Correction Debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Correction Debate - Essay Example However, segregating them causes other inmates to ostracize them. When segregated, they will have a very small group of inmates to interact with and this changes their socializing; this may be more devastating to some inmates than the disease. Other people may feel that because they are inmates they have no right but in reality, they do. One of the rights they have is to be treated fairly. A special ward for HIV inmates would make them susceptible to mistreatment from guards. In most cases, isolation is reserved for those people who are a threat to themselves or others. It could be argued that they are a threat to the rest of prison society because they are HIV positive but this would have to be done in a way that showed they were treated as fairly as other inmates. Conjugal visits are one way to give inmates an opportunity to stay in touch with their spouses or significant others but I disagree that it would aid in effective rehabilitation. Many researchers think that providing conjugal visits is like giving inmates a hotel room and it dos not give them a sense of being in jail. I think that it is a good thing for them to do because sexual frustration can build and can cause inmates to take out this tension on other inmates. The readings suggest that conjugal visits provide a way to stay in touch with their families. I suggest that there are many variables I prison that are stronger than conjugal visits and that some families are not very strong. This means that some inmates would get conjugal visits while others would be denied either because family members are not visiting them or because of their behavior. Conjugal visits are sometimes once a month and some inmates have better behavior if they have been able to have sex with their partners but this is not always the case. If families were already close this could help them stay close, but if they were not close a

Polygamy reasons in Islam Essay Example for Free

Polygamy reasons in Islam Essay Polygamy is a Greek word that means the practice of multiple marriages. Polygamy was considered to fulfill men’s desires on the grounds of strong cultural considerations. Nowadays, Polygamy is considered in Islamic countries and some rural areas around the word. However, it was difficult to provide statistics on the issue of polygamy because of the lack of communication. The man can marry up to four wives. Each wife constitutes a separate household with the husband visiting his wives in turn. Human Rights: Human rights deny gender differences and strive to maintain equality in social rules. Gender equality means an equal visibility, empowerment and participation of both sexes in all spheres of public and private life. Human rights discourse prohibits polygamy and the act of practicing it. Human rights theory is against the notion of polygamy. Human rights discourse states that polygamy is against the dignity of women and their human rights. Polygamy violates the right of equality between men and women; indeed, by allowing men to have more than one wife but preventing women from doing it, the right of equality is violated. In addition, human rights discourse is against the practice of polygamy. It violates women’s right of spending enough time with their husband and children’s right to be raised within a stable family. The idea of allowing the husband to choose polygamy is not considered as slavery or exclusion of the women’s right to decide; on the other hand, it is considered as traditional family life in which the husband is the head of the family. However, the wife can take the place of her husband as the head of the family when the law deprives his civil rights, as if the husband is in jail. On the other hand, polygamy violates the rights of children. Men that have more than one wife do not have enough time to spend it with their children compared with men that have one wife. In addition, their wives try to compete with other wives in order to impress and entertain the man. As a result, children will not have enough time to spend it with their parents. Polygamy requires a lot of time and money; indeed, the man is ordered to fulfill the needs of his wives equally. That will decrease his financial status and this will result in a decrease in health and educational status. Kent acknowledges that polygamists refuse the common life styles and beliefs they live apart from public scrutiny or association, and are more vulnerable to violating civil rights (Kant, 2006). Canadian civil marriage act (2005) defines marriage as â€Å"the lawful union of one two persons to the exclusion of others†. This definition of marriage excludes polygamy. Even though there were laws in Canada prohibiting polygamy before 2009, Winston Blackmore and James Oler were the first polygamists arrested in Canada in January 2009. The maximum penalty for polygamists is 5 years in jail. Although Canadian law assures freedom of religious expression, Polygamy is prohibited. Legal experts say the case promises to pit Canadas antipolygamy law against the countrys Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees freedom of religious expression. Divine Command: Divine command theory in Islam respect gender differences and it maintains equality between men and women. However, it is different in some cases. Divine command explains gender differences as being compatible to each other, which explains the differences in some cases. One of these few cases is polygamy. Islamic law allows polygamy as stated in the quran â€Å"And if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four; but if you fear that you will not do justice between them, then marry only one or what your right hands possess; this is more proper, that you may not deviate from the right course† (4:3). There are several conditions to be maintained in order for the man to marry more than one woman. The first and most fundamental condition is justice, the man have to maintain equality between his wives. He has to be equal in the time spent with the wife and the financial matters, but not his heart inclination. The man can love a wife or her children more than the other but he should keep that to himself and do not show it to his other wives by his behavior. A man should have a reasonable issue to have more than one wife, he should not have more than what he wants. As a result, if two women are enough their husband does not have to marry a third wife and so on. In addition, the man should be able to aid his family, so he cannot marry more than one wife if he is not able to satisfy all of his wives equally. There are several types of aid: financial aid that extends to his children, the ability to satisfy the wives sexual desires. If the man is not able to satisfy the sexual desires of one wife, then he is not allowed to marry more than one. If a women states that her husband does not satisfy her sexual desires, she has the right to ask for divorce. To sum up, the man has to apply justice in the concepts of expenses, sex, and treatment in order to be eligible to have more than one wife. Polygamy is allowed in Islam due to several reasons. First of all is increasing the population. Although one says that increased population causes problems on the society, it results in increased labour, which will increase economy. For example, China has the largest population in the world and they have a strong economical force. Another reason is the increased number of women compared with men in some countries. For example, an official statistic in Germany shows that in 1990 there were approximately 2.7 million more females than males; moreover, the incidents of dying men are more then women. This means that there will be many women without a husband that will lead to a decrease in the population and an increase in adultery and sexually transmitted disease. Childs of adultery are missing the traditional family life and that will reverse it on their behaviour. There are many men that can not handle their sexual interactions and they need more than one women, so if they had more than one that will prevent them from adultery. In addition, men are prohibited to have sex during menstruation or confinement due to its medical harm. The most reason that makes men marry is to make a family, but this dream is impossible if the woman is infertile or has an illness. As a result, it is fair to marry another fertile women. One says that polygamy will cause problems to the family and the wives will be competing with each other. The response for this critique is that problems can occur in every family even if there is one wife. Moreover, each wife has the right to live in her own house and the man can not force them to live in the same house. Another one argues that if polygamy is allowed for men, it should be allowed for women as well. The response to this critique is that women are the carrier of the off spring and by having sex with more than a man the child’s identity will be lost. The children will not be able to recognize their father and it will confuse the society. In addition, the ties of the fatherhood with the children are going to be weak. On April 15th, 2009 Afghanistan women protested in a Shia mosque in the country’s capital city because of a new law that was passed which forbid women to leave their homes without permission from a male relative and these women were also not allowed to refuse to have sex with their husbands. The 300 women who protested were young and organized by women’s rights activists. These Afghan women believed this new law was unacceptable and was a return to Taliban rule. Many local men were outraged by the protesting of these women and threw gravel and small stones at them. As a result, polygamy will decrese these problems. Conclusion: From my point of view, I think that polygamy have more advantages and disadvantages. We can adapt and solve the disadvantages to make polygamy more successful. For example, one can spend more time with his family to make sure that the women and children are satisfied. On the other hand, polygamy should not be allowed without its provisions. Indeed, courts should make sure that polygamy conditions are accomplished, especially the right of justice and equality. References: Kent, S. (2006, August). A matter of principle: fundamentalist Mormon polygamy, children, and human rights debates. Nova religio, 10(1), 7-29. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials database. Polygamists arrested for first time in Canada. (2009, February 10). Christian Century, Retrieved June 18, 2009, from Humanities International Complete database. Polygamy Is Against Womens Human Rights and Their Dignity, Experts Say, (2000). Retrieved June 14, 2009, from http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/51DA40508951B238C1256988002EE12E?opendocument Polygamy reasons and conditions in Islam, (2007). Retrieved June 17, 2009, from http://akhawat.islamway.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=49647 Polygamy reasons in Islam, (2002). Retrieved June 14, 2009, from http://www.islamway.com/?iw_s=Articleiw_a=viewarticle_id=218#(1)

The Jnanas in Meditation

The Jnanas in Meditation Concentration, the ability to detach oneself from the environment and the attainment of insight and later on Nirvana are the reasons why students enrol themselves in meditation classes. Because of these, any one teaching meditation should pay special attention in helping and guiding the student in attaining these goals. In this end, the jnana can be used by the teacher to enhance the student’s practice of meditation and lead the path to enlightenment and gaining inner peace. The Jnana: What is it all about? Jnana is a term that is used for most meditation practices, and can be found in other writings with varying spellings depending on the language being used. The term jnana that will be used in this module is from the Pali language. Other spellings of the word are gnana or gnaan in the Sanskrit language, or dhyana also in Sanskrit. Regardless of its spelling and language using it, the term is used to denote the presence of knowledge of an individual. This meaning is one of the most widely used in meditation centers based on various religious beliefs. The meaning of the word, which is knowledge, can vary depending on what context it is being used. Jnana and its context of knowledge revolves around an occurrence in the cognitive aspect of the individual where something is not just learned, but experienced by the individual. Because of this close association, the knowledge that the individual can gain from an event cannot be separated from his or her actual experience of it and it attached to the reality in which the meditator has experienced the learning. In some cases, it is also connected to a supreme being that is present in the material world (or the Mahesha-dhama) like Siva-Sakti. In Buddhist practices of meditation such as the Tibetan Buddhists, jnana is used to denote a state of awareness that is pure and free from conceptual disruptions and other forms of distractions. This is also used as a contradictory concept to vijnana, which is known as divided knowing. It is believed that when a meditator decides to practice and start practicing jnana and go through the Jnana or Bhimis, then that meditator may experience the presence of complete state of enlightenment and achievement of Nirvana. According to the venerable Mahasi Sayadaw, who is an authority in the Vipassana meditation in Buddhism, there are several nanas or knowledge as the person meditates. What the teacher must stress to his or her students is that these knowledge are to be experienced in stages chronologically. Also, it should be made clear that progression from one stage to another does not have a specific time frame since it can vary from being experienced for only a short period of time up to several years. The intensity in which these knowledge are experienced as also vary as well. The Jnana and Samadhi Aside from being used to gain knowledge related to the experience of things, the jnanas can also be used to refer to several states of Samadhi. This occurs when the meditator has learned to detach himself or herself from attributes of his or her mind in the quest to meditate better. When this detachment is attained, the mind of the meditator would become more stable and firm in the blocking of distractive thoughts and his or her ability to concentrate on the focus of the mediation will be improved greatly. Samadhi is the result of this increased concentration of the mind of the meditator practicing the jnana. As mentioned in the previous section, there are several levels of the jnana, and these levels can be applied in the practice of Samadhi as well. The term appana Samadhi is applied when the first to the fourth jnana are grouped together. This is especially true when the term is used by the disciples of the Buddha. The Use of the Jnana in Buddhist Traditions Jnana has been present in Buddhist literatures for a long time and it is mostly associated with any form of meditation. The first to the fourth stage of jnana are considered in the early Buddhist traditions as the right meditation. Because of this context in which it was used jnana has been associated mostly with the meaning it was given by the followers of the Buddha. In early Buddhist texts, it has also been found that the Buddha himself has engaged in the practice of the jnana as he was on his quest to find enlightenment. The practice of the jnana was used by the Buddha to this end because he learned that the meditation practices that he used were not particularly leading him to achieve the state of Nirvana. Prior to using the jnana, the Buddha has used other forms of meditation, but because these did not lead him to Nirvana, he became disillusioned. This has led him to recall a state of meditation he did when he was a child and followed it. In the Maha-Saccaka Sutta, it was mentioned that the Buddha has entered the first jnana and he called this the path to Awakening. If the Buddha himself did the jnana and used them in his quest for Nirvana, then the teacher must stress to students of meditation that indentifying and overcoming the obstacles to concentration is necessary before they are able to enter the stages of jnana. In the Upakkilesa Sutta, the Buddha was written to be saying that during the practice of meditation and the meditator starts doubting his or her capacity to carry on the meditation, the concentration would fall and the focus would be diverted. This is important to be avoided by the meditator through remaining diligent in keeping the focus of the meditation on the forefront of his or her mind and ensuring that attention is kept and not just the concentration. Because the Buddha has mentioned that the jnana is the path to achieve liberation and awakening, meditators should be encouragedto develop this as well if they are in the path to liberation and awakening as well. The Stages of the Jnana Pali has described all eight stages of the jnana in a progressive manner. Four of these eight stages are called rupa jnana or meditations or form, while the other four are called arupa jnana or the formless meditations. Rupa jnana is loosely translated to mean fine material jnana. The rupa jnanas are the stages of meditation in which the meditator experiences a deeper level of collectedness of thought and concentrarion. Moreover, each level of the rupa jnana have their intrinsic qualities which are derived from each other and can disappear. The first to fourth jnana are: The First Jnana. In this level of the jnana, the meditator experiences the presence of rapture, directed thoughts, pleasure, evaluation of thoughts, unification of the mind, mindfulness, presence of contact, feelings and perception, intention, consciousness, persistence, desire and attention. The Second Jnana. The second jnana is manifested by the presence of pleasure and rapture, unification of the mind, contact, perception and feeling, intention, desire and consciousness, persistence, decision and attention, equanimity and mindfulness. Also, in this level, there is the presence of internal assurance. The Third Jnana. This stage includes the feeling of equanimity-pleasure, contact, perception, feeling, intention, desire, consciousness, persistence, decision, mindfulness, attention and equanimity. The Fourth Jnana. The fourth level stage of the jnana is represented by the presence of an unconcern based on the presence of serenity of awareness; a feeling of equanimity, presence of unification of the mind and the other things that are experienced in the earlier stages of the jnana. Apart from the things occurring in each of the first to the fourth jnanas, there are qualities that remain specific to each stage. In the first jnana, there is the presence of subtlest forms of mental movement and the complete disappearance of the five hindrances. Moreover, intense and unified form of bliss remains and the person’s capacity to have unwholesome intentions stops. The second jnana is related to the cessation of all mental movements and the experience of bliss. In the third jnana, joy that is considered to be one half of the feeling of bliss disappears from the perception of the individual. And finally in the fourth jnana, happiness which is the other half of the feeling of bliss disappears and leading to the neutral feeling of neither pain nor pleasure. Also, it is said that this state renders the breathing of the person to temporarily cease. The arupa jnanas, of the formless meditation contains the other four stages of jnana. These states of the jnanas are written in literatures as formless or immaterial. This led this to be called as the Formless Dimensions in some translation and has helped in distinguishing it apart from the first four jnanas. Contrary to the other stages, these four are used to expand the presence of the concentration that is attained from the first to the fourth jnanas. Also, when the eight jnana has been attained, the meditator can experience enlightenment and complete dwelling in emptiness. The four jnanas in the arupa jnanas are: The Dimension of Infinite Space. In this dimension of the jnanas, the following qualities are removed from consciousness such as the singleness of the mind, perception of the dimension of the infinitude of space, attention, equanimity, decision, persistence, mindfulness, feeling, perception, contact, intention, desire, and consciousness. The Dimension of Infinite Consciousness. In this stage of the jnana, the following qualities of the mind of the meditator are eliminated like the perception of the dimension if the infinitude of consciousness, contact, feeling, unification of the mind, consciousness, intention, desire, perception, persistence, decision, attention, equanimity and mindfulness. The Dimension of Nothingness. In this dimension of the jnana, the perception of the dimension of nothingness, contact, the singleness of mind, perception, feelings, intention, desire, consciousness, decision, mindfulness, persistence, attention and equanimity are ferreted out from the mind of the meditator. The Dimension of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception. In this final stage and dimension of the jnanas, no qualities or characteristics of the mind of the meditator are to be ferreted out, instead, the individual experiences awakening. NOTE: The teacher would have to stress out to the student that although the two stages, the Dimension of Nothingness and the Dimension of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception are considered to be part of the jnanas that are described by the Buddha as part of the path to enlightenment, they are not part of the Noble Eightfold Path. This is because according to the Eightfold Path, the last is the Samma Samadhi or the Right Concentration. This is only part of the first to the fourth jnanas, and therefore considered to be just the start of attaining concentration. The teacher must therefore take his or her student through all the stages of the jnanas with the focus on the stage of having his or her perceptions and feelings cease to exist. E.The Nirodha-Samapatti In his path to attaining Nirvana the Buddha has made a discovery higher than the eight stage of the jnanas, or the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. This is called the nirodha-samapatti, or the cessation of feelings and perceptions, and is sometimes considered to be the ninth jnana. The Jnanas and the Attainment of Insight Buddhist texts present the thought that if a meditator was able to progress into the ninth stage of the jnana or the stage of the nirodha-samapatti after going through all the eight stages of the jnana, liberation is attained. The meditator uses the jnana in an effort to rest the mind and to sharpen and strengthen it in the process. When this happens, he or she will be able to focus the attention into finding out the true nature of the dhamma and go on the quest to higher forms of knowledge. In this way, it can be said that the more time the meditator stays in the state of jnana, his or her mind becomes more powerful and sharper as a result. Moreover, because the presence of the five hindrances are controlled or suppressed for an extended period of time after the meditator enters the jnana, he or she will be able to feel clearer, will be full of compassion, mindful, and experience the feeling light and peaceful after meditating. Despite this positive results that the jnana brings to meditators, teachers should warn their students that they should not mistake this or assume for this to be the stage of enlightenment. What the teacher has to the student is that the practice of jnana alone cannot lead him or her to enlightenment, but it can help him or her suppress the presence of defilements that disrupt meditation. The meditators should use the jnana as a tool to develop deeper sense of knowledge and as a means to cultivate their insight on things which can help them to attain Nirvana. In the Theravada Buddhist tradition commentary made in the Visuddhimagga, the meditato is usually found in the state of post-jnana access concentration after he or she comes out of the jnana. When in this state, the meditator would be able to carry out the analysis and investigation of the true nature of phenomena and how they begin, develop insight into the characteristic impermanence of things and of suffering and the non-self. These things can only be experienced by the meditator if he or she practices the core concepts of the Buddha’s teachings. If the Visuddhimagga has included that the practice of vipassana is done after the person emerges from the jnana, it is contradicted by what is written on the suttas. In these works, it is said that the meditator can practice vipassana and gain insight while in the jnana. In fact, it encourages the meditator to stay in the fourth jnana after entering it so that the presence of mental defilements are removed and uprooted before working to attain insight can be started. Mastery of the Jnanas A successful entry and attainment of the jnana cannot be achieved if the person would just progress from one state after the other only. This means that for the meditator to fully realize the jnanas, he or she would have to attain a mastery the present state he or her is doing first before wanting to go on to higher stages. This mastery will help the meditator to easily enter and leave the jnanas at will and experience them when he or she requires it. Another benefit of this is that it will avoid the confusion that can occur later on when the manifestations of a lower level of jnana shows itself in the higher states. The following aspects of jnana mastery should be included by the teacher in instructing and guiding as student meditator in to higher jnanas in the quest to attain insight, liberation and enlightenment. Mastery in adverting. In this aspect of mastery, the student meditator should be taught on how to advert certain factors of thejnanas especially when the meditator has just emerged from it. This, he or she should be able to do at will. Mastery in attaining. This aspect allows the meditator to quickly enter the jnana quickly. Mastery in resolving. This happens when the meditator is able to remain in the jnana for a certain period of time. Mastery in emerging. The mastery of emerging allows the meditator to emerge from a stage of jnana quickly and without any perceived difficulty. Mastery in reviewing. This occurs when there is an ability on the part of the meditator to review the jnana and other factors related to it while gaining knowledge in the process. References: Richard Shankman,The Experience of Samadhi an in depth Exploration of Buddhist Meditation, Shambala publications 2008 Venerable Sujivo,Access and Fixed Concentration. Vipassana Tribune, Vol 4 No 2, July 1996, Buddhist Wisdom Centre, Malaysia. Bodhi, Bhikkhu (trans.) (2000). The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A New Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya. Boston: Wisdom Publications.ISBN 0-86171-331-1. Henepola Gunaratana,The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation. Pali CanonsAnguttara NikayaandDhammapada, by John T. Bullitt. Jhanas Advice: Information about the Jhanas from Tina Rasmussen and Stephen Snyder, authors ofPracticing The Jhanas: Traditional Concentration Meditation As Presented By The Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw by Snyder, Stephen; Rasmussen, Tina. Shambhala: 2009.ISBN 978-1-59030-733-5 Jeffrey S, Brooks,The Fruits (Phala) of the Contemplative Life

Educational Psychology Essay example -- essays research papers

Essay Topic (Unit 10 – Question #3) How would you as a teacher encourage intrinsic motivation in students? Intrinsic Motivation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Intrinsic motivation can be defined as â€Å"motivation associated with activities that are their own reward† (Perry 2003). It is motivation that stems from your inner feelings and views which feed your desires to accomplish and perform. Oppositely, extrinsic motivation is â€Å"motivation created by external factors such as rewards and punishments† (Perry 2003). When you are extrinsically motivated, you are only performing the task for what you will gain from completion. On the other hand, when we are intrinsically motivated, there is no requirement for external rewards or punishments because the activity is a reward in itself. It is a benefit for students to be intrinsically motivated in the classroom because they are leaning for knowledge and not just for marks or grades. Most students are naturally extrinsically motivated at school by things such as grades and their future career. In a perfect world we â€Å"want students to be motivated also by the love of learning, knowledge for the sake of knowledge, and positive feelings about themselves† (McKinney).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One way of intrinsically motivating students is to â€Å"foster student autonomy† (Specific Classroom Management Methods). Students are more motivated to do things they enjoy than things they do not enjoy. By giving students options and choices, they are feeling in control more than when they are boxed in to the instructions they are normally given. Something as simple as letting the child decide what order they want to do a series of tasks in could make a large difference. One way of fostering independence could be done by giving students a choice from a selection of different books to read. When studying a particular subject, let the students choose what kind of project they would like to do (report, presentation or model). If there are multiple ways of doing something, show the students the different methods so that they can explore and figure out which one works best for them. As a teacher, â€Å"Help students understand how they learn most effectively † (McKinney). Have students keep a journal where they can write down what they’ve learned from completing assignments. Minimizing pressure is also and important aspect of fostering autonomy.... ...ack. This is a way in which the teacher can use constructive criticism to help students improve their work. It also enables the teacher to acknowledge work that has been done well. On the other hand, self-evaluation should be encouraged by asking the child how they think they did. This takes the child away from searching for the external motivation of your praise. It will instead lead them to want to do well for themselves, not just for their teacher. Intrinsic motivation can be increased to fabricate the life-long learners educators wish for and society needs. Teaching children to look for internal motivation is not an easy task and cannot be mastered by one teacher alone. All teachers need to make it their main focus for students to make it their primary motivator. References McKinney, Kathleen. Encouraging Students’ Intrinsic Motivation. Illinois State University. http://www.cat.ilstu.edu/conf/handouts/intrinsicmot.shtml. Perry N., Winne P., Woolfolk A., Educational Psychology. Pearson Education Canada Incorporated: Toronto, Ontario 2003. Specific Classroom Management Methods. http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~jimbo/RIBARY_Folder/specific.htm

Early Literacy Essay

â€Å"Effective Early Years classrooms immerse students in books, visual images, and the spoken word. A literacy-rich environment is important for all students. † (Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth, 2008). Creating literacy-rich environment requires sufficient teaching skills and understanding of literacy processes at early childhood. There are several essential elements which literacy-rich environments should include. 1. Objects in literacy-rich environments are usually labeled in English and other languages which children speak in their family environments. Labeled objects represent a kind of reading / comprehending literacy interface for children, who just start to develop their reading and communicating skills (NCREL, 1999). 2. Literacy-rich environment should include books in all interest areas (RIF, 2008). â€Å"A literacy-rich environment provides students with a wide variety of texts that include oral, print, and other media communication† (Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth, 2008). As long as young children are involved into reading and interacting with books, they will successfully develop their basic literacy skills. 3. Attractive posters are always present in literacy-rich environments (Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth, 2008). Attractive posters contact young children at their eye level, and produce an engaging literacy effect on the student’s conscience. 4. Student-published books create literacy-rich atmosphere in the classroom. â€Å"Teachers need to supplement narrative and expository texts with appropriate types of literacy materials with which students are familiar in their personal lives† (NCREL, 1999). There is nothing better and nothing more familiar and personal, than the books which children themselves create and publish. 5. It is not enough to have books in all interest areas. Children should have an opportunity to snuggle with a book during or between the lessons (RIF, 2008). Library specialists should ensure that children possess sufficient reading space in classroom. Librarians should be actively involved into the process of selecting the appropriate reading material for young students. 6. Reading aloud is another element of the literacy-rich environment (RIF, 2008). Reading aloud to children helps develop a wide range of knowledge about different topics and create a large vocabulary. 7. Literacy-rich environments make reading interactive (RIF, 2008). It is critical that children are involved into the reading process, and are requested to form their thoughts into complete sentences. Reading, comprehension, and communication are the three integral elements of the literacy development among young students. 8. â€Å"Different areas of classroom should be devoted to materials and equipment to encourage writing, viewing, and representing through art and drama, listening to music and to story-tapes† (Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth, 2008). As a result, literacy-rich environments are not limited to reading development strategies. Literacy involves the development of other related skills including writing and observation. This is why audio and visual equipment should be present in the literacy-rich classroom. 9. Technological advancement has also reached schools. Literacy-rich environments in contemporary schools cannot be effective without implementation of the latest computer software. Young children should have an opportunity to learn computer word processing skills (RIF, 2008). 10. Children should be encouraged to read and write. In literacy-rich classrooms, children are constantly involved into various literacy games. For example, children can be asked to sign the drawings or paintings they make in class (RIF, 2008). This approach will create favorable comprehensive environment even for the children who possess weak literacy background. Conclusion To create literacy-rich environment in classroom means to take into account numerous small details, which will promote literacy among young students, and will make learning easy and comprehensible for them. It is critical that teachers closely watch the process of literacy development among children. Literacy-rich environments and experiences â€Å"have a profound effect on children’s literacy development by providing opportunities and encouragement for children to become successful readers† (NCREL, 1999). References Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth. (2008). Creating a literacy-rich environment. Manitoba Education, Citizenship, and Youth. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://www. edu. gov. mb. ca/k12/cur/ela/docs/literacy-rich1. html NCREL. (1999). Critical issue: addressing the literacy needs of emergent and early readers. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://www. ncrel. org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li100. htm RIF. (2008). Fostering early literacy. Reading Is Fundamental. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://www. rif. org/educators/advicetips/tip. mspx? View=22

Is ACT Writing Important Expert Guide

Is ACT Writing Important Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The Writing portion of the ACT has always been an optional portion of the exam. However, it was significantly revised in fall 2015 with the aim of better testing the kinds of analytical writing skills that are necessary for college work. Some colleges require or recommend that students take it for their application, and others don’t. With the recent revision of the SAT, the SAT Essay portion has also become optional. In light of this change, many colleges are changing their admissions policies and no longer requiring or recommending the SAT Essay or the ACT Writing section.But what does this whirlwind of change mean for you? Is the optional ACT Writing section still important? In this article I’ll break it down. First I’ll give a brief of overview of the ACT writing section and how it’s scored, which colleges require ACT Plus Writing, why schools require the Writing section and how they use it, and why other schools won’t require the Writing section going forward. Finally I’ll provide guidance on how to figure out if the ACT Writing section is important for you. ACT Writing: a Brief Overview On the ACT Writing section, you’ll be presented with an issue and then three perspectives on that issue. You then have 40 minutes to write a unified essay that addresses the following two tasks: Present and support your own opinion on the issue Explain how your opinion and at least one of the other three perspectives are related. The scoring system for the resulting essay is fairly complex. Two graders score your essay in 4 domains from 1-6, giving you a total potential score of 12 in each domain. Your scores between the four domains are then averaged to get your overall score from 2-12. For more on ACT Writing scoring, see our complete breakdown. It’s important to note that your score on the Writing section does not affect your composite score. However, it is a part of your English-Language Arts subscore, for which your English, Reading, and Writing scores (scaled to a 1-36 score range to calculate the ELA score) are averaged and rounded to the nearest whole number. The Writing section will also cost you an extra $16-17. It's a little-known fact that the first step in grading your ACT essay is solving an elaborate maze. Who Requires ACT Plus Writing? Most (over two-thirds) of colleges will not require the ACT Writing section for applicants in 2017 and beyond.However, there are quite few institutions that will continue to require it for applicants, especially amongelite-tier schools. The Ivy League is notably divided on the issue, with half requiring the ACT Writing section (Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale) and half leaving it optional (Columbia, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, Brown). Unfortunately, the ACT’s database of schools’ Writing requirements is very out-of-date and reports many schools as requiring the essay that have in fact dropped the requirement for 2017 applicants. For the most up-to-date information on a school’s position on the ACT plus Writing, check a school’s admissions website. Those schools that do require Writing have gone on the record with specific reasons for doing so. I’ll break those down in the next section. Why Do Schools Require the ACT Plus Writing? You may be curious about why some schools require the Writing section of the ACT in light of the fact that so many schools have made it completely optional.Based on public statements from school officials, there seem to be three main reasons why schools require the ACT’s optional Writing section: Consistency Many schools feel that the revised SAT essay is much better at testing the kinds of analytical skills important for college writing. For those schools that feel the SAT essay is worthwhile, it makes sense for them to also require the ACT’s Writing section for the sake of consistency. More Information Is Better Some college admissions offices have the philosophy that all of the information they can get is useful in evaluating applicants. The Writing section provides another data point on a student’s language and writing skills in addition to transcripts and admissions essays. Thus, schools that value having all the information that it is conceivably possible to obtain about a student tend to require ACT Writing. See Your Writing Skills Under Pressure The ACT Writing section gives admissions officers a unique chance to see how you use your analytical writing skills under time pressure. Your college admissions essays are polished and tightly edited pieces of writing, while your ACT Writing efforts will be much more raw and unvarnished. Again, it’s another data point for schools. The infamous Tower of Time Pressure. These reasons provide some insight as to why schools require ACT Writing- but how do they use your scores? How Do Schools Use ACT Plus Writing? If you are applying to schools that require ACT Writing, it’s important to know how they use it in evaluating your application. Is it a critical piece, a bit of extra fluff, or something in between? I spoke on the phone to admissions officers at different schools about how they use the ACT’s Writing section. Some themes emerged: Admissions officers feel that the ACT Plus Writing gives a more â€Å"rounded† picture of an applicant’s skills than the ACT without Writing. Essentially, they value having the additional information about an applicant’s language skills as part of their standardized test scores. However, they also stress that students are evaluated holistically, and their primary concern would be if a student’s essay score seemed inconsistent with the student’s other writing-based application materials. For example, if your application essay was phenomenal and you got straight-As in your English classes but then a overall score of 5/12 on the essay, that would be a red flag that something bizarre was going on. The general consensus is that schools do really look at the score, but it’s not a super-important part of the application unless the score seems inconsistent with an applicant’s other qualifications.However, your best bet if you are interested in a given school that requires the Writing section and you want to know exactly how they use it to evaluate applicants is to call the admissions office and ask. It’s also worth (re)stating that except for in the most selective tier of institutions, schools that require the ACT Writing section are in the minority. Most schools won’t require or even recommend the new optional essay, and they have their own reasons for doing so. UC Berkeleydoes require the ACT plus Writing. Why Don't Schools Require the ACT Plus Writing? There are three main reasons that schools have given for not requiring the ACT Writing section going forward: Consistency When the essay portion of the SAT was required, it made sense for schools to require the optional Writing section of the ACT for consistencies’ sake. Now that the SAT essay is optional, however, schools can re-evaluate their stance on the issue. Schools that have decided to not require the optional SAT essay have, in general, also removed their ACT Writing requirement to preserve consistency in testing guidelines between the two tests." The Writing Section Is Redundant Some schools feel that they already have sufficient evidence of an applicant’s writing capability through application essays and student transcripts in English. This is particularly true at institutions where multiple essays are required as part of the application. Requiring the ACT Writing Is a Burden to Underprivileged Students Some schools are concerned that the extra cost associated with the Writing section may be a deterrent to underprivileged students. University of Pennsylvania has stated that minority and first-generation college applicants are least likely to have a â€Å"complete testing profile.† They’ve eliminated the ACT Writing requirement in the hopes of attracting a more diverse applicant pool. A diverse applicant pool as represented by these decorative squashes. Is the ACT Writing Section Important for You? I’ve gone over how and why schools will require or not require the ACT Writing section going forward. But how does this affect you? Should I Take the ACT Plus Writing? This comes down primarily to whether or not you are applying to schools that require or recommend the ACT Writing Section. (I generally err on the side of treating recommendations as nicely-worded requirements in the college application process.) If you don’t take the ACT Writing section and later realize you need it, you will unfortunately have to retake the entire exam! So if there is even a chance you might be interested in a school that does require/recommend the Writing section, you should take it. This is especially salient if you are applying to top-tier schools, as about half of them require the ACT Writing section. If you know for certain that you are definitively not interested in a single school that requires or recommends the Writing section, go ahead and skip it. But only if you know you won’t change your mind! Another note here is that if you are very good at timed analytical essay-writing, you might also want to take the Writing section even if you are only applying to schools where it is optional. A stellar score will look good on your application even if it’s not required- in fact, it will show that you took some initiative. How Important Is My Score? The answer to this question is not completely clear-cut, as it does depend on the schools to which you are applying. What’s most important in general is that your Writing score is consistent with your other test scores. It certainly doesn’t have to be a perfect correlation- if you get a 36 for your composite and a 9/12 on writing, I wouldn’t stress too much. But if you have a 30 composite and an 6/12 on the essay, that may cause concern among admissions officers that you aren’t ready for college-level writing. How Can I Succeed on the ACT Writing Section? If you do need to take the Writing section, you can definitely learn the skills necessary to do well. Here are some general tips: Take a few minutes to plan out your essay before you start writing it! Be sure to discuss at least two of the perspectives in your essay, and definitely make your own opinion clear. Support all of the points you make with specific examples. Make sure your essay is logically organized and has an introduction and a conclusion. Write more than a page! For more on how to hit ACT Writing out of the park, see our step- by-step guide to writing an ACT essay, 15 tips to raise your essay score, or our guide to a perfect essay score. These kittens are proud of you! Key Takeaways Because the SAT has made the essay section of the exam optional, schools are taking the time to reevaluate their requirements for the ACT Writing section as well. Many schools have dropped the requirement entirely. However, elite-tier institutions are divided on the issue, with some continuing to require the Writing section and others dropping it. For those schools that do require the Writing section, it may not be clear exactly how they use it in evaluating your application. The general consensus among admissions officers I spoke to was that the Writing score provided valuable information, but that it was mostly used to check for consistency in an applicant’s language skills. In evaluating whether the ACT Writing section is important for you, consider the following: Are you applying to schools that recommend or require the ACT Writing section? Then take the ACT Plus Writing. Are you not sure where you’re applying yet? Take the ACT Plus Writing, because otherwise if you end up needing it later you will have to sit for the whole exam again. If you are taking the Writing section, how important is your score? Well, it’s most important that your score is generally consistent with the rest of your test scores and application profile. But the good news is that it’s very possible to learn how to write an excellent ACT essay. My final word, then, would be don’t ignore the Writing section and definitely prepare for it if you’re going to take it, but don’t stress too much about getting a perfect score. Nothing is truly perfect...except this puppy. What's Next? Wondering about the SAT essay? See our expert guide on the importance of the SAT essay. If you're not surehow important the ACT is for college admissions, see our guide. Prepping for the ACT? See our collection of free ACT practice tests, our comprehensive list of ACT guides, and our total guide to ACT test day. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. 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