A written analysis of the nature of Practitionr research Essay

A written analysis of the nature of Practitionr research - Essay Example Practitioner research has been employed as a means of bridging the gap between practice and theory. Teachers have been urged to use practitioner research, specifically action research in order to improve education and reconstruct knowledge (Berker, 1992). Other areas of practice, including health, agriculture, and the social sciences have also not been left behind in their use of practitioner research, as they are seeking to improve their knowledge base, and eventually bridging the gap between theory and practice (Fox, et.al., 2007). Various discussions on practitioner research have been forwarded, including its nature, values, and underlying activities. This paper seeks to explore the nature of practitioner research. It shall explore various issues pertaining to ethics, especially in relation to practitioner research. Firstly, it shall discuss the youth mentoring and how practitioner research applies to this field. Secondly, the importance of ethical applications in practitioner res earch will also be established. Lastly, an analysis of practitioner and action research will be carried out. Youth mentoring is a process that entails a linking of mentors with the youth, especially those that require the care of responsible adults (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). More often than not, the responsible adults (mentors) are not relatives of the mentored youths. At most, these mentors serve as volunteers under a community-based program catering to the needs of the youth population. Most definitions of the mentoring processes have revolved around the idea that an older and more experienced person would assist a much younger and less experienced individual to go through developmental stages and transition towards bigger responsibilities (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). The motive for the establishment of mentoring programs is primarily on assisting youths in their transition into adulthood. In other cases, mentoring programs have also been established in order to curb and control delin quent behaviours. In the past decades, various mentoring programs have emerged in different parts of the world (Spencer, 2007). Moreover, the number of youths under the mentoring programs has also increased drastically (Spencer, 2007). Mentors have often entered into the mentoring programs with much enthusiasm. However, concerns on the efficacy of the mentoring programs have emerged in recent years. In particular, questions have been seen on whether or not the current state of the mentoring programs is effective and ethical (Rhodes and Liang, 2009). These questions relate to the fact that the mentor has a far greater power over the student. The power differential, in other words can be abused by the mentor. On the other, as the mentor and the student develop a closer relationship, the lines between mentor and student may be blurred (Goudreau, 2010). The National Youth Mentoring Program framework is a booklet that stipulates all that should done to ensure that all the mentoring progr ams attain the desirable goals. In relation to practitioner research, this discussion on the youth mentoring program shall now consider the foundations of the program, as well as the benefits it can bring in improving youth mentoring and in improving the healthy development of the youth. Background of youth mentoring p

History of the game Essay Example for Free

History of the game Essay As the rackets of the game have changed, the style of play has changed accordingly. During the wooden racket era, before the flood of the metal and metal composite rackets, players hit groundstrokes with slight topspin but mostly flat or with underspin, particularly on the backhand side. To provide the players with the underspin or flat shots, players hit with an eastern grip (slightly east of the continental style grip achieved by sliding the V area between the thumb and index finger down the side of the frame to the grip) to help generate slice and handle low balls better. Players used this style of play to compensate for the lower bounce produced on grass courts compared to the bounce of hard and clay courts today. In effect, groundstrokes had to be long and fluid with early preparation and a long follow through to get the necessary power and control by swinging the heavier wooden rackets.  Players with wooden rackets also stood sideways to the ball and stepped into the swing to generate more power. Furthermore, the small sweetspot of the wooden racket required players to have more exact, controlled swings instead of the quick, powerful, whip-like swings of todays players. As an example, John McEnroe, a former tennis professional and Grand Slam winner, supports wooden rackets saying: I have been a proponent of the wood racketwood rackets would bring back skill and finesse to the game and would make the points longer and more fun to watch. And I could watch all those young guys cry like that little baby doll that wets herself as they try to return a serve with a 15-ounce piece of lumber. (McEnroe 1).  As a result, players could not end the point with a single shot like today and therefore games consisted of more rallies. The rackets and styles of play have evolved to the 21st Century and have dramatically changed the way tennis is played. Instead of the long and fluid groundstrokes used with wooden rackets, lighter more powerful rackets have developed quick, short but powerful swings by tennis players today. The players also use a more western or semi-western grip (achieved by placing the racket on the ground and coming from straight above, picking the racket up with one hand). These grips tend to generate more power and topspin as well make it easier to hit high bouncing balls. This heavy topspin usually causes points to end more quickly with more winners and harder shots. These changes in the game are all in relation to the development of higher bouncing courts, hard courts and clay courts, and the shorter grass court tournament season. Also, as a result to the more powerful modern rackets, serves were consistently hit over 100 mph and many clocked at more than 120 mph contributing to the quicker points. Furthermore, many serves were unreturnable meaning that it would be almost impossible for players to return or even more to hit the ball with the racket. The change in rackets in the 20th Century was not only limited to a change in the game but the tennis market was affected as well. According to Edward Tenner, the new rackets were not as profitable for racket manufacturers as the wooden rackets were during the peak in tennis popularity in the early 1970s (Tenner 3). However, shortly following this rapid growth in tennis popularity, tenniss popularity among the common people started to decline. According to the records of the Tennis Industry Association, two years before the introduction of the Prince racket in 1974, the number of tennis players reached its peak and then started a decline (Tenner 1). Later, the sale of tennis balls was evaluated and showed a drop in tennis ball usage between 1990 and 1993 (Tenner 3). A short explanation of this event could be that players were not ready to pay the higher price for newer metal rackets. The modern rackets, costing about $150, were much more expensive compared to the lower price of wooden rackets in the early 1970s. However, the introduction of the modern rackets produced a larger selection of varying rackets for tennis consumers shown in the following excerpt from Tennis Magazine, To play your best tennis, your racket has to complement your game. And with more frames than ever being designed for specific types of players, finding that magic wand has never been easier. (2001 Racket Guide 1) In addition, modern rackets are designed for all different types of players including strictly baseliners to serve and volleyers. Mark Macky, Dunlops director of racket sports, shows this in the following statement, Its no longer enough to make a racket for one ability level beginner, intermediate, advanced. Today, companies make rackets that are targeted to specific styles of play. A serve and volleyer, for example, will want a different type of racket than a baseliner. (2001 Racket Guide 1) Although while racket manufacturers may have suffered from the introduction of modern rackets, consumers seem to benefit. According to New York Times newspaper, the new metal rackets prove to last longer and need restringing less often saving consumers money (Tenner 3). Furthermore, metal rackets can last up to ten years or more contrary to the wooden rackets that were damaged by age, warping, and cracking.  In conclusion, although many tennis professionals believe that wooden rackets would increase the charisma of tennis, there is undeniable evidence that proves modern rackets to be better for the game and all levels of players. Newer rackets provide more options for tennis players, giving them more power and control than ever before therefore elevating the level of play in the game of tennis. They also appeal to lower levels of players making the game easier to learn and in effect, better for everyone. In addition, although the market seemed to be falling, it is currently rising for the game of tennis and showing this, the U.S. Open has had more viewers in the year of 2001 than ever before in the history of the game.

To Autumn, Autumn and October Dawn that each of the poets has different

To Autumn, Autumn and October Dawn that each of the poets has different opinions and feelings on Autumn and they also interpret Autumn in their poems in different ways too. The three poets John Keats, John Clare and Ted Hughes Compare the presentation of Autumn in the three poems We see after reading the poems: ‘To Autumn’, ‘Autumn’ and ‘October Dawn’ that each of the poets has different opinions and feelings on Autumn and they also interpret Autumn in their poems in different ways too. The three poets John Keats, John Clare and Ted Hughes write about the season with admiration and its beauty. All of the poets mentioned above led amazing and bizarre lives living on the edge of brilliance and insanity. With John Keats and John Clare both experiencing breakdowns and having their lives turned upside down and Ted Hughes having troubled marriages, the three of them still managed to come through and write such great and fantastic poems which have become so popular and are still around today. We also see that all the poets had a connection or fascination with the country and although John Keats was the only one who didn’t live in the country but he was still able to write great poems on wildlife and the seasons and the countryside. In all three of the poems weather is a key part in all of the poems and is stated often. In the poem ‘To Autumn’ the sun is mentioned as a ‘close bosom-friend of the maturing sun’ by this I believe he is saying that the sun and autumn work together to make it look beautiful and grow all the fruit to perfection. John Keats mentions a lot about the wind in his poem and says ‘thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind’ I think this means that the wind is gentle and it lightly ... ... it leaves it with a way of a cliff-hanger but I believe the poet has wrote that ending line because he is a optimistic person because at the start of the poem, Ted Hughes says a glass of wine which was left out was ‘half full’ suggesting he is an optimistic person and believes that the earth and the wildlife and all the greens will survive through the cold. In the poems ‘to autumn’ and ‘autumn’ they both are similar as they put life and energy into their poems and they also go into more detail about the weather and the surroundings and animals. In the two poems just mentioned they just describe how beautiful Autumn is but in ‘October dawn’ the poet Ted Hughes mentions how October which is the one of the months when Autumn is and he says it is beautiful but it has its downside as it is a danger and threat to greenery and is a fight until autumn is over.

Light and Dark in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essays -- Heart Da

Light and Dark in Heart of Darkness   Ã‚   Every story has a plot, but not every story has a deeper meaning. When viewed superficially, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is a tragic tale of the white man's journey into the African jungle. When we peel away the layers, however, a different journey is revealed - we venture into the soul of man, complete with the warts as well as the wonderful. Conrad uses this theme of light and darkness to contrast the civilized European world with the savage African world in Heart of Darkness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     In Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses light and dark to symbolize good and evil, respectively. "It is whiteness that is truly sinister and evil, for it symbolizes the immoral scramble for loot by the unscrupulous and unfeeling Belgian traders in ivory and human flesh; the whiteness of ivory is also contrasted with the blackness of the natives whose lives must be destroyed for its sake" (Gillon 25).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two central themes occur in Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The first is the struggle between the white people and the native tribes, which plays in... ...ok and also provides its title. In Heart of Darkness, there is a real contrast between what is light and what is dark. These contrasts work within a reality of civilized and savage. It appears that light represents the civilized, and dark represents the uncivilized, but truly, white is evil, and the dark is innocent and virtuous. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Middlesex, England: Penguin Publishers, 1983. Gillon, Adam. (1982). Joseph Conrad. Twayne's English Author Series: Number 333. Kinley E. Roby, ed. Boston: Twayne.  

Cultural Differences between United States and Italy Essay

All societies provide for certain broad areas of social living. Wissler (2000:99) identified these as universal patterns of culture, such as speech, material traits, art, mythology and scientific knowledge, religious practice, family and social systems, property, government, and war. Even within these broad areas of social living are a number of common elements. Moreover, cultures between countries differ because of the great variety of solutions people in different societies evolve in solving life problems. Amongst the important factors which give rise to cultural differences are the kind of environment within which the society lives, the human and natural resources available within this environment, the extent and intensity of exposure the society has to other people from which they can borrow ideas, and their cultural heritage. This paper intent to figure out the differences between the United States of America and Italy in terms of history, languages, Ethnical diversity, culture, superstitions and religions. II. Discussion A. United States of America The United States developed and grew from 13 English colonies on the Atlantic coast into an independent republic that eventually extended to the Pacific, with Alaska and Hawaii among its states. Although the original 13 colonies were British, several other nations took part in the discovery, exploration and settlement of the territory that became the United States. Both France and Spain once controlled more of North America than did Great Britain. Dutch and Swedish colonies existed temporarily on the Atlantic coast. Thus the beginnings of the United States, like its later development as a nation, involved contributions by people from many lands (see Graff, H. America: the Glorious Republic (2 volumes; Houghton Mifflin, 2001). North America was inhabited by Indians and Eskimos long before the first Europeans arrived. White men came into contact with the Indians from the very beginning, but the Eskimos were not greatly influenced by the white man’s civilization until the 20th century (see Link, A. S. , and others. American Epoch: a History of the United States since 1900, 9th edition (2 volumes: Knopf, 1999). There are various religions existing in the United States such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Unitarian Universalism and Hinduism while others claimed that they don’t have a religion. Amongst the religions mentioned, Christianity has the greatest number as surveyed in 2001. On the other hand, English is the de facto national language of the United States. Spanish language has also been taught as â€Å"non-English second language† (see Boorstin, D. J. and R. F. The Landmark History of the American People, revised edition (2 volumes; Random House, 1999). B. Italy Italy is a country in the southern Europe. Jutting southward from the Alps into the Mediterranean Sea, Italy consists mainly of a slender boot-shaped peninsula and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Ital is bordered by France, Switzerland, Austria, and Yugoslavia, and the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Ligurian seas. It completely encircles two tiny, independent states: San Marino, east of Florence, and Vatican City, in Rome. The name Italy was first used by the Greeks for the southern tip of the peninsula, where they established colonies as early as the eighth century B. C. Gradually, as the peninsula came under Roman rule, the name was applied to everything south of the Alps (see Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). Italy has contributed greatly to western civilization. For hundreds of years it was the center of the far-flung Roman Empire. It was in Italy that Christianity first flourished in Europe and became powerful force. Rome has long been the seat of the papacy and the world center of the Roman Catholic Church. The Renaissance, the period of enlightenment that ended medieval times, began in Italy and during this period Italians contributed greatly to the intellectual and artistic development of the Western world. Italy still preserves much of its noble past in its cities, museums, and ruins, attracting more foreign visitors than any other country in the world (see Guicciardini, Francesco. The History of Italy (Princeton University, 1999). The Italians, an Indo-European people, were settled in theItalian peninsula by 1000 B. C. In the eighth century B. C. the Etruscans (or Tyrrhenians), who came probably from Asia Minor, founded Etruria on the west. To the south was Latium, established by the Latins, an Italian tribe, with Rome as its strongest city. Farther south were Greek colonies (see Guicciardini, Francesco. The History of Italy (Princeton University, 1999). By the middle of the sixth century B. C. the Etruscans dominated central Italy, including Rome. Greeks and Romans cooperated in driving back the Etruscans. Raids by Gauls, who had crossed the Alps and settled in the Po Valley, helped weaken Etruria, and it rapidly declined (see Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). In the fourth century B. C. the Greeks made several attempts to conquer the Italians, but in the third century the Greek colonies fell to Rome. From that time until the collapse of the Roman Empire, the history of Italy coincides with the history of Rome (see Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). III. Conclusion United States and Italy has many differences in terms of culture and history. However, these two countries were able to experienced invasion from other countries that tried to colonize them. References: 1. Coppa, F. J. , editor. Dictionary of Modern Italian History (Greenwood Press, 2000). 2. Guicciardini, Francesco. The History of Italy (Princeton University, 1999. 3. Graff, H. America: the Glorious Republic (2 volumes; Houghton Mifflin, 2001. 4. Link, A. S. , and others. American Epoch: a History of the United States since 1900, 9th edition (2 volumes: Knopf, 1999. 5. Boorstin, D. J. and R. F. The Landmark History of the American People, revised edition (2 volumes; Random House, 1999.

Hair,Skin, and Nail Design Essays

Hair,Skin, and Nail Design Essays Hair,Skin, and Nail Design Essay Hair,Skin, and Nail Design Essay Were you ever curious how hairstyling ,beauty, and hair coloring ever came about? Who, back in the day would have ever come up with the idea of changing ones hair style, let alone color of the hair? Well studies reveal that haircutting and hairstyling were practiced in some form as early as the glacial age. They used simple but effective implements like sharpened flints, oyster shells, or bone. Animal sinew of hide were used to tie hair back, or as a adornment. Your probably thinking the same thing I did. yuck! ut thats all they had to use in those days long ago. The Egyptians were the first to cultivate beauty in a extravagant fashion, and became well-versed in the art of makeup and hairdressing. The ancient Egyptians also were the first to use cosmetics as part of their personal beautification habits, and in religious ceremonies when preparing the deceased for burial. Ancient records show that coloring matter was made from berries, the bark of trees, minerals, insects, nuts, herbs, leaves and other materials that were used on the skin, hair, and nails. : Even hough eye paint was the most popular of all cosmetics, henna (a dye extracted from the leaves of an ornamental shrub) was used to impart a reddish tint to the hair that is still used to this day. The first recorded use of henna as a coloring agent was in 1500 B. C. Excavations from Egyptian tombs also have revealed combs, brushes, mirrors, and razors made of tempered copper and bronze. Hairdressing was an art for the Egyptians who liked to wear elaborate hairdos and cosmetics, as well as wigs. Egyptian women, and the Roman women were known to apply a mixture of soil and ater to their hair. They then wrapped their hair on wooden made rollers to bake in the sun, creating a temporary wave. The first evidence of nail care recorded in history was prior to 3,000 B. C. in Egypt and China. Ancient Egyptian men and women of high social rank stained their nails with red-orange henna. The color of a persons nail was a sign of rank. Kings and queens wore deep red, while people of lower society wore only pale colors. Beauty and grooming took on great symbolic significance in many cultures. Military commanders in Egypt, Babylon, and early Rome would spend many ours before a battle, having their hair curled, and their nails painted the same shade as their lips. Weird, but interesting. During the golden Age of Greece (500B. C), hairstyling became a highly developed art. Hairstyling services were introduced in Rome around 300 B. C. Women used hair-color to indicate their class in society. Noblewomen tinted their hair red, middle class women colored their hair blonde, and poor women colored it black. Hairstyling and barbering continued to grow in importance, and eventually became identified with the world of medicine. During the medieval times, cosmetology and medicine were taught as combined subjects in English universities. When Pope Alexander Ill forbade the clergy to shed blood, barbers were enlisted to assist monks and priests during surgery. They regularly performed bloodletting and minor surgery, administered herbs, and later pulled teeth. In fact, for centuries, dentistry was performed only by barbers for more than a thousand years, they were known as barber-surgeons. Wow now tnlngs nave cnangea aramatlcally. Now lets go aneaa to tne Renalssance times, here emphasis was placed on physical appearance. The hair was done carefully with ornaments, and headdresses were worn. Around this time, in 1450, a law was enacted that separated the practices of barbering and surgery. They could no longer perform surgery, and surgeons were forbidden to act as barbers. Now the 19th century an era by research and innovation, that saw many changes in the field of hair care. In 1875, a Frenchman named Marcel Grateau developed the technique of using irons for waving and curling the hair. This developed into the art of thermal waving, till known today as Marcel waving. In 1890, the first hairdressing academy was opened in Chicago by Brisbois and Federmeyer. And finally, in the 20th century, hairstyling began to follow trends, and soon became available to all classes of people who could choose their styles based on their needs and desires. So their you go, there is all need to know about the early history of hairstyling! And Im sure well be in the history books some day about all the new, trendy styles we perform today in many salons and spas around the world

Coal in the Industrial Revolution

Coal in the Industrial Revolution Before the eighteenth century, Britain - and the rest of Europe - had produced coal, but only in a limited quantity. Coal pits were small, and half were opencast mines (just big holes in the surface). Their market was just the local area, and their businesses were localized, usually just the sideline of a larger estate. Drowning and suffocation were also very real problems.​ During the period of the industrial revolution, as demand for coal soared thanks to iron and steam, as the technology to produce coal improved and the ability to move it increased, coal experienced a massive escalation. From 1700 to 1750 production increased by 50% and nearly another 100% by 1800. During the later years of the first revolution, as steam power really took a firm grip, this rate of increase soared to 500% by 1850. The Demand for Coal The rising demand for coal came from many sources. As the population increased, so did the domestic market, and people in town needed coal because they weren’t near to forests for wood or charcoal. More and more industries used coal as it became cheaper and thus more cost-effective than other fuels, from iron production to simply bakeries. Shortly after 1800 towns began to be lit by coal powered gas lamps, and fifty-two towns had networks of these by 1823. During the period wood became more expensive and less practical than coal, leading to a switch. In addition, in the second half of the eighteenth-century, canals, and after this railways, made it cheaper to move greater amounts of coal, opening up wider markets. In addition, the railways were a source of major demand. Of course, coal had to be in a position to supply this demand, and historians trace several deep connections to other industries, discussed below. Coal and Steam Steam had an obvious impact on the coal industry in generating vast demand: steam engines needed coal. But there were direct effects on production, as Newcomen and Savery pioneered the use of steam engines in coal mines to pump water, lift produce and provide other support. Coal mining was able to use steam to go deeper than ever before, getting more coal out of its mines and increasing production. One key factor to these engines was they could be powered by poor quality coal, so mines could use their waste in it and sell their prime material. The two industries -   coal and steam -   were both vital for each other and grew symbiotically. Coal and Iron Darby was the first person to use coke – a form of processed coal – to smelt iron in 1709. This advance spread slowly, largely due to the cost of coal. Other developments in iron followed, and these also used coal. As the prices of this material fell, so iron became the major coal user, increasing demand for the substance vastly, and the two industries mutually stimulated each other. Coalbrookdale pioneered iron tramways, which enabled coal to be moved more easily, whether in mines or on route to buyers. Iron was also needed for coal using and facilitating steam engines.   Coal and Transport There are also close links between coal and transport, as the former needs a strong transport network able to move bulky goods. The roads in Britain before 1750 were very poor, and it was hard to move large, heavy goods. Ships were able to take coal from port to port, but this was still a limiting factor, and rivers were often of little use due to their natural flows. However, once transport improved during the industrial revolution, coal could reach greater markets and expand, and this came first in the form of canals, which could be purpose-built and move large quantities of heavy material. Canals halved the transport costs of coal compared to the packhorse. In 1761 the Duke of Bridgewater opened a canal built from Worsley to Manchester for the express purpose of carrying coal. This was a major piece of engineering including a ground-breaking viaduct. The Duke earned wealth and fame from this initiative, and the Duke was able to expand production because of the demand for his cheaper coal. Other canals soon followed, many built by coal mine owners. There were problems, as canals were slow, and iron trackways still had to be used in places. Richard Trevithick built the first moving steam engine in 1801, and one of his partners was John Blenkinsop, a coal mine owner searching for cheaper and faster transport. Not only did this invention pull large quantities of coal quickly, but it also used it for fuel, for iron rails, and for building. As railways spread, so the coal industry was stimulated with railway coal use rising. Coal and the Economy Once coal prices fell it was used in a huge number of industries, both new and traditional, and was vital for iron and steel. It was a very vital industry for the industrial revolution, stimulating industry and transport. By 1900 coal was producing six percent of the national income despite having a small workforce with only limited benefits from technology.