to show for it. In fact, Detroit has become so financially strapped that the casinos no longer pays for anything ‘extra’, such a museum or an Olympic competition; Detroit museums instead pays for the garbage services and the electricity bill to keep the lights on the streets working (Henderson, 2012). Now one can argue that not all cities with casinos end up in financial trouble, with Las Vegas being a common example of this. The only difference with this argument is that Las Vegas has attractions that would flourish even without casinos (Henderson, 2012). In fact, the city of Toronto just recently came to its senses and decided against building a casino in the downtown area, saving the city millions of dollars that could better-used in other places (Baggage, 2013). There are many financial repercussions that come with having a casino, and although it is a wonderful argument it is not the entire focus of this essay. To touch upon how morally damaging a fact from an earlier paragraph will have to be drawn upon. In the Bible there are many passages that speak of how terrible gambling is. Now, there are many people who do not associate with the bible, and many of the historical details are debatable. With this being said, it is a fact that for many years Canada was primarily Catholic (Wallace, 1948), meaning it is religion played a major role in shaping Canadian society. With that said, one of the religious books Catholics use for moral guidelines is the Bible (Catholic Evidence Guild, 1921). Therefore, it is also indisputable that the Bible contains morals that are also right, as evident from Canadian society being sustainable and without war. Now the bible does not go into great detail as to why gambling is wrong, but one can look at today’s society and make a great case. In Canadian society there is a steady increase of problem gamblers (Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario, 2013). This problem has become a serious issue, and is, reflected in the industry growing to keep up with the demands (Koprowski, 2007). These problem gamblers are somebodies mother, father, son or daughter, which can and will affect a household in many different ways. Besides the obvious loss of money, belongings and property, there are many emotional effects as well. Many friendships are destroyed due to unpaid debts, partners do not want close contact with the person who has hurt them (Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario, 2013), and in the end the addict is left without affection in isolation. From a psychological perspective, the individual is left in isolation due to either being shunned or being too ashamed to be around others. Naturally there are extreme cases of those committing suicide after being driven to seclusion and gamblers are no exception; â€Å"1 in 5 compulsive gamblers attempts suicide and two-thirds have thought about committing suicide† (Gaultiere, 2011). From a sociological and anthropological perspective, this is proof of the family system deteriorating. In conclusion gambling is bad for Canada not only financially but socially speaking as well. Although it is unrealistic to want all forms of gambling to be illegal, there should be some form of restrictions on those who spend too much time at the casino, or something along those lines. Works Cited Baggage, M. Toronto rejects controversial downtown casino. http://www. ottawacitizen. com/news/Toronto+rejects+controversial+downtown+casino/8416596/story. html, 2013. Catholic Evidence Guild. Catholics and the Bible.http://catholiceducation. org/articles/religion/re0032. html, 1921. Gaultiere, B. Don’t Bet On It: Help For Compulsive Gamblers. http://www. newhopenow. org/notes/archive/dont_bet_on_it. html, 2011. Koprowski, G. Gambling Growing in Canada. http://www. onlinecasinocrawler. com/blog_gambling-growing-in-canada. php, 2007. McLean, J. Gambling In Canada. http://gocanada. about. com/od/thebestofcanada/tp/Gambling-In-Canada. htm, 2013. Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario. The Effects of Gambling on Families. http://www. problemgambling. ca/EN/GettingHelp/Pages/TheEffectsOfGambling. aspx, 2013. Sheppard, R. Gambling.http://www. thecanadianencyclopedia. com/articles/gambling http://www. kingjamesbibleonline. org/Jonah-1-7/, 2012. Stephen, H. Detroit has little to show for its casino revenue. http://www. freep. com/article/20120513/COL33/205130480/. Stephen-Henderson-Detroit-has-little-to-show-for-its-casino-revenue, 2012. Stevens, R. Legalized Gambling In Canada. http://www. abgamblinginstitute. ualberta. ca/en/LibraryResources/Bibliographies/LegalizedGamblinginCanada. aspx, 2005. Wallace, W. Religious History of Canada. http://faculty. marianopolis. edu/c. belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/CanadaReligiousHistory_000. htm, 1948.

ICT and Education Essay

Information and Communication technologies (ICTs) are invaluable in the education of young people today. The internet is the most recent ICT development that is popular with the young generation and can therefore be a very important tool in the education of the young people. Internet-based instruction and course delivery is convenient since it makes education more meaningful, responsive, reliable and relevant. Education technology has embraced the internet both for teaching and learning since it is a paradigm shift that enables both beginning computing level, undergraduate or elementary level, and the advanced computing level, for graduates to be more reliable and responsive. A digital native refers to those people who are born in places where digital technologies- ICT, such as computers, mobile phones and the internet already thrive. The ICT will at this juncture be less important to the education of such young people as compared to those who had no access to ICT earlier at home therefore have to learn and adopt ICT later in life (Anderson & Garrison 2003). This term is used to refer mostly to young people in the 21st century who are in deed in the digital age as compared to those born before this period. ICT will be invaluable to digital natives, also called the millennium learners, as they are well endowed with the necessary skills required for one to be in tandem with the dynamic teaching and learning techniques. ICT is significant to education in a number of ways such as: Facilitating faster access to varieties of learning resources that will enhance teaching and learning, provides immediate feedback from people who are remote of distance, provide authentic and updated information, learning can take place at any time of the day or night, facilitates multimedia education approach, provides online libraries and even caters for children with disabilities (Linn, Davis & Bell 2004). Students are able to actively contribute to the construction of knowledge since the internet promotes cooperative learning while at the same time the students can receive immediate feedback from the teachers. The internet has led to a redesigning of course features such as: online resources, syllabi, virtual classrooms, online discussions, interactive learning and fewer lectures (Roxanne & Turoff 2007). Learning is shifted from teacher centered to learner centered as a result of the internet which caters for the needs of the students more adequately and is self-regulated by the students. In addition, the learners develop critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, better cognition and better management skills. Virtual classrooms are the simulated and computer based environment where there is real time teaching of students from different locations all over the world as if they were at one place at the same time. Instructions are delivered remotely via the internet in these virtual classrooms to teach at high schools, colleges and university to deliver distance education Kariuki & Louis 2004). This method is increasingly becoming popular with students who can now learn from the comfort of their homes and is therefore becoming a major component for education mostly in the developed nations like Britain, the United States, China and Germany. Interactive learning has been developed through the use of engines and programs like face book and twitter where students can chat with their tutors and class mates live to get reading materials, instructions, submit their completed tasks to their tutors and receive immediate feedback on their progress (Plank et al 2009). The internet is therefore an invaluable tool that has significantly impacted to the development of teaching and learning in line with the dynamic world. Reference Kariuki James & Louis Henry (2004), â€Å"The myths about e-learning in higher education,† Taylor & Francis: London Anderson T. & Garrison R, (2003), â€Å"E-learning in the 21st century: a framework for research and practice,† Routledge, London. Starr Roxanne & Murray Turoff, (2007), â€Å"Education goes digital: The evolution of online learning and the revolution in higher education, Routledge Publishers: London. Plank D et al (2009), â€Å"Emerging Web Technologies in Higher Education: A case of incorporating blogs, podcasts and social bookmarks in a web programming course based on students learning styles and technology preferences,† Taylor & Francis: London. Linn M. , Davis E. & Bell P. (2004). â€Å"Internet environments for science education,† Routledge: New York.

Mary Shelley Frankenstein: Ugly Society

Frankenstein is full of horrible elements about human society. Mary Shelley shows many of the sides of human beings that are not necessarily positive attributes. She really gives a kind of critique on mankind’s judgement of others. In this novel, a major theme is that in society people judge people by their looks and this judgment may cause negativity, this can be seen through the characters, Victor and the creature, when they judge other characters or are judged themselves. When you meet someone, the first thing you do is start judging them on what their wearing or how their hair is styled, and this is not always a good thing.Immediately after Victor gave the monster the last touch to spark life in it, he simply judged the monster on its looks only. Since the creature was very ugly looking, this did not bring up a very positive situation for Victor. Victor described the first contact with the monster when he says, â€Å"I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then; but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived†(p. 68).If I was to witness this without knowing the prior events I would be frightened. Although, since Victor knows exactly what is going on as he is giving the monster life, it is odd that he should be so frightened. Its so bad that Victor nearly rejects the creature at conception. In accordance with Victor's actions towards his initial contact with the monster, Shelley kept the theme of mankind condemning an individual due to its looks by having Victor scared of the monster strictly due to its ugliness.This is different than if I was the one in the laboratory, I would be very scared as would anyone. However, due to the fact that Victor had worked on it for a couple of years and knew the situation exactly, he had no real right to be scared by the plain sight of the creature. Since he was fully expecting the creature to come to life, it was kind of odd that he would disown the creature so abruptly, which goes along with the critique that the author probably intended.Therefore, as Shelley presumably wanted to emphasize, humans use vision as their primary form of acceptance in too many occasions. This particular situation would constitute a valid use of a very over-used proverb, â€Å"one should never judge a book by its cover. † In this novel, Victor â€Å"judged a book by its cover† as much of society does and did not accept the creature for its actions or any other attributes other than that its ugliness, which was enough for him to be appalled.This same theme is the very reason as to why the creature goes on a killing rampage. Frankenstein’s creature begins to realize after a number of years that his ugly looks will gain no acceptance from anyone. This is especially true to him because his very creator or â€Å"father† would not accept him on the basis of ugliness. The creature himself realizes t his as well. After reading Victor's journal that he found, the creature said, â€Å"Accursed Creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? â€Å"(p. 171).Since his only contact with society, apart from the contact with a blind man, has been with people who show only horror when they lay eyes on him, the creature starts to see that he will not be able to be a part of human society based on his physical appearance. That saddens him because of his need for companionship. That is probably a major part of Shelley's critique on society. Therefore, the creature begins to go on a sort of â€Å"killing rampage† until Victor meets his demands and creates another creature as to give him a companion to live and associate with.Since Victor cannot get himself to do just that, the creature goes on a killing rampage on people that specifically effect Victor emotionally. This is relevant since Victor’s judgment caused the creatures abandonmen t based on looks, and now Victor is going to suffer. When you judge someone on their looks it can affect you in negative ways, such as in racism, when people judge others on their skin tone, fights will occur, riots can flood the streets, and even death will happen.Society shows that judging looks has a very bad flaw that can result in chaotic outcomes. In Frankenstein, Shelley is really able to make a critique on society and its faults. She used the various characters as tools to get through to the reader the state of mankind and some of the problems that are present. In fact I, along with others, believe that she greatly intended on making the conflicts that society faces present in an entertaining form.

Comparison of Characters in the Odyssey Essay

In Homer’s famous epic poem The Odyssey he displays the characters with a wide variety of morals. These morals influence decisions made by them which provide a looking glass for the reader to see their true nature. In a certain scene, the characters discuss Odysseus to what seems to be a beggar; however, the beggar is truly Odysseus in disguise. One way to clearly test a person’s character is through an idea provided by Bob Sutton: â€Å"The best judge of character is how he or she treats those with less power† (Sutton). Melanthius, Philoetius, and Ctesippus all are examples of how Sutton’s theory applies to people. Through making observations on how the selected characters act when speaking with the disguised Odysseus a solid conclusion can be made on their overall character. The goatherd Melanthius at first can appear mean and vicious; moreover, he remains loyal to Odysseus by disrespecting the person, whom he perceived to be a beggar. Melanthius is tired of seeing a beggar in the halls of Odysseus’ home and finally decides to confront him about it. â€Å"Still alive? Still hounding your betters, begging round the house? Why don’t you cart yourself away? Get out!† (20). Melanthius shows no sympathy for the seemingly impoverished beggar. He has no idea that the beggar is in fact his own master, Odysseus. He violates traditional Ancient Greek hospitality towards guests. When this scene is applied to Sutton’s theory, Melanthius’ character is revealed as harsh and vicious. The fact that Melanthius is upset with how suitors and beggars are intruding on Odysseus’ land may play into his stern confrontation with the lingering beggar. Melanthius has no way of knowing that the beggar was in fact Odysseus; therefore, he exposes his true character when he acts as though he is confronting someone of lesser power. In contrast, when Philoetius, the good cowherd, approaches Eumaeus (the disguised Odysseus) he is extremely respectful. Although he has no clue who Eumaeus is, he still treats him like he has met him before: â€Å"Cheers, old friend, old father, here’s to your luck, great days from this day on saddled now as you are with so much trouble† (20). Before approaching the beggar Philoetius said to himself â€Å"What roots does this man claim-who are his people? . . . Poor beggar† (20). Clearly Philoetius has no idea who Odysseus is and thinks he is just a homeless man on Odysseus’ land. Despite these  ideas in his head he still treats Eumaeus with the utmost respect and even wished him luck. The beggar appears to certainly be on a lower level that Philoetius according to standards of power; however, Philoetius demonstrates excellent character when speaking with him, for he disregards the social difference. Ctesippus, being a suitor, is different from the other two characters. From the beginning it is clear he thinks highly of himself. â€Å"Ctesippus was his name, he made his home in Same, a fellow so impressed with his own astounding wealth he courted the wife of Odysseus† (20). Despite the fact that Telemachus orders the suitors to respect his visitor (Eumaeus), Ctesippus does not obey. â€Å"Grabbing an oxhoof out of a basket where it lay, with a brawny hand he flung it straight at the king† (20). Ctesippus has no way of knowing the beggar he has just attacked is actually his king, the great Odysseus. Since Ctesippus thinks that Odysseus is nothing more than a poor visitor, he does not act respectfully towards him. Ctesippus is never seen being rude to his fellow suitors; however he is extremely disrespectful to someone of lower power. This reflects on his aggressive and disobeying character. Sutton’s theory can be used to give an accurate conclusion about a character. Between the three characters different actions are made which reflect that personal character’s morals. The morals in the core of each character are easily revealed by how they treated the disguised Odysseus. None of the characters have any way of identifying Eumaeus as their king, so there appears to be no problem with treating him poorly. One must always remember that things might not be as they seem. That should be kept in mind before making drastic actions or poor decisions. It is important to think clearly before treating someone of lesser power poorly, just because of their power status or initial appearance. If a truly wholesome good character is desired, truly good choices and actions should be made.

Starbucks Coffee Fair Trade and Coffee Productions Essay

Starbucks Coffee Fair Trade and Coffee Productions - Essay Example This essay provides the detailed analysis on the topic of management and strategic planning of Starbucks coffee brand. Today it is one of the most distinguished coffee brands in the world at large, which has successfully established the chains of its stores, cafeterias and display centres in all corners of the globe. The history of the brand, as it is described in this essay started from Seattle, USA in 1971 as coffee bean retailer. These days the company offers to the wide range of its clients and customers multiple choice regarding the divergent coffee tastes and flavours as well as ice cream, books and music through its stores in America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. According to its websites, the company contains over sixteen thousand storehouses in forty eight countries and states of the world. In the beginning, the company was confined to the USA as well as dealt in beans retails only, but the joining of Howard Schultz, paved the way towards its fast growth and vast expa nsion on the one hand, and the introduction of coffee drink, espresso drink, ice cream and other products on the other. Starbucks vehemently lays stress high quality of its product on the one hand and inauguration of its stores in all parts of the world on the other. It is well informed regarding the fact that immediate access to the product plays decisive part in the popularity of the product along with the high quality on which no compromise could be made at any cost. This essay also discusses what made the most pivotal role in the growth and successes of an organization.