10 Years After The Reovlution :: essays research papers

The so-called "Velvet revolution " ended the communist control of Czechoslovakia in late 1989. On November 17 the formal government allowed a demonstration, where people commemorated the 50th anniversary of a cruel suppression of a student demonstration in German-occupied Prague. However, history repeated itself and the students were brutally beaten by police. As a result a large protest movement developed. Demonstrations and strikes occurred across the whole country under the leadership of Obcanske forum, which was leaded by Vaclav Havel, a dissident playwright and Charter 77 signer. Following the political turmoil he became the new president of Czechoslovakia. Ten years after the Velvet Revolution many political and social changes have occurred within the former Czechoslovakia. The first major change was the peaceful split of the country to form two separate states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia as we know it today. Following this split much of the former communist infrastructure was disbanded including many state run industries in an attempt to make them more efficient and encourage investment. Former communist legislation preventing the freedom of speech was also passed out of law allowing people to express their political views and criticize government policies. For many people these changes introduced a great improvement in their standard of living. A wide variety of goods soon appeared in privately run shops which previously had only been available in western shops. People were also allowed to travel freely, which had been banned under the communists to prevent the breeding of discontent when people saw what was available in other countries. The country also prospered following increase foreign investment as western companies keen to exploit new markets entered the country for example the takeover of Skoda by the German run Volkswagen. However, the Velvet revolution did have some negative effects. The rationalization of state run companies meant that many people were put out of work

College - Is it Worth it? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

College - Is it Worth it? Right now in our society a college education is no longer an option or privilege, but rather a necessity. We are practically raised and conditioned to believe that one needs higher education in order to succeed in life. There is a saying that says "if you think education is expensive, try ignorance." But as technology is constantly advancing and computers are running almost anything, is a college education really necessary? There are people whom have never set foot in a college and are doing better than people who have their master's degree. There are views from both sides that contain a valid argument. The main reason why people go to college is not because they want to but because they have to. Most high school seniors are pressured by their guidance counselors and parents to go to college because it is "the right thing to do." In the essay that Caroline Bird wrote "College is a Waste of Time and Money", she states that students go to college because " . . . Mother wanted them to go, or some other reason entirely irrelevant to the course of studies for which college is supposedly organized." (481) The student may have different ideas about what he or she wants to do in life, but because they think that these "mentors" know what is best for them, they probably end up doing something they do not want to do, resulting in being miserable and resentful. Let's face it, going to college is socially prestigious. Most people go to college only for the title of being called a college student. " For some young people, it is a graceful way to get away from home and become independent without losing the financial support of their parents." (Bird 484) They do not want to be looked down upon so they do what would look best in the eyes of society. It is practically beat into our heads that in order to be a productive citizen of society, you should have some sort of college education. Being a college student is perhaps a more respectable role than being, for example, a janitor or a garbage man because of the negative connotations such jobs receive.

Innovation of Ipad

IS THE IPAD A DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY? Technology has been moved towards advancement day after day bringing new and improved devices and system. People are always on the verge of inventing something new and exciting. About a decade ago, mobile phone was rarely used by people but now everyone has a smartphone with all the possible gadgets in it like camera, video player, internet and more. Talking about disruptive technology which almost replaced any other company in new innovation was Apple. Apple launched iPhone which was one of the major successes in disruptive technology because it provided every bit of comfort to its user while using it.When apple launched ipad in 2010 there was a huge marketing and hype about its new innovated technology in the market. It was 10 inch tablet which runs on IOS (iphone operating system) as any other apple product. The ipad only runs apps from the Apple App Store. There are thousands of these applications available in the iTunes from movies, songs, ga mes and more. The ipad is not a necessity like the smartphone which do have the same gadget however it improves the quality of life of its users.Ipad has been used by the first author in two units offered by the Department of Statistics at Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia): a second-year Introduction to Probability unit (PROB) and a masters-level unit Mathematical Background for Biostatistics (BCA), delivered through the Biostatistics Consortium of Australia (Simpson, 2009). The use of technology, particularly the use of ipad, has supported a different mode of teaching in these two units that takes account of the general needs of the students and it enables students to be responsive to their individual requests.The ipad has been used as a way to involve, and motivate students through high-level presentation and communication tools. It has changed the approach in learning, experience simpler and deeper. Students will now experience the most amazing textbooks they’ve eve r read through the means of ipad because it provides with the images and dictionary one tap away to find the meaning of any word. This facilitates the user to become more relax while reading through ipad. Talking about the market that ipad is looking to compete is kindle. A kindle is a device just like ipad but smaller than ipad.Kindle is specially design only for reading purposes. It is dark ink display which enables user to study freely in the sunlight without any hesitation unlike ipad. Ipad is more likely a multi-purpose device which is used for almost everything that we need. It is easy to study at night rather at day because of its multi-colour display. But after apple launched the new ipad it has been solidified its presence on the e-reader device market, a market that has been previously been the dominated by Amazon, with its Kindle, and Barnes and Noble.Those devices are especially dedicated to e-book readers, while the new ipad series is an e-book reader in along with its various features, such as web browsing, multimedia, and support. But that flexibility doesn't make ipad a better product than kindle. Sometimes device that can do only one thing can be way more interesting than a multi-purpose device. The smallest, lightest, least expensive, easiest for reading purposes are the black-and-white e-book readers. If user wants only a reading tablet device it is to say the kindle is the favourite excluding the joy of watching videos and images.Each company offers varieties of models which gets the best lighting conditions. The one you want is the Kindle Paper White, whose brilliance is more pleasant than the equivalent any other device out on the market With plain, no-touch, no-light Kindles, with the ads on the screen saver, are quite cheaper but the light and the touch-screen are really worth having. One of the important parts in the learning experience is when a student does not understand a topic or a step in an exercise. The easiest way to help him or her is to go through the question using written words.With the introduction of the ipad into the teaching method, written answers can be incomplete to some cases when they are applicable and an answer to a student’s question can be produced in the form of a video lecture particular to the topic or exercise. The learning module of distance students has now been completely changed. If they cannot solve a problem or face any problem with the subject material by themselves, there is a new possible way by dedicating video by the tutorial/lecturer that shows every step of the problem and solution.This format is particularly important and has been successful. Written solutions are the same as the textbook and are often unable to provide the student with a new approach on solving the problem. It is common that a lecturer’s first response to a question is not enough and students ask for more visions. A video is different because it allows the student go through every step of the explanation in a more verbal way and probes asking for further explanation after such a mini video lecture are unusual.

Foreign Market Entry Strategies Essay

When an organization has made a decision to enter an overseas market, there are a variety of options open to it. These options vary with cost, risk and the degree of control which can be exercised over them. The simplest form of entry strategy is exporting using either a direct or indirect method such as an agent, in the case of the former, or countertrade, in the case of the latter. More complex forms include foreign direct investments which may involve joint ventures, or export processing zones. Having decided on the form of export strategy, decisions have to be made on the specific channels. Many agricultural products of a raw or commodity nature use agents, distributors or involve Government, whereas processed materials, whilst not excluding these, rely more heavily on more sophisticated forms of access. These are discussed in this paper. The three main ways are by direct or indirect export or production in a foreign country. Exporting Exporting is the most traditional and well established form of operating in foreign markets. Exporting can be defined as the marketing of goods produced in one country into another. Whilst no direct manufacturing is required in an overseas country, significant investments in marketing are required. The tendency may be not to obtain as much detailed marketing information as compared to manufacturing in marketing country; however, this does not negate the need for a detailed marketing strategy. Here the manufacturing is home based thus, it is less risky than overseas based. Besides giving an opportunity to â€Å"learn† overseas markets before investing in bricks and mortar, it also reduces the potential risks of operating overseas. Exporting methods include direct or indirect export. In direct exporting the organization may use an agent, distributor, or overseas subsidiary, or act via a Government agency. The disadvantage is mainly that one can be at the â€Å"mercy† of overseas agents and so the lack of control has to be weighed against the advantages. For example, in the exporting of African horticultural products, the agents and Dutch flower auctions are in a position to dictate to producers. According to Collett3 (1991) exporting requires a partnership between exporter, importer, government and transport. Without these four coordinating activities the risk of failure is increased. Contracts between buyer and seller are a must. Forwarders and agents can play a vital role in the logistics procedures such as booking air space and arranging documentation. Foreign direct investment Besides exporting, other market entry strategies include licensing, joint ventures, contract manufacture, ownership and participation in export processing zones or free trade zones. Licensing: Licensing is defined as â€Å"the method of foreign operation whereby a firm in one country agrees to permit a company in another country to use the manufacturing, processing, trademark, know-how or some other skill provided by the licensor†. It is quite similar to the â€Å"franchise† operation. Coca Cola is an excellent example of licensing. In Zimbabwe, United Bottlers have the licence to make Coke. Licensing involves little expense and involvement. The only cost is signing the agreement and policing its implementation.

The Impact of Terrorism Enforcement on Individual Rights

The Impact of Terrorism Enforcement on Individual Rights Christine Gontarz Northern Virginia Community College Woodbridge Campus ADJ100 December 2, 2011 Professor: George DeHarde Table of Contents Introduction3 Terrorism and the First Amendment5 Early History7 The Alien and Sedition Acts of 17987 Habeas Corpus Act of 18638 World War I History9 Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 and 19189 Schenck v. US -9 Debs v. US10 World War II History11 Alien Registration (Smith) Act of 194011 Japanese-American Internment – Executive Order 9066 of 194211The History of Today12 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 199612 U. S. A PATRIOT Act – 200113 Conclusion15 Works Cited17 Introduction During times of high crime, terrorism, war, and national crisis, citizens are willing to trade due process for a restriction of individual rights. At the heart of our individual rights are the first ten Amendments of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights. Although all the Ame ndments of the Bill of Rights were written to be of equal importance, to many Americans the most treasured is the First Amendment. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. † — The First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution Simply stated, the First  Amendment guarantees us the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. By examining the history of the United States, there have been times when incidents of crime, terrorism, terrorism threats, war, and national crisis have affected the rights of the people of the United States.There have been actions and reactions to those threats by the government. Restrictions were placed on citizens by limiting their rights; specifically the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments. Initially , the people of the United States understood the reasoning behind these limitations; however, as time went by, many felt the need to speak out about the injustices caused by the government and the restrictions of the freedoms of the people.Although the additional amendments in the Bill of Rights are of equal importance, it is the purpose of this paper to define examples of how the government has violated a the basic rights of the First Amendment during a presence or threat of terrorism in the United States. Terrorism and the First Amendment Freedom, as Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. — The Declaration of Independence is a God-given right provided to United States citizens. By declaring its independence from Great Britain and signing the Declaration of Independence, the Congress of the original thirteen colonies took its first steps to ensure its freedom from King George and British rule. Their goal, self-government and equal rights for the people (Fallon 14). It is because of British tyrannical rule that the United States Constitution was written.The United States Constitution outlined the rights of the government of the thirteen original colonies, but it was not until the Federalists and Anti-Federalists resolved their differences and adopted the Bill of Rights in 1791 that the people of the United States had the rights and freedoms they so desired to build this country. More than two hundred years later, on September 11, 2001, the United States was targeted by terrorists. This day is marked by atrocities beyond imagination. It is also on this day that many people of this generation say that the individual rights that our forefathers worked to provide have been changed forever.The attacks of September 11th have c aused the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights to be restricted by the enforcement of government rules and regulations; First Amendment rights limiting the freedom of speech, Fourth Amendment rights of illegal search and seizure, and Fourteenth Amendment rights of due process come to mind (although others feel that the Fifth and Sixth Amendments have also been affected). There are specific examples in United States history where the effects of terrorism enforcement have impinged individual rights.In order to relate the impact of government actions on individual rights for the sake of national security, in the name of terrorism, terrorism must be defined. According to the FBI, there is no one definition that is universally accepted by everyone (Office of Public Affairs iv). Their definition of terrorism from the Code of Federal Regulations can be defined as: â€Å"the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives† (28 C.F. R. Section 0. 85). By observing a chronological history of the United States there is evidence of terrorism since the beginning of written history. References in the Bible refer to the cleansing of entire groups of people by eliminating the city of Jericho [ (Joshua 6. 1-27) ]. There are examples of terrorism during Greek and Roman times when the first known terror organization, the Zealots of Judea, formed campaigns and carried out assassinations of Roman occupation forces and Jews whom they felt collaborated with the Romans. (Early History of Terrorism) ] Although earlier instances of terrorism impacted the rights of individuals, it was not until the adoption of the Bill of Rights that there was recourse that could be taken by the people. It was then that citizens of the United States could declare that their individual rights were violated. Early History The Alien and Sedition Ac ts of 1798 From 1789 through 1799, during the French Revolution, the United States was forced to declare a policy of neutrality to avoid becoming involved in European conflicts and being dragged into another war.Because of an impending fear of war with France and a fear that â€Å"criticism of the government was destine to topple the Constitution,† (Willis 5) the Federalist-dominated Congress of President John Adams enacted the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 (Office of the Historian). Consisting of four acts, they introduced laws intended to suppress political opposition from Anti-Federalists. By enacting these laws, Adams was working to shield the United States from the French enemy and to protect the United States from opposition groups of Anti-Federalists.The four laws consisted of the Naturalization Act which raised the residency period of aliens from five to fourteen years, the Alien Act of 1798 which enabled the president to deport any alien (even during peacetime) if they were considered â€Å"dangerous to the safety of the US. † The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 enabled wartime arrest, imprisonment, or deportation of any alien for simply being from an enemy country. The last act, The Sedition Act made it a crime to â€Å"oppose any measure or measures of the government of the US. It also prohibited â€Å"writing, printing, uttering, or publishing any false, scandalous, and malicious writing or writings against the government of the US. It is evident that Sedition Act was the most controversial and most seriously punishable of the acts. Committing an offense against the Sedition Act was punishable by fines up the $5,000 and up to five years in prison and a second offenses were charged with a $2,000 fine and up to two years in jail.Most of those punished under the Sedition Act were journalists and politicians who aligned themselves with the Anti-Federalist party or the Jeffersonian Republicans (Willis 7). The grandson of Benjamin Franklin, B enjamin Bache who was the founder and editor of the Philadelphia General Advertiser, was the first to be charged under the Sedition Act because of his Anti-Federalist descent against John Adams and the Federalist party. Habeas Corpus Act of 1863 The presidency of Abraham Lincoln can best be described as a presidency of wartime.Just twelve hours after the president was elected, Major Robert Anderson sent Lincoln a dispatch requesting reinforcements of twenty thousand men to secure Fort Sumter from Confederate attack [ (Dirck 20) ]. It was Lincoln who set the tone for wartime presidents and he took full advantage of this power. During the height of the Civil War, Lincoln ordered a writ suspending Habeas Corpus. Lincoln’s primary focus by ordering the writ was to quell political opposition from pro-Confederate sympathizers.He justified his decision by stating â€Å"Even in such a case, would not the official oath be broken, if the government should be overthrown, when it was be lieved that disregarding the single law, would tend to preserve it? † [ (Dirck 25) ] referring to [ (Lincoln) ]. Lincoln believed that public safety was the cornerstone behind his decision. With public safety in mind, Lincoln authorized Winfield Scott to arrest anyone in â€Å"an insurrection against the laws of the United States. † [ (Dirck 25) ] referring to [ (Symonds) ] World War I HistoryEspionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 and 1918 Once again the United States and its people were preoccupied with war. In April 1917, the United States declared war on Germany and fears of espionage, anarchist activities, and the threat of terrorism loomed over the heads of the United States government. By establishing the Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 and 1918, the government prohibited the public from openly demonstrating or passing forth any information deemed to be detrimental to the military or the government during a time of war.Woodrow Wilson even gave the postmaster righ ts to restrict distribution of mail and documents that could be construed as harmful to the military of the United States . These offenses could be punishable by death. Because of the fear of harm to the nation and its citizens, the House and Senate almost passed the bill without any debate whatsoever even though the bill trampled on the freedom of speech and freedom of the press [ (Willis 14) ]. Schenck v. US – Led by Oliver Wendell Holmes, this would be the first case in which the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that constituted when the United States government could limit speech.Charles  Schenck, the general secretary of the Socialist party in Philadelphia was arrested for the distribution of political propaganda. These leaflets, which referenced the clause of the Thirteenth Amendment forbidding involuntary servitude, were directed at men who were drafted upon the passage of the Selective Service Act. Schenck encouraged draftees to â€Å"Assert Your Rights,† a nd that the people needed to stand up to the government for entering the war. The government claimed that these flyers contained â€Å"false† statements that could ultimately interfere with the effort to win the war.It was during this case that Oliver Wendell Holmes coined his most memorable rationale for the decision of the Supreme Court to be upheld in the Schenck case, noting that: â€Å"The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent. It is a question of proximity and degree. † Debs v. US Eugene Debs, a founder of the Socialist Party in 1901 and a strong opponent to the â€Å"Great War,† was no stranger to speaking his mind and being imprisoned because of his actions.Debs was sentenced to jail for his role as leader of a nationwide boycott of involving the Pullman Palace Car Company in 1894. After serving a two-year prison sentence, Debs held a Sunday afternoon picnic in Canton, Ohio. During his speech, Debs, phrasing his words carefully for fear of being prosecuted by the government for his â€Å"right to free expression,† encouraged the crowd to â€Å"turn their backs on the Republican and Democratic Party† and â€Å"fight for a cause [ (Debs) ]. † Debs was arrested for violating the Espionage Act and was accused of tampering with the recruiting services of the United States.He served a ten-year sentence for his speech. World War II History Alien Registration (Smith) Act of 1940 Representative Howard W. Smith introduced the Alien Registration Act of 1940. This act required aliens to register with the government of the United States within four months of their arrival in the United States. Although the prior acts were made during times of war, the Alien Registration Act was an act proposed and adopted during peacetime [ (Willis 26 -27) ]. The main objective of the act was to thwart any attempt by the American Communist Party to weaken the government of the United States.This act made it illegal to interfere with the loyalty of military personnel, to teach to violently overthrow the United States government, or to conspire to commit or to commit prohibited acts. The act also stated that the government could confiscate materials using the search warrant provision and that punishment of these offenses could result in a conviction of up to ten years in prison and a ten thousand dollar fine. In 1948, Harry Truman invoked this act to contain Soviet supporters and had eleven leaders of the Communist Party U.S. A. indicted for violations of the Smith Act. During the prosecution of the case of Dennis v. United States, the government used the works of Karl  Marx to prove that the eleven men violated the Alien Registration Act stating that they privately planned to overthrow the government of the United States. Japane se-American Internment – Executive Order 9066 of 1942 Eleven weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Executive Order 9066 was signed by Franklin Roosevelt. â€Å"Relocation Centers† were set up across the United States.Approximately 110,000 Japanese-Americans were confined to no more than an American version of Hitler’s concentration camps. Japanese-Americans serving in the military were categorized as enemy aliens and discharged from the armed forces of the United States. Minoru Yasui was the first citizen to bring a case before the government during the time of the Internment. Yasui was denied active duty service by the United States military. Yasui purposely violated curfew orders in order to be arrested.His case, although initially based on a curfew law was brought to court and a unanimous conviction was handed down to Yasui claiming that his â€Å"racial attachments† to his Japanese roots posed a danger of espionage to the American people [ (Baker and Stack 66-68) ]. The History of Today Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 In the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, the nation was traumatized by such a deplorable act of domestic terrorism. An overwhelming public fear guided the reactions of United States and the government set limitations of individual rights to protect its people.One week after the Oklahoma City bombing, President Clinton and members of Congress swiftly approved the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty of 1996 (AEDPA). First Amendment rights were again affected. By allowing the Secretary of State to selectively define its meaning of â€Å"material support† to foreign organizations, citizens were â€Å"guilty by association† based on the purpose of their monetary contributions (Brown et al. 17-20) . The belief was that monetary and logistical contributions to an organization showed support for that organization. This was enough ammunition for the government to hold ci tizens in violation of the AEDPA.In a case brought against the Attorney General by the Humanitarian Law Project (HLP), the HLP challenged the ruling that their humanitarianism, peacekeeping training, and support of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was in violation of the constitutionality of the material support statute. The PKK was determined to be a â€Å"terrorist organization. † By supporting a terrorist organization, the HLP could have faced extensive prison sentences if they had continued to support their mission by providing monetary and logistical contributions even though the contributions were to support peaceful acts.Eventually the HLP ceased in their support of the PKK. U. S. A PATRIOT Act – 2001 With the attack of the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the takeover of Flight 93, the scope of terrorism in the United States had changed since even the bombings in Oklahoma  City. Once thought to be a crisis of foreign countries, the United States w as now faced with a new brand of terrorist attacks unlike ever before. As a result, acts aimed at preventing further attacks and protecting the security of society were invoked.The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act), was adopted in October 2001 to assist the government in gaining information on future terror attacks. Many feel that since the adoption of the PATRIOT Act, First Amendment rights have been violated in an unprecedented way. Not only does the government have the ability to limit the size and nature of demonstrations, conduct racial profiling, but they also may limit the information which can be publicized to the citizens of the United States claiming â€Å"national security interests. The National Archives and Records Administration states that â€Å"the number of classification actions by the Executive Branch rose 14 percent in 2002 over 2001 — and declassification a ctivity fell to its lowest level in seven years. † [ (Posner 220) ] Since September 11, Arab, Muslim, and South Asian populations of the United States have been profiled based on skin color and other physical characteristics. The government has the ability to â€Å"stop, interrogate and detain individuals without criminal charge †¦ on the basis of their national origin, ethnicity and religion. (American Civil Liberties Union 1) ]. By looking at the people who were rounded up just after September 11, it is evident that racial profiling based on religion and ethnicity had taken place by the Department of Justice; a clear violation of the First Amendment. In a more recent incident in The Washington Post on October 2008, Maryland State Police revealed that as a result of surveillance operations, the names of fifty-three nonviolent activists had been placed into an unknown federal database used for the purpose of tracking terrorist suspects.The judgment by the Maryland State Police to include the activists’ names in the terrorist database was met with disapproval and was criticized by senators noting that the â€Å"law enforcement officials were oblivious to their violation of the activists' rights of free expression and association. † [ (Rein, Lisa A1) ] Conclusion Through historical records, it is evident the intent of the government in times of war is to protect its citizens and prevent aggression on the homeland.The punishment and imprisonment of citizens for First Amendment violations are based on situations when governing bodies of the United States felt threatened by acts of anarchy, Communism, terrorism, or war. In most instances, the government has been proactive by halting contrary opinions from opposing parties or seeking peacetime acts as a precautionary measure. At other times, they have been reactive by enacting laws after terrorist attacks . In either case, they have adopted rules and laws based upon the fear of the people a nd the prevention of potential attacks.Their fears have limited free speech, free assembly, free press, and have punished those for freedom of religion. Historically, as time went by and threats declined, the people of the United States became more conscious of the limitations the government had set forth. In the referenced laws and actions of this paper, court cases brought to the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of First Amendment limitations have been paramount in the repeal or retraction of these acts. The decisions in these cases prove that there is a need for a balance between individual freedoms and protection of the people.

Intellectual Power

Intellectual Power: How it is Measured, and its Effect on Learning Intellectual Power: How it is Measured, and its Effect on Learning Intellectual power, brainpower and mental capacity can all be defined as intelligence. According to The Developing Child, intelligence is a set of abilities defined in various ways by different psychologists but generally agreed to include the ability to reason abstractly, the ability to profit from experience, and the ability to adapt to varying environmental contexts (Bee & Boyd, 2012, p. 67). Basically, intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. The first modern intelligence measuring tests where created over one hundred years ago. These tests where designed to incorporate the same tasks the children were performing in school; math, reading comprehension, vocabulary etc. The results of these tests identified children who may have had some problems or difficulties in school (Bee & Boyd, 2012, p. 167).Since that period, the measuring of intelligence has drastically changed. The most widely accepted method of assessing intellectual power is a standardized test called the intelligent quotient, or IQ test. The IQ test is a performance test that ranks an individual’s intelligence based on a score generated from tests results. This score compares the individual to his or her peers. For children, the test scores are compared to his or her counterparts of the same chronological age group (Bee & Boyd, 2012, p. 67). Another type of intelligence testing is achievement testing. These types of tests assess what a child has been taught and learned in school. It is based on specific material such as vocabulary or algebra. Just like the IQ test, it is also a test based on performance (Bee & Boyd, 2012, p. 171). Intelligence testing has been amongst the most controversial topics in psychology and other professional arenas such as education as well as amongst the general public (Gottfredson & Saklofske, 2009, p . 84). There are many that feel that standardized tests, like the IQ test, are not a sufficient indicator of intelligence. Howard Gardner, a developmental psychologist, believes that there are multiple types of intelligences. He broke them into seven categories: * Verbal/Linguistic intelligence – The ability to use words effectively * Logical/Mathematical Intelligence – The ability to use reasoning skills * Visual/Spatial Intelligence – The ability to ecreate one’s visual experiences * Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence – To establish harmony between body and mind * Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence – The ability to create/respond to a pattern of sounds * Interpersonal Intelligence – The ability to evaluate feelings of others * Intrapersonal Intelligence – To accurately evaluate one’s own feelings The seven intelligences enable the individual,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"to perform transformations and modifications of one’s perceptionsâ⠂¬  and â€Å"to recreate aspects of one's experiences† (Gardner 1983, p. 173). An additional intelligence, Naturalistic (nature), was added to Gardner’s theory in the 1990s.The IQ test and other standardized tests at present, do not measure all â€Å"eight† intelligences proposed in Gardner’s theory. Almost everyone agrees that intelligence is a product of nature and nurture, genetics and environment. The study of intelligence and how it affects learning has been ongoing for years. There are so many questions that don’t have exact answers which hinder the efforts of those trying to analyze the relationship between intelligence and learning: â€Å"How is intelligence measured? What method is used to assess learning? † For the majority, intelligence is directly related to learning.The more â€Å"intelligent† you are, the more capacity of learning can take place. References Bee, H. ; Boyd, D. (2012). The Developing Child (13th Edition) . Pearson Education Inc. Gardner,   H. (1993a). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences /10th  Anniversary Edition. New York: Basic Books. Retrieved from: http://www. intime. uni. edu/model/teacher/teac1summary. html Gottfredson L. ; Saklofske D. (2009). Intelligence: Foundations and Issues in Assessment. Canadian Psychology  © 2009 Canadian Psychological Association. Vol. 50, No. 3, 183–195

A Narrative Essay about Education

The history of human beings as put forth by the bible and other informal sources reflects on major aspects of human beings efforts to subdue the earth. In it, the history of knowledge, beliefs, skills and cultures of humanity can be found as some of the earliest aspects of human beings that offer a distinction between man and other creatures.For instance, education has been the mainstay of many communities’ earliest practices this is seen through efforts by such communities’ generations to propagate its cultural, social, traditions, morality, religion, knowledge and skills to the next generation. Such informal efforts are what form the basis of the modern education system (Farrant J.S, 1980). Education can therefore be said to be the process of inculcating worthwhile knowledge, skills and attitudes to individuals with the main aim of permanently and positively changing them.This paper will implore the various dimensions of education, its dynamics, its use its developmen t, the key players, problem it faces, its benefits and lastly an independent position taken in respect to the world’s trends of education.Uses of educationEducation (teaching/ learning) can be grouped into three dimensions i.e. formal non-formal and informal dimensions. The formal dimension encompasses learning that takes place in school classrooms; non-formal encompasses learning that takes place in school clubs, societies, games and sports while the informal takes place in unstructured informal interactions between learners themselves or with other people (Farrant J.S, 1980).However, whether offered in a formal, non-formal or even informal dimension, education (learning) process needs to address the following four main aspects in order to be meaningful and impacting. These aspects include; who will be educated? What institution will control education? Who will offer the financial support? Lastly, why do certain get different quality of education?For instance, many jurisdict ions have struggled formulate education systems that seeks to fully put into consideration the inherent needs of its population. Therefore, they formulate schools and institutions; they offer budgetary allocation and set standards of placing various groups of students into respective educational levels according to their academic abilities (Theodore, 1994).It will be hollow talk and a mere waste of resources if the human kind continues putting much of their ideological and material efforts to a thing that does not offer any substantial value to their lives. Education as seen earlier in the introduction part is as old as the human origin and hence its value to human beings is enormous.According to Susan Bassett’s article, â€Å"what is education for?† (The education revolution, 2007) education is about children growing up into adults who will have a sense of understanding in the world they inhabit. This education will therefore make them internalize the essence behind t he casting of votes in the elections, why things like preventive healthcare are necessary, why history remains important in the modern society and so on.