Finally, some common sense...

From The Faulty Logic of The Math Wars: A mathematical algorithm is a procedure for performing a computation. At the heart of the discipline of mathematics is a set of the most efficient — and most elegant and powerful — algorithms for specific operations. The most efficient algorithm for addition, for instance, involves stacking numbers to be added with their place values aligned, successively adding single digits beginning with the ones place column, and â€Å"carrying† any extra place values leftward. What is striking about reform math is that the standard algorithms are either de-emphasized to students or withheld from them entirely. In one widely used and very representative math program — TERC Investigations — second grade students are repeatedly given specific addition problems and asked to explore a variety of procedures for arriving at a solution. The standard algorithm is absent from the procedures they are offered. Students in this program don’t encounter the standard algorithm until fourth grade, and even then they are not asked to regard it as a privileged method It is easy to see why the mantle of progressivism is often taken to belong to advocates of reform math. But it doesn’t follow that this take on the math wars is correct. We could make a powerful case for putting the progressivist shoe on the other foot if we could show that reformists are wrong to deny that algorithm-based calculation involves an important kind of thinking. What seems to speak for denying this? To begin with, it is true that algorithm-based math is not creative reasoning. Yet the same is true of many disciplines that have good claims to be taught in our schools. Children need to master bodies of fact, and not merely reason independently, in, for instance, biology and history. Does it follow that in offering these subjects schools are stunting their students’ growth and preventing them from thinking for themselves? There are admittedly reform movements in education that call for de-emphasizing the factual content of subjects like biology and history and instead stressing special kinds of reasoning. But it’s not clear that these trends are defensible. They only seem laudable if we assume that facts don’t contribute to a person’s grasp of the logical space in which reason operates. In other words, reform movements are largely based on the rejection of a reality-based concept of education. We couldnt possibly have anything as piddling as facts interfering with the joy and beauty of learning. If a child wants to believe that 2+2 =5, shouldnt they be praised for thinking independently? In all seriousness, though, theres something borderline sadistic about schools refusing to teach actual, well-established knowledge, knowledge that makes learning easier. Not every student is genius capable of re-deriving the Pythagorean theorem on their own. Yes, by all means, teach students to understand why things are true – I’ve heard from math tutors who constantly encounter kids who do just fine in calculus because theyve learned when to plug in about four formulas but who fall down on comparatively basic SAT math because they dont really understand why things work the way they do, or how to apply simple formulas when theyre presented in unfamiliar ways. The point is, teach them something, dont just let them flail around trying to figure it out on their own. Whats the point in all those centuries of accumulated knowledge if schools are just going to toss it out the window?

How Does One Rebuild a Failed Movie - 1410 Words

Today, a brief one. Just how does one rebuild a failed movie in such a way as to make it an enjoyable experience for the viewer? Case in point: Drive Angry. Heres what my favorite place says about this motion picture: Drive Angry is a 2011 American action film starring Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard, and directed by Patrick Lussier. It was released on February 25, 2011. Shot in 3-D, the film was met with a mixed reception and grossed almost $30 million....The film has received mixed reviews from critics. It currently holds a 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 111 reviews, and an average rating of 5.3/10. James Kendrick said it was loud, vicious, tasteless and inane. He then went on to say it thunders at you from every direction with a wild abandon that is more irritating and desperate than enlivening. Mark Jenkins from the Washington Post commented that Even at its most lurid, though, the movie is a little dull. It only gets less compelling as the back story fills in. Thomas Layer from the Toronto Telegraph said the film was an abysmal nightmare and that this film was more evidence that Nicolas Cage is a monotone, uninspiring thespian whose films should be avoided at all costs. On the other hand, Elizabeth Weitzman from the New York Daily News wrote, Drive Angry is pure grindhouse, so committed to its own junkiness that it is, in its way, a pleasure to behold. The Evening Standard film critic Stewart Pulsey praised the film for its resilient desire to unmaskShow MoreRelatedItalian Neo Realism During World War II1947 Words   |  8 Pageson Italy. Also â€Å"the common desires of Neorealist film makers†¦ was to show the reality of life in Italy after World War II, and that reality was harsh for many reasons, most of them having to do with the war itself. â€Å" This investigation will explore how genre of Italian Neo-Realism reflects the realities of Italy both at the end of World War II and after World War II Through the films: 1. La Terra Trema - film 2. Bicycle Thieves - film 3. Umberto D. - film 4. Rome, Open City – film In criticallyRead MoreI Admire The Chocolate Bar1856 Words   |  8 Pagesthousand square meters in area, they produce the majority of our planet’s cocoa beans. The Ivory Coast is the biggest producer, providing thirty-five percent of the world’s supply (1.23 million tons) in 2009, alongside Ghana, which accounted for twenty-one percent (0.73 million tons). As a result of the incredible empire West Africa has on cocoa bean production, more and more workers are needed every day to keep up with the supply and demand. But due to the extreme poverty and overall insecurity of GhanaRead MoreLeadership Portrayed in the Movie Twelve O’ Clock High3317 Words   |  14 PagesTRANSFORMATIONAL PARADIGMS IN PRACTICE Introduction The movie â€Å"Twelve O’ Clock High† is a case study in the application of leadership theory during World War Two. Gregory Peck portrays Brigadier General Savage, a United States Army Air Force officer thrust into a situation that requires a maximum effort both on the ground and in the air as he attempts to re-invigorate an undisciplined, anxiety ridden, and ineffective combat unit. Throughout the movie we observe Peck’s character employing a variety ofRead More2008 Financial Crisis Essay2286 Words   |  10 PagesQuestion 1 Hank Paulson played a critical role in the financial crisis of 2008. How did Mr. Paulson help create the environment that led up to the financial crisis? What mistakes did he make as Secretary of Treasury when he had to manage the financial crisis of 2008? Do you think Mr. Paulson acted as an unbiased Secretary of the Treasury or did his background at Goldman impact his thinking and his actions? As Secretary of Treasury, Hank Paulson’s lax supervision let too many subprime mortgageRead MoreEssay about Recycling Wealth in the Inner City4383 Words   |  18 Pagestowards urban centers. HISTORY In terms of considering the potential for rebuilding the inner city and creating a thriving district of concentrated black Americans, it is important to note that such an ideal is not as unprecedented as one might be led to believe. . A history of concentrations of Black economic activity would be incomplete without mention of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the once thriving African American business district that existed there. In the early part of the 20thRead MoreDeforestation: Has This Global Pandemic Finally Been Reversed? 1993 Words   |  8 Pageschainsaws; overhead birds are soaring, scavenging for a new nest after their tree viciously crashed to the ground. However, miles of barren and dead land are all these poor animals can find. Now to some people, this may resemble a cheesy animated movie where the animals have voices and eventually fight back to win their freedom. However, to innocent animals around the world, this is no laughing matter: this is reality. It has been found that through the years, millions of plant and animal speciesRead MoreCoke and Pepsi Issues5071 Words   |  21 Pagesenvironment cleanliness. This paper will discuss about Coke and Pepsi issues with respect to issue management, crisis mana gement, global business ethics and stakeholder management besides looking into their corporate social responsibilities and what lesson does this case portray to other multinational companies to be aware of. 2.0 Introduction First of all, the issue started to take place when Coke and Pepsi’s products were tested containing a hazardously high level of pesticide residue by a publicRead MoreFACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO INDIA’s LEADING POSITION IN STEM CELL RESEARCH IN ASIA1863 Words   |  8 Pagespancreas transplantation are either expensive or a life long affair. But there is a hope in the form of stem cell therapy. There are other diseases that have no definitive cure currently. Either the treatment is painful and expensive or the treatment does not work after couple of years. These diseases range from Cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Heart Cardiac muscles repair, Aplastic anaemia, Thalassemia, Severe combined immunodeficiency, Multiple sclerosis, Juvenile rheumatoid, Arthritis and RheumatoidRead MoreEssay about CSR report of baidu3448 Words   |  14 PagesBaidus corporate social responsibility Executive summary Baidu is considered as China’s Google, it is the leading search engine in China, occupying over 70 per cent of the market share. By dominating the market, Baidu becomes one of the most successful IT companies. . However, by applying Carroll’s three dimensions model of CSR with combining stakeholder management approach into the corporate social performance assessment, it is questionable to say whether Baidu is qualifiedRead MoreWalt Disney Case16863 Words   |  68 Pages9-701-035 REV: JULY 25, 2001 D MICHAEL G. RUKSTAD DAVID COLLIS O The Walt Disney Company: The Entertainment King I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse. —Walt Disney The Walt Disney Company’s rebirth under Michael Eisner was widely considered to be one of the th great turnaround stories of the late 20 century. When Eisner arrived in 1984, Disney was languishing and had narrowly avoided takeover and dismemberment. By the end of 2000, however

The Effect Of Cortisol And Sleep On Memory - 1262 Words

Question Bennion, Steinmetz, Kensinger, and Payne (2013) addressed the overarching question of how cortisol, sleep, and emotional arousal interact to influence memory. More specifically, they conducted a study to investigate the following: 1) whether resting levels of the stress hormone cortisol affect memory consolidation differently for emotional versus neutral stimuli, 2) whether this effect differs following a period of sleep versus a period of wakefulness, 3) whether resting cortisol levels affect the relationship between attention to stimuli during encoding and subsequent memory, and 4) whether this effect, too, differs following a period of sleep versus wakefulness. These research questions were used to examine the interaction†¦show more content†¦Although the authors initially presented their hypothesis as a dichotomous outcome, there were several possible alternatives. Elevated cortisol could predict better subsequent memory for neutral stimuli than for negative stimuli or h ave no effect on memory. Cortisol could have a greater effect following the period of wakefulness than the period of sleep, or the Sleep/Wake condition could have no effect. Results could also show only main effects of cortisol, valence, and sleep, with no interaction effects, or cortisol levels could have no significant effect on memory, regardless of the valence of the stimuli or the Sleep/Wake condition. For the two research questions addressed during the second level of the study, Bennion et al. (2013) hypothesized that elevated cortisol at encoding would promote an interaction between attention and consolidation—i.e., that objects viewed for a shorter duration of time would be more likely to be forgotten, and objects viewed for a longer duration would be more likely to be remembered. They also hypothesized that this effect would be greater following the period of sleep, and that neural activity in memory retrieval would be centered on the limbic areas. This hypothesis also makes a reasonable prediction based on prior research suggesting that neural activity for mental retrieval centers on the limbic regions

Macbeth and Bumble Essay Example For Students

Macbeth and Bumble Essay In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting two relationships. The first is the Macbeths from the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare in England in the 1600s however the play is set in 11th century Scotland. In 17th century England there were many changes. Queen Elizabeth 1st had died leaving no heir and was succeeded by James 1st. He was a Scottish king who sought the return of traditional gender roles. Had proved wrong by the ambitious and unmarried Queen Elizabeth. The second relationship is the Bumbles from the novel Oliver Twist, written by Charles Dickens in Victorian times and was published in a serialized form. In these two texts I will be commenting on love in the relationship and how the relationship develops throughout. I will also be looking at setting, form and the language used in the two texts. At the time of Macbeth, women were expected to be sub-servant to men. At the time of Macbeth many people believed in God and if a woman tried to change her place in the great chain of being for example not be sub-servant to her husband she would be defying god as he was at the top of the chain. However at the time in which Oliver Twist was written many people no longer believed in God so therefore did not fear the great chain of being. So women were not expected to be sub-servant and it was more common for women to be independent, some of which even fought for equal rights for example the suffragettes. In Victorian times many people married not for love but for social and economic stability. This can be related to Dickens as he was in a loveless marriage At the start of the relationship the Macbeths seem to have a great deal of love for each other. This can be shown in Act 1, scene 5 when Lady Macbeth is reading a letter her husband has sent her. In this letter he calls his wife, My dearest partner of greatness, which is a term of endearment expressing love. In this letter he also shares the news of his new Thane ship and his encounter with the witches. After reading about his new title, Thane of Cawdor, Lady Macbeth already begins to plan his future. This can be shown from the quote, Thou wouldst be great. Another sign of love. However as the play continues Lady Macbeth mocks her husbands manliness. She says, When you durst do it then you are a man, from Act 1 scene 7 shows that Lady Macbeth can put her husband down and humiliate him without seeming to care which shows a lack of love, however the audience would see that Lady Macbeths motivation is because of love and that she wants her husband to achieve his ambitions. Again as the play unfolds Macbeth begins to exclude his wife from his business, this can be shown in act 3 scene 2 when Macbeth says, Be innocent of the knowledge dearest Chuck. This shows that Macbeth no longer wishes to include his wife with his business which shows growing tensions in their marriage however from the audiences point of view it would be seen as Macbeth regaining his manliness. You could also possibly say that Macbeth no longer wants his wife involved with his business because he wants her to live guilt free and he doesnt want her to know about all the terrible things he has done. The final point which describes the Macbeths relationship is in Act 5, scene 5. After hearing about Lady Macbeths death, Macbeth simply says, she should have died hereafter. This quote shows us that Macbeth thinks that his wifes death is an in-connivance and that she should have died at a more convenient time. The fact that he shows no signs of remorse or guilt shows us that he no longer loved his wife. Bumble include flies in trap room used to describe relationship public and private , LM uses manipulation, Mrs. .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af , .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af .postImageUrl , .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af , .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af:hover , .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af:visited , .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af:active { border:0!important; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af:active , .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue5a24776e152a1d2900fa1e51d91e2af:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: In Decline and Fall, Waugh uses many techniques to produce satire; these include irony, hyperbole and litotes, juxtaposition and bathos EssayB uses violence and humiliation. Compare Dickens own marriage. The two pieces of text (Macbeth and Oliver Twist) have been written in completely different formats. Macbeth was written in the form of a play while Oliver Twist is a novel which was published in a serial format. The two formats affect how the text was written. For example in Macbeth soliloquy is used to express a characters thoughts while in Oliver Twist an omniscient 3rd person narrator is used to express characters feelings. In Macbeth there is one main setting which is, Dunsainee Castle in which the Macbeths live. However in different rooms of the rooms of the castle the Macbeths relationship roles change. In public areas of the castle Macbeth is seen to be the dominant party in his relationship however in private Lay Macbeth is the one in charge, this can be shown in Act 1, scene 5 when Lady Macbeth says, I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongue. In the Bumbles there are two main settings. The parlor which represents the private side of the marriage and the workhouse which symbolizes the public side. However unlike in Macbeth, Mrs Bumble assert her dominance both in public in private however she does it differently in private than she does in public. In the parlor she uses, matrimonial tactics such as, she, Fell into a paroxysm of tears and when that didnt work she used violence, inflicted a shower of blows. However in the workhouse she uses humiliation o undermine her husband. This can be shown when Mrs. Bumble says, Making yourself look like a fool. Macbeth uses sillouqy to add extra info. In Bumble they use an omniscient narrator. Dickens uses long sentences with the meains at the end which creates a humours tone. Macbeth uses heaby imagery eg dagger while dickens uses heavy alliteration and some symbolism eg hate = power. Dickens shows a lack of support for each charcter. Shakespeare uses more formal language to show the tension between the Macbeths eg consort