Search results for 'tag:Numbers tag:Essays' matching tags 'Numbers' and 'Essays'

HELP! grade my essay on "the education system does more harm than good to students."

eirelav — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:03:40 GMT

At the dawn of the 21^stcentury, where previously infallible giant insurance firms and banks are taking turns to crash to bankruptcy and information explosion in the media adheres to Mooreâs law, global citizens in this knowledge based economy need to find a way to survive, be it learning to fight tooth and nail for their lives. A tiny slip, like reinsurance giant AIG showed us, can cause a catastrophic chain reaction and its effect will be felt exceptionally so because we are all living in one interconnected global society. An action somewhere will trigger off another in another place of the world. No one can depend on solely oneself to survive, no man is an island. An almost foolproof solution our forefatherâs have discovered to ensure our survival is through educating the younger generation by teaching the future of society survival skills, preparing them for the ever more challenging global landscape ahead. So with many different countries with many different specific needs, a number of education systems have been developed to cater to different students to produce different results. Education in Singapore in the 1960s was to produce skilled workers where basic linguistics and numeracy were required, thus the education system was simply the âsit down, shut up, memorizeâ. But Singapore since then has moved on to equipping the bulk of its students with critical thinking, multilingualism and creativity to ensure survival of Singapore in the merciless 21^st centuryâs economy. The education system in the world today, is thus more beneficial to the student than it be harmful.

An educated person is one who possesses knowledge, general knowledge and expert knowledge. And knowledge, whatever form it may be in, is equivalent to power as it can create. Take for example God almighty: he is omnipotent, he can create universes. In the process of receiving education from a system, the students in the system are given power to control their futures, or rather, a greater hold in dictating their futures as no system in this world exists as an isolated system and is constantly affected by fluctuations in other systems within proximity. This empowerment to create opportunities for oneself, give the students a higher chance of surviving in this ever morphing geopolitical landscape of economic, political, geographical boundaries, as they possess knowledge on how to select useful information to cause a desired change to their advantage. For example, an average European student taking up part time job at a law firm as a paper boy, to gain experience and to be able to put it down in his curriculum vitae to stand a higher chance of getting into Yale. In the absence of an education system, there would be chaos in the method of information dissemination of education, and the student would end up learning bits and pieces here and there, confusing the student and diminishing his chance of perform exceptionally, such as in Sri Lanka where 95% of the schools were destroyed in post independence riots and left many students hanging halfway clueless of what to do with life.

All education systems in the world today, be it kinesthetic such as in child learning centers like Montessori, or systematic, such as is conventional primary, secondary and tertiary, or even alternative education systems for those with special needs, also equip its students with abilities such as academia based abilities like literacy and numeracy, and cognitive abilities like comprehension at the very least. Education systems catering to creating a strand of superpower humans who stand a higher chance of dominating the global economy, teach students the art of critical thinking. All the effort going into impressing upon students certain abilities, is to ensure success in the future, in which individuals will be high fliers earning ostentatious incomes, which would in turn benefit the countryâs capita. If earning 6 digits a month equates to âgood for the studentâ then it would be obvious that education systems is indeed good for students

However the social engineering present in any system is unusually prominent in education. Education institutions tell students studying and doing well in schools is the only way to achieve a desired career, a nice big fat pay cheque, and a corresponding higher socio-economic status. So for the sake of the students, mentors sometimes ask the students to shut up and listen. The importance of school lies with what the mentor deems essential for the student and not the studentâs interest. This results in curiosity of the students being viciously castrated by the time they leave public education systems. An American study showed that at from the age of 3 to 5, an average child asks 30 questions a day. By the time the child reaches grade 5, the frequency of questions dwindles to zero. This gradual loss of curiosity consequently causes a gradual loss of freedom of thought. The childâs mind is cruelly conditioned into fitting the world the mentor sees, and is stripped of its right to fantasize and question as it wishes. The status quo is never challenged and the child loses his freedom without knowing it. Though Epictetus might say âonly the educated are freeâ, perhaps in this scenario, he be wrong. Harm is done to the student without the student realizing it. How far more despicable can this jamming of square pegs into round holes be?

As the world moves towards becoming an integrated global society, nations will devise more and more education systems to produce better students with an extra competitive edge. And unless one is living in an isolated society where only oneâs decisions influence oneself, one cannot say that education systems do more harm than good to the students.

Survival in the 21^st century or freedom? Take your pick.

Valerie Tan Huali

Keeping it Concise

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:09:58 GMT

I have a sentence in my essay that I can't seem toadjust no matter howhard I try. I'm pretty sure it's grmatically correct, but for some reason it sounds too "wordy":

"It uses numbers, interpreted unanimously on a global perspective, to provide solutions to the world." Regarding mathematics. Any suggestions?

Re: Please!! Help with autobiographical essay (FIT)

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:35:04 GMT

Hi Flavia!! It was so nice to hear from you and that you replied so soon! Thank you for your help I really appreciate it!

I will send my essay to FIT and hope to get accepted! I'm sure you are going to do well on your TOEFL score, as I can tell your english is doing more than fine! I'm having my test on saturday and I'm hoping I will do good. I already recieved my PIN and my Student Information Number and I must say I was soo thrilled when I got it...and yeah for Spring 2009 so don't worry we WILL see each other haha

So, again thank you for your reply and good luck!!

Hope to see you soon!

Re: Please!! Help with autobiographical essay (FIT)

FlaviaLima — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:11:54 GMT

Hola Yenia! Como estas?
Thanks for the compliments on my essay... since I posted it here, I have changed a few things and did not mention my curriculum.

I'm sending mine only to FIT.
This is from the website: IMPORTANT: FIT Admissions will not process your application until after the Academic History and Essay form has been submitted.

The essay form is only available at fitnyc.edu.

Have you received the Student Information Number and PIN from FIT? When and what are you applying for? Spring 2009?

Hopefully we will see each other in class hahaha Well, after my TOEFL test I'm not counting on this... I'll probably have to apply again.
Let's see, right?

Good luck to both of us!!! Yeeiieee!!!

Re: Is this sentence grammatically correct?

Clive — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:30:53 GMT

Hi again,
The matter seems to revolve around the meaninig to be understood from the word 'criticism'. Let me quote from my dictionary.
criticism 1a finding fault; censure. 1b a statement expressing this
2a the work of a critic 2b an article, essay, etc. expressing or containing an analytical evaluation of something

A number of writers who once greatly lauded the literary critic have recently recanted, substituting censure for their former criticism.

If "their former criticism" refers to "laud", "substituting censure for their former criticism" equals " substituting censure for their former laud", then the two terms are direct opposites of each other. If you look at it this way, with this meaning of criticism, the sentence is not incorrect. It's just that, as noted in my earlier comments, that's not the most common meaning of the word. If Tom says his boss criticized his work yesterday, my first reaction is not to say 'That's great', but to think 'Oh dear, poor Tom'.

For the same reason, you can recant from "criticism", because "laud" is a kind of "criticism".

This sentence is from a real GRE question, and it is NOT logically sound according to ETS, though they did not give any further explanations. They just say this is the right sentence.

"A number of writers who once greatly disparaged the literary critic have recently recanted, substituting approbation for their former criticism." Here, they are using the negative meaning of criticism. That's the meaning that is most common, and that comes first, as I suggested above, to most people's minds.

My version of a better sentence is
A number of writers who once greatly lauded the literary critic have recently recanted, substituting censure for their former praise."

You see, I have a part time job as a GRE tutor. While I know the sentence above is right, I just can't give clear logical evidence on how the incorrect one is incorrect.

Clive

Re: Is this sentence grammatically correct?

Clive — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:29:40 GMT

For the same reason, you can recant from "criticism", because "laud" is a kind of "criticism".

This sentence is from a real GRE question, and it is NOT logically sound according to ETS, though they did not give any further explanations. They just say this is the right sentence.

You see, I have a part time job as a GRE tutor. While I know the sentence above is right, I just can't give clear logical evidence on how the incorrect one is incorrect.

Clive

Re: quoting

Tanit — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:17:04 GMT

Hi,

I think the example shows how the reference is made to Cormack's work (published in 1994?), ...

Yes, you got it right. It's the year in which the book was published

... but my question is, When you make such a reference, what is the barometer for measuring how exact (?) the your referencing wording has to be?" It doesn't look to be that it has to be written verbatim since you are not quoting. I think like indirect quoting, since you are not using the author's words quote for quote...

Again, that's correct.
If you were copying the words used by the author(s), than you'd need to put them within quotation marks (if it's a short phrase or sentence) or to indent them in your text (if the quotation is long).
In the example about Cormack's work, the author is expressing with his/her own words (= paraphrasing) something that has been written by Cormack. S/he could be putting into a short sentence the main point of a huge book, or rephrasing a sentence that appears in Cormack's text. The important thing, when using this type of reference, is not to use the original words.
If you ask me what's the point, all I can answer is that guidelines (at least, the ones I've read!) suggest not putting too many direct quotations (that is, those enclosed in speech marks) in an essay/article/etc for a number of reasons: i) they would make the essay less readable; ii) the essay would appear as a collection (patchwork?) of other texts, rather than a critical reflection on those; iii) the more direct quotations are in the essay, the less effective they would be - in other words, only put the most important direct quotations, the ones you want to emphasise.

... and using your words to note what the author said, there might be a slight chance of misinterpretation of the author's intent.

If you're using referencing systems like this one, you're either writing an academic work (article/report/essay/dissertation/etc.) or a professional report, so you are writing either for somebody who will assess your piece of writing or for peers who know something about the topic. You don't want to misinterpret the text, do you?

Also, how the Harvard Style of Referencing differ from APA Style on the same topic area?

Sorry, I can't answer. I've never used or studied the APA style.

Whatever you're writing, I wish you good luck!

hunger essay. plese check

freshiee — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:35:21 GMT

if their are any errors, any places where there are problem please tell me.

Hunger has been a crisis for many years. Food is insufficient in third world countries. Although an abundance of food is being produced everyday that is capable of feeding the entire world, developed countries are not doing enough. Some countries are overfed, consuming more than required. The excess consumption could be used to assist underfed countries. Another reason is the inadequacy of money. Without money many of the essential commodities are not obtained and therefore results in âworld hungerâ.

Everyday food is rapidly being produced. This amount of food has the potential to feed everyone. It is estimated that 2720 calories of food are being produced each day for every person, which is enough to feed everyone on this planet. However, a staggering two billion people suffer from chronic under-nutrition. If food was distributed towards underfed countries such as Africa and Asian countries then they do not have to suffer âworld hungerâ. The causes of insufficient food are incapability to purchase food, do not have enough food, growing crops have been a problem or droughts and floods that wiped out all resources of food. The scarcity of food in third world countries is in need of countries, such as the U.S that are disappointingly overfed to assist them.

Overfed countries should assist those that are in need of food supply. With many countries increasingly overfed third world countries are suffering hunger issues. Compare an obese child to an anorexia child; obviously the obese would be living in a country where food is vast whilst the anorexia child lives in an environment where food is limited. These overfed countries should assist the underfed countries; this will help them as it decrease the rate of people having obesity. This will certainly benefit both countries. According to a forthcoming report from the World watch Institute, a Washington, DC-based research organization they state that âfor the first time in human history, the number of overweight people rivals the number of underweight peopleâ.In the developing world, there are approximately 150 million underweight children; nearly one in three children suffers from hunger. So why shouldnât food be distributed around the world evenly? Instead of one country pigging out and another country suffering hunger we can help each other. The reason on why country is underfed is also due to poverty.

Many of the starving countries are due to poverty, they are unable to buy, produce or grow food therefore they die of starvation. Money is also a vital item; the developed country can play an important role that is to sponsor the starving people all around the world. Giving a child in school a healthy meal will merely cost 19 cents. For US $34 per child per year, we can provide them with regular health check ups, de-worming treatments and provide children a meal in school with all the vitamins and minerals they require. Also for US $60, we can give young children mainly aged under five, special supplementary food, with extra micronutrients, vaccinations, de-worming and health checks. This amount of money can also help pregnant women and nursing mothers who are at jeopardy of giving birth to babies weighing less than 2.5kg. They receive extra food, which will include iodine, vitamin A and iron. Inadequate of these essential foods will result in maternal illness and birth defects. US $60 will provide mothers with nutrition education. It is very disappointing that third world countries purchase more military equipment then they do to buy food. The amount we give them can make us happy, that we as individuals have help shaped the world.
Overall, developed countries have the ability to help third world countries. They should assist them to fight against hunger problems. Especially those overfed countries; they can make a difference by adding them in food supply, not only will they benefit them but themselves. Every cent is worth a lot for the hungry countries, donating 19 cents will give them a healthy meal, even a child can afford this. The nation has produced enough food for everyone, the problem is the distribution. World greed causes food to be not evenly widespread. Furthermore, the developed countries should definitely support the starving countries, we can work together to fight the crisis of hunger in this world.

Plz check my essay ... :)

pippo486 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:25:14 GMT

hi, it's my essay for uni ... but im really bad at grammars and writing... so could you please check and correct or point out the problems or mistakes for me..
by the way it's about semiotic analysis... thanks !

Advertising is a form of communication that typically aims to persuade potential customers to purchase more of a particular brand of products. However, public service advertising use commercial advertising techniques but for non-commercial purpose. The visual text that will be analysed in this essay is a public campaign advertisement, WWF (World Wildlife Fund)âs Paint Cans I, (2007) (Fig1). Semiotic analysis employing concepts of the nature, pollution and warning which connotes about environmental preservation. Moreover, it will compare some other public campaign advertising images which signify common themes but those that have different subject matter.

WWF used essential materials and techniques that employing cause and effect of the environmental pollution. There are four main signifiers in the image of Paint Cans I (Fig1) that distributing message of preservation to the reader. First signifier is the huge paint cans which spilling the paints from the starting point of the river and second is the river that the actual paint spilled from the bucket of the paint cans. Also, the mountain is another signifier which is the main background of the image and lastly the WWF logo with few written texts at the bottom right-hand corner. The huge paint cans in the image signified as a liquid or colouring tool which people use for painting but also it is a signified connotation for chemical substances which is the pollutant of the pollution. Moreover, it has been exaggerated the size of the paint cans image as much as the mountain. To do this, it emphasis and metaphorically represents such a small bucket of paint cans can be a massive pollutant. The signifier river is commonly denoted as water that flows from the mountain which should be clean and pure. However, in this image it connotes as polluted water by paints because of those toxic chemicals. Also the colour green that used in this image is the denotation of leaves or nature is. However, WWF used dull green colour to represent polluted water, river or nature that by the pollutant which is the paint cans. WWF also used mountain as signified connotation of land, nature and environment where human lives and where should be preserved by human. Furthermore, WWF logo metonyms of international organization which intend to conserve nature. Therefore, the logo indicates the environmental pollution is a dangerous and important worldwide and public issue that should be warned to all people. Additionally, they used some texts within the logo, âA single tin of paint can pollute millions of litres of waterâ. By using this, it conveys strong and clear message to the viewer. The metaphors and metonym that represented in this advertisement connotes nature, environmental pollution and preservation.

There are number of public campaign advertisement that informs or warns publics, not just for preservation, anti-drinking and driving, anti-smoking and anti-prostitution. WWFâs Forest Faces (Fig2) is another series of campaign for preservation which have generic similarities with WWFâs Paint Cans (Fig1). Firstly, both images have similar topic which is public campaign toward publics for preservation nature. Also, they used similar technique such as, using nature like water and trees as signified connotation of polluted nature or environment. Moreover, they both metaphorically deliver message that the nature is the environment that should be preserved by people. Written text that used in both images clearly inform publics to understand what they are aiming to. The difference in the Forest Faces is that using the leaves as a facial expression which connotes pollution not just harm the nature, it also affects people as well. Therefore, it concisely conveys their purpose to the viewer. Also, another public campaign ad, the Anti drinking & driving (2008) (Fig3) used similar techniques in the advertisement. For example, signifiers like gun, cars, bottles, straw, cap opener and keys connote the direct factor of cause elements. Such signifier like a gun connotes a danger or death and also the texts in the ad also signify the warning of drinking drive is dangerous. Through several examples of public campaign images, it shows that even they are having different subject matters in their advertisements; they have similarities of dealing with public interests or problems that might harm or danger people. Consequently, the campaign advertisements help solving the public problems effectively and easily by just seeing the images.

The campaign advertisement Paint Cans by WWF aimed to warn and inform the public that a small amount of paint or chemical substances that dumped or flowed into water or nature can pollute a whole nature, environment and human beings. They conveyed the ideas by using the factor, paint cans, the result, river and mountain, of pollution as a signifier that connote preservation nature simply but concisely in the advertisement.

Re: Decision making

RayH — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:44:39 GMT

Here is my attempt to correct your essay. There are several awkward spots but it would be nearly impossible to remove them without completely rewriting your work. It's not bad as corrected.

Should we make decisions alone?

The notion of making decisions alone is untenable and ~~the~~ one that I definitely don't accept ~~rely on~~. A good decision needs a broad knowledge ~~to make~~, while one person's ability is limited. In my opinion a momentous decision, ~~the~~ one that could affect your life, deserves rigorous scrutiny of not just an individual but of many people.

The first and most important ~~blatant~~ advantage of not making a decision alone is the increased ~~more~~ possibility that it will be correct ~~to succeed~~. This can ~~could~~ be demonstrated ~~exemplified~~ by my own experience. In Vietnam, students who attend to secondary schools need to decide whether they will pursue science or art ~~they will pursue~~. At first, I thought that science would be is tedious; my parents, however, realized the superior importance of science in contemporary society and so they helped me to change my perception. I finally to chose ~~choose~~ science as my major, and after a long process of study, I now can ~~could~~ say that I will never regret ~~because of~~ that decision. I am in fact proud of it. Without others' help ~~to make decision~~, I might have chosen ~~choose~~ the wrong path ~~way~~.

After a lot of decision making ~~processes~~ in life, needless ~~no need~~ to say, ~~a lot of~~ people could feel a ~~the~~ burden while trying to decide something. Just the idea that the wrong decision could ~~would~~ ruin ~~the~~ one's future could ~~can~~ make anyone of us hesitate to decide anything~~, and the veritable failure really comes, that fault will linger over one's mind forever~~. With others' help, everything is ~~will be~~ easier ~~different~~. The more people help us to decide, the fewer burdens we have.

Many important opportunities need timely ~~expeditious~~ decisions. How long does it take for an individual to make a decision? ~~Of course it's longer than the time of some people's work~~.
If one wants to be successful in this competitive world, he or she needs others' help to make not only a fast decision but also a good one. More people should ~~would~~ accelerate the decision making process. ~~I don't mean that individual's work is ineffective, but it's less expeditious in a prodigious number of cases.~~

The fact that we have been building this world together is a striking evidence ~~evident~~ for the effectiveness of teamwork ~~many people's work~~. With others help, the decision making process becomes not only more effective but ~~also~~ faster as well.