Small Classes Benefit Students

Small Classes Benefit Students Every year class size reduction is one of the hottest topics. This topic has been studied numerous times, but is often ignored due to financial challenges. Teachers, parents, and students are constantly demanding smaller classes, because it would benefit education and faculty engagement. There are many aspects that affect the teaching process. Class size is shown to be a major factor. How the teacher teaches, or the student learns all leads back to the classroom. An organization called, Project STAR ( Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio) has studied students since 1985 and found that the size of the classroom does indeed have an affect on the performance of the students. In Joe Agrons Good things come in small packages., He explains the findings of STAR, class sizes from 13 to 17 outperformed students from larger classesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. With having smaller class size it creates a more manageable environment, and allows the students to learn more of the content. If schools would reduce class sizes it would up the graduation rate at least ten percent, and more kids will go to college (Argon). When having small classes the student will want to interact more, and not have the fear of not knowing an answer in front of thirty plus kids. The student will be open to learning a nd being more involved in the classroom. Creating a comfortable environment will cause students to drop out less frequently (Argon). If students are comfortable and more open to school, it allows them to be more eager to take challenging classes and learn subjects on a more advanced level which would later benefit them in college. Along with the many factors , time plays a big role in students and teachers experience in school. Teachers must have enough time to teach their lessons, and students need enough time to fully understand the topic they are being taught. In Cakmaks academic journal it states, Time is an important aspect in teaching because teachers need time to manage time effectively in order to implement their strategy. (Cakmak). This meaning if the teacher has less students they would be able to thoroughly teach the content. In the classroom of thirty students, at least twenty of them need more time studying the topic. With having a large amount of students and a small amount of time, only ten of those students are able to fully understand the topic while the rest have to stay behind. The teachers offer tutorials before and after school, but out of seven class periods about one hundred and forty students are coming in for help. If the classes are reduced, the amount of students that need help will drop. This would allow the teacher more time to have one on one with each individual. Class size not only affects younger children, but it also takes a big toll on students who are studying in college. The amount of time a teacher has with a student only shortens as the children get older. The class sizes are constantly growing, once a student enters college they are facing five hundred plus students. In a class that big the professors help or attention is limited to a small portion to the class. There is little to no interaction between the student and teacher. When or if the student needs help on a subject, they are more liable to push it aside because they are not comfortable with speaking to the professor. This will change if the professor was allowed more time to understand each student and know more about them as well as the student knowing their professor. Time and interaction plays a large role in the classroom and is constantly ignored. If they are not allowed either one, the desire to be in school and get help becomes less of a want each day. The reason behind not having enough time to interact and teach a lesson all leads to the amount of students in the classroom. At any age the teacher must deal with the behavior of the children in the classroom. Everyday a student is prone to act up and disrupt the class, whether it be horse playing or refusing to do work. Having a large class creates chaos with student behavior, which cause the teacher to stop his or her lesson to correct the issues. Each time the lesson is stop, a student is distracted by the situation and has loss focus on the topic. While the teacher is correcting the behavior, the lesson remains on hold and the content is never fully explained. If the student is unable to have the teachers undivided attention due to discipline, then they are left with having to figure out the content on their own. According to Does class size really matter? less students create a steady environment, Teachers believed to cover more content in greater depth and have fewer discipli ne problemsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Reducing the class size will not completely end behavioral issues, but it will bring it down to a minimum. Each student will then be allowed more time in the classroom, and will allow the teacher to continue teaching a topic with distractions to them or the student. If the teacher spends less time having to correct a students bad behavior, it could reduce stress (Johnson. Hatie) . Johnson states it may seem possible that creating a less stressful work environment for teachers might increase the likelihood they they will stay in the profession.(Johnson) , class size reduction is expensive, but so is replacing teachers who quit due to the issues in the classroom. If the teacher is pleased, the student will enjoy learning in their classroom. Everything falls back to how comfortable the student and teacher are, and how much of the content is being taught, and understood. If this can be corrected by simply reducing the amount of students put into a classroom, then why is it that the school board is sitting in the shadows. Reducing class size is a constant worry to most schools, because of the cost they would have to pay to make the classes smaller. When the topic comes up , the tension between the school and parents become more apparent. Every school believes a childs education is an important aspect of their everyday life, and they would do anything to help them. In the academic journal, Class size reduction The National-Parent Teacher Association show that,combining funds for class size reduction and professional development into a teacher-quality block grant in the No Child Left Behind Actà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(The Reading Teachers) this leaves many districts and teacher with having to choose between the two. Providing a better learning environment for students is constantly put on hold until the district can decide whether they want to pay for cost that come along with the change. As the schools and deciding and slowly pushing the topic aside, students a beginning to struggle in the classroom, and fall b ehind on topics. Everyone praises the No Child Left Behind Act, but yet when the chance to help a child is in view of a district, it suddenly disappears. With the way the schools go about this, it leaves parents and students wondering if it is really no child left behind, or are the schools steadily letting the children get lost in the clouds. Work Cited Agron, Joe. Good things come in small packages. American School University, vol. 71, no. 10, 1999, p. 10. Academic OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=j020902v=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA55204568asid=351c277ea4eefb7a2527d29a5903182a. Accessed 9 Feb. 2017. Cakmak, Melek. The perceptions of student teachers about the effects of class size with regard to effective teaching process. The Qualitative Report, vol. 14, no. 3, 2009, p. 395+. Academic OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=j020902v=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA214102628asid=83e3ea601a9eafa34a7957694d72d939. Accessed 9 Feb. 2017. Johnson, Laurene. Does class size really matter? District Administration, Oct. 2011, p. 104+. Academic OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=j020902v=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA271405507asid=53f0f28435c3b534c6cc6410f370667b. Accessed 9 Feb. 2017. Class size reduction. The Reading Teacher, vol. 58, no. 8, 2005, p. 739. Academic OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=j020902v=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA149253957asid=d51d5ef20e663437962151cfe8f14a2b. Accessed 10 Feb. 2017.

Outsiders: S. E. Hinton and Hero

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. Anyone can become a hero through perseverance from any point in society. Ponyboy is part of a crowd who are like criminals known as the Greasers, who are poor and live on the east side of town. The Greasers are a gang that have Ponyboy, Soda, Steve, Johnny, Dally, Darry, and Two-bit Matthews. The Greasers are hated by the Socs, the Socials, who are the west side rich kids in the town.In the novel The Outsiders, by S. E.  Hinton, Ponyboy, the main character, and his family of Greasers rise above a life of poverty, stealing, and criminal action to help others, proving that anyone, no matter the obstacle, can become a hero. There are many heroes in the greaser gang and they didn’t start out this way. The greasers were known for robbing, gang fights, stealing, and driving old souped-up cars, your basic hoods. It all starts when Ponyboy gets jumped by the Socs, who are intent on beating Ponyboy to a pulp, when Darry, Ponyboy’s brother, intervenes and saves him.This is a very noble act by Darry, who could have easily been beaten up badly himself, because he stood up for Ponyboy when no one else would. Darry shows a sense of responsiblity and sympathy for others, especially for family, that a hero characterizes. This is also true when he takes care of his brothers after their parents died so they wouldn’t end up in a home for boys. Moreover, Ponyboy, Dally, and the other greasers become heroes when they all run into the burning building to save the children from the fire.The reasons why they became heroes is because they chose to save the kids no matter the cost, even if it put their lives in danger. The selflessness that all of the Greasers display when they ran into that building show that they value the well being of others over themselves. This is a key quality of all heroes, making the Greasers more than just a small time criminal gang. Johnny is a hero becaus e the incredible selflessness he displayed saving the children from the burning building.Johnny sacrificed, got burned, and died just to save the kids and Ponyboy. Everything that Johnny did was very selfless and had good value behind each of his actions. These heroic qualities are embodied by Johnny, showing that anyone can become a hero, even if your a basic hood rat. Additionally, Johnny was very brave when he was forced to kill Bob before Bob could drown Ponyboy. Johnny heroically killed Bob to save his friend from being murdered because it was the only way to ensure Ponyboy’s safety.It takes a special kind of person to be able to act at the right moment in the defense of others, and Johnny is that valiant person. It is important to be a hero when you can, the world can use more heroes and society always needs a good role model. A hero is someone who has devoted his or her life to something more than their individual wellbeing. Anyone can become a hero through perseveranc e from any point in society. In the novel The Outsiders, by S. E. Hinton, Ponyboy, the main character, and his family of Greasers rise above a life of poverty, stealing, and criminal action to help others, proving that anyone, no matter the obstacle, can become a hero.To be a hero in Ponyboy’s life is astonishing, because he is part of a gang that steals and is poor. When he ran into the church to save the kids, he demonstrated how brave one can be, and he might have died from it. Ponyboy evolved from a life as a criminal to a life as a hero. This means that anyone can be a hero, no matter the life they used to lead.

Explain the Relation between Trade and World Output

World output or global output represents the sum of the entire amount of goods and services produced by all the countries of the world for a certain period of time. In simple terms, if each country produces a pair of shoes, a computer and a sack of coffee, multiply that by the total number of countries in the world to get global output. On the other hand trade, or more correctly international trade, is the exchange of goods and services across international borders. Since it is impossible for all the countries to produce similar products, trade allows countries to focus on products that they have an advantage in producing over other countries. A classic example is crude oil. Not all countries have an abundant supply of oil – the reason why Middle East countries sell their excess oil to countries that need them. Trade encourages effective and efficient use of a country’s resources. A country that is more proficient in growing coffee could forgo the manufacture of computers and shoes and increase their yield of coffee to ten sacks of coffee and trade some of these excess coffee to a country that has an advantage at making shoes and computers. Following the logic of this interaction, as a country becomes more efficient in producing goods and services its total output also increases. And, as all the other countries increase their total output, world output ultimately increases. Describe the broad pattern of international trade International trade has been evolving at a much faster pace after World War II. Much of the evolution of trade in present times is attributed to rapid advancements in technology. Production of goods is now done at a much faster and more efficient rate – lowering overall manufacturing cost and doubling-up output. At the same time, it is now faster to ship goods to any point in the globe and attendant support communication facilities have improved tremendously. According to statistics from the World Trade Organization (the organization tasked to oversee international trade): –   75 percent of the global exports come from developed countries, while only 25 percent are from developing ones. – 83 percent of exports from developed countries are manufactured goods, accounting for 62 percent of total world exports. – Manufactured goods from developing countries are growing – now registered at 56 percent of their total exports — and account 14 percent of the world total. – Today, more primary products are being exported by developed countries than by developing countries: 14% of world exports, compared with 11% by developing countries. If the nations of the world were to suddenly cut off all trade with one another,  what products might you no longer be able to obtain in your country? An obvious answer is oil since it is one of the top imports of the country. Still, other items would be woodcrafts and furniture and certain agricultural products like rubber and natural oils. If the other trading country is China, products that will no longer be available here are office equipment, shoes and other articles of apparel, telecom and sound equipment, and, professional and scientific equipment. Choose one other country and identify the products it would need to do without In the case of China, products that would no longer be available in that country are electrical and heavy machineries, mineral fuel, oil, seeds and fruits, organic chemicals, iron and steel, aircraft and spacecraft, and cotton, yarn and fabrics. Discuss trade patterns Trade patterns deal with what goods and services a country trades, with whom, and in what direction. Trade patterns are studied in two ways: through the pattern of movement in commodities like oil, capital and raw materials, and, through factor contents or the amounts of primary factors used in the production of goods. Trade patterns reveal the current state of international trade, the direction it is heading and its effect on overall global output. Trade patterns also reveal emerging markets as well as markets that are on the decline. Trade patterns also influenced by global events that do not deal directly with international trade. These events include the September 11 attacks, SARS and the war in the Middle East. The current trade pattern reveals an interesting trend: prior to World War II, primary commodities came mostly from developing countries whereas manufactured products came mostly from developed countries. After the WW II, the trend has reversed and that reversal continues up to the present. Explain the methods governments use to promote and restrict international trade International trade is generally regulated and controlled via imposition of tariffs. Nations carry out such measures in three ways: on their own (unilateral); in agreement with another country (bilateral); or, in agreement with several other countries (multilateral). Non-tariff measures include imposition of quotas and voluntary export restraints (VERs) – a restriction on a country's imports that is achieved by negotiating with the foreign exporting country for it to restrict its exports. To promote international trade, countries give concessions like preferential trading agreements (PTAs), custom unions and common markets. Custom unions are groups of countries that who adopt zero tariffs and no other restrictions on trade when trading among them. Common markets on the other hand, are groups of countries, who choose to eliminate all barriers to movement of both goods and factors among themselves. References World Trade Report: 2006 (2006). World Trade Organization. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/reser_e/world_trade_report_e.htm Deardorff, A. (2001). Deardorff's Glossary of International Economics. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~alandear/glossary/    Morrison, W. (2007). China-US Trade Issues. Retrieved October 30, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33536.pdf    Wild, J. Wild, K., & Han J. (2006). International Business. Prentice Hall   

Percy Julian, Improved Synthesized Cortisone Inventor

Percy Julian (April 11, 1899–April 19, 1975) synthesized physostigmine for the treatment of glaucoma and synthesized cortisone for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Julian is also noted for inventing a fire-extinguishing foam for gasoline and oil fires. Julian also synthesized the female and male hormones, progesterone and testosterone, by extracting sterols from soybean oil and received dozens of honors over the course of his career, and after his death, related to his scientific work. Fast Facts: Percy Julian Known For: Synthesized physostigmine for treatment of glaucoma and cortisone for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; invented a fire-extinguishing foam for gasoline and oil firesAlso Known As: Dr. Percy Lavon JulianBorn: April 11, 1899 in Montgomery, AlabamaParents: Elizabeth Lena Adams, James Sumner JulianDied: April 19, 1975 in Waukegan, Illinois  Education: DePauw University (B.A., 1920), Harvard University (M.S., 1923), University of Vienna (Ph.D., 1931)Published Works: Studies in the Indole Series V. The Complete Synthesis of Physostigmine (Eserine), Journal of the American Chemical Society (1935). Julian also published dozens of articles in scientific journals.Awards and Honors: Chicagoan of the Year (1950), The â€Å"Percy L. Julian Award for Pure and Applied Research in Science and Engineering,† presented annually by the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers since 1975, was created and is named in his honor , National Inventors Hall of Fame (1990), The United States Postal Service issued a stamp honoring Julian in 1993, The American Chemical Society recognized Julians synthesis of physostigmine as a National Historic Chemical Landmark (1999)Spouse: Anna Roselle Johnson (m. Dec. 24, 1935–April 19, 1975)Children: Percy Lavon Julian, Jr., Faith Roselle JulianNotable Quote: I dont think that you can possibly embrace the kind of joy which one who has worked with plants and plant structures such as I have over a period of nearly 40 years, how wonderful the plant laboratory seems. Early Life and Education Julian was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on April 11, 1899. One of six children born to Elizabeth Lena Adams and James Sumner, and the grandson of former slaves, Julian had little schooling during his early years. At that time, Montgomery provided limited public education for Blacks. Julian entered DePauw University as a sub-freshman and graduated in 1920 as class valedictorian. Julian then taught chemistry at Fisk University, and in 1923 he earned a masters degree from Harvard University. In 1931, Julian received his Ph.D. from the University of Vienna. On Dec. 24, 1935, Julian married Anna Roselle, who would go on to earn her own Ph.D. in sociology in 1937 from University of Pennsylvania. They remained married until Julians death in the mid-1970s. Major Achievements Julian returned to DePauw University, where his reputation for inventing was established in 1935 when he synthesized physostigmine from the Calabar bean. In a series of articles published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society over the course of three years, Julian and his assistant, Josef Pikl, explained how they made physostigmine synthetically. This was a key step in the development of the anti-glaucoma drug physostigmine that is used to this day. Julian went on to become director of research at the Glidden Company, a paint and varnish manufacturer. He developed a process for isolating and preparing soybean protein, which could be used to coat and size paper, to create cold water paints, and to size textiles. During World War II, Julian used a soy protein to produce Aerofoam, which suffocates gasoline and oil fires. Julian was noted most for his synthesis of cortisone from soybeans, used in treating rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. His synthesis reduced the price of cortisone. Julian was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1990 for his Preparation of Cortisone for which he received patent No. 2,752,339. Julian also synthesized the female and male hormones, progesterone and testosterone, by extracting sterols from soybean oil. Julian received dozens of patents over the course of his career related to his scientific work. Later Years and Death In 1954, Julian left Glidden and that same year founded his own firm, Julian Laboratories, Inc. He ran the company until selling it in 1961, becoming a millionaire in the process. In 1964, Julian founded Julian Associates and Julian Research Institute, which he managed for the rest of his life. Julian died April 19, 1975, in Waukegan, Illinois. Legacy Julians many honors include election to the National Academy of Sciences in 1973 and 19 honorary doctorates. He was the first recipient of DePauws McNaughton Medal for Public Service. In 1993 the U.S. Postal Service issued the Julian stamp in the Black Heritage Commemorative Stamp series. In 1999, the city of Greencastle renamed First Street to Percy Julian Drive. Also in 1999, on April 23, DePauw University dedicated a National Historic Chemical Landmark, which includes his bust and a plaque located at the Indiana campus. Summing up his life and legacy, the inscription on the plaque reads: In 1935, in Minshall Laboratory, DePauw alumnus Percy L. Julian (1899-1975) first synthesized the drug physostigmine, previously only available from its natural source, the Calabar bean. His pioneering research led to the process that made physostigmine readily available for the treatment of glaucoma. It was the first of Julian’s lifetime of achievements in the chemical synthesis of commercially important natural products. Sources â€Å"The Life of Percy Lavon Julian 20.†Ã‚  DePauw University.â€Å"Percy Lavon Julian.†Ã‚  American Chemical Society.ACSpressroom. â€Å"Research of Percy Julian, First Synthesis of Glaucoma Drug, Named National Historic Chemical Landmark.