Educational technology classes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Educational technology classes - Essay Example The chapter helped in understanding what educational technology is. According to Reiser and Dempsey (2012), â€Å"When asked to define the term instructional technology, [people] will mention computers, DVDs, mobile devices,† which is very correct. This really altered my understanding. This essay helps in understanding of the definition of the field of educational technology and other resources in the first project by writing about the field. Through this writing, the real meaning of the field is understood. Educational models were next. Most of them related to what was learned in the previous classes while some of them were new. The history of educational technology was also described. This was not new as it had been summarized in the past using articles by other authors along with Reiser and Dempsey (2012). Education theory was then learnt. It gave me the chance to decide which one of them to adopt in my teaching style in future. The next thing was writing my own educational theory. This was very challenging and interesting. It enabled me to put into practice my learning style which was the backward theory. I realized that there is a model for the backward theory which helped one to foresee the outcome of the theory in future. New knowledge on how to become a better instructional designer in the future was gained. In the education process, the teacher alone cannot handle all the responsibility. The instructional designer and the management of the institutions should all be involved so as to help in delivery of knowledge to learners.

Cross Cultural Marriage Essay

Cross Cultural Marriage Essay The world is an interesting and a diverse place to live in. An Intercultural Marriage is a union of two people involving numerous cultures and backgrounds. When two various cultures combine together, there may be significant challenges they have to face. Each race ensures there own culture. A culture may differ from one to another due socially transmitted behaviour patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. Culture is a system of shared beliefs and values and is constantly evolving and changing around the world. The presence of intercultural marriages and intimacy is clear and expanding in societies throughout the Culture may consist of shared language, religion, or ethnicity. America is one of the greatest multicultural and multiracial societies in the world at the moment. Nevertheless, this may come across as a shock to most people but as lately as 1966, 17 states in the United States actually had laws against the interracial marriage a nd all of the states regulated marriage between whites and other races in the country. Discriminations against miscegenation are usual nowadays. Despite the significant number of intercultural marriages in the U.S today, mere empirical research has been done to determine the nature of these marriages (Ngye Snyder, 2000) and marital satisfaction. Communication style and interpersonal relationships are fundamental aspects of culture and can vary dramatically from one culture to another. There may be language and communication barriers. It is noteworthy to remember that everyone on this earth has culture, not just those clusters that are considered civilized. The majority of culture is unseen, below the surface. For example, when a Russian man marries an Italian it is not only the differences in native language (Russian vs. Italian) and religion (Eastern Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic) but also a host of cultural differences associated with such factors as expression of emotion, conflict expression and management, the role of the of family of origin in raising children (Sullivan Cottone, 2007). The beliefs and values that lie beneath the surface can be the most difficult to change when it is necessary. (Progressive Scholar, 2010) Interracial marriages are not always intercultural marriages, as in some countries, for example, in t he United States, people of different races can share the same cultural background. (Source Wikipedia, Last access 17th August) it is easy to comprehend why it is difficult to let go of a tradition or expectation. It isnt easy to deal with the legacy that weve all grown up within our ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds. Though it seems to be a very romantic love story, in the beginning, the truth is, it can be very challenging and frustrating in real life. And it is simply not about being racist, marriage has a deeper meaning to it, which dwells in understanding it, is possible to have extremely strong and natural negative feelings surrounding an interracial relationship or a marriage even though youre not considered as racist. Legal or not illegal the question is should interracial marriages be encouraged? The union between two different cultures altogether will give space to different experiences and opportunities in life, but most difficulties in the marriage life where it is concerned. Adoptions to a different culture altogether maybe not turn out to be an easy task. Individually ethnic and cultural variances put pressure on the marriage itself. With two diverse cultures, a family often has struggled with understanding the differences between the families. Most of the time, such differences are not even recognized and unexplained. At this position an even larger problem with intercultural marriages. It is easy to look at why it is difficult to let go of a tradition or expectation. It isnt easy to deal with the legacy that weve all grown up within our ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds. Numerous cultures will consume different marriage laws, customs and also parental disagreements which will lead to disputes. There will be lower material satisfaction, higher divorce rates due to logistics. Language barriers, different traditions and societys disapproval of these factors will lead to higher failure of the marriage. Hence, a union between two cultures should not be encouraged due to the factors mentioned above. The report will consist of three major factors which are mainly focused on miss- contribution towards an inter-cultural marriage. Initially how the marriage is affected by the cultural shock, diverse of marriage laws which can lead into disagreements plus adaptation to various cultures and environmental factors. Secondly, the societys points of view, Spouse facing discrimination due to colour and differences, if he/she is beyond the racial divide. The last point will conclude of dissipation of culture. The report contains information based on various countries and issues with diverse cultures marriages. 2.1 ADAPTATION TO A DIFFERENT CULTURE The main intention of getting married is to emotionally, spiritually and physically unite men and women together, as husband and wife, it is a commitment made in the presence of God, and is valid until death. Intercultural marriages are often influenced by external factors that can create a confrontation and disagreement in relationships. Different cultures endure vastly diverse moral, ethical and value foundations that influence their perceptions of individual, family and societal lifestyle. When these fundamentals are operating alongside the foundation of different cultural roots, as in intercultural marriages, problems and disagreement oftentimes occur. It takes an effort to combine two cultures successfully, and a willing attitude to learn from both partners. The first argument against intercultural marriages is the cultural shock (adaptation to a new culture). When considering an intercultural marriage either one of the partners have to get introduced to a new culture. Ideally, both have to get used to each others cultures and laws to survive the marriage and this will create a lot of problems in the process. For an example A non-Muslim marrying a Muslim will have to obey to certain laws in Islam; Islam forbids marriage between Muslim women and non-Muslim men. Therefore, any partner will have to convert and obey Islamic rules (sound vision, 2010). In the case of Muslim men marrying Jewish and Christian women, the situation is different. While Islam does allow this, Muslim men marrying Jews and Christians need to remember that living in the West, if they end up divorcing, the children will almost automatically be given to the mother. The converting process from one religion to another and adapting to new laws will create massive problems that will even end the marriage. Additional wrinkle in U.S. Muslim family law practices stems from the structure of authority in Islamic jurisprudence since there has never been an official church certifying individuals to speak on behalf of the religion, the field is open for any dedicated Muslim to seek to act as imam and lead a community (Quarishi Syed- Miller, 2001) therefore, non-Muslims have a very rare chance of winning and surviving in the marriage due to different laws in different cultural laws. Moving on, Intercultural marriages have contrasting differences between traditions and cultures. Although a few studies have looked into this aspect, cultural differences also stimulate marital conflicts, particularly in intercultural marriages. In fact, the quantitative study of Takano (2002), pointed out that 19% of the marital discords in interethnic couples involved in his study are attributed to cultural differences.). Couples that enter a cross-cultural marriage bring into their relationship vastly diverse assumptions and expectations about marriage and family life. Many of these assumptions flow out of the values, unspoken rules and belief systems that permeate their primary cultures. These unspoken values have become so much a part of their lives that they are almost hidden from view. For an example, the way of celebrating Christmas is different in Germany rather than America (J). In fact, many of these cultural differences do not surface until after the couple is married. However, New experiences and new culture altogether may interest an adventurous spouse as its a unique once in a lifetime experience and the difficulties greatly depend on how religious and culturally bond the families are. Not all think out of the box, New strange land, parents and language may cause distress at the beginning of the marriage life. One spouse will live in the country of origin and the other will be a stranger in a strange land the pleasantness maybe fall apart after sometime when trying to fit into a different family, culture. Marriage and customs differ from one country and another culture.For example, Indian marriage customs are varying from marriage customs of Chinese traditions. In Japan the Japanese bride to be painted pure white from head to toe, visibly declaring her maiden status to the gods. There are two choices of headgear exist. One which is, the watabÃ…Â shi, is a white hood, the other is called the tsunokakushi, serves to hide the brides horns of jealousy. It also symbolizes the brides intention to become a gentle and obedient wife. During the period of the traditional wedding days, there would be a tilak ceremony (where the groom is anointed on his forehead), a cerem ony for adorning the brides hand then cover the feet with henna (called mehendi) accompanied by Ladies Sangeet (music and dance) and many other pre-wedding ceremonies. Hence, marriage traditions, customs and beliefs may clash due to the above points mentioned so far. Religion runs deeper since they practice their faith and it is a part of their cultural identity that they want to hang on to. The accurate, customs and special days associated with the religion remain significant to them. The regarding the worship of the children will matter some religions deny the validity of all others and insist on conversions or demand that the children should be brought up in that religion. A couple might face difficulty in deciding on this above point and the spouse form the other religion may feel inferior and down. For example, Orthodox Judaism teaches that the family must repudiate (sit shivah for) a child who marries a non-Jew: Islam demands obedience to Gods law only as revealed by Muhammad, and also requires that a Muslim marry a fellow Muslim. The Catholic churches until recent years insisted that a non-Catholic partner sign a prenuptial agreement to raise any Catholic children. Particular Christian sects preach that all outsiders are damned to eternal fire and prohibit any marriage to people of different faith. At this specific point, the problem may occur with the faith plays a major role in decision making this is if the partner is intensely religious. As they approach each others separate territory, there is a new language, new customs and a new standard of normal to be learned. While culture a certain behaviour might be accepted, here it might cause native offence. This sought of marriage is similar to a foreign alliance, with two separate people coming together and discovering the heritage and history of the other. 2.1 Disapproval from parents and rejection from society No man is different from the other; every human being is created equal. Some optimists believe its the mind of one that creates all the boundaries. But over the time when people get used to one way of living, it is likely that they maintain the trend, generation after generation, this is where culture plays a role. Once you are used to that play it is very hard to get rid of it or adopt a different style of living. Culture is a total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge, which constitute the shared bases of social action (Collins Dictionary). So as these practices are a significant and unique part of a group of people at a particular period, they are no longer equal anymore, one would be different from the other from the thoughts and beliefs. Intercultural marriages go beyond the racial divide, Which will lead to discrimination by people around them and which may make it uncomfortable to family and parents Interfaith, intercultural and interracial marriages are subj ect to special stresses and strains beyond those experienced in most marriages. Issues are apparent from early in the relationship. Differences often emerge during wedding planning, and these can involve the expectations of partners families of origin about the wedding ceremony, etc. Child rearing can also bring religious, cultural and/or racial issues to the surface as decisions about religious practices and education are confronted for the first time. (Patricia S. Gregory A., 2003) Disapproval from parents for a cross-cultural marriage is customary. Parents should play a major role in their childrens marriage set up. As a matter of fact, the parents fear to risk the life of their unmarried children who might face discrimination from the partners family members. There may also be communication problems if they speak different languages. And It is typical of parents to want their children to find a spouse from there own religion and culture, just to make life easier, and this a better place to live. There are situations where they decide to migrate to the spouses country, which Is living far away from there own family. The parents of an interracial couple usually feel that they have been lowered by their children. A cross-cultural communication in a marriage should respect differences. In marriage you just dont marry another you interconnect with another family as a whole.Intercultural marriages can also include people from different races getting together, a sit uation where there are much more complicated issues when it comes to marriage. (the cultural difference is greater). On the contrary, there is intercultural marriages present within the country like in India, The culture of India is an amalgamation of these diverse sub-cultures spread all over the Indian subcontinent and traditions that are several millennia old.Religiously, Hindus form the majority, followed by Muslims The Republic of Indias state boundaries are largely drawn based on linguistic groups; this decision led to the preservation and continuation of local ethnolinguistic cultures. Thus, states differ from one another in language, culture, cuisine, clothing, literary style, architecture, music (Wikipedia) Another problem is that many of the couples have to encounter is societal disapproval. We have to cope up with our society in spite of our own opinion. The society, on the other hand, considers intercultural marriages as straying from traditional values. A Society is an organization of people who share a common cultural and social background. (Oak, 2007) The consequences of marriage affect every aspect of society. It occupies the most intimate aspect of personal privacy and personal love and reaches the pillars of the sacred institutions of a culture. Marriage is the pillar of society, but it is also the pillar of government, business, and the military. (Wood, 2010) There are mere open-minded people who would give all the support they can, there will always be others who would make the couple feel unwelcome. The most abusive treatment would come from other children. During courtship, many of the racial differences might have overlooked, but after marriage, the couple might find t dif ficult to make adjustment as each group practices a different way of life. Another discouraging occurs when the couples try to participate in social organizations. Although societys disapproval will not affect the couple as seriously as parental disapproval, it is still an issue that cannot be ignored. (http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/25504.html). Sure as it is multicultural marriage requires a lot of sacrifices. We have to cope up with our society in spite of our own opinion. The society, on the other hand, considers intercultural marriages as straying from traditional values. A Society is an organization of people who share a common cultural and social background. (Oak, 2007) The consequences of marriage affect every aspect of society. It occupies the most intimate aspect of personal privacy and personal love and reaches the pillars of the sacred institutions of a culture. Marriage is the pillar of society, but it is also the pillar of government, business, and the military. (Wood, 2010). In this global world nowadays people are becoming accepting more than they used to, and less ignorant. In the eyes of the person who is getting married this may no longer matter as love has no boundaries. It really does not. Maybe our soul mate is from a different country and religion altogether. Marriage is a union of two who are in love. The relationship depends on the person in them. Care and trust are more important than what the persons religious or cultural background is. There will also be less discrimination amongst races. Nevertheless, There comes a point where it really does matter, because a marriage needs to be maintained throughout with commitment and understanding, it is a bond that is virtually irrevocable. In order to be more comprehensive, it is excelling if they have a grip on what it is, even better having practised the same. Parents agreement for a marriage would be very important and as it is a blessing from them indeed in the years ahead, many face this problem, because parents do not think like the present generation does. Also the society holds the view that a marriage is the stability provided by a life-long promise of remaining together which makes marriage the institution most suited to rearing and socializing the next generation of members, a necessary task if the societys norms, values, and goals are to be maintained and if the society itself is to be is to be immortalized (M White, 1995). Each culture has its own way of communicating, arguing, eating, sharing, and showing affectio n. Most cultures remain intact by passing along their nuances, habits, and sayings for hundreds of years, with only slight variations occurring within each generation. (Henshaw, n.d) 2.3 Culture dissipation There are numerous cultures available throughout the world. People around the globe are similar in their essential humanity: we communicate with each other, we sustain ourselves with food, and when we sleep we often dream. Yet we speak different languages, eat different foods, and dream different dreams. These are what we call the cultural differences. (Jervis. N, 2006). Let not scores of men/women abandon their culture and disappoint there parents and family in any way. All religions that accept or desire converts have had to adapt themselves to the cultures where they spread or they would not have been accepted. (Jervis. N, 2006) In the new era, as intercultural marriages are present, dissipation of culture is on the increase. As people migrate, get married to people of different culture and religion, there will be less who maintains the traditions ethics and values that they are nurtured with. These differences like religion, ethics etc. affects the spiritual stability of the marr iage in an unforeseen manner. Why is culture so important? In a society, groups of people are interactive and interpersonal. In order to understand the groups to which one belongs, it is important to recognize the various cultures or habits and traditions within each group. It makes for a better understanding between diverse groups. (yahoo-ask answers) Lets get this through, cultures are constantly changing. The attitudes, values, goals the practices that characterize each society. Technological innovation and contact with other cultures may cause these to change dramatically. An intercultural marriage is one of the causes for cultures to go extinct. And it promotes cultural discontinuity. Cultures do changes, they are never static. The responsibility of us to maintain it .also some convert from one religion to another after an intercultural marriage due to the influence of the new environment this may not always be good. After the marriage the spouse most probably the female might not experience the same traditions and ethics in the new family. There will be no one to maintain its cultures are connected to language and traditions and religions.cultural continuity is important, continuity requires that a culture stays the same thats impossible just that certain central aspects of a culture, such as particular beliefs or traditions, remain (gorigirl, 2009) On the other hand, some people believe an intercultural marriage does bring about many cultures together and ensures freedom, unity in the society and traditions should be revisited because if not women nowadays will be locked up in kitchens like in the 16th century. Cultural diffusion is good. Less racial discrimination because no one is neglecting anyone due to cultural barriers. It will also help over racists minds of few. No boundaries for love will make life easy for couples from different cultures We will always love our traditions and respect it as a part of us and would love to even teach our kids the same way. But with intercultural marriages sacrifices have to be made. Intercultural marriage is a perfect example of the creative destruction that, when successful, leads to both great innovation and happy, meaningful lives. Every marriage consists of the creation of a new family culture -but with intercultural marriages, each individual is bringing a completely distinct culture and set of traditions to the table to be combined. (gorigirl, 2009) Misbelieving in cultures will give a person no direction and sense of identity and uniqueness; people will become less traditional, religious because of the influence of many cultures and will also lead to language death. Part of our culture is language and it affects the cultural identity of the tribes or ethnic groups. They will not stick to one culture and would adjust according to there ideas as the culture is destroyed (mixed) and ignored by them. People would be less civilized after some generation as they are not nurtured according to one way of living, they will easily adapt to any change which maybe gives them no identity. 3.0 Conclusion Diversity and unity amongst people are the best, But this world is not perfect. A relationship is hard to maintain. Especially an intercultural or interracial marriage as they have to face new challenges every day, there are many hurdles they should overcome. Family and society perceptions matters. Unity is a good thing and discrimination should be lessened but miscegenation is always not the solution to reduce or top discrimination, it should come within our selves and not with due to the respect of a relationship as if it is so, it might fade after sometime when the spark of the love is faded. Many difficulties should be overcome by a success of an intercultural marriage like maintain a family. The shared beliefs and values of people should not leave them after some time, it should always in them, an intercultural marriage is affected by the cultural shock, diverse of marriage laws which can lead into disagreements plus adaptation to various cultures and environmental factors. Lang uage barriers and different traditions they are nurtured by people. Spouse facing discrimination due to colour and differences, if he/she is beyond the racial divide and dissipation of cultures occur. Sometimes the differences of each other may be too hard to handle over time also let not let go of our religion and beliefs and values due to a marriage, as our future generations need a proper culture to adapt to and to be brought up properly. Let not our own traditions breakdown. 6.0 Recommendations As intercultural marriages are faced with many barriers, due to family issues and adaptation to the culture. A marriage is not easy to maintain and its more challenging as its an intercultural marriage.As in this modern era people should be more accepting and diverse. Parents should be more attentive about the unmarried childrens desires, think more out of the box and support them throughout regardless of the cultural barriers. They should focus more on the person and the character and not judge them by the race or religion that person belongs to. Pre-marriage counseling would help to smoothen the beginning of the marriage, due to the differences Avoiding conversions to other and have faith in what they always believed in and not to change because of a marriage. Parents should always give there blessings to a marriage no matter how much they like it or not, because it does affect the couple emotionally and psychologically The society should be more accepting to differences They couple should get together and spend more time each of their familys and the places they were bought up , for the spouse to feel comfortable and less strange in adopt to changes Family and relatives should always help and support the couple throughout because its a tough challenge they have to face. Extra attention should be given to the differences and weak points of the couple so they can work on it before things go out of hand.as it is very much possible due to the differences in each other For traditions and cultures to be continued till today people should be more rational and moral. Supplementary research can be done on areas like impact on: Family life, Impact on children, nature of intercultural marriages. As these areas are not covered in the above repot, these will help expand the topic into further branches Recommended areas to research on: Advantages of intercultural and marriages in the new era. Bibiloigraphy Ballard., (2006), The International YWAMer magazine , 6th of january 2006, issue june 2006. Berry, F (1992). Langston huges, before and beyong harlem .USA: Carol PuB.Co.Group.P56-75 Donovan, S Corbin, J (2007), Intermarriages, 5th october 2007, viewed on 16th of july 2010, Available :http://www.jstor.org Deborah T, You Just Dont Understand: Women and Men in Conversation (New York: Ballantine Books, 1990), pp. 188-215 Gorilgirl, ( 2009), Broken Traditions? Intercultural Marriage and Cultural Continuity, 13th of july 2009, Available: http://gorigirl.com/broken-traditions-intercultural-marriage-and-cultural-continuity.Last accessed on 16th of july 2010 Myers; Jane, E.(2005) , Marriage satisfaction and wellness in India and the United States, 22nd of March 2005, Available: http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-133015418/marriage-satisfaction-and-wellness.html.HYPERLINK http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-133015418/marriage-satisfaction-and-wellness.html.LastLast accessed on 22nd of September 2010. Nancy J, ( Ph.D).(2006) What is a culture, (N.d)Available : http://www.p12.nysed.gov//ciai/socst/grade3/whatisa.html.HYPERLINK http://www.p12.nysed.gov//ciai/socst/grade3/whatisa.html.LastLast accessed on 19th of September 2010. Romano, D(2006), Intercultural marriage, prmoses and pitfalls, 8th january 2006, Available: http://www.amazon.com/Intercultural-Marriage-Promises-Dugan-Romano/dp/187786451X. Last accessed on 26th of july 2010 Tiergert, V. Difficulties faced by intercultural relationships (2008)Availble : http://www.helium.com/items/1957887-difficulties-faced-by-intercultural-relationships. Last access on the 1st of September 2010

Essay --

The lady and the tiger was a story with no ending, this is bothersome because it truly left everybody wondering. That is quite possibly the brilliance of the story, it forces readers to ponder their thoughts and come up with their own ending. Love has a lot to do with the story â€Å"The Lady and the Tiger†. The story gives the princess fate over her lover. The problem arose because the princess’s father will not allow her to be with him. The story takes place in a kingdom and involves the king, the princess, and her lover. The princess’s decision on which door to gesture to her lover is presumed to have a large impact on the story, which it does however the question that is which door her lover opens remains un-answered. The princess will open the door with the lady behind it, she will be able to put her jealousy and romantic emotions behind human morality. The princess will lead the gentleman towards the door with the maiden behind it because it is highly unethical to kill a man because she will have to see them together. Human morality plays a large role in her decision to do this. The pain she experiences from seeing her lover with her enemy will fade. On the other hand, the pain she would experience from seeing him die in front of her eyes would linger on and on. Furthermore the pain of the reflection of that decision to kill him would bring her much regret. She would continue to question her morality and she would hurt from the decision she made for a very long time. In â€Å"The Lady or the Tiger† Stockton says â€Å"Had it not been for the moiety of barbarism in her nature it is probable that the lady would not have been there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Stockton 4). That quote is proof that even though her father was semi barbaric, due to the moiety she and t... ...nd, that decision leads him to be hit in the face by the guard. Following the hit, he falls to the ground. When he stands up it is undeniably decision time. He looks up to the king and gives him a nod of respect, he also looks up at the princess and quickly gazes into her eyes. The princess subtly pointed to the left. She changed her mind; the door she now wanted him to go through was on the left. He steps forward accepting the princess’s suggestion to go to the left, he places his hand on the door handle. He stops and keeps his hand there for a few second then opens up the door and notices a beautiful maiden stepping out of it. Filled with joy, he wraps his arms around her and thanks God for letting him live. The priest and wedding singers follow close behind the maiden and in the arena the two are married. The obviously guilty had in fact just been found innocent.

Energy and Water Saving Ideas for Schools

Water-Saving Ideas for Schools Free ? Repair leaky faucets and toilets throughout the school building. ? Encourage maintenance staff to avoid using hoses or pressure washers to clean sidewalks and other paved areas. ? Never allow water to run unnecessarily, and avoid using the toilet as a trash can. ? Avoid overuse of the air conditioning – the harder it works, the more water (and energy! ) is used to cool the building. ? Encourage your school’s cafeteria staff to avoid using trays when possible. Fewer items to wash means less water is used to wash them! ?Research the water needs of the plants currently found on the school grounds. Determine how often they require water, and request that maintenance staff only water the plants and grounds as required by the plants. ? Make sure sprinkler systems are watering plants and not spraying water onto sidewalks or other paved areas. ? Develop a poster campaign to help educate the school community on water-conserving behaviors suc h as repairing leaks, turning off the water while washing hands, avoiding overuse of air conditioning, landscaping with native plants, etc.Low-cost ? Install faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads and other water-saving devices throughout the school. ? Construct a rain garden or native plants garden on the school grounds. ? Install rain barrels on school grounds. ? Place mulch around plants to reduce evaporation. ? Install timers and moisture sensors on irrigation equipment used on school grounds. ? Research the WaterSense program and encourage the school administration to purchase WaterSense products when equipment needs replacing.National Environmental Education Week is April 11-17, 2010 Be Water and Energy Wise! www. eeweek. org Energy-Saving Ideas for Schools Free ? Set the classroom (or school-wide) thermostat so it is slightly warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. ? Start a carpooling program at your school and encourage students to ride the school bus or carpool rathe r than having their individual parents drive them to school. ? If your classroom has windows and gets plenty of natural light, open the blinds and turn off the lights when not required. Check for and repair leaks around windows and doors where air conditioning and heat can escape. ? Plug all computers, televisions, printers, copiers, and other equipment into power strips, and turn off the strips when the devices are not in use. Even when turned off, many electronics use energy even when they're in standby mode. ? Pack lunches (in reusable containers! ) that don’t require heating. ? Ensure that heating and cooling vents are clear of obstruction. ?Create a schedule and put students in charge of turning off energy-consuming devices in the classroom (printers, computers, lights, etc. ). ? Increase the amount of insulation on water heaters and hot water pipes. ? Develop a poster campaign to help educate the school community on energy-conserving behaviors such as turning off lights , computers, and other equipment when not in use, keeping doors and windows closed to reduce heating and cooling system waste, washing clothes and dishes in full loads using cold water, etc.Low-cost ? Replace classroom light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. ? Research the Energy Star program and encourage the school administration to purchase Energy Star products when equipment needs replacing. ? Plant deciduous trees around the school building. Trees help reduce heating and cooling costs by shading the building during warm months and by providing a wind break during the winter. National Environmental Education Week is April 11-17, 2010 Be Water and Energy Wise! www. eeweek. org

The Women’s Struggle for Equal Rights

The women†s struggle for equal rights has existed throughout American history. For thousands of years women had been denied of their rights and always been thought of as having a second-class role in society. Women were powerless and considered the property of men. Women were only expected to fulfill certain roles in life. They have been given the role of being the weak, submissive, and a house-wife that was meant to stay home and care for the children. She was not expected to work outside the home. The women of the mid 1800†³s realized that it was time for a change and so began the women†s right movement. It was the mid 1800†³s and the women started to take a step. Women began fighting for equal opportunities just as men. On July 1848, three hundred people came together at Seneca Falls, New York, to discuss and resolve the inequities that had place women as second-class. At this meeting, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the women who organized the convention and was also known as â€Å"Mother of the Suffrage Movement,† presented a speech. She listed the areas in which women should have equality, and surprised everyone by including the right to vote. She had used a piece from the Declaration of Independence as her model â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.† This meeting was the start of a fight that would drag on for years. Women thought that the first step to gaining equality was being able to vote. The fight for the right to vote began in 1840. This was not an easy goal to accomplish. Along with other rights they wanted, they had to fight their way through state legislatures and congressional obstacles. Men argued that women were too sensitive and emotional and therefore would not be able to reach fair political decisions. Almost a century later, August 1920, the women†s right to vote was finally passed. It was the Nineteenth Amendment, â€Å"The right of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.† In the 1980 presidential election, for the first time women outnumbered the male voters. The gaining of the women†s right to vote gave women hope that someday men and women would be created equal. Although the women were allowed to vote, it little improved the way society portrayed women. Women still faced difficulties in experiencing equal rights. But the fact is, the women†s rights movement has made some steps into eliminating inequality. Women were denied of higher education. The highest education a woman was allowed to complete was the primarily level. Due to this lack of higher education women were to only be illegible for jobs such as secretaries and teachers. Women had a hard time finding higher professional jobs because they lacked the proper education. Parents raised their daughters towards being a house-wife, so that a higher education would be pointless. This has been somewhat of an improvement. Before their education was limited to only domestic skills. This act was very effective in schools. It was not until 1974, when Congress passed the Equal Educational Opportunities Act, which stated that no one will be denied of education due to gender, race, color, or nationality. It was able to change the way some courses only to particular sexes, in other words, putting an end to stereotyping. For example, if a girl chooses to take an auto shop course and a boy wanted to take a home economics course, they would have every right to do so. The opportunity for higher education for women gave them the chance to enter the work force. A woman could be anything whom she wants to be. All women are capable of being a housewife and caring for the children at the same time having a job. During the 1950†³s, the largest increase in work force participation was among married women compared to 1920, the typical working woman was single. Studies have found that women that are employed play a higher role in her marriage as she normally would have being unemployed. Women that were employed full-time had higher roles in marriage than a woman being part-time employed. From 1955 to 1990 the percentage of employed women has increased twelve percent. Though women were able to find jobs they still face difficulties concerning that area. Women†s work advancement was still limited compared to men. If a man and woman happen to have the same job the man was always paid more. World War I helped create new job opportunities for women, and many began to replace jobs that were once held by men. Although the women in the work force have increased, they face another problem in the work force. Discrimination. February 6, 1977, discrimination complaints in the work force have risen to 130,000. Men often humored the working women. They did not think that women were â€Å"cut out† to handle the job as well as men do. Over the years discrimination has lessen, but it still does exist. The women†s rights movement was a very historical event that dramatically changed the government. During the 18th and 19th centuries, women were outnumbered not by population, but instead by the power of men. The growing number of participants of the movement and the continuation through time eventually advanced women†s rights on both the state level and federal level. Women also proposed many Amendments into the Constitution. Eventually with changes of women in society, women began to become involved in the government. Women were being elected to serve in government offices. It seems that the early Americans preferred their women as non-professional and non-intellectual, but as homemakers. Women were expected to follow an expected role, but eventually decided to change that. The women†s right movement was created in order to gain their equality. When this movement arose, the women were being accused of being selfish for wanting the same opportunities of men. Over the years the rights movement has slowly been a success. Slowly, women†s roles in society have advanced. Society now accepts the rights of women and give them more opportunities to play a better role in society. Women of today hold positons that were once only for men. For example, in the past only men were to serve in high offices, but now so are women. Although women have achieve alot of the goals in the movement, some feel that â€Å"Women can not be equal outside of the home until men are equal inside the home.†