Vocational Education in America free essay sample

An analysis of the future of vocational education in America. This paper discusses the pros and cons of vocational education training in the U.S. and how it can be seriously jeopardized by state and local cut-backs. Vocational education is most often part of state and local cut-backs. It is also worth noting that in 1965 the voters in St. Louis County passed a tax levy to provide 10 cents per $100 in assessed valuation for vocational education. Today, almost 30 years later, the district still uses only about 11 cents of its levy to provide vocational education (Wolfrum, 1995). The decline of student enrollments in vocational education over the last 10 years is not limited to the St. Louis area. It seems to be a national trend due largely in part to the perception that a college education is necessary and that vocational students do not need further education (Wolfrum 1995).

Information Technology Acts Essay

Information Technology Acts Essay Information Technology Acts Essay Information Technology Acts Reshonda Brewster BIS/220 Craig Bialy November 8, 2011 Information Technology Acts Technology and computer information systems are advancing at a rapid pace. With the access of the Internet on computers, mobile phones, iPads, and other tablet devices makes it easier for communication. Schools are teaching children as young as toddlers to use computers and the Internet for learning and recreational use. According to Kidsource Online (2009), â€Å"Children 3 and 4 years of age are developmentally ready to explore computers, and most early childhood educators see the computer center as a valuable activity center for learning† (para. 4). The Internet has posed a potential threat over the years to many with unsolicited spam, viruses, and pornography that can invade a computer at any given moment. The Federal government has developed Acts to help protect children from the dangers of the Internet with (CIPA) Children Internet Protection Act and (COPPA) Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act from the potential threats. The Children’s Internet Protection Act Congress passed Children Internet Protection Act in 2000 to protect children while using computers at schools and libraries from accessing offensive content through the Internet. CIPA requires schools and libraries to purchase a program named E-rate to block offensive information from computers (Federal Communications Commission, n.d.). According to Federal Communications Commission (n.d.), â€Å"The E-rate program makes certain communications technology more affordable for eligible schools and libraries† (para. 1). The information that schools and libraries must block or filter is pornography, unlawful activities harmful to minors, and restricts information that can be harmful to children. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act The Children’s Online Privacy Act (COPPA) was passed in 1998 to protect children under 13 years of age from revealing their personal information on commercial websites without parental consent (Koby, 2006). Marketers such as television, radio, and websites target children that resulted in children releasing private information when ordering products online or going to public (commercial) websites. Kolby (2006), This legislation grew out of the fact that by 1998 roughly [sic] ten

Huge inequality between Poor and Rich in China Essay

Huge inequality between Poor and Rich in China - Essay Example According to Gini Index, released recently indicates the income inequality between rich and poor, in rural China is 0.3949, near to the warning level of 0.4 fixed by the United Nations. Advanced research conducted by Central China Normal University's Center for China Rural Studies illustrated that the cash proceeds of rural families raised 14.13 percent and the per capita cash revenue in rural areas increased 11.95 percent. Agriculturalists in China aren’t becoming rich by farming activities. The rise in income growth in the rural areas are because of the salaries earned by those people who have uninhibited rural life to labor as migratory laborers in metropolises and big cities, the study stated. It is observed that the rural families are becoming more reliant on salaries received by their household members who work in cities. The study shown that salaries paid to the migratory employees estimated for 65.7%of the entire proceeds of rural families. Over and above the study as well established that the whole revenue of the top 20% of the rural families was 10.19 times more that of the lowest 20%. As per the study report, the prosperity difference in west China was larger than in the east of the nation. The appraisal by Central China Normal University did not study the income disparity of the country all together, since its scope was restricted to the rural region. But, it is stated by Xinhua, the state-owned news agency that the income disparity in China all together is well above 0.4, because of the huge income disparity amongst city and rural regions. In the year 2000, Chinese government issued a Gini index for the country which showed as 0.412. However many intellectuals at present believe that the index has gone up to between 0.45 and 0.50, stated Xinhua. The significance of Gini index is that ‘0’ indicate flawless equality and‘1’ indicate perfect inequality. The Gini index in the United States in 2009 was 0.468, referring to the U.S. Census Bureau. This is very close to the Gini index of China (Yoshida). The developing Asian countries like China, India, accepted the recent globalization move with comparable per capita GDP and income levels. However, China gone ahead with more to its open economy to the international market, despite the fact that major numbers of its coastline cities have made wide-ranging investment atmosphere for private investment. The outcome has been an amazing vibrant economic progress. Even though India has followed a similar system, however was slow in terms of opening up the economy and unsuccessful in making good investment atmosphere. Some of developing Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam has achieved remarkable success, however other nations such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines has less progress because of lack of , investment opportunity and weaker links to the international market. The China’s continued progress resulted i n unparalleled poverty reduction. According to domestic studies, it is estimated that the poverty rate in China in 1981 was 64% of the populace. It has come down to 10% in 2004, showing that about 500 million people have overcome poverty throughout this period. This poverty decline has happened in phases. The change to the family obligation method boosted a large upsurge in agricultural yield, and scarcity was reduced to half over the small period from

Dilemma in business communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dilemma in business communication - Essay Example The new employment opportunity could improve the issue that the employee has and at the same time challenge him to be the best. If I tell the truth about the employee’s drinking problem, the employer will be able to know what kind of employee they are taking in and will be in a position to curtail him to live up to the standards of the organization. However, this would diminish the employees chances of being employed. My rationale behind hiding the truth from the employer will be based on the fact that by searching for a new employment opportunity, the employee has changed positively and realized that sticking to a company’s policies and values is a requisite. My choice will also give the employee a new chance to grow career wise (Snoeyenbos, Almeder & Humber, 2001). Although it is in the best interest of companies to hire efficient employees, people with ethical issues should also be given chances to improve. This can be done through training, formulation of company policies which encourages ethical values at the workplace and having the managers in the forefront in the elimination of unethical

George Orwell Essay Example for Free

George Orwell Essay A comparison between Dickens hard times Orwells 1984 I am writing about two novels that seem to come across as very different. Orwells novel portraying a nightmarish image of his opinionated future of Britain. Where as Dickens novel creates a vision to represent Victorian education over 150 years ago. Both of these storylines dehumanise and dictate a society, both of very different kinds. Charles Dickens and George Orwells novels differ in the recreation of the society and in the plot of the actual storyline. The innocence of the children and the bleak severity of the head teacher is what dickens focuses on to display his thoughts of Victorian schools. In which Orwell depicts a society where everything is bleak and distraught and dictated by a soulless party, BIG BROTHER. Further more both novels were written at totally different generations, Dickens being the Victorian times and Orwells being the mid nineteen hundreds. Despite all these issues that divide the novels apart they seem to come across as very similar. Within closer inspection of the novels they seem to both control and authorise their societies. Orwell has used an empowering character as his leader; he has created a party lead by BIG BROTHER. Where as in Dickens approach to create a leader he has used a less excessive and extreme character called Mr Gradgrind, the head teacher who only implicates facts. Although he may not be as demanding as Orwells approach, he uses satire to dissolve the pupils mentality. Both of these characters apply a very dominating attitude towards there audience and offer them no thought and identity. Girl number 20 6079 Smith Both authors have produced an atmosphere where people who are commanded by them, are clarified as mindless objects; rather than individuals with an imagination. This strips them down to nothing but factorised minds in one case, and an imagination that hardly existed in Orwells novel. In an extract from Hard times, the author disembowels the imagination of the students and use the idea of Morgiana the 40 thieves. Not unlike Morgiana looking into all the vessels ranged before him This gives an idea of Mr Gradgrind pouring the facts from his factorised mind, into the students damaged imagination. This compares with Orwells approach, where BIG BROTHER brutally demolishes the entire imagination and thought, as they suffer in a decayed dystopia. An additional contrast linking the novels together is, the stern and domineering party in both societies. The BIG BROTHER party emphasises the issue of them surveying the society of the party members and this is persistently repeated in the novel. In which Mr Gradgrind constantly stresses the importance of facts and crushes the childrens minds, until they grasp the significance of facts. In this life, we want nothing but facts, sir; nothing but facts BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU These two quotations illustrate the emphasis and constant repetition of the parties. The author uses these effects to not only get the picture imprinted in the mind of the characters, but also into the readers. Furthermore, the BIG BROTHER party in Orwells novel, links very well with Dickens criticizing character, Mr Gradgrind. These two characters both contrast and appear as very similar in personality and in appearance. They both are displayed with a face that jolts the reader, and creates in their imagination; a daunting and depressing figure. The black-moustachioed face gazed down while the dark eyes looked into Winstons own While his eyes found commodious cellarage in two dark caves, over shadowed by the wall The first quotation is Orwell showing his opinion of BIG BROTHER gazing with fear, and this compares extremely well with dickens attempt to create the same sort of atmosphere. Dickens expresses more scarce by using a metaphor to show his view of a leader, he also goes into more detail about the bold figure of Mr Gradgrind. Not only do they link well in appearance, but also in attitude towards their society. Both seem to dictate, and show immense power on the regulations of their own society. In conclusion, I feel that both authors have created a society and atmosphere; that both link together and show many similarities. Although they may well both show differences, they dont even compare with the shear amount of evidence that link the novels together. Each author has created authority, control and power to create an atmosphere that can dictate a whole society. In this case the societies are very alike and the tone of speech used by each author is much the same. In my opinion, these two novels equally portray a society that can create a vision for the reader to see a glimpse of the past or what may be a glimpse of the future.

Japanese in America Essay -- essays research papers

Pocky, Anime, manga, kanji. Have you heard of any of these? If not†¦ where have you been? All around us teenagers, children, and even adults are being drawn into Japanese culture through TV, books, and even food. Japanese comics, called manga, take up more and more space on American bookshelves, and they've infused new life into the publishing industry. Japanese animation, anime, is on more and more movies and TV screens and influencing popular toys and games. Before the 80’s when people thought of Japanese imports, they thought of cars, TV’s, walkmans, and other electronics. Japanese pop culture is becoming increasingly popular and shows no signs of stopping. Now children are trying to learn Japanese and martial arts to be like their favorite anime character. Teens are learning to speak Japanese and adopting Japanese clothes, food, and even traditions. Adults are enthralled by the colorful and vast world of anime and manga and are amazed they can have such a lasting effect on their kids. Some people may wonder why Japanese anime and manga are so popular with kids and the answer is simple. They’re so different and captivating, everyone can find one they enjoy. You have action, comedy, romance, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and tons more. Some even mix and match, making a truly wonderful and breathtaking experience. And it’s not just the movie and book industry either. Music, known as J-pop or J- rock, is taking up more and more room on the Internet. The Japanese bands are not o...

Early Childhood Education Programs Essay

Early childhood education or preschool education is education for children in the early stages of their childhood before they join school. Several researches that have been conducted by neuroscientists, pediatricians and other stakeholders shows that the biggest portion of the brain architecture takes place in the early childhood years. Research studies have also found out that intellectual and emotional development is critical during the first three years of life. Maria Montessori was one of many educationists who believe that the foundation of human development is laid during the child’s early years. She declared that: The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six, (Pandor, 2008 para. 3). Many other educationists assert that the quality of education is determined in the first years of a child in school. Early Childhood Education Programs Preschool education or early childhood education is a quality education and it is beneficial to children from all economic and social groups. Development of quality early childhood programs should be emphasized as it can be viewed as a social and economic strategy. Investing in these programs is therefore not only important to the child but also to the development of the state and the country at large. A research conducted by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) in five states of the United States found out that â€Å"quality public preschool programs produce broad gains in children’s learning and development,† (NIEER, 2005 para. 4). According to the same study, state funded programs were found to have significant gains regardless of the child’s ethnic or economic and social background. The effects of the preschool programs were estimated by testing the literacy skills, vocabulary and academic skills of the kindergarteners. A total of 5,071 children in 1, 320 classrooms were tested in either English or Spanish depending on the child’s strongest language. The impacts on mathematics, literacy and language were statistically significant compared to the children without the program. Vocabulary scores were 31 percent higher than gains of children without the program. On mathematical skills which included basic skills such as counting money, simple additions and subtractions, number concepts and telling time, the gains increased to 44 percent. In print awareness the gains were 85 percent greater for children enrolled in state sponsored preschool programs compared to the growth of children who are not enrolled (NIEER, 2005). According to the NIEER study, participants at the age of 20 years were more likely to have cleared high school if they enrolled for the preschool programs. They were less likely to have required remedial education and also less likely to have committed juvenile crimes which warrant arrests. With the unnecessary costs of remedial classes and expenditure for justice systems and in addition to the increased revenues, it was estimated that there was a return of $7 for every dollar that was invested. At 27 years of age, participants had gained a higher level of education and their earnings were higher than those who did not enroll for the early childhood school programs. The number of those who received the social services was significantly low and the numbers of arrests were fewer. These studies were carried out on children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The befits gained can be intertwined in the sense that once this child gains a higher level of education most likely the earnings will be high, consequently economic prospects will be high, improvement on financial decisions, improved health and housing (NIEER, 2008). An opportunity to live in a classroom community, interact and get along with people from various socioeconomic backgrounds can be considered as a social benefit for children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Learning how to get along with others will result to improved social skills and emotional competence. These programs set a stage and give a child preparedness to enroll for the formal education. Apart from improving on their communication skills and getting higher scores in school tests, they have lesser behavioral issues once they enroll in the formal learning process. When a child goes through the pre kindergarten learning they succeed in school and become good citizens, earn more, commit less crimes and pay more taxes. â€Å"Every dollar invested in quality early care and education saves taxpayers up to $13. 00 in future costs,† (http://web. mit. edu/workplacecenter/docs/Full%20Report. pdf. n. d pp. 2). The success of the early child leaning relies heavily on the quality of the preschool programs. In an effort to improve the schools and the learning process, most states in United States have established public preschool programs to cater for less privileged and disadvantaged. Most of these programs are established on the principle that early intervention will help the child unleash his full potential. For example the mission for Head Start is â€Å"to ensure that no child in America is trapped in poverty’s grasp,† (United Way of America, 2005 pp. 1). These programs have been criticized and their effectiveness has been questionable. From the findings of NIEER (2005) studies, â€Å"vocabulary gains were three or four times greater than those in the Head Start study,† (para. 9). In spite of this big difference in performance, such aspects such as the class size and the length of day remained the same. This difference was attributed to high educational qualifications and good remuneration for teachers in state funded pre-kindergarten programs compared to Head Start. Almost all state funded programs studied in the five states required teachers to be licensed, have a certification in early childhood education and be a holder of a BA degree. In the case of Head Start the requirements half of the teachers were required to have a two-year Associate’s degree while the rest to have a Child Development Associate (requires only 120 hours of training to acquire CDA credential) or an equivalent (LIFESTYLENIEER, n. d). Abbot, another preschool program in New Jersey was established to serve the highest poverty districts within the state. Substantial resources have been invested in the school and NIEER annual report rated it as one those with highest quality standards nationwide. According to the Abbot preschool program longitudinal effects study by Frede et al (2007), â€Å"the results presented provides clear evidence that by participating in a high-quality program regardless of auspice, children are improving in literacy and math at least until the end of the kindergarten year,† (pp. 35). It therefore remains clear that high standard and accountability are key factors to the success of these programs. Recruitments of qualified and well educated teachers as has been observed in performing preschool programs are instrumental in guaranteeing good quality. These teachers must be adequately compensated to boost their morale and hence increasing productivity. The classes should be manageable. This can only be achieved by having a reasonable child to teacher ratio. Finally there should be strong supervision to ensure that standard and quality of learning is uncompromised. Conclusion All children are entitled to quality education. From the studies conducted a disadvantaged child is likely to gain more from preschool program. If these programs are expanded more disadvantaged children will enroll and they will develop positive peer effects when they enroll for the formal school learning. â€Å"Failing to invest sufficiently in quality early care and education shortchanges taxpayers because the return on investment is greater than many other economic development options,† (http://web. mit. edu/workplacecenter/docs/Full%20Report. pdf. n. d pp. 2). There should be universal large-scale and state wide programs to benefit the minority and the poor. Reference: Early Childhood Education for All, a Wise Investment, retrieved on 20th July 2008 from http://web. mit. edu/workplacecenter/docs/Full%20Report. pdf. Frede E, Jung K, Barnett W. S, Lamy, C. E & Figueras, A. (2007): The Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study (Apples). Retrieved on 20th July 2008 from: http://nieer. org/resources/research/APPLES. pdf LIFESTYLENIEER (n. d): Economic Benefits Of Quality Preschool Education for America’s 3- And 4-Year Olds. Retrieved on 20th July 2008 from: http://nieer. org/resources/facts/index. php? FastFactID=6 Martina, A (2008): Column: Early Connections Are Key For Infants To Thrive. Retrieved on 20th July 2008 From: http://detnews. com/apps/pbcs. dll/article? AID=/20080715/OPINION03/807150398/100 National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) (2005):New Study Shows High Quality State Pre-K Programs Improve Language and Math Abilities of Children of All Backgrounds: State Programs with Higher Teacher Qualifications Outperform Head Start , retrieved on 20th July 2008 from http://nieer. org/mediacenter/index. php? PressID=46 Pandor N (2008): A call to focus on firm foundations for learning, Journal of Education, Vol. 8. Issue No. 11, pp 21-27, Retrieved on 20th July 2008 from http://www. anc. org. za/ancdocs/anctoday/2008/text/at11. txt United Way of America (2005): Early Childhood Education, retrieved on 20th July 2008 from http://www. liveunited. org/_cs