Should college students have complete freedom to choose their own courses and create their own curriculum Essay Example

Should college students have complete freedom to choose their own courses and create their own curriculum? Essay The degree and scope of academic freedom has been a perennial topic of debate. But generally, it is the governing authorities who have their way, with students having to toe the line. In an ideal world, though, students will play a significant role in determining the courses and subjects to be included in their curriculums. While students in primary and secondary stages of education need to have a standard basic curriculum, those reaching college level should be given more autonomy. This relaxation is recommended keeping in mind that college students are entering adulthood and have a right to choose the type of individuals they want to become. (Robertson Smith, 1999, p.69) As the system functions today, college students are forced to conform to an educational model that was not designed in their interests. In other words, the existing educational system serves to indoctrinate young minds into obedient servants of the established social order. At the top of the social pyramid are the business and political elites, whose interests are reflected in the design of curricula. Hence, though it might lead to radical social upheavals, allowing greater freedom of choice within college campuses is the right way to go. Let us look at the rationale offered by those against freedom of choice in curricula and identify flaws in their arguments. A prominent advocate for less academic freedom was the sociologist Mortimer Adler, who stated that, left to their own choices, some students â€Å"will ‘downgrade’ their own education; therefore, adults should control these crucial choices so that such downgrading does not occur.† (Noddings, 2006, p.285) This fear is overstated, for college authorities can devise ways of ensuring that certain basic standards are met. Moreover, by what criteria are courses judged good and bad? In other words, the notion of ‘downgrading’ is very subjective. As John Dewey noted in his lectures, We will write a custom essay sample on Should college students have complete freedom to choose their own courses and create their own curriculum? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Should college students have complete freedom to choose their own courses and create their own curriculum? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Should college students have complete freedom to choose their own courses and create their own curriculum? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer â€Å"a course in cooking, well planned and well executed, can induce critical thinking, increase cultural literacy, and provide valuable skills – it can be a â€Å"good† course. In contrast, a course in algebra may discourage critical thinking, add nothing to cultural literacy, and lead students to despair of acquiring useful skills – it can be a â€Å"bad† course.† (Noddings, 2006, p.285) Considering that John Dewey was the most influential educationist of last century, his views have to be heeded to. The essence of Dewey’s argument is that by there is more merit than what is apparent in courses such as cooking than what the academic establishment will admit. Moreover, if students are allowed to create courses that would satisfy their natural inclinations, they are bound to participate in the learning process more willingly and thoroughly, enhancing the final outcome. To alleviate the concerns of those who fear lack of norms and standards in giving complete freedom, we need to qualify the sort of freedom offered them. While the coercive authoritarian nature of standardized curriculum is one extreme, a permissive, hands-off freedom given to students will be the opposite extreme. By applying moderation, a system that is realistic and yet demanding could be designed. Teacher counseling and guidance that approximates parental interest in students is worth pursuing. One should also remember that students can never be given equal opportunity by force. Such a tendency is against democratic principles. Instead, what we need to do, is to â€Å"live with our children, assess their gifts and interests both realistically and generously, talk with them, listen to them, and help them to make well-informed decisions.† (Robertson Smith, 1999, p.68) College courses need not be looked at as merely facilitators of vocational and economic opportunities. Other key criteria in evaluating the worth of college courses are their ability to stimulate and challenge the intellect, their capacity to evolve students into wholesome persons, etc. In other words, the key question to be asked is whether the course will lead students to grow into socially, morally, and intellectually responsible adults. Moreover, we should never prematurely conclude that â€Å"conventional academic subjects are superior to others. We should investigate. We should ask teachers to justify what they do in light of the criteria we establish, and we should continually ask penetrating questions about the criteria themselves.† (Noddings, 2006, p.285) Falling back on the Deweyite philosophy, education is much more than a means to an end – it is an end in itself. Hence, the marketability of skills in the job market, the pecuniary benefits of a particular ski ll, etc should not be the key criteria determining course content. In this scenario, it is likely to be the case that students, when given complete freedom, will dismantle the prevailing set of narrow criteria. They are likely to follow their interests and passions without considerations of the job market, or monetary rewards, which will lead to decentralization of the national economy. Hence the effects of student freedom touch the realms of economy, society, culture and beyond. The dangers of a rigid top-down approach to curricula are highlighted by events in American legislature. For example, â€Å"bills challenging the premise that faculty and colleges should determine curriculum and select teachers have been introduced in fifteen states and the U.S. Congress, but none has advanced to become law†. (Bradley, 2005, p.9) This is good news, because the proposed bills, which spring from the unofficial document circulated by David Horowitz titled Academic Bill of Rights, is based on a neoconservative social agenda. According to the proposal, the government will play an overarching role in curricula and pedagogy and in faculty recruitment and promotion in both public and private institutions of higher education. In a testimony submitted to the California legislature, an opponent of the bill pointed out that when enacted, the law will â€Å"damage higher education by inviting nonprofessional criteria for evaluation, by encouraging the false idea that the content of teaching and research can be helpfully classified in popular political categories, and by inviting costly litigation.† (Bradley, 2005, p.9) Hence, the flaws inherent in the Academic Bill of Rights (a euphemistic term) suggest that freedom should thrive at the level of colleges if not at the level of students. In other words, if giving students the freedom to frame their curriculum is too utopian an idea, then at least autonomy at the college administration level is a basic requirement. Only then will the academia see diversity of thought and dynamism in scholarship. Such an environment is conducive for positive social action, which is essential for the proper functioning of democracy. If complete freedom for students sounds unrealistic, then educationists will at least have to agree to a more flexible approach to curricula. Periodic review of curricula based on student feedback and broad-based survey of society and economy is a feasible option. Indeed, curriculum revision can be a positive experience that benefits all stakeholders. These include students, teachers, support staff, etc. References Bradley, G. (2005, July/August). Bills Challenge Faculty Control over Curriculum. Academe, 91(4), 9+. LaCursia, N. (2010). Implementing a Four-Phase Curriculum Review Model: With This Model You Can Review and Modify a Curriculum in Any Discipline, at Any Level, from Elementary School to College. JOPERD–The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance, 81(9), 39+. Noddings, N. (2006). Rethinking the Benefits of the College-Bound Curriculum. Phi Delta Kappan, 78(4), 285+. Robertson, A., Smith, B. (Eds.). (1999). Teaching in the 21st Century: Adapting Writing Pedagogies to the College Curriculum. New York: Falmer Press.

Japanese Green Tea

Japanese Green Tea Japanese tea is getting popular these days. This page helps you to learn how to pronounce the names of various Japanese teas. Ocha - Japanese tea in general Although cha means tea, it is usually called o-cha. O is a prefix of respect. Learn more about how to use o in Japanese words. How to Order Japanese Tea Ocha o kudasai. 㠁ŠèÅ' ¶Ã£â€šâ€™Ã£  Ã£   Ã£ â€¢Ã£ â€žÃ£â‚¬â€š) Ocha, onegaishimasu. 㠁ŠèÅ' ¶Ã£â‚¬ Ã£ Å Ã© ¡ËœÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š This is how to order Japanese tea at Japanese restaurant. Both kudasai and onegaishimasu are used when making a request for items. Learn more about kudasai and onegaishimasu. The Japanese tea is complementary at most restaurants in Japan. Japanese Tea Pronunciation Here are the names of common Japanese teas. Click the links to hear the pronunciation. You might find it sounds monotone. This is because Japanese has a pitch accent unlike a stress accent in English. Matcha æŠ ¹Ã¨Å' ¶ Gyokuro 玉éÅ" ² Sencha ç…ŽèÅ' ¶ Bancha ç• ªÃ¨Å' ¶ Houjicha 㠁 »Ã£ â€ Ã£ ËœÃ¨Å' ¶ Genmaicha 玄ç ± ³Ã¨Å' ¶) Learn about each type of Japanese tea. Learn the pronunciation of other Japanese beverages. Trivia About Japanese Tea There is a matcha flavored Kit Kat, which is a limited version only available in Kyoto. Starbucks in Japan have a Matcha Latte just like the ones in North America. They also carry Sakura Steamed Milk and Sakura Frappuccino as spring specials. Sakura means cherry blossom.I find it is very Japanese to see Sakura Beverages on the menu. They remind me of Sakura-yu which is a tea-like drink made by steeping a salt-preserved cherry blossom in hot water. It is often served at weddings and other auspicious occasions. Bottled green tea (unsweetened) is a popular drink in Japan. You can easily find it in vending machines or convenience stores. Ochazuke is a simple dish which is basically Japanese tea poured over rice with savory toppings. Cha-soba is buckwheat noodles flavored with green tea powder. Matcha is also commonly used for sweets, such as cookies, cakes, chocolate, ice cream, Japanese sweets and so on. The Shizuoka prefecture has the largest production of green tea and it is considered the best tea in Japan.

Cause Marketing

I chose to research the topic of cause marketing to benefit the nonprofit cancer community, specifically nonprofit cancer survivor camps for children, teens and young adults. These camps have not used this fundraising strategy and I believe they could benefit from it greatly. This research will provide the tools and understanding of how to design a custom program with for-profits which will fit their marketing and business goals, while raising profits for the camp’s operational costs. Introduction to Cause Marketing Cause Marketing is the cooperative efforts of a for-profit business and a non-profit organization for mutual benefit. (Wikapedia) The company puts the power of its brand and marketing behind the nonprofit’s cause to generate profits for both. (Daw, p. 1) The for-profit has the ability to reach consumers the nonprofit would not be able to for donations, while making the for-profit appear more socially responsible to consumers. â€Å"Numerous studies have shown cause-related marketing has helped increase a company’s profits. (Wikapedia) It also raises awareness for the nonprofits cause and reaches more supporters while increasing funding for the cause. â€Å"Today, more and more companies are realizing they can no longer afford to be anonymous benefactors or disengaged citizens. † (Daw, p. 28) In recent years the term has come to describe a wider variety of marketing initiatives based on the cooperative efforts of business and charitable causes. However it is important to differentiate cause marketing from corporate philanthropy or sponsorship, it is in fact an intersection of the two. Sundar, p. 208) The objective of all cause-related marketing programs is sales and a promotional campaign is undertaken to that end. Sponsorship and corporate philanthropy is a fixed amount of money which is negotiated and donated in advance to a nonprofit organization for an event or program. (Sundar, p. 208) In return for sponsorship the nonprofit uses its marketing to promote a companies involvement and support of the cause. For example, the company’s logo will appear on the nonprofits marketing materials for an event. Overview of Findings Studies done by Cone Inc. a marketing communication agency that tracks American attitudes towards corporate support of social issues, have brought cause marketing data into sharp focus. (Sundar, p. 207) In the Cone Corporate Citizenship Study the consumers’ answer to the statement, â€Å"I am likely to switch from one brand to another that is about the same in price and quality, if the other brand is associated with a cause. † has been staggering. In 2001 81% agreed they would switch brands, in 2004 86% would switch and in 2006 89% stated they would switch brands if associated with a cause. Cone Case Studies 2001, 2004, 2006) â€Å"Cone research reports†¦have identified key motivators that are driving changes in the corporate sector: employees, communities, and consumers are all demanding that companies play an active role in building community and demonstrate what they stand for. Cause related shopping is the second and third means of providing charitable gifts for those who planned to give a charitable donation over the holiday season. (Daw, p. 2) In fact the British Business in the Community 21st Century Giving Research showed that 83% of those who participated in a cause initiative said it enabled them to support a charity more that they would have otherwise done. (Daw, p. 32)This is dramatic indicator of consumer attitudes and an important differentiator for product marketing.

Philosophy of mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy of mind - Essay Example G. Ryle necessitates to distinguish one from the other based on some prospects of which, a part is to yield relief from the misconception that the mere capacity to attain knowledge of truths ought to be the defining property of the mind. As another prospect, the distinction is intended to illustrate how humans are quite disposed to pay attention to competencies and deficiencies in the process of acquiring truths instead of the truths or propositions themselves and the nature thereof. It is Ryle’s aim as well to present the similarities and dissimilarities between ‘knowing how’ and ‘knowing that’ in order to substantiate further his findings upon the claim that the ‘intellectualist legend’ is false. In general, Ryle points out herein that â€Å"efficient practice precedes the theory† or that ‘knowing how’ comes before ‘knowing that’. According to Ryle, theorists have often acknowledged the so-called ‘ intellectualist legend’ which relies on the basic assumption that an intelligent behaviour is a function of what cognition has intellectually established. In other words, if such legend holds, then one is brought to conceive that any kind of performance is a product of intelligence that works within the inner faculties being its ever prior source. To Ryle’s analysis, however, the course of performing tasks for the sake of comprehension as an individual engages in practice to grasp the rule or operating principle can be relatively intelligent. Rather than looking into the depths of theories under the consideration that they should govern behaviour as higher in level or first in order, those who depend on this convention must equivalently account for a thorough examination of the meaningful significance in knowing how a particular undertaking is desalt with in several aspects toward a more confident resolution. Through this perspective, Ryle proceeds to concretize his po sition on exemplifying that â€Å"A person’s performance is described as careful or skilful, if in his operations he is ready to detect and correct lapses, to repeat and improve upon successes, to profit from the examples of others and so forth.† Apparently, this alludes ‘knowing that’ may validly succeed ‘knowing how’ when empirical over theoretical approach is rendered efficient by a constant attitude of passion to practice until optimum ends are achieved. That manner, the ‘intellectualist legend’ becomes defeated for it would then be absurd to support a claim in which a fixed theory manages to surpass a dynamic practice as the cause of the latter especially when performances are repetitively worked out that they could, to an extent, deservingly be identified as wisdom of origin altogether. Moreover, since the world or at least a common society in it widely believes about the reasonability of judging people on the basis of uniqu e skills and possessed capabilities of learning and coping with the truth, it tends to neglect the opportunity of exploring the quality of truths or propositions. Because people appear to express more concern on how intelligence is exhibited through manual executions, it seems less difficult for them to measure ignorance and assign its degree in proportion to individual potentials. For instance, a person may be fluent in speaking a language while another is assessed with below average proficiency at using the same medium. In reality, the first would naturally be considered as having first-rate

End User Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

End User - Term Paper Example The staff looks to the manager for direction in all aspects of the business. The staff is the end user in any new technology or programs implemented in the business. The staff’s understanding of new technology or programs implemented depends heavily on the direction of the manager. The responsibility of a manager exemplified in the final outcome of end user information systems is through implementing a system of successful learning. End User Satisfaction (EUS) is critical to successful information systems implementation (Au, Ngai, Cheng 2008) In several studies there has been a proven decline in performance and quality of work when new information systems are implemented. This is due to end users having to learn a new system yet produce if not more the same amount of work. The time and training for learning a system can become costly. To responsibly put this new system into effect a manager should first consider before purchasing the system what’s the ratio of user cont rol to the controlling of the user. In other words better user control would be more adaptable in the end user learning the system than the system controlling the user. The systems are usually developed by designers who don’t know the specific needs of the user. So user control is very important.

The impact of the fast food movement Essay Example for Free

The impact of the fast food movement Essay Everything today is fast. People think fast, speak fast, walk fast, write fast and eat fast. Fast food has become such an integral part of the busy American lifestyle that there are more than 300,000 restaurants offering it throughout the United States today (Dorfman, 2001). Since everything is becoming fast in the world, the slow food movement if gradually being taken over by the fast food movement and significant factors of the slow food movement are changing because of this. Major supermarket chains and restaurants are replacing the many local stores people always shopped at, changing the prices of food, quality of service and products, as well as availability of food. The prices of foods show a significant difference between the local market prices and major supermarket chains. As Allison states, At a local market in my town, I bought a half -gallon of grape juice for $5.00 that would normally cost $2.50 at a supermarket (2002). Supermarkets and restaurants have chains so they can afford to lower their prices due to global popularity. Sales often happen at supermarkets and fast food chains as another way to keep their businesses popular and well known. These sales keep customers in their establishments and promotes the buying of other products that may not be on sale. Acquiring products in mass quantities aids in keeping prices down on the products that consumers buy. Also, with more variability in supermarkets compared to local markets, customers can choose from a variety of items, which attracts them to the bigger and well known stores. Sometimes restaurants will have promotions to attract people into their establishments such as the current win ning game at Mcdonalds. Ensuring customers keep coming back to their restaurants, ensures stability and allows food prices to stay low. The quality of service of employees and the products in a grocery store or restaurant are changing due to the increased awareness of the fast food movement. At fast food restaurants for instance, everything is quick paced and so informal that the employees think very little about taking the extra step in being polite. Dorfman states, Their involvement is at a minimum,  especially since their salaries are, but manners should be a part of everyones daily routine, no matter how little they are being paid. These workers seem to be looking for something lost on the floor whenever I place my order (2001). However, the complete opposite occurs at sit-down and very formal restaurants, including the McDonalds in Beijing. Even though McDonalds is a fast food chain, the one in Beijing is a very elegant and formal place where customers go and stay for hours. The hostesses here and at other formal restaurants are very polite and well manned. The quality of service seems to increase as salaries increase (Dorfman 2001). However, local markets tend to always be nice and friendly because they know the customers and are both producing and selling the products they have. Also, local markets tend to have less chemicals in their food compared to those at supermarkets. Everything is made fresh at our farm. No preservatives are added to our pies or breads, and our produce is thoroughly washed before it sets the stand(Allison 2002). Although less chemicals seem to be added to local markets, supermarkets have a variety of items and a lot of availability when it comes to getting certain kinds of foods. At a local market, you can pick from a couple different kinds of the same item, or you can pick from several different kinds of foods, as well as getting fruit or vegetables that may be out of season at a supermarket. Also, many major supermarkets and fast food chains are open over 12 hours a day compared to local markets that usually sell their products for 8 hours.

The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered Essay -- Lowering the Drinking Age

There are numerous problems involving alcohol in the world today, including alcoholism, drunk driving, and alcohol poisoning leading to death. Many of these problems involve minors and are linked to drinking underage. The legal drinking age in many states is twenty-one years old. The purpose of this law is to keep minors out of danger: away from drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and injuring the brain before it is fully developed. The government supports the belief that people are not ready or responsible enough for alcohol until this age. However, various professors and researchers are discovering ways to disprove this belief. These people think that reducing the drinking age to eighteen would influence our country in a positive way. Not only do minors support this idea, but there are numerous people and organizations that support the idea of lowering the drinking age as well. The current drinking law is counterproductive in our society because it’s not effective in eliminating underage drinking, and leads to unsafe situations such as drunk driving and alcohol poison instigated deaths. This problem could be solved by lowering the minimum drinking age to eighteen, with a drinking license. â€Å"Either we are a nation of lawbreakers, or this is a bad law†, says John McCardell, author for the Greenhaven Press (McCardell, 2012). What McCardell is referring to is the law barring the consumption of alcohol in individuals under the age of twenty-one in the United States. John McCardell is the former president of Middlebury College, and he is also the founder of the Choose Responsibly group (Baldouf, 2007). This group is a nonprofit organization that travels around the country sharing McCardell’s proposal about the drinking age... ...m http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/articles/cqoped.html Fennell, R. (2007, December). Drinking Is Fun. Retrieved May 2014, from Academic OneFile: http://go.galegroup.com.bakerezproxy.palnet.info/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA- McCardell, J. (2012). The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered. (G. Press, Producer) Retrieved May 2014, from Gale Virtual Reference Library: http://go.galegroup.com.bakerezproxy.palnet.info/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL Rotunda, M. (2004). Prohibition. Retrieved May 2014, from CREDORreference: http://www.credoreference.com.bakerezproxy.palnet.info/entry/rutgersnj/prohibition Underage Drinking. (2005). Retrieved 2014, from Alcohol News: http://www.alcoholnews.org/Underage%20drinking.html Why 21? (2011). Retrieved May 2014, from MADD: http://www.madd.org/underage-drinking/why21/