The California Education in budget cut Essay Example for Free

The California Education in budget cut Essay Save our children, save our education: The California Education in budget cut Considering that the majority of the population of California is dominated by those who can only afford public school education, it is almost going to be useless for parents to send their children to school. They might think about what they would gain from being at the school. Instead they would just allow their children to work, which is the gravest type of exploitation that a child could experience, being just young. There has been school demonstrations in several districts of California participated in by the teachers, parents and school administrators shouting in anger against the governor. Cutting of the educational budget is fast approaching and realization of this upon enforcement in 2008-2009 shall be the peak at which the protesters and the â€Å"accused† should be a lot more prepared . The proposed budget cut rooted from the governor’s 10% across-the-board cuts to provide venue for state social programs. $4. 8 billion is to be deprived from the secondary education, whereas $1. 3 billion from the higher education will be harvested by him. This will save the governor from the deficit when he declared fiscal emergency to account for the state project shortage of funds, which was actually $16 billion turning $14. 5 dollars (Conway Martinez, 2008). Education is the most important possession parents can leave to their children as a gift. From childhood, every parent is excited on the first day of school that they buy their children’s uniform and prepare for the very first experience of their children to formally hold their pencils and receive their marks, whether excellent or not, they still accept it. What matters is they get the right education and it only depends upon how their children are going to take advantage of the opportunity. The preschool level is just a foretaste, when their children are already at the higher level, which I more crucial, and expensive, that is the time they need to support their children more. They will have to work really hard. Sometimes, when they want their children to get the best education, they send them to an exclusive school because they are confident enough of the training teachers get to be qualified in that school. Preschool and lower school levels are somewhat less in effect, what is usually more important is the college level, wherein students are really shaped as professionals. At some point, whatever type of character the youth will have will basically be under the custody of the biological parents, and of course the secondary ones, the teachers. Academically speaking, this qualifies the children from entering the real world, the better the education gets, the easier it is to go beyond interviews and usually the companies look at the aspect of educational foundation that will serve the professional goals of their company. For Californians, especially the business executives of the top companies, education is ranked as the most important component of their companies in public policy concerns. But then, according to their professional assessment, this can only be achieved when subsequent reforms are done in the educational system. The more competitive is the curriculum in a school and the teachers’ competitiveness on a parallel then what will be achieved is a powerful tool to building up the necessary foundation. They insist that even in high schools this must be already implemented. They claim that this will affect the academic and vocational issues in the future, especially on the race of choosing their future leaders. The government of the United States provides the education of the people from on the federal, state or local levels of provision and control. This makes attending classes really mandatory (till the age of 8) to come up with the most valuable use of time and funds specifically in the primary and secondary level. The school boards are responsible for the monitoring, funding, and setting of policies within their respective districts, which are independent from other local jurisdictions. The catch here is that the education is free for all; it is just an option not to go to public schools and spend big money the private ones. Funding of public education is done by putting on the taxes they are able to get from their districts from the property taxes from each family, side from the funds that the government still subsidizes. Public schools follow the policy set forth by the national government to prevent the inefficient use of the district funds. To maintain the level of academic standards, teachers within them form plans in developing supplementary materials. Education is not mentioned in the constitution of the United States. The government has no control over the schools ran by the district boards. Bush administration initiated the NCLB act or ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ to somehow centralize the educational system. The current Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the government official patronizing the budget cut, stating that this would cause no harm to the educational system and classrooms of Californian schools. He cut $4 billion from the educational fund, from the country’s 47th in rank in the per-pupil spending. This has significantly negative impact on the educational working force, because doing this drops 57,000 teachers. Other side effects are eliminating 4 weeks of the school year, or increasing the class size by about 23%, making the population in the classroom bigger (Perata, 2008). Ninety-seven percent of the school districts were not able to meet the demands of NCLB. This move of the governor is much of negative impact on him as a political figure because people will think that this is the most illogical thing to do. They believe that cutting the budget will definitely send the remaining three percent to the same situation ang aggravating the performance of the lower majority. How would this affect the future of the children in California? How would this provision affect the learning of the future adult society of America? Shamefully, the truth is obvious to us that it will ruin the educational freedom. Children will suffer from under-education because they will not get the necessary level of knowledge that must be translated to them through proper attention. A classroom blown up in number will be a dilemma; the topics might be taught very slowly in pacing because barriers in effective communication will be magnified, especially when students have a lot to join conversations with, instead of listening to their teacher. Teacher might also lose their teaching capacities because they cannot shoulder themselves the materials needed to effectively deliver their subject matter. Entering school will just become a responsibility, nobody will enjoy it both sides. The young minds which are in fact the easiest to shape shall be blocked with these incapacitating budget cut-off. The ineffectiveness of learning strategies can accumulate and may make the movement of knowledge stagnant, because from the start, they are no longer learning anything. It is very surprising: what we could only think of is that the governor did not really consider the present situation of the struggling population of children hungry for educational support. Its is very alarming that students need to attend extra classes in learning centers just to cope up, with what should have been actually supplied by the school. What should have been implemented about the NCLB policy is no longer met. Isn’t it already a violation of the government policies, and merely the violation of human rights? How possible is it that he claims of the good performance of the students when the current situation is disgusting? Now, how do we think of the future of California having these students under-educated? These children we look at now might find it misty to follow their dreams, to find their positions in the globally competitive industries. What they might have thought of as the only key to save their families from poverty will actually stop them from getting to what they want to reach out for. Their expected growth in terms of spending power shall be hindered because they will not be able to get into the top companies of really good pay, because of the lack of competitiveness. They might be lost and be left behind in the fast changing world, and in exaggerated sense be trapped and die without having to reach what they thought proper education might lead them to. Reference Conway, D. , Martinez, K. (2008). The California budget and the crisis of public education. News and Analysis Retrieved May 21, 2008 Perata, D. (2008). The California Budget Update [Electronic Version]. California Progress Report. Retrieved May 21, 2008, from http://www. californiaprogressreport. com/2008/02/california_educ_1. html

Family Systems Therapy And Theories

Family Systems Therapy And Theories Family Systems Therapy is undergirded by a variety of theoretical approaches all of which focuses on human problems which result from relationships. As individuals we are encouraged to be autonomous, independent, make our choices and accept the consequences of these choices. This individualist stance seems to contradict the reality that we are born into families and spend our lives attached to a family either our own creation or one into which we are born. It is within these families that we learn, grow and develop. It is to these families we turn in times of hardships or triumphs. Family Systems Theories postulate that individuals are best understood within the context of their family. Like a living organism, families have properties which none of the individuals have, these properties are destroyed when members of the family are considered as individuals. Family systems theories shift the focus from individuals to the patterns in their relationships. Nichols 2009à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦p102. The behaviors manifested in one family member are linked to the behaviour of other members and may be a hallmark of how the family system functions not just symptoms of one members maladjustment. The difficulties of the presenting family member may, according to Corey 2009à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ p.412 Serve a function and purpose in the family Be unintentionally maintained by the family Be a function of the familys inability to operate productively Be a symptom of the dysfunctional patterns handed down across generations. This kind of approach is very different from the framework of individual psychology which conceptualizes human problem in an intrapsychic framework. The body of knowledge known as Family Systems Theory arises from observations by counselors as they work with individuals and their family. According to family system theories families are systems of interconnected and interdependent individuals. They do not exist in isolation whatever affects the individual affects the entire system. Perhaps the most fundamental concept of how families operate is that the family is a system which has a tendency to maintain stability by using information about its performance as feedback Nichols (2009)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦p98. In this theoretical framework a family is considered to be cybernetic. At the heart of cybernetics is the feedback loop which determines whether the current operation of the system is acceptable and if not attempts to make the necessary changes. The feedback can either be negative or positive. Negative feedback is not bad but indicates that the system needs to take corrective measures to return to stability. Positive feedback may have negative consequences as it may serve to reinforce an error in the system. In order to maintain this stability, there are family rules and family roles. Family Roles-this is a description of what is expected of each family member. At a basic level there are roles of father, mother, daughter, sister and so on, but there are less obvio us roles for example one member may assume the role of the responsible one or the humorous one as the case may be. Family Rules-these are often understood by member of the family although not written down and often unspoken; they set guidelines for how the family operates. For example a family would understand who makes the final decision in important matters. Although family members may see these rules as just the way things are they may or may not be aware that different families would do the same thing differently. The pioneers of family therapy recognized that social and cultural forces shape our values, thoughts and our concept of normal, but it was Murray Bowen that first defined a family theory. According to him, the history of our family creates a mold that shapes our values thoughts and experiences. He further suggested that this mold is passed from one generation to the next. Bowens theory focuses on two counterbalancing life forces. The first is togetherness and the second is individuality. When a family shares too much togetherness, fusion is created and where there is too much individuality the result is estranged family. He introduced eight interrelated concept to explain how families develop and function. Differentiation of self is the ability to distinguish and maintain personal thoughts feeling goals and identity in the face of emotional and social pressures to do differently.Differentiation of self is the cornerstone of Bowens theory. This involves the psychological separation of intellect and emotions and the independence of self form others. It is ability to think and reflect and not respond automatically to emotional pressure. Differentiated people have the ability to balance their feeling and thoughts, they are capable of strong emotion, yet posses self restraint. They are able to take a stand on issues and have the ability to think decide and act on what they believe. Undifferentiated people act emotionally they tend to be impetuous displaying submissiveness or defiance. They find it difficult to be autonomous and are unable to take clear position on issues. They tend to reflect the dominant emotional pattern in the family. Emotional triangles are formed when two people who are unable to resolve a problem draw a third person into the conflict. The third partys involvement may be short lived so forcing the two people to resolve their differences. If the third parties involvement becomes long term then a triangle becomes a part of the relationship. Triangulation ease the tension but freezes the conflict in place Nicholas (2008) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦p128 and eventually undermines the relationship. According to Nicholas 2008 most family problems are triangular. Nuclear Family Emotional processes are the emotional patterns in a family that continue over generations. A partner who lacks differentiation in his her family of origin may become emotionally cut off from hisher parents and this would lead to fusion in marriage. Fusion can produce different effects on the marriage including emotional distance between partners, marital conflicts, physical or emotional dysfunction in one partner or projection of the problem on one or more of the children Nicholas Shwartz, 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ p 128. A parent lack of differentiation is transmitted to children in Family projection process. An undifferentiated mother may become attach to a child (or children) because she has decided that her spouse is inattentive to her. The mother would project her lack of differentiation to the child who is most attached. This child will achieve least differentiation and more vulnerable to problems. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the more the mother forces her attention n the child the more the childs functioning is impaired Nichols and Shwartz ,2008p129 Multigenerational Transmission Process describes the transmission of anxiety from one generation to another. This is the unconscious passing on of anxiety which overrides the adaptive thinking and behavior of succeeding generations. Sibling Position children develop personality characteristics based on their position in the family. Emotional Cut Off describes the way people manage anxiety between generations. the greater the emotional fusion between parents and children the greater likelihood of cut off Nicholas and Shwartz 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦p130 Societal Emotional processes are social expectation and their effect on the family. According to Bowen, all families lie along a continuum and there are no types of family. He believes that optimal family development occurs when members are differentiated and maintain a healthy contact with each other. For Bowen, family problems are the result of emotional fusion. Typically the family member with the symptom is the one who is least differentiated. This member is unable to separate hisher thoughts from the families and absorbs the anxieties of the entire family. Structural family theory emphasizes the need for parents to maintain a clear hierarchical position of authority. The origins of the theory can be traced to early 1960s to Salvador Minuchin who formulated the theory and set guidelines for therapeutic techniques. The theory is built on three component structure, subsystems and boundaries. Structure refers to the organized pattern in which families interact. Nicholas Shwartz 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦p185. It describes the patterns of authority, communicating and interacting. Patterns develop as family transactions are repeated. In time these patterns become embedded and define roles and functions of family members creating predictability of the family interactions. These repetitions create expectations that establish rules in the family. Although alternatives are available the family rarely considers them and even in situations where patterns are dysfunctional, they are maintained. Dysfunction patterns give rise to a dysfunctional family structure. According to Minuchin, it is this dysfunctional structure which is the source of family problems. According to structural family theory each family system has subsystems. These are sub groups within the family structure which exist to accomplish various family tasks. Subsystem may be determined along the lines of generation, gender, role and interests. For example there are spousal subsystem and child subsystems. Within the subsystem each family member plays a different role. When one subsystem intrudes into another causes structural difficulties and indicates that boundaries between subsystems are diffuse. Diffuse boundaries can result in enmeshment. On the other hand boundaries which are rigid result in disengagement. Clear boundaries blend characteristics which are both rigid and diffuse. When there are clear boundaries parents occupies a position of leadership in the family. There are some aspects of the theoretical constructs of both Bower Family Systems Theory and Minuchins Structural Family Theory that are constant with my own world view. Like Bowen, I believe that our familys history creates a template which shapes our values thoughts and experiences and many of these values thoughts and experiences are passed down through generations. However this template in my opinion is only one of the possible template which shape values thoughts and experiences as there are many factories other than ones family of origin which influence who we become. Many persons can see the family pattern and make a conscious decision to build a life with different patterns. In this way the pattern in the family of origin is a powerful determinant but rather than been a template of what should be these patterns is template of what to avoid. The concept of differentiation is cornerstone of Bowenian theory and I share Bowens view that lack of differentiation can be transmitted from generation to generation. Parental lack of differentiation may manifest itself in children who are either emotionally fused or rebellious leading to emotional cutoff from family of origin. Bowen however seems to emphasize the mothers role in the process of passing anxiety from one generation to another. In my opinion he has pathologized the maternal role. Our social norms have prepared mothers to assume a nurturing role and this is not pathological. Bowens belief that there is a chronic anxiety in all life that is both emotional and physical Gladding 2009 p.235 is very different from my over world view. Generally the prominence given to anxiety as a defining force in all life is very foreign to my personal belief and system. My worldview starts from the opposite end. I see all of life filled with hope and choices. A life governed by anxiety is a life that chooses anxiety. It is my belief that the structure, subsystems and boundaries are three essential components of families. Family structure sets out the pattern of authority and the lines of communication. I strongly believe that parents should be in charged in every family and the children should know this. Parents should present a united front to children and any disagreement they have between themselves should not be played out with the children. Thus is one way of ensuring that the parent and child subsystems remain separate. To ensure separation clear boundaries must be establish between the subsystems. I believe that most family dysfunctions are the result of structural problems. Where there is no structure children develop chronic uncertainty which affects their overall functioning. Some children are at one extreme of severely maladaptive behavior while others are at the other extreme of over compensating behavior to gain favor. Along this entire continuum is the common thread of low self esteem. Keeping the family subsystems separated by clear boundaries in necessary for a healthy functioning family. Parents and children share their lives but parents relationship is maintained separate without threat from the relationship with children. These clear boundaries establish a hierarchical structure in which parents occupy a position of leadership. I believe that in Jamaica family structure problems and single parent households is a kind of chicken and egg situation. As the single parent tries to compensate for the absent parent, child and parent subsystems are confused as boundaries become rigid, defused, enmeshed and even destroyed. Often in these households it is hard to tell who is in charge and this leads to a wide range of problems including hostility between children and parents incest and other types of abuse. Many of these children assume adult roles before they are ready which result in early (single) parenting to begin the cycle once more. It is difficult for me to relate my own family to Bowerian family theory. Bowens emphasis on anxiety in the family of origin has no currency with me personally. Anxiety was not a part of my childhood. My parents were highly differentiated individuals who were independent thinkers. I am unable to see any triangulation and multigenerational transmission of anxiety. Among my nine siblings I do not even see birth order as an important consideration instead I see us accept each other as individuals with different abilities, talent, strengths and weaknesses. My family of origin was definitely ordered along the lines on Minuchins Structural Family Theory. There was a firm structure in place with strong subsystems and clear boundaries. We were nurtured and cared as children and guided into adulthood. We were encouraged and taught to be ourselves and the sibling all get along. My oldest sibling is 72 and my youngest is 49. We all agree that if our parent had any favorites among their children we cannot tell. The Bowenian Theory in counseling and psychotherapy is applied to trace patterns of family problems with a view to identify emotional reactivity and triangulation. The genogram has been found to be a useful assessment tool to identify these two issues. The aim of the therapist is to de-triangulate individuals and help them to develop differentiation. Along the way parents become better equipped to manage their own anxieties and less likely to transmit these anxiety to their children. Structural Family Theory underlines a therapy that seeks to reorganize families. The underlying assumption is that the familys difficulties are as a result of the organizational structure. The structural therapist assesses the presenting problems in four steps Firstly involve the whole family in the problem, secondly help them see how the family exchanges continue and support and perpetuate the problem. The therapist then exposes the impact of the past on the problem and finally explores options which the family members can take to relate in more productive ways that will create shift in the family structure and help resolve the presenting complaint (Nicholas and Schuartz 2009 p.196). Bowen and Minuchin had very different views of the source of dysfunction in individuals but both agreed that the dominant force in our lives is located in our families. Therapies based on this theoretical framework is directed at changing the organization of the family. When this is done then the functioning of the individual will be altered. This is not a change on the present individual only , but the whole family changes. In this way the individual change has a greater likelihood of remaining a permanent one.

Right To Die :: essays research papers fc

In John A. Robertson's essay, "Cruzan: No Rights Violated," he argues that the decision made by the Missouri Supreme Court to deny Nancy Beth Cruzan's parents' request to have their daughter's artificial nutrition and hydration tube removed was not a violation of Nancy Beth Cruzan's right to refuse treatment because she had not personally refused treatment. Robertson also claims that keeping Cruzan alive with this particular medical treatment does not alienate her constitutional rights, or her parents'. Robertson states that, " A permanently vegetative patient does not have interests that can be harmed," simply because he/she cannot feel pain and doesn't know his/her present condition. Robertson then goes on to say that simply assuming that one would decline treatment in that situation because of his/her prior beliefs is not enough evidence to maintain that the directive was, in fact, released by the said person, and to relieve their self from a state law that orders such a treatment, the person must have released a directive against that particular treatment. If one were to argue that an incompetent patient has the right to have their medical treatment decided by another person on the presumption that it follows with the patient's previous beliefs, Robertson would declare that the patient is much different than they were before and does not reserve a constitutional right to be managed in the same way they would have been. In placing the right to decide Nancy's treatment in her parents' hands, her parents would be acting in their own interests according to Robertson, and in choosing to stop medical treatment of their daughter, they would be denying their child medical care deemed necessary by the state, which is illegal. With this in mind, Robertson says that the Supreme Court should not extend a family's privacy to include the refusal of necessary treatment when the [above] treatment is not causing harm to the child. Next Robertson says that if a person wants to refuse treatment while incompetent, it is their obligation to make a directive before becoming incompetent in order to refuse treatment on the principle of that particular directive, and that requiring this is "not an undue burden on persons who wish to issue directives against medical care when incompetent." If "clear evidence" does not exist in a past directive, Robertson says that providing the treatment does not alienate a person's right to regulate his/her own care because of the lack of evidence.

Theodore Roosevelt Essay example -- Biography Biographies Bio

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Theodore Roosevelt was a man on a mission. Maybe he didn ¹t know it, but he was. He affected millions of people throughout his life in many different ways. He was the leader of a famous military group, he was an author, a lawyer, and he was also the 26th president of the united states, all of these things ended up bringing him fame.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He was born in New York City on October 27, 1858 into a rich Dutch family. He was always a cowboy at heart. Even though he was born in a big city his cowboy side and his passion for adventure would come up later in his life. His father taught him to go for his goals, to follow a strict Christian moral code, and to enjoy the life of the mind. His father taught him that the mind was the strongest tool he had. He probably preached this because his son had serious asthma, and a grail un- athletic body. Ted listened to his father and that led to many accomplishments in his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He did all the normal things that a young man from a wealthy family was supposed to do. He worked hard on his academics, he got good grades, went to Harvard, and graduated with a great education in 1880. In that same year he married Alice h lee, a girl he met at Harvard. He still wasn ¹t sure of what career he wanted. He ended up serving three one year terms in the new York assembly from 1882-1884. While serving there he became known as an independent republican. Then, in 1884 his mother and his wife died on the same day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He was completely broken-hearted, and he had no idea where he wanted to go from there. after a couple of months of mourning, he decided that he would head west, and he would finally fulfill his childhood dream of being a cowboy. He decided that he would move to the Dakotas where he became a rancher with all of the rough experienced cowboys of the west. Even though he was this scrawny awkward outcast that wore glasses; something most of the people in the Dakotas never even saw; he was still able to get the respect of the rough and tough cowboys. He did it by tracking three rustlers, and bringing them back for a trial by himself. Even though he loved being a wild cowboy out on a ranch he realized he had a real life back in New York. He would have loved to live in the west for the rest of his life , but after only two years in the Dakotas he went back to New York.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A couple of months after he return... ... Republican presidential nomination but he didn ¹t. Three years later on January 6, 1919 he died from an illness at his oyster bay home in Sagamore hill.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Theodore Roosevelt did everything that he wanted to do in life. He was one of the major influences in U.S. Society. He was an author, a cowboy, a very well respected military leader, and he was the president of the United States. He knew how to lead and gain the respect of people. Whether it be by capturing rustlers singlehandedly, or by making a promise to his political party to stick to the old ways., he could always get the respect of the people he wanted to get respect from. Bibliography   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - tnt.turner.com/movies/tntoriginals/roughriders   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - www.letsfindout.com/subjects/america   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - encarta.msn.com/index/conciseindex   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - Morris, Edmund The Rise Of Theodore Roosevelt . New York City, NY   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First Ballantine Books Edition, April 1980,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - Roosevelt, Theodore Theodore Roosevelt ¹s Letters to His Children New York   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Charles Scribner ¹s Sons, 1923,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Release 6 Computer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   software CD-ROM Online Computer Systems Inc. 1993

The Brains of Violent Males Essay -- Compare Contrast Suicide Homicide

The Brains of Violent Males "It becomes increasingly evident that some of the destruction which curses the earth is self-destruction; the extraordinary propensity of the human being to join hands with external forces in an attack upon his own existence is one of the most remarkable of biological phenomena." -Karl Menninger (1). Violence is everywhere in our society- in movies, television programs, video games, and professional sports such as boxing and wrestling. In 2000, 28,663 deaths were related to firearms. 58% were reported as suicides and 39% were reported as homicides (2). The objective of this paper is to qualitatively evaluate and compare the brains of male murderers and male suicide victims. Even though more females attempt suicide, males are used for comparison because males are four times more likely to die from a suicide attempt (3). Male suicidal individuals have a higher success rate because they are more likely to kill themselves in a violent manner (i.e. using a gun). At first glance, most people would argue that homicide and suicide are opposite behaviors, yet the relationship may not be that straightforward. If it is assumed that the brain dictates behavior and that suicide and homicide are independent behaviors, one would expect that researchers would find differences between the brains of suicide victims and murderers. At the other extreme, suicide and homicide can be considered similar behaviors because in both cases an individual engages in killing someone, the only thing that differs is where the killing impulse is directed. Homicide is directed towards the external world, whereas suicide is aggression turned inward. When the cause of unhappiness can be attributed to an external s... ...robiology of suicide. http://www.afsp.org/research/articles/Mann/mann1.htm 8) Decision-making processes following damage to the prefrontal cortex, Article from Brain (2002). http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/125/3/624.pdf 9) "What's different about a Killer's Brain?" Whitley Strieber's web page http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=2085 10) Why? The neuroscience of suicide: Physical clues to suicide , Scientific American article. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000D8D31-6937-1E1B-8B3B809EC588EEDF 11) Paxil & murder/ suicide. A story about how the maker of Paxil held liable in murder/suicide. http://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/media/ssri/Paxil_murder.htm 12) The mind of a killer. ABC news web page which contains pictures of normal brain and a murderer's brain http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/killer_brain021023.html

Impact on Learning of Lateralization of Brain Essay

Brain asymmetry refers to the unequal involvement of both hemispheres of the brain in different mental functions. In their general anatomy, the two hemispheres are very similar but there are a number of finer features that distinguish them from each other (Annett, 1985 ). The link between these structural differences and functional differences remains poorly understood. The asymmetry of brain function has been demonstrated both by studying the effects of brain damage on accidental faculties cognitive, but also more recently through the techniques of brain imaging showing asymmetric activations following mental operations, performed which is recorded as evidence of brain activity (Vallortigara & Bisazza, 1999). Despite significant progress on this issue, there are still many points of discussion. The link between these asymmetries and hemispheric dominance is still under scientific investigation, and the mechanisms neuro-developmental factors that lead to these asymmetries are under s tudy. This paper evaluates the impact of brain lateralization on human learning. There are significant ways in which the left hand side of the brain is different from the right hand side. The left temporal cortex neurons have developed the capacity to discriminate and identify sounds and syllables of words emitted by the human voice (Beaton, 2004). While the right temporal cortex neurons are sensitive to musical characteristics of the voice. The hemispheres, right and left, have differentiated to process information in its entirety. Other integrative functions are assigned to each different hemisphere. The left hemisphere is more involved in understanding spoken language but also in logical reasoning and in the motor control of the right side of the body (Capacchione, 2001). While the right hemisphere is more involved in music perception, emotional perception, and visual-spatial control, creativity lies in the motor control of the left side of the body. However, the development of these functions is dependent on many trainings and activities of each person (Morris, Left Brain, Right Brain, Whole Brain?, 2005). Although dedicated to certain functions by programming dependent on genetic information, the brain areas may change depending on their capacity and plasticity of living. The brain is an organ unique to each of us. Left Brain −It is said to be analytic, logical, mathematical, sequential −It works preferably from the detail −It is the seat of language preferred, but not exclusively The study of aphasia (language impairment associated with localized brain damage) showed that a lesion localized does not always match the same pathologies. Thus, about a quarter of a configuration have left hemispheric opposed to the language. Note too that lateralization is not yet established in children, the brain is still malleable until about age 9 to 11 years, some say until adolescence, which would be consistent with the process of myelination (Pinel & Dehaene, 2010). Other exceptions may also be mentioned: the illiterate (in fact, learning to write left to reinforce the dominance for language), the bilingual and multilingual (right cerebral hemisphere of right-handers can play a role in acquiring a second language, especially when learning takes place in adulthood). Finally, there is variability in symptomatology depending on the structure of language speaker’s brains (all languages are not treated the same way) (Capacchione, 2001). Right Brain −It is called analog, empirical and intuitive. −It works rather on the whole, the trial and error, and the deduction. −It is the seat of prime image processing and nonverbal communication −The analytical intelligence It is exact in nature and is fully expressed in detail, in abstraction, and in indexing. This is the basis of science, which allows identifying that 1 +1 = 2. In theory, it cannot be faulted, and can reach all levels of complexity by adding. It is tempting to liken it to mathematics, but it is also the basis of language. Its biggest flaw is that it does not support gaps in processing. The impact of brain lateralization on human learning is, thus, highly significant. Neurological and psychomotor development is a biological process to monitor a child. At the heart of this development, brain lateralization is a concern for most parents. When the child tends to acquire a right-sided dominance, parents are relieved (Coon & Mitterer, Psychology: A Journey, 2010). Otherwise, they are more or less worried about the normal development of their child and its adaptability in a world organized for the convenience of the right-handed individuals. The lateralization process is effective at the age of six or seven years. However, you can tell if your child will be left handed or right from as early as 3 years. Before three years, it is almost impossible to tell if ones child is left or right handed, as the child uses both his hands to seize or to imitate the gestures and movements of adults. However, its laterality begins to define itself through three years. Seeing you eat, it will spontaneously take a spoon and try to imitate the parents guiding hand (Coon & Mitterer, Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior, 2010). When I saw you kick a ball, try to copy it using his head. If your child performs these simple gestures with both hands and both feet, it is likely to become ambidextrous. The parental concern for children is mostly left structuring of a society organized for right-handed majority. Indeed, the world we live in is specially organized for the convenience of the latter (Coon & Mitterer, Psychology: A Journey, 2010). Low life expectancy, vulnerability to accidents and household accidents, popular prejudices around the left handed mainly because they are forced to adapt to a world of right-handedness. The effort that they are required to live in the societal structure is larger than right-handers. Despite this, the latest statistics continue to show that even in the third millennium; â€Å"lefties† are not an endangered species. The right hemisphere is dominant in people with left-sided brains. In other words, motor development and neurological development is from this hemisphere of the brain. Wanting to force a child to become left-handed is a mistake (Neveu, 2008). This may alter the process of natural development of his/her brain. Stop worrying and help them to develop in the direction of its natural handedness. Make sure your child is accomplished with relative ease useful activities such as writing or using a spoon. If your child is still confined in an ambidextrous trend for five years, it is necessary to consult a psychotherapist. The best-known example of the functional asymmetry is the dominance of the left hemisphere in speech production, which can be around 95% of right-handers and 70% shown by the left-handed. Studies of split-brain patients have shown that only in no stimulation of the right hemisphere processed verbal-expressive utterances were allowed (Osman, Mà ¼ller, & Syre, 2005). Moreover, there is the left hemisphere in word recognition and math operations are dominant. A dominance of the right hemisphere can be detected in areas such as spatial perception and face recognition. Prerequisite for the processing of information is the information recording. All our sense organs can be used as a receiving member. The incoming information is analyzed by comparison with existing knowledge. The perception process could also be called â€Å"hypothesis testing†. Not only prior experience influences human attention, but also the state of the brain. It is now known that learning in the state of a medium level of activation (slight shift towards the negative pole) is more efficient. A large influence on the perception and attention has emotions that are located as mentioned in the limbic system (Roth, 2005). For ongoing learning information recording is required. Thus, learning can be described as a permanent testing of hypotheses. This existing knowledge with newly incoming information is confirmed (assimilation), but above all to improve, expand and change (accommodation). This paper has evaluated the impact of brain lateralization on human learning. The link between these asymmetries and hemispheric dominance is found to be quite strong. Difference between the left-hand and the right-hand side of the brain is found to have impact on mathematical abilities, spatial judgment, logical evaluation and aesthetical development. Scientific evidence on the functioning of left and right hemisphere of the human brain has confirmed the hypothesis that learning differences are found between the two sides of the brain. The right hemisphere is dominant in people with left-handedness, which confirms motor development and neurological thinking is from this hemisphere of the brain. It is also concluded that learning differences are permanent as well, since a right-handed person cannot be forced to become left-handed. These learning differences are also found to be a source of parental concern whether their child is left-handed or right handed. Further research is needed to evaluate the societal impacts on these learning differences between the two sides of the human brain. References Annett, M. (1985 ). Left, right, hand and brain: the right shift theory. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Beaton, A. (2004). Dyslexia, Reading, and the Brain. New York: Psychology Press. Capacchione, L. (2001). The Power of Your Other Hand. Ohio: The Career Press. Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. (2010). Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior. California: Wadsworth Learning. Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. (2010). Psychology: A Journey. New York: Engage Learning. Morris, R. (2005). Left Brain, Right Brain, Whole Brain? Retrieved July 25, 2012, from singsurf.org : www.singsurf.org/brain/rightbrain.php Neveu, P. (2008). The Production and Effects of Cytokines Depend on Brain Lateralization. NeuroImmune Biolog, 549-563. Osman, A., Mà ¼ller, K., & Syre, P. (2005). Paradoxical lateralization of brain potentials during imagined foot movements. Cognitive Brain Research, 24(3), 727-731. Pinel, P., & Dehaene, S. (2010). Beyond Hemispheric Dominance: Brain Regions Underlying the Joint Lateralization of Language and Arithmetic to the Left Hemisphere. Journal Of Cognitive Neuroscience, 22(1), 48-66. Roth, M. (2005). The Left Stuff: How the Left-Handed Have Survived and Thrived in a Right handed world. Ohio: Rowman Publishing. Vallortigara, G., & Bisazza, A. (1999). Possible evolutionary origins of cognitive brain lateralization. Brain Research Reviews, 30(2), 164-175.

Cmlit Essay

Van's life is described as â€Å"most simple and ordinary and therefore most terrible† (Tolstoy 42). So what would happen when death befalls him? What would be with his material pursuits in life? Rather, what would be without a spiritual pursuit in life? As death loomed larger, Van's focus in life changed. He started to realize the flaws in his path of life. As time passed, he went from a being of self-concern to one of a spiritual concern. This concern eventually brought him to be gladdened by his death. Death is often said to be a reality.Many people fear it, but in reality it is not a bad thing. When one examines the lifestyle, one realizes that man is placed on this earth for a relatively short period of time, n relation to the existence of the world thus far and its projected existence. It would not be correct to say that one is looking forward to death, but as mortal creatures, we must contemplate death and be prepared for it, whether it be our own death, or the death of a relative or friend. One may go further to suggest that fear of death is a social construct. It may also be very dependent on on?s religious beliefs.I find it quite ironic that humans are so fixated on life which for many of us is a day to day struggle to survive â€Å"paycheck to paycheck†. When I was younger, I had a harsh lesson in death which taught me the meaning of life. Almost eleven years ago, my grandmother, who was very close with, passed away. She was very special to me because she lived very close to me and we saw each other at least twice a week. Most of my life she had lived about an hour away and only saw her once every few months, but during the last two years of her life, she lived five minutes away.She was a grandmother figure because she did anything for her children and grandchildren and hosted many family gatherings. About a year and a half before she passed away, she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. As a nouns child, I wasn't told about this immed iately. I remember being on a train from New York, back to Long Island, when my mother told me. It was a sunny day, which suddenly turned dark and gloomy after I heard this horrific news. I was sitting across from my mother as she told me. I remember asking â€Å"she will be gone? . It didn't sink in immediately because I wasn't ready to accept it. Remember thinking that she is still here so maybe she won't die. What was even more striking was once I saw her after heard about this, nothing seem to have changed. She was still my grandmother, and acting like it also. I didn't get lost in my emotions because life was the same. Cancer is an invisible malady. She looked the same last week, why suddenly is she dying? I didn't fully accept it until the night when she passed away.The doctors were unable to treat her and she had decided to live out her remaining days surrounded by family, in her home. Saw as she moved from a state of consciousness to a state of unconsciousness. The situatio n in the family turned to one of seriousness and sadness. They knew what was coming. Went into the den around eight o'clock on a Friday night. I sat down on the couch and couldn't old back my emotions. I had seen my grandmother a minute before in the bedroom over and she was peacefully laying there. I remember wondering if she was aware of what was going on.My mother came in and sat down next to me. My mother was upset since this was her mother, but as an adult she understood the outcome months ago and had accepted it. Reality sank in for me that Friday night. Was destroyed. I realized that she had a matter Of hours left. She had done so much for our family and felt that I could have never treated her as well as she treated me. My mother calmed me down and assured me that is everything is fine. She told me about the wonderful life my grandmother lived and the impact she had on her family, friends and community.She assured me that if everyone would live such a life, the world would h ave no issues. I sat there and began to contemplate what I was being told. Realized that as she returns her soul to god, she will be greeted at the gates of heaven by angels welcoming her in. She will be back with her parents, brother and my grandfather who had passed away a year earlier. As reflect back on that train ride where I was told of her impending death, I ant remember how long this was before her death.I suppose that the shock caused me to be overcome by other thoughts that I didn't retain when I was told. Also don't remember what happened after that train ride or where we were on the train when I was told. Remember being saddened upon hearing that she was dying, but as a child, death is a foreign concept. The idea that something is final and irreversible is unfathomable by children. Children are used to seeing changes in the world without understanding why they are happening, but as time passes, these changes revert back to their original Tate in many circumstances.The ph enomenon of death, which is irreversible, may be difficult to grasp when everything else lacks finality. My grandmother taught me the importance of family and proportioning in life. I witnessed as my family literally cared for her until her death which taught me a lesson in the importance of family. She taught me the importance of being a spiritual person by praying every day and making herself available whether it be day or night to help anybody in need. She taught me the importance of balancing spirituality with physicality so I will be prepared for death.