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ATP mentor training/Mentoring for the 22nd century

—Democracy and Education, John Dewey

Mentoring for the 22nd century
—Where No One Has Gone Before (Star Trek), The Traveller to Captain Picard about mentoring, but not necessarily giving the best advice (possibly in an attempt to state that Picard is not a mentor) This learning trail is meant for an audience interested in science fiction, computers and futurology. The "22nd century" in the title is meant as a reference to futurology and science fiction but can also be interpreted as the view that the audience may require some forecast and understanding for issues of the future on the side of the mentor. Science fiction, computers and futurology are, of course, a general category that may not fit every protégé who is interested in one of the topics and the mentor should pay attention to personal interests of the protégé. An audience with a strong bias towards technology could be seen to require motivation to take an interest in social and interpersonal issues, which mentoring should help to provide. Science fiction can even help to provide some motivation. Science fiction can also refer to philosophical issues with funny remarks or questions, as for instance:

 * Q: Why does Captain Kirk jump into hyperspace only for short periods of time?
 * A: That might follow from the Prime Directive: He only gets a tourist visa (which logically do not exist).

Digital natives
A digital native is a person who has grown up with digital technology such as computers, the Internet, mobile phones and MP3.

 * Protégés should devise their own policies and code of conduct for attention economy and media literacy. The rationale is that policies determined by the protégé himself are much more likely to be taken seriously.
 * Protégés with insufficient space may listen to music in order to tune out background noise, which can have detrimental effects. A learning retreat and/or library is the better solution, at least for homework. (Exaggerated enjoyment of music, Lack of seclusion)
 * Protégés should be able to discuss effects of modern media.
 * What are possible psychological effects of information overload, sensory overload and assigning too much value to news?
 * What are possible psychological effects of a strong logic bias on human psychology?
 * Protégés who do enjoyable work with computers may experience a state of flow that may frequently require conscious interruption and consequently requires self-control and adequate self-regulation skills. As an example people doing office work or homework could decide to have a (typing) break every hour and to practice easy gymnastics, thus consciously interrupting the task perceived as more relevant for a minor health issue that may appear as irrelevant.

The 23rd century: Star Trek
The Star Trek universe is a fictional universe that has not been designed to be educational (at least not very) and should not be seen as educational as such. A mentor with an interest in Star Trek may seem dubious. On the other hand a mentor can be a junior high school or high school pupil and high school pupils can take an interest in Star Trek. Protégés are allowed to take an interest in Star Trek anyway. The philosophy of the Wikiversity assistant teacher program is to see the office of mentor as desirable education for the mentor and consequently it makes sense to tolerate interests of teenagers that are not opposed to the goals of the program in order to promote that education. The goal of this section is certainly not to promote interest in Star Trek but to harness interest in science fiction to motivate educational goals of mentor and protégé.

The setting of the Star Trek fictional universe is the 23rd and 24th century. Some aspects of the Star Trek universe are actually very interesting as food for thought. According to Captain James T. Kirk the economy of the 23rd century doesn't have money. Imagining an economy without money is an $Utopia projects$: How does the economy work? How can it build a spaceship like the Enterprise, which supposedly has been built, not replicated in a replicator. How much work would it be to build something like that and what could motivate people to do so?

—Relics (Star Trek), Commander La Forge and Captain Montgomery Scott about time management

What is future compatible?
Any assumption, philosophy or behavior that is tolerable from the perspective of a future society could be seen as future compatible. Mentoring, for instance, could be seen as very future compatible. Another sensible assumption about the future is that a vegetarian diet may prevail, but probably primarily for personal health reasons, not to protect pigs or cows, as some religions do imply.

Education
Besides mentoring reasonable expectations about "future compatible" education are lifelong learning and general willingness to educate others in so far as it is reasonable and responsible.

Constitutional democracy
A "future compatible" constitutional society (Rechtsstaat) may have to fulfill certain requirements. Mentoring and liquid democracy appear to be reasonable expectations. It also seems reasonable to assume that voters in a liquid democracy may have to reach certain formal qualification levels in order to be able to vote or even to act as proxys for other voters (possibly also to directly own corporate shares or to manage a company, which could be seen to entail similar responsibilities).

In contrast a society that arbitrarily "places people under disability" through misinformation and without sufficient motivation to qualify could be seen to be in violation of basic rights.

Ethics
Trivially the future needs very high ethical standards. If your technology allows you to build nuclear devices (or much worse), genetic diseases and self-replicating nanobots and you are able to travel to exoplanets, which may be inhabited, then it follows that very high ethical standards are required in relation to technology assessment, use of technology, technology transfer, intercultural competence and adult education in general.

Alien ecology of extraterrestrial behavior patterns
An alien ecology of extraterrestrial behavior patterns is bound to be interesting for teenagers interested in science fiction and futurology. The topic is dealt with in the Parent Education Course Writer's Guide and The Parents, Teachers, Friends Testing Guide for Dummies:

 * Alien ecology of extraterrestrial behavior patterns (Parent Education Course Writer's Guide, Wikibooks)
 * Alien ecology of extraterrestrial behavior patterns (The Parents, Teachers, Friends Testing Guide for Dummies, Wikibooks)

Treating your own planet like an exoplanet
What is means:
 * Do not expect to understand all environmental issues, prefer to err on the side of caution.
 * Be prepared to treat unknown species as semi-intelligent aliens (e.g. parrots speak, orcas teach).
 * Analyze local cultures, every group may have its own idiocultures.
 * Aim for good relations, for locals you could be the alien.
 * Make measurements and form theories when you don't know enough about an observed phenomenon; dont forget to bring your tricorder.
 * Read up on a documented location before visiting it.
 * Try to be able to communicate in local languages wherever you go.
 * Don't do something just because everybody else seems to be doing it, it may still be an alien goal.
 * Communicate and document all relevant findings.
 * Don't believe everything an alien says on TV or online.
 * Verify the nutritional value of all unknown foods thoroughly (an unknown food is one whose nutritional value is unknown).
 * Verify local standards and compatibility issues before purchasing technical products; rely on expert opinions for verification of standards.
 * Be prepared to repair technology you own; if assistance is required rely on known experts.

It means not:
 * This is not my planet, it's just another planet. There are many and they are large enough, so personal activities hardly matter.

Individual Curriculum
Recommendations for an individual curriculum for a protégé who is interested in science and technology:

To balance the curriculum one could, for instance, add participation in a theater group, $Academic_topics#Astronomy$ or $Academic_topics#Computer_science$.

Todo
Resources from the main trail that need references:
 * Teachers' handbook: Mentoring programs


text:
User talk:Stevenarntson/group spaces/english composition/group 2

 * Hello Group 2,
 * The "History" portion is looking alright so far, but I do want to remind you to make sure you cite your sources--if you're giving statistics, or historical information, I'd like to know where that came from. And remember, I don't accept Wikipedia as a source--follow their sources to see where their information came from, and then use that.
 * Best, Stevenarntson 14:47, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

Rewording
Hello, I think we should go through all the History portion and reword it. TroyThompson 01:58, 29 January 2009 (UTC)

Story
I will post more of the story later on when I get the chance. TroyThompson 19:12, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

Email
troy_toroi @hotmail.com is my email.

Haiku Syllable Counts

 * Hi Group 2,
 * The syllables for a haiku are 5 - 7 - 5; in that order.
 * Stevenarntson

week 9 meeting notes

 * Hi Group 2,
 * You've got some good developments here, though there's still a ways to go. Particularly the research paper needs some development along the lines of the current assignment. I'd like to see a more developed fictional story, too.
 * Best, Stevenarntson 13:55, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

Since when were we?
When did we decide on that for our project? last we talked we were going to do the origins, what happened?

Research
I will be adding more to it tomorrow. TroyThompson 03:50, 24 March 2009 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
User:Stevenarntson/group spaces/analytical writing/group 4

Fast Food Services

 * AlissaBOlson
 * AndreaLaCoste-Hines
 * JoseCandido
 * Lindra Chunadi
 * Chris Cammel

Summary
Our paper focuses on whether the convenience of fast food is worth the damage it has caused to America. Many modern services are beneficial to society and improve the quality of our lives. Today, people enjoy a wide variety of services from maintenance, health care, child care, retail, event planning, administrative, dating and networking services to name a few. However, as the American lifestyle becomes increasingly demanding due to occupational, personal, and social obligations, people turn to the service industry to assist them in managing their lives. Unfortunately, industries such as the fast food industry, provides a service that sacrifices nutrition and good health for self-gratification and accommodation. We intend to explore how fast food sets unhealthy eating habits from a young age, has increased health problems at an alarming rate, and has created long-lasting affects on society’s environment. Unless these issues are addressed responsibly in a timely manner, one of America’s long-standing industries will continue to cause problems to a public that is increasingly dependent on it.

Good
The overall idea of writing papers in a group is good in the sense you can bounce your ideas and opinions off of other people. You can also have them edit for grammar and spelling errors instead of having to find peers from other classes to do this. Also, writing as a group keeps the topic from veering off track and each person can bring a fresh perspective to the paper.

Bad
The overall idea of posting your paper online is not always user friendly. This creates issues if you do not have internet access at home, but also when the website doesn't save your work it is frusterating. Other issues, were members in the group not showing up for class to participate in discussion and plans with the paper, causing them to be out of the loop. I suggest doing the traditional way of writing a paper by writing it through Word and printing, editing, and making changes. This is the most common and more efficient way of writing papers. Also, doing group papers maybe should be minimized to 2-3 people per group not 4 to 5 people. Having too many people can be more challenging and having just 2 people would make the paper easier to create. Another problem with writing group papers online is miscommunication. We seemed to discuss our ideas better in person, rather than online. There was often a time gap between what was discussed in class and the time it took to research and post the info online. After information was posted, and if it wasn't within context of the overall paper, the paper had to either be readjusted, or the person had to start over.

What we would do differently next time
If we could do this again, we would create a schedule with deadlines and goals to make sure the paper is written in a timely manner. Also, we would communicate much more frequently, during and between class, to ensure everyone's ideas or concerns are addressed. We would gather information and create a pool of sources to make sure our research is consistent and in agreement with the overall paper. This information could be listed on the discussion page, and/or sent via email by one person in the group. Also, a group paper would benefit more if each person had clear roles, such as editors or researchers, in combination with writing for his/her topic. This would make everyone in the group more responsible for the overall paper, and not just an individual part of it.

History
Taking a quick look back into the 1800, a German Butcher named Charles Feltman introduced us to portable foods by opening up the first Coney Island hot dog stand in Brooklyn, New York City. After then, fast food became very popular such as hot dog, ice cream cone and iced tea and so the modern history of fast food restaurants in the United States began. On July 7, 1912 with the opening of an Automat-Cafeteria in New York City by Horn & Hardart, the pattern of prepared foods behind small glass windows and coin-operated slots flooded the country. This was patterned after a Horn & Hardart Automat that had opened in Philadelphia in 1902. Numerous Automat restaurants were quickly built around the country to deal with the demand. Automats remained extremely popular throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The company also popularized the notion of "take-out" food, with their slogan "Less work for Mother".

As automobiles became popular and affordable following the First World War, drive-in restaurants were introduced. The American company White Castle, founded in 1921 by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, is generally credited with opening the second fast food outlet and first hamburger chain, selling hamburgers for five cents apiece.[2] Walter Anderson had built the first White Castle restaurant in Wichita in 1916, introducing the limited menu, high volume, low cost, high speed hamburger restaurant.[1] Among its innovations, the company allowed customers to see the food being prepared. White Castle later added five holes to each beef patty to increase its surface area and speed cooking times. White Castle was successful from its inception and spawned numerous competitors.

Franchising was introduced in 1921 by A&W Root Beer, which franchised its distinctive syrup. Howard Johnson's first franchised the restaurant concept in the mid-1930s, formally standardizing menus, signage and advertising.[1]

Curb service was introduced in the late 1920s and was mobilized in the 1940s when carhops strapped on roller skates.[3]

Environmental Affects to our Community
Have you ever driven down the road and passed those big yellow arches maybe two or three times in a day? How about seeing the words "super size" around your community on a constant basis? As a child growing up we thought going to McDonalds was one of the more fun places to go with their big playgrounds, the free gift in your happy meal box, and the occasional cameo appearance by Ronald McDonalds himself. We enjoy our mini chicken McNuggets and french fries later going back for dessert with our child sized ice cream cone. Those were the days of fun childhood memories with no regrets, or so we thought.

The contributions the fast-food has on our families and community is incessantly an issue. They have spread their unhealthy fast-food chain throughout America and even continents all over the world. By building a McDonalds or a Burger King every 3 miles and creating fictional characters like Ronald McDonald, false advertising, and marketing tactics to lure youth into unhealthy diets. They provide low-paying jobs that barely support lower-class and immigrant families, causing them to work longer hours for survival, resulting in less family time. One might call this whole fast-food corruption a propaganda! "Americans now spend more money on fast food than they do on higher education, personal computers, software or new cards. They spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos and recorded music-combined" [1]  Even our schools and educational system is affected by the fast-food market because families are spending more money on buying happy meals than contributing into their children's education.

Targeting Our Children Not only does fast food take over every 5 block radius in our towns and communities, but it has reigned over our personal homes through television and multi-media. In 2006, the Federal Trade Commission came out with a report to Congress regarding the marketing impacts on our children through advertising by fast food corporations. It was discovered that fast food companies spend $1.6 billion dollars marketing their product to children and teenagers. Carbonated beverage companies spent the most money, then fast food restaurants, and lastly breakfast cereals through mainly television. This report done by the F.T.C. was provided through date on 44 food and drink companies they surveyed. Within their findings they found that $870 million dollars in marketing was advertising directed at children under 12 and about $1 billion was directed to teenagers. "Ninety-six percent of American school children can identify Ronald McDonald." [1].

Even if the fast food industries and CEO's decided to cut back on advertisements through television that doesn't mean they wouldn't see the ad's somewhere else. Fast food advertising knows how to target their youthful audience and they target this well through imaginary characters, catchy tunes, play grounds, and free prizes. Another study released was through the Kaiser Family Foundation a non-profit group that focuses on health care. They reported that 50% of advertising time on children shows is about food and 72% of those ads are for candy, snacks, sugary cereals, and fast food. "According to Kaiser, only 4 percent of the ads it viewed were for dairy products and 1 percent for fruit juices. There were one for fruits or vegetables." [3]

Kaiser, the F.T.C., American Academy of Pediatrics, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Institute of Medicine have voiced their concern that food marketing corporations need to cut back on junk food ads to children and teens. "Tweens, or children in the 8-to-12 age group, see more food ads than younger children or teenagers, the study found. Children age 8 to 12 view 21 television ads for food products every day, adding up to more than 7,600 ads a year.  Children in the 2-to-7 age range see 12 food ads a day, or about 4,400 a year.  Teenagers, 13 to 18 view 17 such commercials a day, or about 6,000 a year." [3]. This is a major concern to the future of our youth who see ad's through many types of media, such as, TV, radio, magazines, the internet, which they have access to twenty-four/seven. Not only does this affect their health, but also captivates them and lures them into a society that is based on false advertising.

Many of these food industries have suggested other means through public service announcements which promote fitness and nutrition, but would children even watch these ads enough to get the message? "But the Kaiser study found that children see few of these messages: one every few days for children under age 8, compared with 26 food ads in the same time period. For tweens, the ratio is one for every 48 food commercials, and for teenagers, one announcement for every 130 food ads." [3]. Since children are also interested in colorful, fun, advertising these public announcements probably would have little affect on intriguing them to be healthy. "Only 2 percent of the ads mentioned health or nutrition as a primary or secondary appealing factor, and 5 percent mentioned gaining strength or energy; other categories measured included convenience and enjoyment." [3].

The Little Guy vs. Fast Food Monster
One day while walking through Pike Place I looked at the organic and fresh fruits and vegetables, but hesitated to buy anything due to the high cost. Later on in the afternoon I felt hungry and went to pick up a cheeseburger and medium sized Coke at the McDonalds in Westlake Center. I didn't really think at the time that the small amount I was paying for that meal could of really been used to buy a cucumber, squash, and maybe some garlic which could of been sauteed in a frying pan at home with some leftover meat and been a great, organic lunch. My sympathy suddenly went out to those organic farmers who are just trying to make a living by selling their produce and in our economic crisis have a hard time luring customers in, due to costs. I pondered the thought, if I should really be supporting my local farmers instead of handing my money over to the food chains like Burger King, Starbucks, etc. Lately, I even felt a need to start going to small, private coffee shops to get my usual latte then to buy it from Starbucks or Tully's. This change of heart came from the realization that helping your fellow neighbor was much more rewarding than, knowing you money was just ending up at some multi million dollar corporation that in turn would go to some multi million dollar CEO.

Other environmental affects from the fast-food tycoon is they are affordable, accessible, and a #1 source of food to Americans. These three contributing factors have one thing in common they push out the little guy, meaning the local farmer. Farmers across America have always been affected by the fast-food bug because they loose customers and also the need for local farms to provide food is becoming less and less. "Almost twenty-five years ago, the farm activist Jim Hightower warned of the 'McDonaldisation of America'. He viewed the emerging fast-food industry as threat to independent businesses, as a sep toward a food economy dominated by giant corporations and as a homogenizing influence on American life. Much of what he's feared has come to pass." [2]

Local farmers have enough time competing against the big Kahuna itself, but they also get surpassed with low wages, and little opportunities, while really serving the fast food giant in the big picture. In Florida's tomato picking farms where migrant workers break there backs for little to nothing. "For 10 to 12 hours a day, they pick tomatoes by hand, earning a piece-rate of about 45 cents for every 32-pound bucket. During a typical day each migrant picks, carries, and uploads two tons of tomatoes. For their efforts, this holiday season many of them are about to get a 40 percent pay cut." [2]. These migrant workers are stuck in a slum of abuse and low pay barely able to support their own families. "Migrants have been driven into debt, forced to work for nothing and kept in chained trailers at night." [2]. Just so that the big fast food corporations can provide tomatoes to your hamburger every day.

Burger King has been a perfect example of the little compassion it has for the farms that slave away in order to supply their demand. "As for human rights abuses, Burger King has suggested that if the poor farm workers of southern Florida need more money, they should apply for jobs at its restaurants." [2]. Giving the migrant worker a little more money for their service to the a company like Burger King would be hardly an impact on the company itself. "Telling Burger King to pay an extra penny for tomatoes and provide a decent wage to migrant workers would hardly bankrupt the company." [2]. Goldman Sachs whom owns Burger King gave 12 of their executives $200 million dollars in bonuses which is twice the amount of money of all the 10,000 tomato pickers in Florida.

The farmers and the migrant workers all are impacted by the fast food companies, but so are the mom-and-pop entrepreneurs who face bankruptcy due to the competition. The big trend in 2005 was meal assembly shops run by families trying to make a living. These small businesses made uncooked meals in freezer ziploc bags and to-go tins with cooking instructions for the on-the-go worker or family. But the growth and profit has slowly decreased as fast food is more conveniently located and food is easier to access rather than having to go home and wait another 30 minutes for your meal to be cooked. "It turns out that lost of people are simply not motivated to plan many meals in advance. The desire for last-minute convenience remains powerful in America, often trumping the more ephemeral rewards of home cooking." [3]

A small company called Book It N Cook It in Tampa, FL. run by Mrs. Warner and her husband eventually had to close their business as they lost about $250,000 dollars. The Warners were never able to make the monthly revenue to match their average expenses. Their insurance adjuster spent 2 years studying this industry and felt the couple underestimated the public's need for meal planning. "People here have a grab-and-go mentality," Mrs. Warner said of Florida, where free time can be spent outdoors year-round. "The last thing anyone wants to do here is plan dinner." She said that the burger joint next door to her shop seemed to be doing great." [3]. Even though these small businesses suffer they continue to set themselves apart from the big fast food chains, but creating healthier meal options for the community.

Jobs and labor issues
As the number of fast food restaurants proliferated, so did job opportunities. Today, approximately 2 million workers are employed in the areas of food preparation and food servicing including fast food in the USA.[1] With the advent of such a large workforce, the franchisee now faced two issues that could sap profit from the fast food restaurant franchise and expose the owner-operator to significant liability and financial loss. The first is controlling labor costs as these costs are crucial to a fast food restaurant franchisee's profits. The second, employee lawsuits; an ever-growing phenomenon. Fortunately, the fast food operator is able to control costs and guard against employee lawsuits with the same tool.

First the issue of labor costs. Employees are the backbone of the fast food industry. Proper training is crucial to the orderly and quick service customers expect. Yet, employee turnover can be as high as 200% per year.[2] With such a turnover, owner-operators of franchise and non-franchise restaurants have the daunting task of constantly training an entirely new workforce. Policies and procedures need to be explained to each new employee. For example, sanitation, robbery emergency, break and clocking-in policies, etc.

Many of these fast food chains are eager to give you fast service, convenience, and food ready for purchase and corporations such as, Jack In The Box even made their stores open twenty-four/seven for the late night cravings. America has become so used to convenience that you don't even have to get out of your car to get your food anymore. Drive-thrus have become part of every day living, even coffee companies have become a fan of the drive-thru in order to give the American people what they want...convenience.

Convenience
When I worked long 40 hours a week for an internet company in Seattle I was always too tired to go home and cook up a meal that would take 20 minutes to prep and another 20 to 30 mintues to cook. Along the way home I would always stop into a Quiznos, Subway, and occasionally a fast food restaurant to pick up a quick meal. Financially, this was costing me less and I would be saving a couple dollars instead of paying a ton for groceries to make one meal. Many people such as myself have very little time after a long day of work to go home and cook a meal. Especially, since we all thrive on making a good income and supporting our families financially we try to pinch and save as much as possible. The CEO of my company quiet frequently ordered almost every lunch and dinner to go because he had very little extra free time due to a full work load. This crazy society of ours puts us in a position that almost forces us to have to eat out as much as possible, but is this a healthy habit?

To a mother that works two shifts to support her family a fast food restaurant is one of the best ways to get cheap food for her family. Also, by having a playground at most fast food restaurants this allows her to put her feet up for 2 minutes as her children run around in an enclosed area. Or how about the guy who works graveyard shifts at his janitorial job in a hospital and gets off at 2 AM. A fast food drive-thru that is open 24 hours a day would definitely be convenient and the food takes less than 5 minutes to serve. "McDonalds went 24/7 in Garner in April, 2005, after a push by corporate headquarters to boost profits by extending store hours. Franchisee Fred Huebner had doubts at first.  He doesn't anymore.  By catering to the area's night owls and early birds on U.S. Highway 70, Huebner, who puts on his first McDonalds uniform almost 35 years ago, figures he has increased his restaurant's revenue by 4.5%, or $90,000 a year," [3]. The issue here is that fast food is so convenient and cheap that most people don't think about the health hazards it causes to them and their families. How can we stop fast food from being a main food source to our communities and families? This is a question, for many lower income families that would not even be a second thought.

Fast food has become increasingly popular to the night owls and the families who can't afford to buy expensive, organic foods. But this feeds to the big fast food giants themselves in high profit revenue and causing the smaller restaurants to loose popularity or become increasingly competitive and creates a lack of family time that is needed especially for children at an early age. Many children loose the attention and necessary family relationships that are important to a child's growth as a person. '"People don't sit down and have an organized meal today," observes Marlene Schwartz, director of research and school programs at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. "Eating is something you check off,"' [3]. America's once effort to value family time has greatly decreased affecting our future of mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers.

Health Issue
Trans fats which are commonly found in fast food have been shown in many tests to have a negative health effect on the body and the director of the obesity program for the Children's Hospital Boston, David Ludwig, claims that "fast food consumption has been shown to increase calorie intake, promote weight gain, and elevate risk for diabetes".[1] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranked obesity as the number one health threat for Americans in 2004. About 60 million American adults are classified as being obese with another 127 million being overweight.[2] Health issues associated with obesity causes economic despair regarding health care. According to a 2003 study conducted by RTI International in North Carolina, the cost of health care in America is said to increase by $93 billion a year, mainly from Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, both associated with obesity.[3]

Excessive calories are another issue with fast food. A regular but not overly filling meal at McDonald's of a Big Mac, large fries, and a large Coca-Cola drink amounts to 1430 calories. A diet of approximately 2000 calories is considered a healthy amount of calories for an entire day (which is different depending on several factors such as weight, height, physical activity and gender).

Solutions
There is much debate about whether this is a self control issue or an addiction. People can "crave" pizza just like they crave a cigarette, but this comparison doesn't really tell us the nature of overeating. For Americans, rushing to get dinner on the table between work, school, baseball, ballet class and bedtime often caused time to be the missing ingredient, and it leads many people to rely on take-out, fast and easy-to-fix convenient foods From onion rings to double cheeseburgers, fast food is one of the world's fastest growing food types. It now accounts for roughly half of all restaurant revenues in the United States—triple its share in the early 1970s—and continues to expand there and in many other industrial countries. But some of the most rapid growth is occurring in the developing world, where it's radically changing the way people eat. [1]

People buy fast food because it's cheap, quick, and heavily promoted but the effects of its service are far-reaching as it presents alarming health issues, sends a mixed message to youth, and has long-lasting affects on society’s environment. Meals served to your car or at our desks are replacing home-cooked goods to be enjoyed with family and friends. Around the world, traditional diets and recipes are yielding to sodas, burgers, and other highly processed and standardized items that are high in fat, sugar, and salt—fueling a global epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. Meanwhile, fast food producers require farmers to raise uniform fields of crops and herds of livestock for easy processing, eliminating agricultural diversity.

Some studies that has been mentioned above showed us that there could be addiction involved, but others blamed lifestyle. The bottom line is no matter you agree or not, knowing why fast food is bad is important.

Alternatives such as fresh organic foods are increasingly popular in Europe and Japan. And a “slow food” movement founded in Italy in 1986 to promote appreciation of food and the cultural experience of shared meals now claims 100,000 members in 80 countries worldwide. [2] So America, if they can do it, why can't we ?

One of the solutions that could improve the health regulations and encourage healthier foods in fast food restaurants is the support from our government. Our governments' newly elected President Obama is already taking action in this matter to help protect the Americans. "There are certain things only a government can do. And one of those things is ensuring that the foods we eat, and the medicines we take, are safe and don't cause us harm" (3). President Obama has cracked down on the FDA for establishing a better way of keeping Americans healthy. In a recent press release by the White House, President Obama appointed Dr. Margaret Hamburg and Dr. Joshua Sharfstein to lead a Food Safety Working Group, which would also include the Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture. There mission would be to enforce food safety laws even more and keep Americans safe. The Department of Agriculture, for instance, would be cracking down on prevention of diseased cows from being processed. While the FDA has been encouraged to add even more food inspectors and upgrade food safety labs.

Cracking down on the way our food is processed would prevent disease in food which end up going to our fast food restaurants, grocery stores, etc. An example of this is the outbreak of contaminated spinach, salmonella in peppers and tomatoes, and recently bad peanut butter products costing lives. President Obama seriousness in these food issues amongst America is hopeful for change. "Protecting the safety of our food and drugs in one of the most fundamental responsibilities government has, and, with the outstanding team I am announcing today, it is a responsibility that I intend to uphold in the months and years to come" (3).

Another way to improve the fast food addiction is by encouraging Americans to cook at home. Despite that Americans work longer hours and have little energy to slave away over a hot stove should still be encouraged to make cooking easier and educational. Even growing up my parents and my friend's parents were always taught to start learning cooking skills at an early age, whether pancakes or even making a nutritional salad these were parts of every day childhood. Therefore, how do we encourage our American families to make more efforts in cooking? Possibly by starting with our future, our children. Middle school aged children are encourage around the 7th grade to take cooking class and learn some basic skills, but maybe this should be incorporated even in high school as part of their education. Life skills in cooking, balancing check books, credit cards, etc., are all things are youth seem to be neglected in learning. If this was enforced in our education system this would be a huge improvement to the health and awareness of our country.

In the UK the education of cooking classes with youth has already been enforced by the government. Teenagers have been given "compulsory" cooking lessons at school under the government's encouragement. These teenagers ages 11 to 14 year olds are taught to make healthy recipes using fresh ingredients by the Department for Children. The public is also involved in this new educational change to actually come up with the dishes and recipes that the kids should cook. "The new secondary curriculum emphasizes practical cooking skills, and will also include diet and nutrition, hygiene and safety, and wise food shopping" (4). If the UK can emphasize the importance of healthy eating amongst its youth we would hope that this could also happen in the US as well. By 2011 all children in secondary schools in the UK will learn to cook up to 8 different dishes.

We mentioned the main reason fast food is so popular is the convenience in location and hours they operate, but what if instead of so many fast food restaurants popping up here and there more organic grocery stores were built around cities and suburbs. In Fremont, Washington the PCC organic food grocery store is very popular amongst its community and has many organic and healthy foods-to-go in the deli, another option for Americans who don't have time to cook up dinner every night. One of the many reasons Americans don't use organic grocery stores as often is the high cost in price to buy organic food, but if organic grocery stores were more popular these prices could most likely be at a reasonable amount. This would improve the profit for local small farmers, the health of the American people and their diets. '"Organic food is not just for personal health but for the health of the environment. Organic (food) supports a cleaner environment, and people with cleaner farming practices"' (5). Even online organic grocery stores could become a new wave in America making access more compatible with work hours and of course, convenience.

In conclusion, there are many solutions in improving the ways the country and the government could improve fast food from being a main source of food. Educate our youth in cooking classes that are required from middle school to high school. Improve and enforce the FDA to have more strict regulations with processed and contaminated food, sanitation, and disease control with food in America. Encourage Americans to eat out less and show them advantages in cooking at home and spending more time with their families. These are all positive ways we can invest in the future of our country, our youth, and our health.


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User:Stevenarntson/Analytical Writing/introduction

The King and the Corpse

The theme of this class is found in an ancient story from India called “The King and the Corpse.” In it, a king must cut a corpse down from a tree and carry it to a magical circle. However, when he cuts the corpse down and begins to carry it, he finds it inhabited by a spirit. The spirit begins to tell the king stories as he carries the corpse, and each story concludes with a moral conundrum. There are twenty four of these riddles.

The Prince and the Maiden
Once upon a time, a prince went hunting with his friend. Late in the day, they arrived at a pleasant lake where they paused to rest. The prince saw a beautiful maiden bathing on the farther bank, who was making signals to him across the water. He was unable to understand the signs, but his friend caught their meaning—she had communicated to the prince her name, that of her family, and that of the kingdom in which she lived, and was announcing her love. When she turned and vanished into the foliage, the prince and his friend got up and went home

Another day, under the pretext of a hunting party, the two set off into the jungle again, and went to the town in which the girl lived. They lodged in the house of an old woman, whom they bribed to serve as a messenger. The girl was so cunning that she was able to formulate a reply which the old woman did not recognize as a rendezvous--she described how the prince might climb into her father’s garden and ascend to her lofty chamber. He entered, as arranged, through her window, and the two young lovers found delight in each others arms.

The girl was both passionate and cunning. When she learned that her signals had been deciphered not by the prince, but by his friend, she was immediately afraid that her affair would be betrayed, and so she determined to poison the prince’s friend. He, however, was her match, and had even foreseen that this would come to pass. He had devised a plan that would teach her, once and for all, that he knew how to take care of himself and the prince.

The friend disguised himself as a teacher, and persuaded the prince to play the role of his pupil. Then, by a clever stratagem, he brought the girl into suspicion as a witch. He convinced the king of that country that she had been the cause of the recent, sudden death of his infant son, and he produced such proof that she was condemned to a disgraceful death. Exposed naked outside of town, she was left prey to the beasts of the surrounding jungle, but the moment she was abandoned, the two young men, having procured swift horses for themselves, snatched her up and fled with her to the prince’s realm, where she became his bride and future queen. Grief over the disgrace and loss overcame the aged parents of the maid; their hearts broke, and they died.

"Now, who was guilty of the death of those two?” suddenly demanded the specter in the corpse. “If you know the answer and do not reply, your head will burst into a hundred pieces.”

The king thinks he knows the answer: The person at fault was the king of the girl's country, who didn't know there were strangers in his land, and who allowed himself to fall pray to the ruse of the prince and his friend. He tells this to the corpse, and immediately the corpse groans in agony, and flies back to the tree. The king must return again, and take it up again, and begin to carry it. This happens 24 times, until finally the corpse presents the king with a conundrum he cannot answer.

Projects
You are free to pursue any kind of writing you wish this quarter, provided you and I agree that your project is responsive to the theme of discovery suggested in "The King and the Corpse".

Beyond that, I will venture only that your process will entail some research, a subject we'll discuss in class.


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User talk:Luc M.

Hello Former Student!

I'm writing to you because you took a class from me in the past few years at the Art Institute. As of Spring, 2010, I'll not be teaching further classes at AIS for the foreseeable future. (We're parting ways on good terms!) Until now, you've been able to reach my Wikiversity educational resources from my website, but I've decided to delete that link. You can still reach all of those materials here.

If you're interested in what I'm up to in the future (which will include an album in 2010 and a novel in 2011) you can friend my facebook page or drop me an email at info@stevenarntson.info and you'll receive a periodic update about performances, classes, and publications.

If you know any current or former students of mine who might be interested in any of this, please forward this information if you have a moment.

I hope all is well for you.
 * Best! Stevenarntson

 Hello Luc M., and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

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And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! --mikeu talk 16:26, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

Luc -- Just read "Exposure" -- nice sequel to a classic. Maybe I'm just cynical, but here's what I think would happen if these events took place in today's society: instead of an immediate acknowledgement that the footage of the Kanamit eating the guard was exactly what appeared to be, some people would argue for opening dialogue, and would caution us not to jump to hasty conclusions. This would set the stage for an interminable political tussle that I'm sure could be dragged out for hundreds of pages and would be thrilling.

Thanks for bringing up John Carter of Mars -- I haven't thought about that series in years, but I still remember his first reactions on finding himself on the planet. I remember enjoying those when I was a kid as well, and I think they would make fun movies. I think I'm going to have to reread those now.

I enjoyed your perspective shift in "Duty" as well, having coincidentally just watched Star Wars last weekend. I can totally see a stormtrooper fantasizing about how badass they all look. As you led us through the ship I was reminded of one of the scenarios in the game Star Wars: Battlefront in which you take part in the breaching -- that was one of my favorite missions, although it was probably one of the hardest. Actually, I ended up reading pretty much everything that you wrote. Nice job, and good luck to you. ChristopherHailey

title: User talk:Luc M.


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And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! --mikeu talk 16:26, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

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 Hello Sarinmadhur, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

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User:Stevenarntson/group spaces/analytical writing/group 5

 * Davedoumis 18:49, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

"Cadieblaser 08:57, 11 February 2009 (UTC)"

Good
Throughout the process of this assignment, we had many strengths. Some good aspects that worked on our paper was the fact that we were all interested in the topic that we chose. Due to the fact that we are all students in college, it was easy to relate and also add our own experiences. Our brainstorming process was extrememly successful and we always came up with many different topics.

Bad
Due to the fact that we all had some experience to add to the table, it was very difficult to keep our topic concise. Everytime we met, our group had the tendency to expand our topic. This made it extremely difficult to find a direction. In the beginning, we tried to divide up our topic into sections and assign them to each member of the group. When it came time to combine our sections, it was difficult to have sucessful transitions and a steady flow. Also, every member of our group is extremely busy making it difficult to meet outside class, and also keeping updated on the wiki. most of the time, we would write our portions of the paper and then simply not post them.

What we would do differently next time
If we had the opportunity to change parts of our writing process, we would be able to keep updated. If our group had remained consistent in our postings, we would have recieved more feed back from the teacher, as well as other students in the class. Also, our writing process would have been more successful if we had condensed our topic early on and left room to expand rather than trying to work the other way around. A rough outline wouldve been a helpful aid in writing a more successful paper. Overall our intentions we good, but our execution could have used some work.

History
Throughout the years the outcome of college education has been dramatically shifted. In the 1900’ s the college experience was reserved for students of high society and wealth, and was considered a luxury and not a necessity. The role of college has been dramatically shifted through out the century. “College education today is comparable to having a high school diploma in the early 1900’s. The college degree is expected as a stepping stone into many of today’s jobs, but it in no way guarantees a person an exceptional or significantly advanced career.” Throughout the years the job field has also dramatically shifted, in the 1900’s most jobs did not require higher education, simply because the job opportunities required only physical labor and not actual thinking skills. As the job market shifted there was a change between needing physical labor to technologically educated workers. (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989).

Davedoumis 18:40, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

“What he (Tourgeé) was proposing in 1896, I think, was that each United States citizen would attempt to approximate the ideals of the nation, be on at least conversant terms with all its diversity, carry the mainstream of the culture inside himself. As an American, by trying to wear these clothes he would be a synthesis of high and low, black and white, city and country, provincial and universal. If he could live with these contradictions, he would be simply a representative American (McPherson)." Education used to be predetermined by social class, but through the development and growth of our society, every American now has the opportunity to learn, whether it be a through a univerity, trade school, or even life experiences.

 * James Alan McPherson

http://college.cengage.com/english/lauter/heath/4e/students/author_pages/contemporary/mcpherson_ja.html

Introduction
With the shift in education requirements, there has also been a shift in education enthusiasm. Because education is so expensive, those that are lucky enough to attend work very hard to take as much as possible out of their education. With time, a more socially diverse group of students started to seek out a more advanced education. Many people worked multiple jobs in order to pay for schooling, full effort, and enthusiasm was vital to get all that you could out of your education.

More so now than in the past, a college education has been necessary when finding a successful career. Because more and more high school students are continuing on to higher education, the job field is more competitive forcing some students to also attend college. Some may argue that a diploma proves that you are a trained expert in your area of study, but some fields shouldn’t require a degree to show that someone is educated. Many people are deciding to attend a four year college or university over a specified trade school because of the diploma. Some students are being forced into ridiculous amounts of loans in order to obtain a certificate proving their level of education.

Between High school & College
With such high pressure for success in the public school system, one would wonder why, after the billions of dollars that are spent each year, the graduation rate is still not as high as it is in other countries that invest far less money on public education says the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Clearly the amount of money spent on public education isn’t benefiting students for the future success in college or wherever they choose to go after high school. So what is the issue then, is the public education system lacking in preparing students success or is it the fault of the students in their aspirations to succeed?

The whole point of school, from elementary through high school, is to prepare students for real life and living on their own, whether or not they decided to attend college. But for most, college is the time when you learn how to be capable, task oriented and efficient. The goal of high school has been dramatically shifted, from helping students ease in to their futures, to forcing students to memorize equations and learn better test-taking skills in hopes for higher standardized testing scores. The use of standardized testing in the United States is a 20th century invention and seems as though is that what is not tested is not taught. Under the federal No Child Left Behind law in the United States, low test scores mean schools and school districts can be labeled as in need of improvement and punished. If standardize tests are the only method of accountability for the schools then parents and educators are less likely to know how well children are learning in untested areas. Vincent Tinto, the chair of the Higher Education Program at Syracuse University in New York says "A large number of students are ill-equipped for the challenges of college," and goes on to say “…they [students] forget to focus on what lies ahead: challenging academics, living away from home, maintaining their finances, learning time management skills, and taking responsibility for their own lives.” After high school graduation, students are expected to have gathered and learned all the information they need to move on to college. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, not only is taking the right number of courses important but as well as the right kind of courses, and the rigor of these courses, is critical to student readiness for college-level work. Every student should be prepared and have a future in mind before they leave for high school.

According to the College Readiness Report sent out by the ACT says that the “existing standards in many states are not rigorous enough to ensure that students will be ready for either credit-bearing college-level work or workforce training programs. Based on comparisons completed so far of standards in 39 states to the ACT College Readiness Standards, which describe what students need to know and be able to do to be ready for college, we have identified some striking disparities between state standards and college readiness standards.”

College seems to be aspired by many high school students. In fact, 80% of 10th-graders say they want to attend college. This number has risen compared to the percentage in the last decade. One would expect to see the college turn out, and success rate at a high as well, but that is on the contrary. Only a staggering 71% of teenagers even graduate from high school (NCES). With low high school graduation rates, this means that even fewer students are attending college and even fewer actually succeed and graduate from college.

Getting acclimated to college life is a big issue with most high school students. So why doesn’t the public education system help with the transition? High school teachers put high demands on students to get work done. The high demand from the teachers make students less motivated to achieve any work, making the students feel as though they can slack off and still get by. Study habits by the students are put into place at a young age and by the time student’s graduate high school their study habits are well developed. Teachers seem to be unaware that if they don’t establish what is acceptable and what is not acceptable, then students will continue to maintain their study habits, if they are good habits or not.

Once in college, students are no longer pushed but taught, the drastic change causes the students to get overwhelmed. To some, the constant surveillance from faculty and parents, rigid schedules and strict guidance in high school inhibit their development and learning. When put into a college atmosphere the students are suddenly no longer surrounded by the forces of high school, and are left on their own, with no rigid schedule, and less guidance. High school students seem to be unaware that college is a choice, instead of being a demand like high school. If there is no aspiration to succeed in college by the student there will be no success achieved.

Some critics say the issue behind the dropout rate is from the high school teachers not knowing what the college professors want. Some say that it is the student’s fault, and to actually succeed in college there needs to be more effort put forth. At any rate, the lack of attendance and growing drop out rate in college is a serious issue. The problem actually lies before the secondary school system, with the lack of education given to the students on how to function efficiently before starting college. With more emphasis put on teaching students the reality of living on their own, and easing students in to their futures, there could possibly be a growth in the attendance of colleges, as well as the success rate of graduating. Other options are out there too, if public educators show that there are other possibilities beyond high school, showing students that there are other options other than college, it is clear that some students are simply not cut out for the stresses of college, but this doesn’t mean that they will be stuck at dead end jobs forever, trade schools and education programs offered through different companies can offer students a great future without the tuition and expenses of college. At any rate the statistics show that the amount of money spent on public education isn’t benefiting students for success in their futures may it be in college or wherever they choose to go after high school. If you choose to be college bound, the rigor process of filling out college applications start early.

Admissions
As some of you may remember from the application process, those with ethnically diverse backgrounds had a sort of leg up when it came to the acceptance. Colleges and universities feel as though other students would prefer to attend to a school with a diverse student body, this is turn pushes them to offer benefits to some with lower qualifications in order to try to get them to attend their school over another student. During the stress of college admissions, acceptance and rejection, it seems so unfair that one student with a lower GPA or test scores could receive a scholarship, meanwhile at the same school, someone with higher qualifications may not be accepted at all. Although this is one viewpoint on higher education, some may argue that students learn more than simply taught education in college. According to studies preformed at the University of Michigan, students gain more social education and development during these few years in college1. Research shows that students with a more ethically diverse college experience are more likely to become a more complete and well-rounded adult. Social development along with taught education completes a complete college experience. With this diversity background, they are more prepared to deal with diversity in the workplace, social functions, and other extracurricular activities.

Cost
Although tuition may seem like a huge expense to those that are faced with the battle between financial aid and loans, some may argue that it preparation for the future. A degree can give you the qualifications so that an employer will hire you. Collegeboard.com states that students that receive a bachelor’s degree can earn up to 60 percent more than those without a degree. Over the span of a lifetime this can accumulate up to $800,000 more than those that never attended college. This monetary encouragement leads most high school graduates into believing that they must attend a four-year college to be successful.

Every year there is a slight increase in the cost of college tuition. A typical increase is a few hundred dollars a quarter, but this slight increase can add up significantly. Many students are encouraged to attend a public school over private because of the price differences. Private schools can be three or four times the price of public schools. About 56 percent of students enrolled at four-year colleges or universities attend institutions that charge tuition and fees of less than $9,000 per year.1

Since the pressure from teachers and parents to go from high school to college is so great, the cost for tuition is something to consider when looking at different forms of second education. Its important for students to organize themselves after high school and know what they should be expecting for the future. Talking with advisor's before high school graduation as well as college advisor's is an important step in preparing students for their future education and the cost. College Board listed on their website, the average cost for a four year private college is $25,143. This price has raised approximately 5.9% from last year. They also stated that for a four year public school it costs about $6,585, up 6.4% from last year. College costs increase about twice the inflation rate, currant increases have averaged about 5% to 8%.

So why are prices rising so much and are the students getting the education they are paying for? Lets look at what are some expenses that should be expected. Tuition being the main one, room and board, cost for food, books and school supply, transportation, and leisure money. Students who go from high school to college and live on their own, are being thrown into the real world. Most students are not prepared for being independent and knowing how to survive on their own. Controlling their budget is probably a main reason for dropping out of college.

Funding Through Scholarships/Financial Planning
There various helpful websites on line which show students and their parents an approximation of how much college tuition will be. Along with ways of saving money and other options of financial aid. Some helpful websites I have came across are FinAid, College Board, and Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET). These specific websites give you helpful options and alternatives for paying for tuition as well as estimating how much it will cost. Links to different types of Aid are listed, through the government, military, loans, or scholarships. They also supply helpful ways of saving money, selecting a college, and ways to prepare students. Websites on line are becoming more helpful and very resourceful for students and their parents.

One advantage for students to really consider is financial aid and scholarships available. College Board states that there are more than $143 billion in financial aid available. How much of this is really being used and are students aware of this? Most students are not aware of the amount of money they could be receiving in scholarships or even that they qualify for them. It was recently brought to my attention to look into a few scholarships I may qualify for and I haven't thought about scholarships since before my high school graduation. The requirements to qualify for a scholarship vary but with the amount of money out there, scholarships may apply to just about anyone. Some forms of scholarships base their requirements on educational backgrounds or achievements, some on race or sex, and some on grades, SAT scores or GPAs. Parents Income

Different College Options
There are many difference options when it comes to perusing college, between private, to public, university to community, four-year to two-year college. Two-year colleges are suppose to provide a jumping in point, offering courses for students who have not chosen what field there are truly interested in. According to collegebored.com “Students have different reasons for attending a community college: They often cite low tuition, convenient locations, class schedules, open admissions policies, and comprehensive course offerings.” There is allot advantages to community colleges, they seem to prepare students for the job market and are usually local, giving students a college education without the stresses of living on their own

With four-year degrees, colleges can be specialized (for example, in nursing) or they can offer a broad curriculum, like the liberal arts which focus on the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Universities can be quite large, this means they can offer two-year and four-year degrees as well as graduate degrees in advanced studies beyond four years. Universities offer a huge course selection and may have extensive resources. Class size varies, depending on the size of the university, the subject area, and the course level.

http://www.collegeanswer.com/selecting/content/sel_id_typ.jsp Davedoumis 04:49, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

Solution: Alternate Forms of Education
A college education has become a requirement in recent decades for higher paying jobs as the labor market has became more competitive, and as more college graduates enter the labor force. What if we could fulfill our dreams without the cost of attending a post-secondary education? In the United States receiving a college education has become the accepted social norm. This is causing social problems that have not impacted previous generations. With thousands of families in debt and a country facing an economic depression, obtaining a job shouldn’t cost $40,000(+). Society must learn to accept alternate forms of education and training as equivalent to the college diploma.

Certain professional jobs, such as becoming a doctor or surgeon, should and do require specific education and training. However, trade jobs such as being an electrician, plumber, mechanic, audio engineer, graphic designer, or photographer that previously required a high school degree with on-the-job training, now require a college diploma. Vocational and trade schools are educational institutions that focus learning towards one specific career goal. Essentially, this is what the Art Institute offers. There are both private and state vocational schools and a student can receive financial aid for either. Students come out of a vocational school with an education, and a diploma to showcase what has been learned. Although a college education is the accepted way of learning a new vocation, there are other methods that provide similar results.

The Work to Learn Center is a privately operated trade school that provides a four semester sequence of academic courses and related work experiences that emphasize a core academic curriculum for each semester. Students at the Work to Learn Center work part time and go to class part time. Students work on projects, such as building a house, with the skills they have acquired. This type of hands-on training prepares its students for what working in the real world is like. Sitting in class and talking about how an industry operates, is nothing like working in the industry to learn first hand how it operates. However, in an interview situation, this form of alternative education does not hold the same standing as a traditional college degree.

Another form of education that deserves to be equivalent to a diploma is an internship or apprenticeship. An apprenticeship involves working alongside an employer that already has relevant skills in their profession. This allows new employees the ability to develop a clear vision of the future. Another important aspect of an internship is it allows you to look at how the professional work environment operates before spending thousands of dollars on a degree. Providing this experience also encourages young adults the ability to determine whether the profession is right for them. Many adults find a hands-on experience applies to the real world better than a classroom environment. During an internship you are applying what has been learned, while relating the experience to real life.

Imagine if education provided more than one opportunity for young adults to transition into a professional career. The possibilities presented by other forms of education allow students to build relevant job skills without suffering the consequences of building debt at a young age. The logical solution to this problem is accepting alternate forms of education as an equivalent to a diploma. --BrettDurnell 16:45, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

Work Cited
The Council of Independent Colleges. 5 Jan. 2008. 09 Feb. 2009 .

"The dropout dilemma: One in four college freshmen drop out. What is going on here? What does it take to stay in? | Careers and Colleges | Find Articles at BNET." Find Articles at BNET | News Articles, Magazine Back Issues & Reference Articles on All Topics. 09 Feb. 2009 .

Getting Ready for College | GRFC. 09 Feb. 2009 .

"High school students need college prep reality check:." 9 May 2005. 09 Feb. 2009 .

"Primary, secondary education fails to prepare students for college, life - Perspective." The Eastern Progress. 22 Jan. 2009. 09 Feb. 2009 .

"Student graduation and beyond: How are our high school graduates performing in college and the workplace?" The Center for Public Education. 09 Feb. 2009 .

"U.S. High School Courses Lack Rigor Needed to Prepare Students for College-Level Coursework." ACT: Resources for Education and Workplace Success. 15 May 2007. 09 Feb. 2009 .

"U.S. High School Courses Lack Rigor Needed to Prepare Students for College-Level Coursework." ACT: Resources for Education and Workplace Success. 09 Feb. 2009 .

"What percentage of High School students want to go to college?" Need Help – Ask a Question and Find Answers. 09 Feb. 2009 .

Davedoumis 04:50, 25 March 2009 (UTC)


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User:AndreaLaCoste-Hines

reflective assessment
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this Analytical Writing class. I hoped to learn how to write in a more formal manner, outside of research papers. In that sense, I learned to present an idea in a balanced way while simultaneously strengthening my argument. I feel that I was prepared for this class, as I have always enjoyed English classes and have been successful in them. This was my first experience in writing an analytical style paper, and though the approach was a little different from a typical argumentative research paper, it was a good challenge. Also, this was the first time I have participated in a group research paper, which was interesting and challenging in itself. It was a challenge to incorporate my own writing style to fit a group identity, but I believe I pulled it off fairly well.

Initially, it was difficult for my group to determine the scope and focus of our paper, and I wasn’t sure where the topic was going. But after we found our direction, I helped shape the paper and offered ideas as it moved along. I learned to write in a group, which for someone like me who usually writes alone, is an accomplishment.

title: User:AndreaLaCoste-Hines


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Talk:Assistant teacher program/Developing countries/Introduction for visiting assistant teachers

What are specific problems in developing countries?
Proposed problems:
 * Low academic standards
 * Low expectations (good education may not be an important goal)
 * Cultural peculiarities (depend on country)
 * Socialization and citizenship education may be very limited
 * Lack of intellectual stimulation and intellectual goals
 * Overcrowded classrooms and resulting problems
 * Lack of educational material


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User talk:SB Johnny/Provisional policies

Policy on Scholarly Ethics
You in fact had in place a perfectly good policy on scholarly ethics. It may have been "provisional" for the site as a whole, but as you know the the Ethics Project expressly adopted that policy for all participants contributing to that project. Had all participants (notably the miscreants from IDCab and other non-resident interlopers) adhered to the local policy on scholalrly ethics, the difficulties would have been largely (if not entirely) avoided. —Moulton 21:40, 28 January 2009 (UTC)


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User talk:Shellann

Is there anyone can tell me if we have paid back the debt from befor this one I am in my 50s and would like to know if and how they did and if it can be done now.

The other thing I want to know is how we pay so many people to watch out for our country and they let this happen to us AGAIN, WHAT the hell was they were doing is any one them living in the world I am. now there is a new group of sitter in the house and in the senate. We the people need to be shame how we let these people sit and sit and now we give them right again to make fools out of us. when are we going to RUN OUR OWN COUNTRY. WE NEED TO PUT THEM OUT in washington.

TAXS how in the world did we let this happen to us when it was for what someone please let me know if they even know what it was for, when we let the house and senate tell us that they know and I see they are not what they are doing

title: User talk:Shellann


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Physiology

 This module teaches the function of the human body. Learners will be able to access key resources to help them to better understand the basic functions of the body. It is the first Level 1 Module of the Wikiversity School of Medicine as defined by the overall curriculum. This module is the work of the Department of Physiology.

Lessons

🇨🇴 Knowledge:
 * Cell Physiology
 * Cardiovascular Physiology
 * Respiratory Physiology
 * Renal Physiology
 * Endocrine Physiology
 * Gastrointestinal Physiology
 * Nervous System Physiology

Units:
 * /Unit 1/
 * /Unit 2/
 * /Unit 3/
 * /Unit 4/

Assignments
 * No assignments have been requested

Module Noticeboard
 * This Module is under construction. Feel free to help in its establishment

Recommended Reading
 * Physiology bibliography

Assessments
 * No assessments have been requested

title: Physiology


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Mesopotamian civilization

Historical Overview
Mesopotamian civilizations include the following: Sumer (4500 BCE - 1750 BCE), Akkad (2334 - 2154 BCE), Babylonia (1750 - 1531) and Assyria (25th or early–24th century BC to 608 BC).

Religious Beliefs
The Sumerian word for God was bhogoban .They saw these entities as immortal and supreme. Though invisible to the naked eye, they nonetheless had their own laws that they had to abide by, lest their universe be destroyed. They also believed in a Hierarchy of gods. There were seven gods who decreed the fates, and below them, fifty deities known as the "Great Gods". Little is known about how the Sumerians believed. cosmogony. Sumerian mythology has no connection to it's rituals (9: 144). Sumerian mythology describes the origins of their Gods, along with their families, personalities, emotions, and various acts attributed to them (9: 144). Ritual, while important to the Sumerians, was a wholly separate action from their mythological beliefs (9: 144).

Major Gods
Seven gods who decreed the fates... d 1.) An or Anu: Father of the Gods, God of the Heavens. 2.) Enlil:  King of the Gods whose name means "Lord Sky" or "God of Air". Enlil was associated with the city of Nippur and his temple was Ekuror "House of the Mountain." 3.) Enki: Royal vizier and God of the Fresh water.  His name means "Lord Earth".  He was also the god of wisdom and the bringer of the Me, or the spirit of civilization.  His mother was Nammu, Goddess of the Primordial sea.  Enki's associated city was Eridu and his temple was E-abzu or E-en-gur-a, which means "House of the Subterranean Waters". 4.) Ninhursag:  The Goddess of Nature and Enki's wife. She was the Ultimate mother goddess. Another name for her was Ninmah. Some Assyriologists think she was originally Ki, mother of the gods. Her temple was Esagila, located in Eridu. 5.) Nanna: God of the moon, sometimes called Nanna-Suen.  Father of Utu and Inanna.  The Akkadians knew him as Sin.  Nanna was associated with the city Ur and his temple was called E-gish-shir-gal or "House of the Great Light". 6.) Utu:  God of the Sun. In some source material he is known as Inanna's twin brother. Because he saw all before him, he was also known as the god of justice. It is said that when the sun set, Utu went into the Underworld to decree the Fates of the Dead. His temples were called E-babbar or the "White House" and were located in Sippar, Akkad, and Larsa in Southern Sumer. 7.) Inanna: Goddess of War, Fertility, Sex and Holy Prostitution.  She once got Enki drunk and stole the 100 Me from him.  The planet Venus was associated with her.  Inanna's holy city was Uruk and her main temple was Eanna or "House of Heaven", or "An".

Underworld Gods

 * Erishkigal: Inanna's sister and bitter rival.  She was queen of the Underworld, sometimes called Kigal or Kur.  She was once known to be beautiful if severe.  Originally married to the Great Bull of Heaven, Gugalana, her husband was killed by Gilgamesh and Enkidu when Inanna's advances were rejected by Gilgamesh.  In a fit of pique, Inanna begged Enlil to release the Bull of Heaven to wreak havoc upon Gilgamesh and his city.  After his death, Gilgamesh served as one of the judges in the Underworld.
 * Dumuzi: Deified King who spent half the year in the Underworld and half the year with Inanna, his consort.
 * Gilgamesh: Deified king, who upon his death, took his place as one of the Underworld's Gods.
 * Namtar: Minister of Ereshkigal.  In one telling of a myth, he was the son of Enlil and Ninlil.  He shares his name with a demon of the nether world, a harbinger of death.  In Sumerian, his name meant "fate" or "destiny"  (1:  134)
 * Ningishzida: Son of Ninazu.  His name means "Lord of the Good Tree".  He is mentioned as a guardians of over the demons of the Underworld.  There is a story where he and Dumuzi are guarding the Gates to Heaven, to Anu, from a mortal named Adapa.  From Adapa's reaction, it is highly unusual for Ningishzida to be seen out of the Underworld.  His symbol and beast was the horned snake or dragon bašmu and his constellation was the Hydra (1:  138-140).

Minor Gods
By jayant Sharma St.georges college, Agra
 * Ashnan: Goddess of Grain and Vegetables (10:  173)
 * Enkimdu: Enlil's Farmer, God of "plow, yoke and furrow" (10:  173)
 * Geshtinanna: Sister of Dumuzi who spent half the year in the Underworld and half the year in the Mortal realms.  She was a "divine poetess, singer and interpreter of dreams" (10:  157).
 * Ishkur: God of Storms...(10:  173)
 * Kulla: Brick God in charge of pick axes and brick molds (10:  173).
 * Mushdamma: "Great Builder of Enlil" who protects Enlil's temples (10:  173).
 * Nanshe: Goddess of Justice and interpreter of dreams.  Married to Haia.  She also watched over Widows and Orphans (10:  124, 130).
 * Nidaba: Patroness of Schools, Goddess of Writing and Accounts.  Attendant deity to Nanshe (10:  125).
 * Nindub: God of Architects.
 * Ningal: Wife to Nanna.
 * Ningirsu: Nanshe's Brother, married to Bau, God of Rain, Irrigation and Fertility.  Some scholars liken him to Ninurta.
 * Ninkasi: Her name literally means "The Lady who fills the mouth."  She was a goddess of beer preparation. (10: 111)
 * Ninkilim: Farmers prayed to this goddess to keep their fields free of mice and vermin.  (10: 106)
 * Ninlil: Wife to Enlil.  She and Enlil, in one myth, were the parents of Nanna, God of the Moon.  Her parents are said to be Haia, God of Grain Stores and Ninshebargunu or Nidaba, Goddess of Barley.  Ninlil means Lady Wind.  She was also seen as a mother Goddess and was quite warm and welcoming.  (9:  99)
 * Ninurta: God of the Stormy South Wind, the wind of fire and disease (10:  151).  Some scholars liken him to Ningirsu.
 * Siduri: Barkeep and Wise one whom Gilgamesh meets on his way to meet Utnapishtim or Ziusudra, an Immortal who survived the flood.

Major Gods
Ishtar: Goddess of Sex, War, Fertility and Holy Prostitution. She is the Akkadian variant of Inanna. Šamaš: Pronounced Shamash. Sun god of the Akkadians.

On Mesopotamia
1. Black, Jeremy and Green, Anthony. Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia. University of Texas Press, Austin, TX. 1992. ISBN 978-0-292-70794-8 2. Bottéro, Jean. Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD. 2001. ISBN 9780801868627 3. Bottéro, Jean. Mesopotamia: Writing, Reasoning and the Gods. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. 1992. ISBN 0-226-06727-0. 4. Bottéro, Jean. Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. 2004. ISBN 978-0-226-06718-6 5. Edited by Bottéro, Jean. Cassin, Elena. Vercoutter, Jean. The Near East: The Early Civilizations. Delacorte Press, New York. 1965. ISBN 978-0297748915 6. Nemet-Nejat, Karen Rhea. Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. 1998. ISBN 0-313-29497-6 7. Oppenheim, Leo, A.  Ancient Mesopotamia. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. 1977. ISBN 0-226-63187-7 8. Roux, Georges. Ancient Iraq. Penguin Books, London, England. 1992. ISBN 978-0-14-012523-8 9. Jacobsen, Thorkild. The Treasures of Darkness. Yale University Press, New Haven and London. 1976. ISBN 978-0-300-02291-9

On Sumer
10. Kramer, Samuel Noah. The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. 1963. ISBN 978-0-226-45238-8.

title: Mesopotamian civilization


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Draft:Lagishetti

Link to any subpages this page might have

Lagishetti

Lagishetti is a Surname of Great Padmashali caste in the Andhra Pradesh, Lagishetti Families are in mainly ( Jangaon, Warangal, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Nalgonda, Medak, RangaReddy Districts)

title: Draft:Lagishetti


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Talk:Français II

Perfect Tense
In learning french at both the Alliance Francaise and High School I've never learnt the Passe Compose tense as the Perfect Tense. Looking in my verbs book or any french textbook, I find no referrence to the perfect tense. Perhaps it should be mentioned that the Perfect tense is more commonly referred to as passe compose. This article also contains no information on the verbs that use etre as an auxiliary verb. --spuzzdawg 07:34, 29 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I agree. I think the name of the whole section should be changed to the title "passé composé," perhaps mentioning that its English translation is "perfect tense." I'd change it myself, but this is the first Wikiversity page I've visited and am unfamiliar with its policy. -76.10.66.192 20:22, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

I agree with Spuzzdawg about the "être" auxiliary; it is not mentioned at all although it is used as well. I am thinking about changing the lesson in that way and then add a table with very commonly used French verbs and their corresponding auxiliary in order to know which one to use with which verb.

There is also nothing about the concordance of the past participle. I don't know, maybe it is a little too soon in the course but I don't really see where to put it otherwise. Beside, the concordance with the "être" auxiliary is very simple, it is with the "avoir" auxiliary where it is more complicated.

Albane69 16:39, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

Ok, so after reading the next lesson about the pronouns I think that maybe the order of those two lessons should be reversed, this way, it would be easy to explain the concordance with the "avoir" auxiliary.

Albane69 16:46, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

title: Talk:Français II


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User talk:;Hiba;1

HIBA

title: User talk:;Hiba;1


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User:;Hiba;1

Hi!! --;Hiba;1 13:15, 29 January 2009 (UTC)

title: User:;Hiba;1


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User:Nelliemuller/sandbox

My Sandbox

title: User:Nelliemuller/sandbox


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Comparative Neuroscience/Overview of Mammalian Neuroanatomy

The mammalian brain can be viewed as three brains in one--the reptilian brain, the limbic system, and the neocortex. This controversial division of the brain in such a fashion was originally proposed by Paul MacLean in the 1950s.

The reptilian brain includes the brain stem and cerebellum. This term came from the fact that a reptile's brain is dominated by these areas, which control instinctive behavior and thinking. In humans, this part of the brain controls the muscles, balance and autonomic functions such as breathing and heartbeat.

The limbic system, also called the mammalian brain, is the source of our emotions and instincts. When this part of the brain is accessed, emotions are produced. MacLean observed that everything in the limbic system is either agreeable or disagreeable. This means that survival is based on the avoidance of pain (disagreeable) and the recurrence of pleasure (agreeable).

The neocortex, forms part of the cerebral cortex, and is known to be the center for cognition controling higher-order thinking, reasoning and speech.

While there is much evidence against this model in fact, it is still considered a useful way of conceptualising the brain.

The corpus callosum controls the transfer of signals between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. In the 1950s, Roger Sperry discovered the function of the left and right hemispheres by studying brain function in people whose corpus callosa had been severed.


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Portal:Systematic Christian Theology

Link to any subpages this page might have

- - COMMENT ON DELETION OF THIS PAGE I advanced the proposed deletion date of this page by one year due to small doubts about its deletion. By WV policy on "proposed deletions" (prod), this can be "speedy" deleted if you are certain that it should be deleted. Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 10:10, 16 December 2023 (UTC) - -

Department of Systematic Christian Theology

Welcome to the Department of Systematic Christian Theology!

Add a description of this department here. If possible, it's probably also good to relate this department to other departments, schools, and/or portals within Wikiversity.

The "Portal" namespace contains pages that are for management and organization of small academic units at Wikiversity such as departments (see: Topics and information in the box below).

Related departments

 * Department of Biblical Studies
 * Department of Christian Apologetics
 * Department of Historical Christian Theology
 * Department of Traditional Christian Theology

Centres of the department
The learning materials and learning projects will be found in the following department centres:
 * Centre for Systematic Theology Prolegomena
 * Centre for Bibliology — includes topics like Biblical Hermeneutics
 * Centre for Trinitarianism — includes topics like Christology and  Pneumatology
 * Centre for Anthropology in Christian Theology — includes topics like Hamartiology
 * Centre for Soteriology
 * Centre for Ecclesiology
 * Centre for Eschatology

Active participants
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title: Portal:Systematic Christian Theology


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User:Paulpark~enwikiversity

bio
Well, My name is Paul J. Park. i was born in south korea and i moved here when i was in my teenage year. First i was in Los Angeles and when I got into 7th grade, my family moved to Seattle, WA. I grew up listening to Hip Hop music so the influence of Hip Hop culture is big to me. That doen not mean i am ghetto and I do certain things different. Oh and I hate when people say the word "Ghetto" in the term of being cheap or poor. I love every kind of music, i enjoy painting, playing video games and playing sports. I dislike books, people who only seems to think only for themselves, and rude people. It seems like i might be an ass, but honestly im not. Im just shy around people I don't know, but please dont judge me before you get to know me. I got facebook and myspace, let me know people.

reflective assessment
The class was interesting. Good thing or the thing i like about the class is that it was very chilled and everyone really seened like they wanted to be a part of the class. Even though people were shy and being tired, when class started everyone really did participate. Also, the class being a Gen. Ed class, lots of different people got together. It is never wrong to see some new faces. Bad thing or my dislike of the class was that the Wiki Part was little confusing. Also the mix up in the group really thrown the group off, even though we all got back and took charge of things that we had to do, better communication would have been better. Not to offenc anyone in my group, we need lack on communicating. For future, i would actually focus more and better on the subjects and really try to communicate with the group when we have to.

title: User:Paulpark~enwikiversity


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Template:Nav bar - Systematic Christian Theology

Systematic Christian Theology >


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Evolutionary Synthesis/Future Evolutionary Synthesis

 Future Evolutionary Synthesis

Evolution is too useful a paradigm to be left only in the hands of biologists. From the perspective of Engineering, it can be seen as being a blind prototyping system, a search mechanism, an aid to self-organization, and a key to self-programming robots. From the perspective of physics, it can be seen to be an indication that the second law of thermodynamics might be incorrect, and a possible connecting link to Complexity theory. From the perspective of Neuroscience, it may be the only explanation for non-genetic recombination and self-organization of Neural Networks into Neural Maps. In Computing Science, may seem to be just one more heuristic algorythm, and the key to an Adaptive Macro Language.

At heart, evolution is a very simple system, so simple that it may have an impact at a much earlier stage in our universe than biologists would ever think to look. The Evolution Algorythm has only three parts, and may apply as easily to the formation of elements during the big bounce, as it does to the complex structure of biological genetics. Where the future synthesis of Evolution ends, is not something we can predict today

Although Darwin made some predictions in his later works, that went so far as to connect Evolution to even social development, but didn't actually predict the linkage his theory would turn out to have to Meddelan Genetics, it may turn out that there are literally millions of Evolutionary Mechanisms involved in the development of the Universe, and the current Evolutionary Synthesis, is blind to them, because of its dependence on Biology and Genetics.

--Graeme E. Smith 19:28, 29 January 2009 (UTC)

See Also:

 * Introduction to Non-Genetic Darwinism


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Category:Systematic Christian Theology

Here you will find pages that are part of the Department of Systematic Christian Theology.

title: Category:Systematic Christian Theology