Thursday, October 31, 2019

The number of migrants in the world has more than doubled since 1975 Essay

The number of migrants in the world has more than doubled since 1975. Discuss, with specific reference to UK - Essay Example Moreover, according to reports from the Office of National Statistics the net migration into UK was roughly 189,000 between mid-2005 and mid-2006. Also, the overall migration in to the UK since 1994 has been estimated to be in excess of 2 million people. These staggering figures all point to the fact that the negative net migration is contributing hugely to the population expansion in UK. There are numerous reasons for this. One view claims that this is a direct consequence of the respective immigration policies in the UK and outside it and is hence a consequence of a choice made by the policymakers. However, migration demographics gathered from other countries seems to contradict this theory and suggest that in addition to the UK immigration policy, this is more due to the economic forces working silently behind the scenes.1 Hatton summarizes in his paper that relative income, immigration policy and inequality all have a role to play in the inducement to migrate to or from UK. However, he wraps up his paper by saying that patterns of unemployment and relative income have a comparatively smaller impact on the migration of UK when compared to UK inequality and relative policy disparities between UK and rest of the Europe in specific and rest of the world in general. This has huge implications on the UK economy and on UK as a whole. ... the high net migration but also because of increasing life expectance and fertility), a city the size of Birmingham must be constructed every two and a half years in order to meet the growing needs!' Apart from the obvious problems of over-population and lack of space in the society, a huge negative immigration can have many other consequences to the common Britisher. Sir Andrew Green, the Chairman of Migration Watch UK said on the November 4th, 2007 edition of The Sunday Times; 'Failure to act now will mean that our society will be changed beyond recognition - and especially our cities. London is one-third immigrant and half of all babies born there have a foreign parent. Other large cities will follow. According to one academic study, the ethnic community in Britain will grow from 9% to 29% by mid-century. There is every reason for concern. The Commission for Racial Equality's final report spoke frankly about growing segregation and of our society "fracturing", with bonds of solidarity across different groups weakening, and tensions between people increasing. These are serious warnings. The Commission Racial Equality was in denial about the role of mass immigration in all this but the rest of us can see it clearly.' (Sir Green A., 2007, Sunday Times). Putting this fact aside too, other problems such as the cheaper immigrant labor being absorbed into the workforce while one million (according to independent studies) laborers who would like to work but cannot do so because certain laborers are charging below the market rate for their services emerge. However, it is apparent that there must be certain advantages of having a high number of immigrants into the economy. For example, the injection of foreigners into the economy means that they can do those things which

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Emplyment interviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Emplyment interviews - Essay Example The main disadvantages are high cost and lack of anonymity. Still, this type of interviews is crucial for effective recruitment because it allows certain standardization of description. To effect the standardization and control for which procedures are designed, they are presented in a specific format conveying information for a particular action to be taken (Sammar et al 2009). The second type is a structured interview. During this interview, the action may be only one step in a series of steps or the entire series. Once formalized in this manner, procedures need to be followed explicitly to achieve their objectives. Hence the rigidity of bureaucracy. Sometimes exceptions may be made to a formalized procedure, but in that case the manner of making an exception is also formalized. In a systems context, a procedure is like a hard-wired circuit. It ensures predictability. The main advantages are high reliability and level of control. The main disadvantage is a law level of personal involvement of an interviewer. The third type is behavioral interviews. Much of the workers knowledge is conscious, obtained in schools, training, and / or on the job. But much of it is also subconscious, a distillation of experience in which personal solutions to problems encountered in the course of the workday may or may not have worked. The main advantages are the possibility t o measure attitudes and accurate reflection. The main disadvantage is subjectivity (influenced by age, income level, race, etc.). The forth type is situation interview. The environment created within the focus group is one in which the conscious knowledge of the participants comes together, and insights are expressed that may be new or may have only existed under the surface. As he or she leads the workshop, an emerging pride is evidenced by the participants in the interview analysis they use to do their jobs to the standards required for quality

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Overview of Translation and Translation Training

Overview of Translation and Translation Training LITERATURE REVIEW Background of translation (300w) According to Newmark (1988), translation is a process of rendering the meaning of information from a language (usually called source language) into another language (usually called target language) following the intention of the author, the purpose of the information themselves and the demand of the target languages readers. Translation, sometimes, is a definition used for both written and oral transferring; however, it is considered as written information transferring more often. Oral transferring refers to interpretation. In this research, we define translation as the transferring process of written information from a source language into another target language, which can [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] convey its original tone and message and blind the barrier of cultural and regional diversity between the two languages. There are now available two popular methods of translation: semantic translation and communicative translation. It is classified so based on the comparison in meaning and contents with the source languages texts. Semantic translation is considered as faithful translation, this translation method looks on the author, his/her words choice, structure and expression are saved carefully. Whereas, communicative translation looks on the readers, the purpose of this method is to give information, so the translator should render the meaning and the aim of the article. There are also other methods of translation, such as: word for word translation, literal translation, faithful translation, adaption, free translation, idiomatic translation, etc. The function or the nature of translation, similar to language is to communicate. As a result, a good translator should not only choose one suitable method for the text or only focus on transferring the messages from one language into another. A good translator can, however, deliver those to the readers of the target language and balance the both cultures and regions in his/her translation. To meet this demand, a translator should understand the writing of the target language thoroughly and know the socio-cultural situation of the text deeply. According to Harris Brian (1976), translation should continue to be practiced in our secondary schools and might even be extended in some places to primary school. Being a good translation, a learner has no choice but practicing to improve his/herself. Background of translation training (700w) Wu Lei (1999) defined translation training as a process where the application of translation theories is widely spread or delivered to linguistic learners. To clarify the importance of translation, Wu Lei has taken an example in China, where translation is an indispensable element in industrialization and modernization process of the country. Moreover, translation shows its influence in analyze the professional of linguistic learners. Their profession in translation reflects the abilities of them in both their mother tongue and the foreign languages because, a learner have to master at least both of the languages to ensure becoming a translator. In conclusion, people realize the roles of translation in both linguistic training and in the distribution of a country. Although translation has appeared and marked its importance for thousand years with the mission of contributing the world, motivating knowledge discovery, enhancing human life as a mean for communicating and interacting among cultures and regions; translation studies has just been recognized since the 20th century. It is no doubt that translation training is still included in the new area to study, in compare with its appearance and its undeniable roles in the development of human being. In China, translation is taught, generally, in the third year, after linguistic students of a university finish their advanced writing courses or after they finish the course about 4-basic English skills in China. In compare with Vietnam, the linguistic students can also have a chance to study translation and theories of translation in the first year like Schools of Foreign languages or Hanoi University. It is taught so because the students may cope with many difficulties in translation learning if their four basic English skills is not professional. In addition, translation training in the early year just focuses on translating materials from other languages into the translators mother tongue. Not until the development of industrialization and modernization process in some countries, particularly in asia, happens, does translating from the translators mother tongue into other languages catch more attention. Despite the awareness of people about translation roles in modern time, translation methodology and training faces many difficulties. The experts understand that translation must concentrate on the cultural difference or, in other words, it is that translation into target language should be accurate, accurate means that ensuring the whole meanings of sentences or a document, and the cultural suitability of the translated texts. A translator must make sure that they have a wide range of background knowledge about every field and area and master all the linguistic skills required. Nowadays, translation teaching is clearly illustrated in two main ways. The first way is that the lecturer first gives the piece of writing for the students to translating. After that, the students will translate it into the target language and explain the methodology they use and skill related to the exercises. The second way, theories and methodologies are delivered to the learners first, then, they will use them to translate a given text. These two methods still have their disadvantages, especially, they base on the profession of the lecturers. A lecturer should have knowledge on all aspects of the world and master all translating skill and theories to deliver them to their learners correctly and effectively; it says that, a lecturer has to be extremely hard-working and excellent. Moreover, it expresses the limitation in learning materials, self-practicing and human resources. The problem is that learners who want to improve themselves cannot just rely on their lecturers but on pr acticing itself. In terms of reference resources, students could get the information in parallel texts. Printed dictionaries, company sites and specialized press in addition to online dictionaries. These tools can be a convenient guide during translation processing, along with in-class activities, for terminology and documentation purposes. In general, due to the shortage of materials and research about translation training until now, the resources about how to learn and to teach translation at university are still limited, except for practicing and improving oneself. The roles of human in translation process is undeniable, however, writing in his research about Machine Translation over fifty years, John Hutchins (1976) said that, although internet and technology in 20th century is not developed enough to meet the need of people in translating fields, machine translation will be used more widely in the future. It leads to the fact that a translator should try harder to win the limitation of machine translation and to meet the requirements of the market. For more optimistic, John strongly highlighted on the development of technology that can play a role as a supporter for human, especially translator in the future. An Overview of ICT and e-learning (500-600w) Definition of ICT (100w Thanh) Generally, ICT or Information and Communicative Technologies are understood as technologies that support activities involving information. More specifically, according to Random House Dictionary, ICT is defined as a branch of knowledge (as cited in Khaled S. Lynne B.) that includes the combination of informatics technology with other, related technologies, specifically communication technology (Gokhe, p. 1), and as referred by Stephen Heppell, is the foundation of creativity and productivity (as cited in Megha Gokhe, p. 1). It is a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, ad to create, disseminate, store and manage information (Meenaksi, 2013) which implies to be used, applied and integrated into all activities related to life, society and particularly in education. E-learning: An application of ICT in daily life (150w Cà ´ng) ICT has been applied in many ways in daily life. Celebic and Rendulic (2011) indicate several applications of ICT, namely providing internet services such as e-commerce, e-banking and e-government; facilitating e-learning and teleworking environments; and setting up virtual communities. The concept of e-learning varies in different research studies. In the broadest sense, e-learning means any form of learning that is enabled electronically (Abbad, Morris, Nahlik, 2009; Celebic, Rendulic, 2011). Its concept, however, is narrowed down to mean any learning that is internet-enabled or web-based (LaRose, Gregg Eastin, 2003 as cited in Abbad et al., 2009). E-Learning brings about many benefits for students, teachers and educational institutions. Firstly, e-learning benefit students by improving access to education and training (Alexander, 2001; as cited in Gilbert, Morton, Rowley, 2007); giving them adaptive time, place and pace of learning; providing them with unrestricted repetition of lectures; and creating multimedia environment with video, audio and text (Celebic Rendulic, 2011). Besides, for teachers and educational institutions, it reduces costs of conducting teaching, enables educational staff to implement the respective education in a short time and allows simple upgrade of materials. (Celebic and Rendulic, 2011). Web-based Learning and Web-based Application in Translation Training (1400w) Definition and current situation of Web-based learning and Web-based Application in Translation Training (200w Thanh) Web-based learning is defined as a subset of e-learning and refers to learning using an internet browser such as the Moodle, Blackboard or Internet Explorer (Mikre, 2011, Operational definition of terms). SarÄ ±ca (2008) defines web-based learning theory as education that occurs only through the Web, that is, it does not consist of any physical learning materials issued to students or actual face to face contact (Theory of Web-Based Learning, Web-Based English Language Learning). Cook (2007) states web-based learning encompasses all educational interventions that make use of the internet (or a local intranet) (p. 37). Currently, web-based education is a promising field with the rising number of students enrolled in online classes (Su, Bonk, Magjuka, Liu, Lee, 2005). Several studies (Lewis, Alexander Farris, 1997; Waits Lewis, 2003) estimates that the number of students taking distant programs has gone up from around 750,000 to more than three million within six academic years from 1994-1995 to 2000-2001 (as cited in Su et al., 2005). This learning form requires a network like the World Wide Web which enables language learners to overcome the physical barriers in terms of time and space and quickly access materials in many foreign languages and cultures. Peter J. Yangs article mentions several advantages of learning via networks including access to authentic materials, flexible scheduling, location independence and enhanced communication (n.d., pp. 81-82). Roles of web-based learning (400w Thanh) SarÄ ±ca identifies several roles including knowledge generation, collaboration and process management. In a web-based learning setting, the learner is expected to work out solutions to problems. Also, they are responsible for viewing issues and questions of the teacher and other students. Besides, students in the web-based learning environment are recommended to work collaboratively and cooperatively so as to come up with deeper levels of understanding of the course material. They are expected to share the resources and materials that they are finding with alternative learners. As for the role of process management, students are supposed to participate with minimal guidelines, interact with one another and speak up when the discussions are moving into an uncomfortable zone (SarÄ ±ca, 2008, p. 6). Strengths and Weaknesses (300w Cà ´ng) In general, online learning environment offers many advantages in comparison with traditional classrooms. Evans and Fan (2002) suggest three main benefits of learning online, namely place independence, flexible time and adaptive pace for study (as cited in ODonoghue, Singh Green, 2004). In addition, e-learning enables learners to select proper courses and learning material that can be reviewed as many times as necessary to enhance their understanding and specific skills (Jingyu, 2014). However, the learners may face several challenges and risks during online courses. Jingyus study (2014) shows unreasonable time management may pose them to the possibility of procrastination. As a result, learners must have much self-motivation, wise organization and plan to keep up with online courses (Jingyu, 2014). Besides, another concern is the loss of face-to-face interaction. The 2011 study carried by the University of Plymouth implied that online environment reduced both student-instructor int eraction and the interaction with learners peers, which can cause feelings of isolation (as cited in ODonoghue, Singh Green, 2004). According to Micu and Sinu (2012), web-based tools has both advantages and disadvantages in terms of teaching and learning language translation. As to teaching written translation, they rely on the Internet accessibility. Regarding learning translation, Abraham indicates (2003) that students may benefit from web-based machine translation sites, online dictionaries, and language-related websites are sources that may frequently be consulted and used by foreign language learners (as cited in Micu Sinu, 2012, p. 124). However, they may misguidedly use these web-based tools due to lack of discussion and employment of such resources as part of their class activities. Another negative aspect is that resources from the Internet are not always reliable and of good quality since anyone can post information on the Web, including non-experts, and Web documents are not always subject to an editing process in the same way that printed documents usually are (Bowker, 2003 as cited in Micu Sinu, 20 12, p. 124). Constructing and Utilizing Web Applications (500w Cà ´ng) Background and construction of web applications Over the years, the World Wide Web has rapidly evolved from a delivery system for static documents to a popular platform today for programming distributed web applications. According to Stuttard and Pinto (2011), the World Wide Web formerly consisted only of information repositories that contained static documents, and the information flowed in one way, from server to browser. Nowadays, most websites are highly functional applications counting on two-way flow of information between the server and browser (Stuttard Pinto, 2011). Joshi, Aref, Ghafoor and Spafford (2001) illustrate a web application as a three-tier architecture that consists of a Web client, network servers, and a back-end information system supported by a suite of databases. (p. 38). Chlipala (2015) claims that a web application of rich functionality today must generate HTML, for document structure; CSS, for document formatting; JavaScript, a scripting language for client-side interactivity; and HTTP, a protocol for sending all of the above and more, to and from browsers. Common functions of a web app include shopping, social networking, banking and interaction information, etc. (Stuttard Pinto, 2011). Vosloo (n.d.) refers to using a Content Management System (CMS) and using a web framework as two main ways of building web applications today. CMSs, normally coming with such pre-built modules as discussion forums, FAQs and online polls, allows non-technical users with little knowledge about web development to add pages and content. A web framework, on the other hand, is intended for a more technical user. Web frameworks originate from the reusable code that is put in libraries for doing tasks repeatedly (Vosloo, n.d.). Utilizing the Web App and Interaction in online learning In her article, Sarica (2008) points out communication technologies are classified as asynchronous or synchronous. In the former one, technologies such as blogs, forum and e-mail are utilized so that people can participate and engage in the community without depending on others involvement at the same time. The later form synchronous, on the other hand, involves real-time activities of exchanging ideas and information among participants. The participants can take advantages of web-based learning because they can access resources in multiple formats anytime and anywhere as well as learn more independently and actively. Interaction is often regarded as a significant component of a successful online learning. Palloff and Pratt (1999) claim that the keys to the learning process are the interactions among students themselves, the interactions between faculty and students, and the collaboration in learning that results from these interactions (as cited in Su et al., 2005, p.1). In addition, the evidence from some other research (Irani, 1998; Zhang Fulford, 1994; Zirkin Sumler, 1995) suggests more interaction means more students satisfaction and better learning outcomes (as cited in Su et al., 2005). Moore (1989) classified interaction into three categories, namely learner-instructor, learner-learner and learner-content. Learner-instructor interactions create an environment in which students are encouraged to have better understandings about the content. Moore also indicate that learner-learner interactions take place among learners with or without the real-time presence of an instructor (as cited in Su et al., 2005). According to Garrison (1990), this type of interaction is found to motivate students and enable them to have better learning experiences (as cited in Sabry Baldwin, 2003). Sabry and Baldwin (2003) pointed out two forms of learner-learner interactions including asynchronously (non-real time) through using, for example, email or discussion boards, or synchronously (real-time) using, for example, conferencing and chat facilities (p. 445). Learner-content interaction is defined as the process of learners interacting intellectually with content, leading to changes in th eir understanding and perspective (Moore, 1989 as cited in Su et al., 2005). However, there is not much to discuss about it because interaction patterns vary on different contents (Su et al., 2005). Other types of interactions (as cited in Su et al., 2005, p.3) that are not widely discussed include vicarious interaction (Devries, 1996; Sutton, 2001) and learner-self interactions (Soo Bonk, 1998; Robertson, 2002). Su et al. (2005) suggest several technologies and instructional activities that will enhance learners understanding the subject matter and deepen their critical reflection and analysis skills. Some frequently used technologies that may be applied in online education to promote interactions include textbooks; multimedia combining texts, audio and images via the Internet or CD-ROM; streaming audio and video; as well as synchronous and asynchronous communication tools, for instance discussion boards, instant messaging and file-sharing (McGreal, 2004 as cited in Su et al., 2005). The study by Gilbert, Morton and Rowley (2007) showed that students appreciated discussion forums or threads, and that many used them as their main mode of interaction. In addition to technologies, instructional activities can also promote course interactions, thus enable students to understand the content better and improve their engagement in learning. Su et al. (2005) also cited several examples of educators employing instructional activities to enhance interactions and improve learning. Learner-instructor, for example, can be enhanced through virtual office hours (Branon Essex, 2001). Teamwork is emphasized in learner-learner interactions by Peter (2000). Likewise, Sutton (2001) stimulated students to read others discussions to learn through vicarious interactions. In respect of learner-content interactions, Kerka (1996) recommends students reply to questionnaires so that they can self-examine their views related to the content (as cited in Su et al., 2005). References Meenakshi. (2013). Importance of ICT in Education. IOSR, 1(4), 3-8. Retrieved from www.iosrjournals.org Mikre, F. (2011). The Roles of Information Communication Technologies in Education. Ethiop. J. Educ. Sc, 6(2). Retrieved from http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ejesc/article/viewFile/73521/62437 Abbad, M. M., Morris, D., Nahlik, C. d. (2009). Looking under the Bonnet: Factors Affecting Student Adoption of E-Learning Systems in Jordan. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(2), 2. Abbasi, G., zadeh, S. S., Janfaza, E., Assemi, A., Dehghan, S. S. (2012). Language, Translation, and Culture. 2012 International Conference on Language, Medias and Culture (p. 83). Singapore: IACSIT. Celebic, G., Rendulic, D. I. (2011). ITdesk.info project of computer e-education with open access. Zagreb: Open Society for Idea Exchange. Retrieved from http://www.ITdesk.info/ Chlipala, A. (2015). Ur/Web: A Simple Model for Programming the Web. Mumbai: ACM. Clavijo, B., Marà ­n, P. (2013). Identifying Translation Teaching Strategies: An Exploratory Study. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(21), 71-76. Cook, D. A. (2007). Web-based learning: pros, cons and controversies. Clinical Medicine, 7(1), 37-42. Retrieved from http://www.ncolr.org/ Gilbert, J., Morton, S., Rowley, J. (2007). e-Learning: The student experience. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(4), 560-573. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00723.x Jingyu, L. (2014). Pros and Cons: Web Based Education. International Conference on Education, Management and Computing Technology (pp. 459-461). Xinyu: Atlantis. Joshi, J. B., Aref, W. G., Ghafoor, A., Spafford, E. H. (2001). Security models for web-based applications. Communications of the ACM, 44(2), 38-44. Lei, M. (1999). Translation Teaching in China. Meta: Translators Journal, 44(1), 198-208. doi:10.7202/003677ar Micu, C. S., Sinu, R. (2012). Web-Based Methods and Tools in Teaching Translation and Interpreting. The 7 International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL 2012, (pp. 121-124). Transilvania University of Brasov. Retrieved from http://www.icvl.eu/ Newmark, P. (1988). A Textbook of Translation. Hertfordshire: Prentice HaH International vUIO. Retrieved from http://ilts.ir/Content/ilts.ir/Page/142/ContentImage/A%20Textbook%20of%20Translation%20by%20Peter%20Newmark%20(1).pdf ODonoghue, J., Singh, G., Green, C. (2004). A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of IT based education and the implications upon students. Interactive Educational Multimedia, 63-76. Sabry, K., Baldwin, L. (2003). Web-based learning interaction and learning styles. British Journal of Educational Technology, 34(4), 443-454. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ SarÄ ±ca, G. N. (2008, May 6). WEB-BASED ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING. EskiÃ…Å ¸ehir, Turkey. Stuttard, D., Pinto, M. (2011). The Web Application Hackers Handbook: Finding and Exploiting Security Flaws. Indiana: John Wiley Sons. Su, B., Bonk, C. J., Magjuka, R. J., Liu, X., Lee, S.-h. (2005). The Importance of Interaction in Web-Based Education: A Program-level Case Study of Online MBA Courses. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 4(1), 1-5. Retrieved from http://www.ncolr.org/ Vosloo, I. (n.d.). Web-based development: Putting practice into theory. Retrieved from http://www.cs.up.ac.za/cs/sgruner/Festschrift/paper20.pdf à Ã… ¡Ãƒâ€˜Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã‚ ·Ãƒ Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ ºÃƒ Ã‚ ¾, à Ã¢â‚¬Å". (2008). THE WORLD OF INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATING. à Ã…“à Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ ºÃƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ »Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜-à Ã‚ ². SarÄ ±ca, G. N. (2008, May 6). Web-based English Language Learning. Paper presented at the 8th International Educational Technology Conference, Anadolu University, EskiÃ…Å ¸ehir, Turkey. Su, B., Bonk, C. J., Magjuka, R. J., Liu, X., Lee, S.-h. (2005). The Importance of Interaction in Web-Based Education: A Program-level Case Study of Online MBA Courses. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 4(1), 1-5. Retrieved from http://www.ncolr.org/ Yang, P. J. (n.d.). Networked Multimedia and Foreign Language Education. CALICO, 15(1-3), 80-82. Retrieved from https://calico.org/html/article_444.pdf

Friday, October 25, 2019

Operatic Modernism Essay -- Opera Modernism Music Essays

Operatic Modernism The profound modernist ruptures of the 20th Century questioned, displaced, and reconfigured the way humanity regards itself. Within the fine arts, literature, architecture, and music, artistic revolutions occurred at an unprecedented rate and, within the rubric of modernism, deliberately broke with the bases of Western art, culture and society. While working within the operatic institution, Strauss' Salome, Weill's Die Dreigroschenoper, and Berg's Wozzeck profoundly challenge the generic conventions of the operatic tradition. Through their careful combination of innovation in music, text, structure, and staging, their questioning of traditional morality, and pointed social and historical commentaries, these three operas facilitate criticism of the traditional operatic institution as well as society; they are exemplary of the tensions--painfully evident within operatic modernism--between the will to modernity, innovation, and progress and the past. Opera falls, despite e fforts to the contrary, away from the tremendous potential of innovation and rupture back to its conservative tradition. As the classical tradition all too often relies on, glorifies, and mythologises its past, the failure of modernism in opera is a result of the distance--projected, assumed, and interpolated--between the often stagnant classical and operatic institutions and innovative and modernist contemporaries. Too reified to permit the flourishing of innovation, dissent, and/or rupture, the operatic institution is weighed down by its past (as well as its patrons), remaining steadfastly resistant to the revolutionary influences of modernism. While it is clear an essay on opera and modernism (or, indeed, a cou... .... "Modernism and Postmodernism." In A Glossary of Literary Terms. 7th edition. M.H. Abrams, Ed. New York: Harcourt, 1999. 167-168. Clements, Andrew. "Wozzeck." Volume IV. Stanley Sadie, Ed. London: MacMillan, 1992. 1176-80. Hinton, Stephen. "Die Dreigroschenoper." The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Volume I. Stanley Sadie, Ed. London: MacMillan, 1992. 1243-46. Kennedy, Michael. "Opera." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. Third edition. Michael Kennedy, Ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1980. 463-64. Morris, Mark. "A Brief Introduction to the 20th Century History of Music in Austria." Pimlico Dictionary of Twentieth Century Composers. Pimlico, 1999. On-line. Available http://www.humanities.ualberta.ca/mmorris/402/Austria2.htm Murray, David. "Salome." The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Volume IV. Stanley Sadie, Ed. London: MacMillan, 1992. 146-49.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Definition of Post Test Club

What is Post Test Club? Post Test Club is a social support group for all clients tested whether infected with HIV or not. It was established to respond to the expressed needs of the tested clients for ongoing support. Membership Values; Membership is open to all clients who have taken the HIV test irrespective of their results. The principle of anonymity and confidentiality applies for those members who so wish. Members who have tested positive or negative and are willing to ? go public? to share their life testimonies are trained in public speaking . They promote the ? openness? i. e.. ,to declare publicly that he was infected with HIV. MISSION: To help sustain the behavior change process of persons who received voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and serve as a forum for reducing stigma by providing education and information as well as support and counseling.. ,To promote openness about HIV/AIDS and enhance the psycho-social adjustments of those infected and affected. Goal: 1. To contribute to the national effort to prevent further spread of HIV/AIDS 2. To increase understanding of adolescence , sexuality and reproductive health. To promote safer sex, life skills development and child adolescent rights plus responsibilities. Objectives 1. To provide on-going psycho-social support to the members and increase public awareness of HIV/AIDS 2. To bring the reality of HIV/AIDS to the general population ,and demonstrate by example that people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) can still lead a health and productive life 3. To help reduce stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. Post Test care and Support Services Provide medical information about HIV/AIDS including general HIV knowledge, disease progression, ARVs, opportunistic infections (OIs), family planning, environmental health and positive living so that clients can proactively take control of their own health and reduce the risk of transmission. * Provide legal information so that HIV infected individuals can protect their rights and the rights of their families. * Help members to make decisions about disclosure to friends, family and the community. * Provide a secure and inviting environment where members have access to resources, support and counseling free of charge . Help to link clients to needed services for economic, social support. * Provide referrals to other care and treatment programs. * Reduce stigma and discrimination around HIV and HIV testing * Provide support to HIV discordant couples * By working with couples specifically, the program seeks to support discordant couples and reduce gender violence and HIV transmission within marriages. Routine operations: 1. On-going supportive and preventive counseling: This service is offered on a ? walk ? in? basis and is carried out daily by the counselor and counseling attendants. Counselling is provided to members on FP/TB/HIV/ AIDS and otherhealth related issues including Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) and health promotion. 2. Medical Consultation and Treatment: Members consult and receive treatment for simple ailments ,opportunistic infections and sexually transmitted diseases. The medical booth is open daily and qualified health professionals provide services. 3. Group Activities: Every Saturday members meet for educational talks on HIV/AIDS and other related topics, they also participate in recreation activities (video and games AND drama). These activities take place in the morning to afternoon( 09H00 -14H00) 4. They share experiences and provide peer support to one another. An activity roaster for HIV/AIDS sensitization for the week is developed and programmes allocated. 5. Community Education and Sensitization : The Post Test Club members are involved in sensitizing the communities and YOUTH through music, dance, drama, poetry , and sharinglife testimonies. 6. Capacity and Skills Building: NTIHC PTC trains some members as youth corner attendants. These members provide services to the TEENS. Members engaged in income generating activities (IGAS) are given training skills on management of the projects†¦. LIFE EMPOWERMENT SKILLS†¦.. proposal writing! 7. Leadership Skills: The executive committee members of PTC are trained in elementary leadership skills. 8. Condom promotion and peer education: Trained PTC members do peer education in the communities and distribute free condoms simultaneously minimising CONDOM ABUSE. 9. Distribution of IEC Materials: Members receive IEC materials for consumption and distribute some to communities. They mainly distribute ? Straight Talk? , ? Young Talk? , ? Knowledge Is Power? , and other NTIHC IEC Materials. 10. Family Planning Services: Family planning information,counseling, and methods are provided daily in the FP clinic by counselling medical personnel and reproductive health attendants. 11. Couple Club Activities: Members whose spouses have also tested are encouraged to participate in the couple club activities. It facilitates fellowship and handles special topics that are of interest to couples such as discordant relationships, marriage and divorce issues,domestic violence, and gender issues. PTCs have been able to do remarkable things in the battle against HIV/AIDS: – Through music, dance and drama, they perform in community centers, churches and schools to teach people about HIV/AIDS. – They encourage people to be tested, and then teach people how to avoid nfection, and if infected, how to avoid spreading the disease. – They support each other—showing love and care, providing material assistance to the most needy widows and orphans among them, working together on projects, and pooling resources to pay for member’s funerals. Their motto is â€Å"Living Positively. † Regardless of their disease status,they believe a positive attitude will help them and their loved ones through difficult times. A place of their own†¦.. ,TEENS EMPOWERING PEERS! muyenje +2562O25O245O cc: [email  protected] com [email  protected] co. uk [email  protected] co. uk [email  protected] com [email  protected] com [email  protected] com [ema il  protected] co. uk [email  protected] com [email  protected] com [email  protected] com

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Optical Character Recognition for Kids Learning Essay

Education is the learning and development which results from this process of teaching or training. It is the academic discipline dealing with teaching and learning methods in the schools. Learning starts at home and the parents are their first teachers to their kids. When they are about 4 to 6 years of age, parents are starting to bring their children at school where they are able to learn not only the basic skills such as reading and writing but also to develop simple logic and abstract ideas like numbers, shapes, colors, time and many more. Yet, learning first how to write is by far the most important lesson of all and is the priority of all those people who are teaching childhood education. Writing is a skill that is used in all academic coursework as well as through a person’s professional and personal life. Children learn about reading and writing by thinking about the sounds that words make and what those words look like when written out. When children are eager to learn something, they want to explore it themselves. Nowadays, children’s potentials are determined by their ability to learn the basics of writing and reading at their very early age (Patterson C (2008). Child Development. New York: McGraw-Hill. ). In today’s complicated world, the continuing advancing of technology has opened many doors when it comes to education. Technology has become an influential factor when it comes to education. This gives students the opportunity to choose what they are interested in learning. Computers have started to make a huge impact in our lives and begun to show up not only in only offices and households, but also in classrooms, as they have become cheaper, more powerful, and easier to use. There have been many software applications developed for the purpose of education and for use in the classroom. Computers and mobile phones are used in developed countries both to complement established education practices and develop new ways of learning such as the concept of E-learning. It is the unifying term to describe the fields of online learning, web-based training, and technology-delivered instruction. By adding interactivity to teaching, Not only wo uld the children will be able to see what is involved, but he or she would be able to learn from hands on experience. Computers can be a very effective way of accomplishing this. The use of computers in Elementary schools is basically vision as teaching and learning aid besides develop computer literacy amongst the children. Computer Aided Instruction will help us to make the present teaching learning process joyful, interesting and easy to understand through audio-visual aids. Teachers will be resourced with Multimedia Contents to explain topic better. Overall it will help us to improve quality of education in long term. In this study, the proponents develop software that will be an aid for teaching children how to write by using stylus and be able to write on the touch screen monitor of the computer. A stylus is a pen-shaped instrument that is used to draw images, select from menus and write characters which come with different devices that contain touch screens. The following are some of the reasons the proponents have develop such software: (1)Time constraints. Considering it applied in classes, children are pressured in terms of completing a given handwriting task which affects their performance. (2)Level of activities. Occasionally, activities that are held in classes may be inappropriate when it comes to the capabilities of the students. (3)Limited school activities. Children are only provided limited amount of activities in school to learn a specific area in school particularly handwriting. (4)Assessment procedure. Usually, it takes time for the instructor to evaluate the handwriting activities that they are providing for the kids. The basic handwriting software for kids will show certain gif format containing simple steps on how to write the letters and audio sounds to identify what letter should be written. Children can trace uppercase and lowercase letters using the stylus and will be evaluated afterwards in a friendly manner. The program will also contain a different order of teaching a child to write the alphabet and works can be saved. The program has a quiz section that assesses the learning of the child without the aided instruction of gif format. To help children to construct correct handwriting, there would seem to be a case for the use of ruled writing spaces and assist them to follow the proper procedure of writing a specific character and obtain precise strokes. There would also a field references or guidelines for line and cursive character in the every letter of alphabet. Error messages, if used, need to be in a simple English language that the children can easily understand. A different level of practicing is considered to be sure that children will be able to take hold of the writing technique through gif images that shows how characters should be constructed properly. An erase function will also be available as a feature for the children to make them avoid discouragement from scribbling out and overwriting. The children should see at the screen the characters they intend to write and see the results produced after the program recognizes it and be able to see the evaluation of their performance afterwards. Children should be able to understand what was happening effectively. There will be a comment or message alert for every wrong input of the children. The group will use an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) which is a subsystem for pattern recognition. Character recognition identifies the input handwriting and translates it into a machine language or the ASCII. With OCR, the software could identify and evaluate the child’s handwriting performance. When the child inputs the character the OCR will read and identifies whether the character is valid. If the character is valid the evaluation will takes place and calculate the handwriting performance of the children. There will be a set of points within a specific character that has a corresponding score. Children will be evaluated according to the use of Back Propagation algorithm. Back Propagation algorithm will trace the input characters and get the error percentage. A deduction will be conducted to the total score of the user if he fails to follow the designated ordinates. Scores will be evaluated and will be shown as follows; Very Good, Good and Fair. The software that will be implemented will serve as a teaching tool in developing handwriting skills of kids ages 6 and below only which can be used by pre-school teachers and parents as well. It is only an alternative way of teaching basic handwriting rather than the traditional way of learning. The validity of the software can be tested by parents, homeschoolers and teachers who have acquired the skills and knowledge in teaching the traditional process especially those teachers in nurseries and kindergarten. Chapter II Review of Related Literature Children’s Early Age Children ages 4-5-6 need some attention and care and parents must be able to identify the interest of the child and what they are capable of. In this stage they will be responsible but they still need assistance. They can do simple things on their own like wearing clothes, tying their shoes, brushing their teeth and others. In this stage of development they have their own specific interests like playing blocks, dawdling and others. Play with other children who need what she needs and like what she likes, who understand her because they are the same age, becomes very important to most children. By the age of 4-5 children can now accept the social interaction with other children. (Irma Simonton Black, Children from 4-5-6) There are other activities in this early age that are very short tempered to parents like dawdling but according to Black â€Å"Dawdling may be a child’s indirect way of asking for help, of asking for the warmth and quick affection of his babyhood†. If the child needs parent’s help they must give them a full hand but remember that there are some help that can be done by the child like putting and tying their shoes. The role of a parent is to be helpful, sympathetic and patient. Parents must also praise for the things that the child accomplish rather than disapproval of the things the he/ she did not do. Children are very easy to learn but they must need guidance and care. ThE-learning capabilities of children need time and patience. (Ruth Mason 2000) Schoolchild Development The E-learning capabilities of this early stage is different they can develop a sense of logic and often sticks with a problem until he/she has solved it. They can gain a sense of satisfaction from tackling simple number problems. These new ability gives confidence in developing and expressing on their own point of view. They can also grasp more abstract ideas, like numbers, time and distance. During this time the brain undergoes its most dramatic growth, and children rapidly develop the cognitive capacity that enables them to become intellectually curious and creative thinkers. In this child development they can now focus on their interest like reading books on related subject that are taught in the school. They can now express their point of view and reasoning. (Graham, Rob and Hess, Heidi) There are also circumstances that hinder child’s development and this is thE-learning Disability this causes a person to have troublE-learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math. â€Å"Learning disabilities (LD) vary from person to person. One person with LD may not have the same kind of learning problems as another person with LD† according to National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Learning Disability is not a sickness but this situation are caused by the different approach of processing the brain. Learning Disability does not include visual, hearing and motor disability and also mental retardation. There are no concrete sign of having learning disability but by observing them you can actually identify and these signs are helpful: †¢ may have troublE-learning the alphabet, rhyming words, or connecting letters to their sounds; †¢ may make many mistakes when reading aloud, and repeat and pause often; †¢ may not understand what he or she reads; †¢ may have real trouble with spelling; †¢ may have very messy handwriting or hold a pencil awkwardly; †¢ may learn language late and have a limited vocabulary; †¢ may have trouble understanding jokes, comic strips, and sarcasm; †¢ may have trouble following directions; †¢ may mispronounce words or use a wrong word that sounds similar; And to help children with this disability parents must identify the strengths of their child. The parents must praise the good things about their child with this disability .And for teachers they can help their child with such disability by: †¢ breaking tasks into smaller steps, and giving directions verbally and in writing; †¢ giving the student more time to finish schoolwork or take tests; †¢ letting the student with reading problems use textbooks-on-tape (available through Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, listed under Organizations); †¢ letting the student with listening difficulties borrow notes from a classmate or use a tape recorder; and †¢ letting the student with writing difficulties use a computer with specialized software that spell checks, grammar checks, or recognizes speech. (National Dissemination for Learning Disability) Children’s School Level This is often categorized in pre-school and kindergarten levels. Pre-school is the preparation ground for children, this shows how kids will they be when they are 7 because of different aspects. In this level of education children only go to school for an hour which includes playing and 20-30 minutes of listening. The schools strategize a three days per week at an academic program and two days per week at a play-based school, hoping to achieve the best of both worlds. Preschool are very egocentric which they believe everyone sees the world as they sees it. They still don’t know what is the cause and effect and they give a process that is not logical and complex. They also focus on one event and ignore the other. According to Martha E. Mock â€Å"Young children learn best through meaningful interaction with real materials and caring adults and their peers, not through the drilling of isolated skills†. Preschool approach is commonly a play-based program to enjoy child academically and socially. After they excel in preschool year they can now step to kindergarten where they can formally in different approach. (Laura Davy, 2007) Kindergarten is being called nowadays as a new first grade of education. But be sure that your child is ready for kindergarten and there are signs to identify that are being analyzed by parents. This checklist are created by the National Center Disabilities Inc,. The purpose of kindergarten is to show the child the good feelings about learning and school. This is the building block for stepping in first grade. The curriculum starts by building familiarity with a wide number of aspects of the written and spoken word. In kindergarten the general trend of teaching is basic literacy and writing t hat is covered for first grader. The students taught a basic curriculum in all subjects, including science, social studies, and arts; but the most important academic topics will be literacy, handwriting exercise and math, which underlie everything else to come. Handwriting and dawdling is the common tool for expressing children’s idea and taught. (Julie Williams, 2007) Handwriting Handwriting is the first education that is needed for children. This is important because research shows that when children are taught how to do it, they are also being taught how to learn and how to express themselves. Handwriting is the best way to express children’s idea and feelings to their loved ones and friends. Emily Knapton, director of program development at Handwriting without Tears, believes that â€Å"when kids struggle with handwriting, it filters into all their academics. Spelling becomes a problem; math becomes a problem because they reverse their numbers. All of these subjects would be much easier for these kids to learn if handwriting was an automatic process†. In the research led by the professor of Venderbilt University, Steve Graham he found out that teachers believe that students with fluent handwriting produced written assignments that were superior in quantity and quality and resulted in higher grades aside from being easier to read. Evidence is growing that handwriting fluency is a fundamental building block of learning. It should be exciting and an enjoyable activity through which children can experience success. If we stop teaching penmanship, it will not only hasten the dreaded day when brides acknowledge wedding gifts by e-mail; the bigger danger is, they’ll be composed even more poorly than they already are. According to Baggett, changing a child’s handwriting can improve their grades, their behaviour, and their self-esteem. (Raina Kelley, 2007) Process of Teaching Handwriting In teaching the children the best way is to write their name first. Begin with lower case letters, rather than capital letters. This mechanism will help the child when first encountering reading and writing because lower case letters are commonly seen in the books. (Shirley Erwee et.al) The time span in teaching is between 20-30 minutes to avoid boredom. If the parents teach the child to write in large interval of time they will lost their interest. Their eyes are not that fully developed so they have no focus on every book or page like adults. This technique will avoid child’s eye strain and the limit is 15-20 minutes. Encourage the child in continuing handwriting practices and praise the work of the children. Do not compare the work of the child to the other children because they have a process in developing this talent. (Sandhya S. Naidu) 1. OVERSEE HANDWRITING PRACTICE When children are practicing handwriting it is very important that you oversee their work so that they do not develop bad habits. Take over some inappropriate letters so that they will not rooted to it. 2. ONE OBJECTIVE AT A TIME Focus on correcting or improving one objective at a time – be it a particular letter, spacing, size, alignment, etc. 3. PRACTICE DAILY Handwriting practice should be scheduled every day but keep lessons short for best results. 4. CORRECT PENCIL GRIP Correct pencil grip allows a writer to write quickly and smoothly, while a tight or awkward grip can hinder writing. 5. PROPER POSTURE Be sure that your child is sitting properly at a surface that is not too high. Her arms should rest comfortably and her feet should be supported (by the floor or a box), rather than hanging loosely. This is to avoid fatigue and bad habits which may develop as a result of improper posture. Monitor your child’s posture regularly. 6. BE PATIENT Improvement in handwriting requires a combination of skills and developmental maturity. Each child will progress at her own rate. Remember that fine motor skills develop more slowly in boys, than gross motor skills. 7. KEEP HANDWRITING SEPARATE Keep handwriting practice or copy work separate from composition and other writing tasks, which require attention to other skills such as focus on content, organizing ideas, editing, spelling, punctuation etc. so that students will not be reluctant to write. Assessing Child Handwriting According to Occupational Therapy Handwriting Resources in assessing child’s handwriting there must be clinical observation skills. There are different clinical observation skills and uses according to purpose. The child’s proper grip in pen or pencil is important because improper grip can cause fatigue and joint problems. The proper grip is the normal dynamic tripod give where the thumb is placed at the side of the pencil and the index finger is placed on the top of the pencil. The pencil is stabilized on the side of the middle finger. This position allows for needed stability and mobility. Improper grip can cause: – lead to joint problem and early fatigue in written assignments – tightness or pain in the thumb web spaces (Occupational Therapy Handwriting Resources) The Evaluation Tool for Children’s Handwriting (ETCH) is an assessment that ensures the legibility in word, letter and numeral percentage, as well as letters per minute. Pencil control, near and far point copying, manuscript to cursive translation, dictation and sentence completion are included. The Bruininks Oserteksy Test of Fine Motor Proficiency assesses motor proficiency of students without disabilities, as well as those with serious motor dysfunctions and developmental difficulties. It is administered to children from ages 4 years 6 months to 14 years 6 months. Occupational Therapist typically administer only the fine motor development subtests which include: – response speed – visual-motor control – upper-limb speed and dexterity The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales is composed of six subtests that measure inter related motor abilities that develop early in life. It assesses the motor skills of children from birth through 5 years of age. Occupational Therapist typically administers the grasping and visual motor subset. (Occupational Therapy Handwriting Resources) The assessment for teachers is based on the books and criteria. Teachers tend to teach children according to books instruction. The child needs some patience and virtue to achieve a good handwriting skill. This skill can visualize the children’s future and development. Handwriting as a Symbol of Success There are also instances that penmanship and handwriting predicts success according to Bart Baggett. They also identify the handwriting of Michael J. Fox , Martin Luther King and Oprah Winfrey which shows success. Baggetts identify the seven personality traits according to stroke that are common to successful people. – High Goals and Ambition (t-bars crossed on the top of the stem) – Strong self-esteem (Large signature and high crossed t-bars) – Determination (heavy downstrokes below the baseline) – Persistence (not picking up your pen when you cross the letter t) – Strong Physical Drives (large and heavy y and g loops) – Long Lasting Enduring Emotions (pressing very hard on the paper) – Enthusiasm (extra long strokes to make the crossing of your t) Handwriting is an important task to learn by the child and need some proper interaction to their instructor or teacher and also parents. (Yenra, 2007) Interaction for Teacher The quality of interactions between teachers and children plays a key role in accounting for gains in children’s development when compared to typical quality indicators such as teachers’ education, class size, and child-to-teacher ratio. High-quality instructional interactions happened when teachers provided children with feedback on their ideas, commented in ways that extended and expanded their skills, and frequently used discussions and activities to promote complex thinking. Teachers by doing this teacher-child interaction the children can improve or develop good cognitive, socio-emotional and language skills. Interaction could help children understand the knowledge he/she wants to gain, like media that are so interactive nowadays. The size and number of the students is not the basis for thE-learning of the child but the interaction of the teacher’s to them. A child learns a large amount of knowledge with the help of the emotional interaction. (Physorg, 2008) Children’s Interact Emotionally In early stage children does not only learn social skills and language but they also learn the act of sensitivity and emotion. Having a social interaction helps child to develop their logic and sense of reasoning. With this emotional interaction they can decrease their fear in reasoning out or expressing their emotion. Interaction benefits every child very much, because they not only get one on one time to talk to their teacher but they also produce positive relationships between teachers and students. Teachers by doing this teacher-child interaction the children can improve or develop good cognitive, socio-emotional and language skills. There are also materials that are very interactive to children and they could gain knowledge with this interaction. Technologies nowadays are very interactive to child which helps them to learn more. (Killi, 2008) Technology According to studies and researches more and more kids are applying technology to their lifestyle like playing video games, using computer and watching TV. According to parents using media and technology children helps to learn while entertained. Today’s children might use their brain differently than the kids in previous generation this is according to UCLA professor, Patricia Greenfield. Patricia Greenfield found out that TV, Media and video games does not limit the mind of the children but they also help them in other ways. In a concrete result they found out that surgeon who has a skilled in video games can be better in keyhole surgery. The use of technology can have a great effect of schools. With an increased emphasis on more teacher discretion over teaching and learning in the classroom has a potential to increase. Technology can also be integrated into the class through the use of software. Technology allows the student to comprehend the subject matter at hand easier. The children nowadays are better than their ancestor when it comes to multitasking as a result in complex visual information that they deal with. The school, learning institute and parents must understand this study and apply to their learning techniques according to the UCLA professor. (Patricia Greenfield 2005) Technological Adaptability in Education Many different types of technology can be used to support and enhance learning. Everything from video content and digital moviemaking to laptop computing and handheld technologies (Marshall, 2002) have been used in classrooms, and new uses of technology such as podcasting are constantly emerging. Various technologies deliver different kinds of content and serve different purposes in the classroom. For example, word processing and e-mail promote communication skills; database and spreadsheet programs promote organizational skills; and modeling software promotes the understanding of science and math concepts. It is important to consider how these electronic technologies differ and what characteristics make them important as vehicles for education (Becker, 1994). Each technology is likely to play a different role in students’ learning. Rather than trying to describe the impact of all technologies as if they were the same, researchers need to think about what kind of technologies are being used in the classroom and for what purposes. Two general distinctions can be made. Students can learn â€Å"from† computers—where technology used essentially as tutors and serves to increase students basic skills and knowledge; and can learn â€Å"with† computers—where technology is used a tool that can be applied to a variety of goals in the learning process and can serve as a resource to help develop higher order thinking, creativity and research skills (Reeves, 1998; Ringstaff & Kelley, 2002). The primary form of student learning â€Å"from† computers is what Murphy, Penuel, Means, Korbak and Whaley (2001) describe as discrete educational software (DES) programs, such as integrated learning systems (ILS), computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and computer-based instruction (CBI). These software applications are also among the most widely available applications of educational technology in schools today, along with word-processing software, and have existed in classrooms for more than 20 year s (Becker, Ravitz, & Wong, 1999). While DES remains the most commonly used approach to computer use in student learning, in more recent years, use of computers in schools has grown more diversified as educators recognize the potential of learning â€Å"with† technology as a means for enhancing students’ reasoning and problem-solving abilities. In part, this shift has been driven by the plethora of new information and communication devices now increasingly available to students in school and at home, each of which offers new affordances to teachers and students alike for improving student achievement and for meeting the demand for 21st century skills describe earlier. No longer limited to school labs, school hours and specific devices, technology access is increasingly centered on the learner experience. Bruce and Levin (1997), for example, look at ways in which the tools, techniques, and applications of technology can support integrated, inquiry-based learning to â€Å"engage children in exploring, thinking, reading, writing, researching, inventing, problem-solving, and experiencing the world.