Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Civilian Control Of The Military - 1386 Words

Civilian control of the military is very essential in order to have a strong and successful form of government. If all of the major political decisions were up to the military, many wrong decisions might be made and it would have a poor effect on the society. Military commanders may not have all of the necessary knowledge of the situation to make the most beneficial decisions, and many problems would likely end in war and violence. Also, one person would not always see every aspect of the situation, so having other input is vital to making successful decisions that have a positive outcome. To support the idea of civilian control of the military, I learned about two men from two different time periods, who both proved that civilian control†¦show more content†¦Both scenarios were very different, however, they both proved that civilian control of the military is important in order to have the right decisions made. Julius Caesar was a very popular man who was known by many peop le. Caesar helped to prove that Civilian control of the military is much needed in order to have a strong government. Caesar was led to power with help from two men, Pompey and Crassus. Crassus was the wealthiest man in Roman history. He gave Caesar financial support as well as political support. Caesar also had a partnership with the Roman General, Pompey. Pompey assisted him with the political aspect of things. Caesar was a very persuasive man who would negotiate very well. Pompey and Crassus would not get along at all, so Caesar used his strong negotiating abilities to make them allies and work together. He was very clever, so when he didn’t get his way, he payed off Pompey’s soldiers with land, so that they caused a riot and he got his wishes. Caesar soon took over Gaul, which helped him to build an even larger and stronger army. A little later, Crassus died and Caesar ended up in a civil war against Pompey. With his powerful army, Caesar pushed out Pompey’s troops and defeated them. When Caesar returned to Rome, he was made dictator for

Monday, December 23, 2019

Healthcare Reform And The Affordable Care Act - 1047 Words

Healthcare reform was designed to help people of middle class to below poverty status afford healthcare insurance, in addition to providing quality care for everyone. When the â€Å"Affordable Care Act† rolled out, there were a lot of concerns in regards to the cost and mandating that everyone acquire insurance. The objective was to provide access to low cost insurance; unfortunately, some people remained uninsured, as a matter of fact they were unable to afford health insurance due to the amount of wages they earned. Per an article in Medical Mutual (2017), the goals of the â€Å"Affordable Care Act† is to â€Å"provide universal access to healthcare for Americans, Control the rising costs of healthcare, Regulate the private insurance industry through†¦show more content†¦This group of people come together collectively to discuss and create the laws that should be set forth to govern the United States. The final branch of government is the Judicial part, which consist of the Supreme Court and 9 justices. The purpose for the Supreme Court is to interpret the law of the constitution and the justices preside over cases pertaining to the constitution (Trumanlibrary, 2017). All three branches help to develop and uphold laws and guidelines impact healthcare policies. In addition to the three branches of government, others also participate in creating policies and guidelines, such as the Professional Associations and Ethic groups, they provide influences when it comes to creating and passing laws (Trumanlibrary, 2017). Healthcare is essential to the nature of our well- being, it provides some financial relief to individuals or families during doctor or hospital visits. Medical care is very expensive, and without health insurance it can be even more of a financial burden. However, being able to afford health insurance has been a challenge for a lot of family’s. For some, they must choose whether to feed their families, pay utility bills or make monthly health insurance payments; so, they allow the insurance to laps. TheShow MoreRelatedHealthcare Reform And The Affordable Care Act958 Words   |  4 Pagesyears the healthcare industry has taken some precautions due to the recent bill passed that affect it, that being the healthcare reform or the Affordable Care Act (Kavilanz, 2010). In the past years healthcare has not been a concern of the average American, but this is changing rapidly. Though in 2014 healthcare was not among the top three concerns it did fall at number four (Cook, 2015). Whi le at number four on the list last year it’s surely to increase in concern as the healthcare act becomes inRead MoreThe Affordable Care Act For Reform The Healthcare System958 Words   |  4 PagesPresident Obama created The Affordable Care Act to reform the Healthcare system (Ross). The Senate informed the citizens of the United States that the Act passed on December 24, 2009, then passed in the House of Representatives on March 21, 2010. It was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010 and upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28, 2012. Before the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans could not afford to have health insurance, or the coverage was not available due to pre-existingRead MoreThe Affordable Care Act Is The Us Healthcare Reform Law1389 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is Obamacare? The affordable Care Act is the US healthcare reform law. The law makes healthcare and health insurance more affordable and move available to more Americans the official name is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 210, but is mostly referred to as Obamacare. This law was signed on March 23, 2010. Originally the ACA was enacted to increase the quality and affordable of health insurance, lower the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance coverage, andRead MoreThe Affordable Care Act Is The Us Healthcare Reform Law1393 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is Obamacare? The affordable Care Act is the US healthcare reform law. The law makes health care and health insurance more affordable and move available to more Americans the official name is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 210, but is mostly referred to as Obamacare. This law was signed on March 23, 2010. Originally the ACA was enacted to increase the quality and affordable of health insurance, lower the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance coverage, andRead MoreHealthcare Reform By Signing The Affordable Care Act ( Aca )1857 Words   |  8 PagesIn 2008, Obama accomplished the goal of healthcare reform by signing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA aims to control healthcare costs and give Americans accessibility to health insurance. One method to accomplish this is Title IX, Sec 9001 of the ACA, known officially as â€Å"Excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage†, which implements a tax on overly generous health plans. This part of the ACA remains one of many issues that has drawn ire from both Democrats and Republicans.Read MoreHealthcare Reform - Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act2683 Words   |  11 PagesIntroduction: The U.S government spends about 17% of GDP on healthcare industry which is enormously high as compared to any other industrialized nation. President Obama signed the comprehensive healthcare reform – Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on March 23, 2010. The law worked on the principles of triple aim to reduce healthcare cost, improve quality and access for the U.S citizens. One of the fundamental component of Affordable Care Act that will affect the caregiving to the U.S citizens isRead MoreHealthcare Reform: The Patient Protection and The Affordable Care Act of 2010558 Words   |  2 PagesHealthcare reform has become an important issue with many Americans since the passage of the Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act in 2010. It took years of fighting and refining the bill before it became law, and it represents the lasting legacy of the Obama administration. The Act will allow millions of Americans who were previously uninsured to gain coverage through ex panded Medicaid and Medicare programs or through federal or state insurance exchanges. Although the idea of providingRead MoreThe Affordable Care Act Is Surrounded By Numerous Political Circumstances1441 Words   |  6 PagesThe Affordable Care Act is surrounded by numerous political circumstances. The Affordable Care Act has been called by many names such as Obama Care or healthcare overhaul. The healthcare overhaul is one of the rare policies that has been developed, but not tweaked to perfection; it may never be tweaked to satisfy everyone, but it could still improve. According to the article entitled â€Å"The Science of Muddling Through† by Charles Lindblom â€Å"Policy is not made once and for all; it is made and re-madeRead MoreObamacare : The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act ( Ppaca )1237 Words   |  5 PagesObamaCare, officially known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) but sometimes also referred to as the Affordable Care Act (AC A) for short, reforms the health insurance industry and the American health care system as a whole. The law brings forth many changes for the American families that make healthcare more affordable and accessible. The law focuses on four aspects of improvements in healthcare for Americans: affordable insurance for individuals and small business owners, endsRead MoreThe Affordable Care Act ( Aca )956 Words   |  4 PagesAbsract++++++++++++++++++++++++++= The Affordable Care Act (ACA) (also known as â€Å"Obamacare†) is an historic piece of legislation that has had massive effect on healthcare in the United States. Its systemic effects on healthcare in this country are numberous, from insurance to ambulatory care, from healthcare related taxes to healthcare resources, and beyond. That said, the following research paper attempts to summarize how this massive piece of legislation has effected healthcare in the United States, to date;

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Secret Circle The Captive Chapter Two Free Essays

string(58) " was swinging at an angle, and Diana turned to follow it\." Somewhere on the way downstairs Cassie stopped feeling guilty. She didn’t know exactly how it happened. But it was necessary, if she was going to survive this. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Captive Chapter Two or any similar topic only for you Order Now She was doing everything she could to protect Diana-and Adam, too, in a way. Adam must never know about Faye’s blackmail. So Cassie would do whatever it took to protect them both, but by God, she wasn’t going to feel guilty on top of it. And she had to handle Faye somehow as well, she thought, marching behind the tall girl, past Diana’s father’s study. She had to keep Faye from doing anything too radical with the skull. She didn’t know how; she’d have to think about that later. But somehow she would do it. If Faye had looked back just then, Cassie thought, she might have been surprised to see the face of the girl behind her. For the first time in her life Cassie felt as if her eyes were hard, like the blue steel of a revolver instead of the soft blue of wildflowers. But right now she had to look neutral- composed. The group on the driveway looked up as she and Faye came out the door. â€Å"What took you so long?† Laurel asked. â€Å"We were plotting to kill you all,† Faye said breezily. â€Å"Shall we?† She gestured toward the garage. There were only traces of yesterday’s chalk circle left on the floor. Once again the garage was empty of cars-they were lucky Diana’s father worked so much at his law firm. Diana, her left fist still closed, went over to the wall of the garage, directly behind the place Cassie had been sitting when they had performed the skull ceremony. Cassie followed her and then drew in her breath sharply. â€Å"It’s burned.† She hadn’t noticed that last night. Well, of course not; it had been too dark. Diana was nodding. â€Å"I hope nobody is going to keep arguing about whether there was any dark energy or not,† she said, with a glance back at Deborah and Suzan. The wood and plaster of the garage wall was charred in a circle perhaps a foot and a half in diameter. Cassie looked at it, and then at the remnants of the chalk circle on the floor. She had been sitting there, but part of her had been inside the skull. Diana had told them all to look into it, to concentrate, and suddenly Cassie had found herself inside it. That was where she’d seen-felt-the dark power. It had begun rushing outward, getting bigger, determined to break out of the crystal. And she’d seen a face†¦. She was grateful, suddenly, for Adam’s calm voice. â€Å"Well, we know what direction it started in, anyway. Let’s see if the crystal agrees.† They were all standing around Diana. She looked at them, then held her left fist out, palm up, and unclasped her fingers. She took the top of the silver chain with her right hand and drew it up taut, so that the peridot just rested on her palm. â€Å"Concentrate,† she said. â€Å"Earth and Air, help us see what we need to see. Show the traces of the dark energy to us. Everybody concentrate on the crystal.† Earth and Air, wind and tree, show us what we need to see, Cassie thought, her mind automatically setting the simple concept in a rhyme. The wood of the wall, the air outside; those were what they needed to help them. She found herself murmuring the words under her breath and quickly stopped, but Diana’s green eyes flashed at her. â€Å"Go on,† Diana said tensely in a low voice, and Cassie started up again, feeling self-conscious. Diana removed the hand that was supporting the crystal. It spun on the chain, twirling until the chain was kinked tightly, and then twirling the other way. Cassie watched the pale green blur, murmuring the couplet faster and faster. Earth and Air†¦ no, it was useless. The peridot was just spinning madly like a top gone wild. Suddenly, with broad, sweeping strokes, the crystal began swinging back and forth. Someone’s breath hissed on the other side of the circle. The peridot had straightened out; it was no longer twirling, but swinging steadily and hard. Like a pendulum, Cassie realized. Diana wasn’t doing it; the hand that held the chain remained steady. But the peridot was swinging hard, back toward the center of the chalk circle on the floor, and forward toward the burned place on the wall. â€Å"Bingo,† Adam said softly. â€Å"We’ve got it,† Melanie whispered. â€Å"All right, now you’re going to have to move it out of alignment to get outside. Walk-carefully- to the door, and then try to come back to this exact place on the other side of the wall.† Diana wet her lips and nodded, then, holding the silver chain always at the same distance from her body, she turned smoothly and did as Melanie said. The coven broke up to give her room and regrouped around her outside. Finding the right place wasn’t hard; there was another burned circle on the outer wall, somewhat fainter than the one inside. As Diana brought the crystal into alignment once more, it began to swing again. Straight toward the burned place, straight out. Down Crowhaven Road, toward the town. A shudder went up Cassie’s spine. Everyone looked at everyone else. Holding the crystal away from her, Diana followed the direction of the swinging. They all fell in behind her, although Cassie noticed that Faye’s group kept to the rear. Cassie herself was still fighting every second to not watch Adam. Trees rustled overhead. Red maple, beech, slippery elm-Cassie could identify many of them now. But she tried to keep her eyes on the rapid swish of the pendulum. They walked and walked, following the curve of Crowhaven Road down toward the water. Now grasses and hedges grew poorly in the sandy soil. The pale green stone was swinging at an angle, and Diana turned to follow it. You read "The Secret Circle: The Captive Chapter Two" in category "Essay examples" They were heading west now, along a deeply rutted dirt road. Cassie had never been this way before, but the other members of the Circle obviously had-they were exchanging guarded glances. Cassie saw a chain-link fence ahead, and then an irregular line of headstones. â€Å"Oh, great,† Laurel muttered from beside Cassie, and from somewhere in back Suzan said, â€Å"I don’t believe this. First we have to walk for miles, and now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What’s the problem? Just gonna visit some of our ancestors underground,† Doug Henderson said, his blue-green eyes glittering oddly. â€Å"Shut up,† Adam said. Cassie didn’t want to go inside. She’d seen many cemeteries in New England-it seemed there was one on every other street in Massachusetts, and she’d been to Kori’s funeral down in the town. This one didn’t look any different from the others: it was a small, square plot of land cluttered with modest gravestones, many of them worn almost completely smooth with time. But Cassie could hardly make herself follow the others onto the sparse, browning grass between the graves. Diana led them straight down the middle of the cemetery. Most of the stones were small, scarcely reaching higher than Cassie’s knees. They were shaped like arches, with two smaller arches on either side. â€Å"Whoever carved these had a gruesome sense of humor,† she breathed. Many of the stones were etched with crude skulls, some of them winged, others in front of crossbones. One had an entire skeleton, holding a sun and moon in its hands. â€Å"Death’s victory,† Faye said softly, so close that Cassie felt warmth on the nape of her neck. Cassie jumped, but refused to look back. â€Å"Oh, terrific,† said Laurel as Diana slowed. The light was dying from the sky. They were in the center of the graveyard, and a cool breeze blew over the stunted grass, bringing a faint tang of salt with it. The hairs on the back of Cassie’s neck were tingling. You’re a witch, she reminded herself. You should love cemeteries. They’re probably your natural habitat. The thought didn’t really make her feel less frightened, but now her fear was mingled with something else-a sort of strange excitement. The darkness gathering in the sky and in the corners of the graveyard seemed closer. She was part of it, part of a whole new world of shadows and power. Diana stopped. The silver chain was a thin line in the gloom, with a pale blob below it. But Cassie could see that the peridot was no longer swinging like a pendulum. Instead it was moving erratically, round and round in circles. It would swing a few times one way, then slow and swing back the other way. Cassie looked at it, then up at Diana’s face. Diana was frowning. Everyone was watching the circling stone in dead silence. Cassie couldn’t stand the suspense any longer. â€Å"What does it mean?† she hissed to Laurel, who just shook her head. Diana, though, looked up. â€Å"Something’s wrong with it. It led here- and then it just stopped. But if we’ve found the place, it shouldn’t be moving at all. The stone should just sort of point and quiver-right, Melanie?† â€Å"Like a good hound dog,† Doug said, with his wild grin. Melanie ignored him. â€Å"That’s the theory,† she said. â€Å"But we’ve never really tried this before. Maybe it means†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off as she looked around the graveyard, then she shrugged. â€Å"I don’t know what it means.† The tingling at the back of Cassie’s neck was getting stronger. The dark energy had come here-and done what? Disappeared? Dissipated? Or †¦ Laurel was breathing quickly, her elfin face unusually tense. Cassie instinctively moved a little closer to her. She and Laurel and Sean were the juniors, the youngest members of the Circle, and witch or not, Cassie’s arms had broken out in gooseflesh. â€Å"What if it’s still here, somewhere†¦ waiting?† she said. â€Å"I doubt it,† Melanie said, her voice as level and uninflected as usual. â€Å"It couldn’t hang around without being stored somehow; it would just evaporate. It either came here and did something, or-† Again, though, she could only finish her sentence with a shrug. â€Å"But what could it do here? I don’t see any signs of damage, and I feel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Still frowning, Diana caught the circling peridot in her left hand and held it. â€Å"This place feels confused- strange-but I don’t sense any harm the dark energy has done. Cassie?† Cassie tried to search her own feelings. Confusion-as Diana said. And she felt dread and anger and all sorts of churned-up emotions-but maybe that was just her. She was in no state to get a clear reading on anything. â€Å"I don’t know,† she had to say to Diana. â€Å"I don’t like it here.† â€Å"Maybe, but that’s not the point. The point is that we don’t see any burns the dark energy could have left, or sense anything it’s destroyed or hurt,† Diana said. Deborah’s voice was impatient. â€Å"Why are you asking her, anyway?† she said with a jerk of her dark head toward Cassie. â€Å"She’s hardly even one of us-â€Å" â€Å"Cassie’s as much a part of the Circle as you are,† Adam interrupted, unusually curt. Cassie saw the arch, amused glance Faye threw him and wanted to intervene, but Diana was agreeing heatedly with Adam, and Deborah was bridling, glaring at both of them. It looked as if an argument would break out. â€Å"Be quiet!† Laurel said sharply. â€Å"Listen!† Cassie heard it as soon as the voices died down; the quiet crunch of gravel at the roadside. It was noticeable only against the deathly quiet of the autumn twilight. â€Å"Somebody’s coming,† Chris Henderson said. He and Doug were poised for a fight. They were all hideously on edge, Cassie realized. The crunch of footsteps sounded as loud as firecrackers now, grating against her taut nerves. She saw a dim shape beside the road, and then saw Adam move forward, so that he was in front of both Diana and her. I’m going to have to talk to him about that, she thought irrelevantly. There was a pause in the footsteps, and the dim shape came toward them. Adam and the Henderson brothers looked ready to rush it. Quarrel forgotten, Deborah looked ready too. Sean was cowering behind Faye. Cassie’s heart began to pound. Then she noticed a spot of red like a tiny burning coal floating near the figure, and she heard a familiar voice. â€Å"If you want me, you got me. Four against one ought to be about fair.† With a whoop, Chris Henderson rushed forward. â€Å"Nick!† Doug grinned, while still managing to look as if he might jump the approaching figure. Adam relaxed and stepped back. â€Å"You sure, Adam? We can settle this right here,† Nick said as he reached the group, the end of his cigarette glowing as he inhaled. Adam’s eyes narrowed, and then Cassie saw the daredevil smile he’d worn at Cape Cod, when four guys with a gun had been chasing him. What was wrong with him, what was wrong with everybody tonight? she wondered. They were all acting crazy. Diana put a restraining hand on Adam’s arm. â€Å"No fighting,† she said quietly. Nick looked at her, then shrugged. â€Å"Kind of nervous, aren’t you?† he said, surveying the group. Sean emerged from behind Faye. â€Å"I’m just high-strung.† â€Å"Yes, you ought to be-from a tree,† Faye said contemptuously. Nick didn’t smile, but then Nick never smiled. As always, his face was handsome but cold. â€Å"Well, maybe you have a reason to be nervous-at least some of you,† he said. â€Å"What’s that supposed to mean? We came here looking for the dark energy that escaped last night,† said Adam. Nick went still, as if struck by a new idea, then his cigarette glowed again. â€Å"Maybe you’re looking in the wrong place,† he said expressionlessly. Diana’s voice was quiet. â€Å"Nick, will you please just tell us what you mean?† Nick looked around at them all. â€Å"I mean,† he said deliberately, â€Å"that while you’ve been scurrying around here, a crew’s been up at Devil’s Cove, pulling rocks off old Fogle.† Fogle? Cassie couldn’t place the name. And then suddenly she saw it in her mind’s eye-on a brass plate in a wood-paneled office. â€Å"Our principal?† she gasped. â€Å"You got it. They say he got caught in an avalanche.† â€Å"An avalanche?† demanded Laurel in disbelief. â€Å"Around here?† â€Å"How else do you explain the two-ton chunk of granite that was on top of him? Not to mention all the smaller stuff.† There was a moment of shocked silence. â€Å"Is he†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cassie couldn’t finish the question. â€Å"He wasn’t looking too good when they got that chunk off him,† Nick said, and then, with less sarcasm, â€Å"He’s been dead since last night.† â€Å"Oh, God,† Laurel whispered. There was another silence, just as shocked and even longer this time. Cassie knew they were all seeing the same thing: A crystal skull surrounded by a protective ring of candles- and one of the candles going out. â€Å"It was Faye’s fault,† Sean began in a whine, but Faye interrupted without looking at him. â€Å"It was his fault.† â€Å"Wait, wait,† said Diana. â€Å"We don’t know the dark energy had anything to do with it. How could it have, when we know it came here and then stopped?† â€Å"I don’t think that’s much comfort,† Melanie said in a low voice. â€Å"Because if it wasn’t the dark energy, who was it?† There was a sort of strange shifting in the group, as if everyone was standing back and looking at all the others. Cassie felt a void in the pit of her stomach again. The principal was-had been-an outsider, who hated witches. And that meant they all had a motive-especially anybody who blamed the outsiders for Kori Henderson’s death. Cassie looked at Deborah, and then at Chris and Doug. Most of the rest of the coven was doing the same. Doug glared back, then gave a wild, defiant grin. â€Å"Maybe we did do it,† he said, eyes glittering. â€Å"Did we?† said Chris, looking confused. Deborah just looked scornful. There was another silence, then Suzan spoke in a petulant voice. â€Å"Look, it’s too bad about Fogle, but do we have to stand here forever? My feet are killing me.† Adam seemed to shake himself. â€Å"She’s right; we should get out of this place. There’s nothing we can do here.† He put an arm around Diana, and gestured everybody else ahead. Cassie lingered. There was something she wanted to say to Diana. But Diana was moving now, and Cassie didn’t have a chance. With the Henderson brothers in the lead, the group was taking a different route than the one they had taken in, cutting toward the northeast corner of the cemetery. As they approached the road, Cassie noticed the ground sloped up. There was a strange mound of grassy earth near the chain-link fence on this side; she almost tripped when she reached it. But even stranger was what she saw when they had passed it and she looked back. The front of the mound was faced with stone slabs, and there was an iron door, maybe two feet square, set between them. The door had an iron hinge and a padlock on it, but it couldn’t have opened anyway. Pushed right up against it was a large, irregular hunk of cement. Grass was growing up around the cement, showing it had been there a while. Cassie’s hands were icy cold, her heart was thudding, and she was dizzy. She tried to think, noticing with only part of her mind that she was passing by newer gravestones now, marble slabs with writing not worn smooth by time. She was trying to figure out what was wrong with her-was it just reaction to all the events of the past day and night? Was that why she was shaking? â€Å"Cassie, are you okay?† Diana and Adam had turned around. Cassie was grateful for the growing darkness as she faced both of them and tried to get her mind clear. â€Å"Yeah. I just-felt weird for a minute. But wait, Diana.† Cassie remembered what she had wanted to say. â€Å"You know how you were asking me about my feelings before†¦ well, I have a feeling about Mr. Fogle. I think the dark energy did have something to do with it, somehow. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped. â€Å"But I don’t know. There’s something else strange going on.† â€Å"You can say that again,† Adam said, and he reached for her arm to get her moving once more. Cassie evaded him and shot him a reproachful glance while Diana was staring into the distance. He looked at his own hand, startled. There was something strange going on, something stranger than any of them realized, Cassie thought. â€Å"What is that thing back there, with the iron door?† she asked. â€Å"It’s been there for as long as I can remember,† Diana said absently. â€Å"Something to do with storage, I think.† Cassie glanced back, but by now the mound was lost in darkness. She hugged herself, tucking her hands under her clasping arms to warm them. Her heart was still thudding. I’ll ask Grandma Howard about it, she decided. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a storage shed, she knew that. Then she noticed that Diana was toying with something around her neck as she walked lost in thought. It was a fine golden chain, and at the end of it dangled a key. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Captive Chapter Two, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Community Practice Educational Technology â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Community Practice Educational Technology? Answer: Introducation In order to analyse the research subject, the questionnaire survey has been taken with 400 respondents. Among the 400 respondents, about 66.8% are female. Besides, majority of the respondents (284 out of 400) are belonging to age group of 18 to 21 years. About 103 respondents fall within age group of 22 to 25 years. Concerning academic year, majority of the respondents (144 out of 400) have completed first year. About 94 respondents have completed the second year. The number of respondents who are in first year and fourth year are 67 and 70 respectively. With respect to the major taken by the respondents, it can be observed that 228 have science major and the rest 172 respondents has human as major in the college. Social Networking In order to understand about the social networking activities of respondents, they are asked about the primary method of using internet. From the findings it can be observed that about 87.5% of respondents use smartphone to access internet. Only 10.8% and 1.8% have found to use laptop and PCs for accessing internet, indicating the prevalence of smartphone usage among the college students. For understanding the popularity of social networking, the respondents are asked about the mots used social networking sites. Expectedly Facebook has obtained highest ranking where 75% of respondents have found to use this site. Apart from WhatsApp and Snap Chat is also used by considerable number of respondents (70% and 55% respectively). About 50% respondents have found to use Instagram. This signifies that Facebook is the most influencing social media for the purpose of communication and hence learning English language. Most of the respondents (about 37%) have also mentioned that they spend about two to four hours on social networking sites every day. Besides, 22% and 21% respondents have stated that they spend about five to six hours and more than six hours respectively in the social networking sites. This indicates that social networking sites play vital part to learn and use English language as considerable amount of time is spent on them. Female respondents have found to use the social networking sites more in comparison with the male. This indicates that social networking sites have more influence on language capability of female than male. From the findings, it can be observed that majority of respondents (265 out of 400) are using social networking sites for more than three years. About 97 respondents have found to use the social networking sites for one to three years. This indicate that the respondents have become habituated for using social networking for so long and therefore social networking has become a part of regular routine for them for communication. English Usage on Social Networking Sites With respect to the use of languages on social networking sites, 74% of respondents mentioned that they use both English and Arabic. Since, social networking is used by people throughout the world and English is the most prevalent language among most of the world people and also accepted worldwide, the respondents are bound to use English apart from their native language. Only 15% have found to use only Arabic language in social networking. Besides, it can also be observed that the use of English in social networking sites is higher among the female (267 out of 400) than male (133 out of 400). In order to understand to what extent English is used for communication or commenting or interacting in English in social networking, series of question has been asked to the respondents. On the basis of findings, it can be observed that the mean value is more than 3 for respondents who communicate with English speakers. This signifies the fact that social media gives operations for the respondents to study the speaking style of native speakers and therefore can learn from them. The mean value of respondents who read news and other information in English is observed as 4.04. This indicates that social media gives the opportunity to understand the reporting style and use of language used in various online news articles. This is huge benefit for the students to learn more about how to write in English. The mean value of respondents who comment on posts in English is observed as 3.94. Thus, it also indicates that through social media they can fearlessly express their viewpoints on any i ssue in English language. This can generate confidence among them to use English for communication. Furthermore, the mean value of respondents who communicate with companies and business in English is observed as 3.81. This signifies that organisations can also interact with the people through English and social media gives the respondents to understand more about formal and official communication pattern and use of language in professional environment. To a large extent respondents agreed to use English in social media website, specifically in Facebook and WhatsApp. The value of is observed as more than 0.80 for each variable, which indicate that there is much difference between the reactions of respondents. Integration of Social Media in Classroom The next question was asked in order to understand how and in what context tertiary EFL students in Jordan use English and social networking. The mean value of the analysis is observed as more than 4 which indicate that majority of respondents have agreed behaviour on the statements. In this context, most of the respondents ( = 4.40) have stated that Facebook and WhatsApp have made it simpler to access the instructional materials in the internet. This indicates that social media can be utilised by the teachers in contemporary classroom to better share the English language materials and also to clarify any queries of students easily. Besides majority of the respondents ( = 4.36) have agreed with the fact that these applications also helps to strengthen discussion between the learners and the teachers in English (Ynuus, 2016). This signifies that some students feel nervous to speak in English face to face with the teachers with the fear of embarrassment from other native students. Howe ver, through social media, students are able to interact with the teachers without such worries of embarrassment as the conversation cannot be seen by other students. Social media provides certain amount of privacy between the teachers and students to ask anything that bothers them and hence encourage interaction and learning. The students are able to openly ask questions through these applications and exchange knowledge and expertise (Mansor, 2014). The mean value of respondents who stated that social media help to encourage group discussion in chat room particularly with native speakers is 4.25. This finding specifies that social media gives the chance to provide properly thought out answers to discussion. Since, the students are not physically present; this reduces the chance for negative influence of the fear of discomfiture, particularly for students who are introvert in nature. In this way, social media inspire group discussion in English with the native speakers. Facebook and WhatsApp also help to establish specific educational network. Students can easily create a group through social media with likeminded people where they can exchange kn owledge and encourage educational discussion (Kalasi, 2014). Facebook also has tools such as like and comment which assist in obtaining the feedback of students regarding English Curriculum. Therefore, through these applications, the teachers are able to understand the requirements and effectiveness of students learning about English language (Brick, 2012). Finally, most of the respondents ( = 4.03) have also mentioned that through Facebook and WhatsApp, the teachers can share their blog post to the students. The blog post can be accessed by the students at any time. This function acts as a key aspect of English learning procedure (Facer, 2011). The of the analysis is observed as more than 0.70 which indicate that there is low level of similarity between the reactions of respondents. Practicing English through Social Media The fourteenth question was asked in order to understand the attitudes and beliefs of students in using English as foreign language in the social networking sites. The mean value of the reactions is observed as more than 3.5, signifying agreeing attitudes among the respondents. In this context, most of the respondents are agreed with the fact that they practice writing, reading, listening, and speaking in English via social networking sites. This signifies that social networking sites are great communication tools for increasing the proficiency in English (Chartrand, 2012). Majority of the respondents have also agreed with the fact that social networking sites have enhanced the English communication abilities and motivation to read English materials. Through constant communication with different students, the social networking sites also assisted in correcting the mistakes of using English language. Most of the respondents ( = 4.31) also stated that communication with different peopl e also assisted in learning new words and therefore social media also enhanced the English vocabulary of people (Dhanya, 2016). Through social media, students are able to communicate with native students who have much experience in English language. Therefore, they can use more words which provide learning opportunities for foreign students to understand English (Rogers, 2007). The respondents also agreed with the fact that using social networking enhanced the confidence to communicate by using English. This finding signifies that with continuous exposure of using English, the students knowledge on English has increased; they have understood their mistakes and lacking which makes them more self-assured to talk in English with others (Yunus, 2013). The respondents have also mentioned that social networking sites have made English language learning much interesting, collaborating and coexistent. The value of is observed as more than 0.7, indicating that most of the respondents reaction differs from mean value. Use of Social Media Application in English Language Classroom The fifteenth question was asked in order to understand the opinion of students and teachers regarding the utilisation of social networking sites as teaching instruments for EFL pedagogy (Recker, 2004). Most of the respondents ( =3.97) have mentioned that the social networking sites such as Facebook should be used for learning purpose. Facebook is the most popular site for social media and it gives maximum reach to the students. Teachers can use this media to share any post and to obtain the opinions of the students along with their English learning abilities. The mean value of students who mentioned to use WhatsApp for learning purpose is 3.90. In this context, it can be stated that through WhatsApp teacher can create group for sharing learning materials and also for conversing with the students in English, WhatsApp is also helpful for encouraging discussion on given topic in English thereby inspiring language learning (Monica, 2014). Apart from majority of the respondents ( = 3.91) also agreed that blogging should be used for learning English language. Through blogging, teachers can easily create blog post with useful information which can assist English language learning or remove any kind of misunderstanding regarding use of English. Twitter, Snap Chat, Google+ and Instagram among others also serve similar purposes and should be utilised for learning purposes in English language classroom. These tools have proven to be effective in learning in better way than the traditional methods (Yang, 2009). It provides motivation and confidence to the students in learning English in positive manner. Correlation Analysis In order to understand the relationship between communicating in English and reading, emailing and commenting on social networking sites, correlation analysis has been undertaken (see following table). From the above analysis, it can be observed that the value of correlation coefficient between the variables is positive. However, the values are not much closer to 1. Therefore, it can be mentioned that there is positive but weak relationship between communicating in English and reading, emailing and commenting in the social networking sites. However, no relationship has been found with respect to communicating with English speakers and communicating with companies and business persons in English as the correlation value is much closer to zero. Furthermore, correlation analysis is also undertaken in order to understand the connection between easy accessibility of instruction materials in internet and interaction between students and teachers, utilisation of social networking tools, encouragement of discussion with English speakers and establishment of educational network (see following table). From the analysis, it can be observed that easy accessibility of instruction materials in internet has no relationship with the interaction between students and teachers, utilisation of social networking tools, encouragement of discussion with English speakers, and establishment of educational network as the values of respective correlation coefficients are much less than 1. Correlation analysis is also undertaken in order to assess the relationship between learning new words in English through social network and utilising social network for enhancing motivation for English communication, using social network for enhancing English communication mistakes, practicing English through social networking, using social networking for making English learning simpler (see following figure). From the analysis, it can be observed that the value of correlation coefficient between practicing English writing in social networking and enhancing communication skill is 0.214, which is positive but not close to 1. Thus, it can be stated that positive but weak relationship exists between practicing English writing in social networking and enhancement of communication skill. The value of correlation coefficient between practicing English writing and motivation to learn English is 0.652 which is positive. Thus, it can be stated that strong positive relationship exists between these two variables. Then again, the value of correlation coefficient between practicing English writing and enhancing language mistakes is 0.693 which is positive and much closer to 1. Thus, it can be mentioned higher writing practice in social networking is related with higher development of language mistakes correction. In similar context, the correlation coefficient between practicing English writing in social networking and learning new words in English is observed as 0.649, which is positive and closer to 1. Thus, it can also be stated that high writing practice of English in social networking is related with better learning of new words in English. The value of correlation coefficient between practicing English writing in social media and enhancing motivation in communicating in English is 0.721 which is positive and much higher. Thus, it can be stated that strong positive relationship exist between the variables, i.e. more writing practice in English in social networking is related with high motivation to communicate in English. The value of correlation coefficient between English writing practice in social media and making English learning easier is 0.629, signifying strong positive relationship between the variables. Finally, the correlation value of English writing practice and making learning more interesting is observed as 0.660, which signify that strong positive connection between the variables. In order to understand the pattern of relationship between social media usage and learning English correlation analysis has been undertaken with the variables of twelfth to fifteenth question. From the findings, it can be observed that the mean value of twelfth question is 3.93 which signify that majority of the respondents are agreed with the fact that they are using social networking for texting friends, reading news, communicating with native speakers, commenting informal post in English and interacting with the employers. The mean value of thirteenth question is observed as 4.2 which indicate most of the respondents have agreed that social media can be incorporated in English language classroom through creating blog post, encouraging group discussion, establishing specific educational channel. The mean value of fourteenth question is 4.11 which signify most of the respondents agreed that they practice English in social media and social media helped to develop English language skill. The mean value of fifteenth question is observed as 3.75, indicating most of the respondents agreed that social media should be utilised for learning purposes in English language classroom. From the above table, it can be observed that the value of correlation coefficient between twelfth question and thirteenth question is 0.396, which is positive but not closer to 1. Thus, it can be stated that there is weak positive relationship between utilisation of social networking for texting, reading or communicating and incorporation of social media for English language classroom. On the value of correlation coefficient between twelfth question and fourteenth question is observed as 0.537 which is positive and closer to 1. Thus, it can be stated that strong positive relationship exists between the variables. Hence, it can be stated that using social network for texting friends, reading news, communicating with native speakers is positively related with development of English language skill among the respondents. Finally, the value of correlation coefficient between twelfth question and fifteenth question is 0.097, which is positive much closer to zero. Thus, it can be concluded that no relationship exist between the variables. Relationship between Age and Social Networking Usage for Learning English The following table demonstrates the relationship between age and social networking use: From the above analysis, it can be observed that young generation students are much inclined to use social media for the purpose of learning English. Young students with age group of 18 to 21 years have demonstrated much positive attitude towards utilisation of social networking in comparison with old people. Young students also believe that social networking sites should be integrated in English language learning. Thus, it can be stated that there exist negative relationship between age and use of social networking sites for English teaching, i.e. lesser the age, the more the use of social media for learning purposes. Relationship between Gender and Social Networking Usage for Learning English The following table demonstrates the relationship between gender and social networking usage for learning English: From the above table, it can be observed that the more female respondents prefer to use social networking for texting, reading news, communicating with native English speakers and commenting posts in English than male. Furthermore, female respondents have demonstrates much positive attitude towards integration of social networking in English language teaching in comparison with the male counterparts. Therefore, on the basis of analysis, it can be stated that there exist certain relationship between gender and use of social networking sites for English learning. In order to evaluate the reliability of the analysis, the Cronbachs alpha method has been used. It is the most commonly used method for assessing the inner consistency of questionnaire survey, developed through multiple Likert scales. For each correlation analysis, the alpha value is measured (see following tables). From the above analysis, it can be observed that the value of coefficient for each three correlation is 0.763, 0.761 and 0.856 respectively. The value of usually ranges from 0 to 1. If the value of is higher, then it signifies that more variables have shared covariance. In a typical analysis, value between 0.65 and 8 is regarded as reliable and value less than 0.5 is regarded as unacceptable. In this context, it can be observed that in all three questions, value is more than 7. Therefore, it can be stated that the outcomes has satisfactory level of internal consistency and that the research is reliable. Discussion The research financial illustrate the information regarding online social networking site utilised by the students, their online social network communications and their learning style preferences. The research findings indicate that the students most popular online social networking site is Facebook and they spend considerable time on conversing through this channel. This recommends the likelihood for the educators to mix the traditional classroom learning environment with online social networking functions, such as conversations and knowledge sharing. This finding must be considered while planning the English learning function by the online social network. The research also explored the relation between utilisation of social networking sites and their leering English environment. The outcomes are presented in two sections. The first section comprises descriptive information which contains respondents gender, age group, language use and time utilisation of social networking sites. On the other hand, the second section is classified into two aspects. The first aspect defines if social networking sites can act as online learning environment which facilitate learning of English language. The outcome signify that social networking sites can have positive influence on the aspects of students communication with the teachers and other students. Social network also assist in sharing learning resources, course materials and exchanging expertise. In university, the teachers are required to communicate with the students through only English, comprising every kind of interactions such as writing or speaking. In this context social networking help t o enriching English learning through constant conversation with English native speakers. Therefore, tis media is encouraging students to become more confident and inspired in learning English settings. The second aspect discusses of social networking sites posit valuable and enjoyable atmosphere for learning English. According to findings social network enhances English learning through encouragement of group discussion, creation of blog posts, commenting on posts and interacting with people. Through social networking students can find similar group who share similar understanding, knowledge and interests. They can express individuality and imagination. Being active and reflective in social networking impact on the way students can utilise chat and messaging service and the way they monitor learning page in order to claim learning information. To conclude, the research findings recommend the potentials and trends for the future of combined learning between traditional type classroom environment and learning functions on online social environment. The findings explored that social media play vital part in interacting with the teachers outside the classroom, in connecting with classmates, in giving knowledge and feedback and in exchanging course information. This signifies that social media will open a new door for methods and styles of learning for students, specifically English language. Utilising social networking sites will augment the prospects for the students to overcome the hindrances of classroom environment and inspire social communication which can result in additional learning opportunities and also will inspire involvement in face to face communication in classroom. Therefore, social networking technology can assist in developing a positive learning community and healthy atmosphere for improving students learnin g English language while they are exploring their accounts.; References Brick, B. (2012).The Role of Social Networking Sites for Language Learning in UK Higher Education: The Views of Learners and Practitioners. International Journal of ComputerAssisted Language Learning and Teaching, 2(3): 35-53. Chartrand, R. (2012). Social networking for language learners: Creating marketing output with Web 2.0 tools. 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