Socio Cultural Dimensions of Learning free essay sample

Lev Vygotsky’s theory focuses on Socio-Cultural dimensions of Learning and development, emphasizing that individual cognitive processes are continuously embedded on a social and cultural context. It is referred to as â€Å"social constructivist theory†. In order to understand the influence of Lev Vygotsky’s work addressing socio-cultural dimensions of learning and development, it is important to understand the three central concepts of his theory which all have direct implications for the classroom. These are the concepts of the zone of proximal development, scaffolding and the socio-cultural context of learning. Zone of Proximal Development. Vygotsky stated that a child follows an adults example and gradually develops the ability to do certain tasks without help or assistance. Vygotskys often-quoted definition of zone of proximal development presents it as the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers. We will write a custom essay sample on Socio Cultural Dimensions of Learning or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Vygotsky among other educational professionals believes the role of education to be to provide children with experiences which are in their ZPD, thereby encouraging and advancing their individual learning. Scaffolding. For Vygotsky, scaffolding is the process of providing a child or adolescent with a good deal of support during the time he is learning something. To successfully apply it in a classroom, it is important to know not only where a child is functioning now and where that child will be tomorrow, but also how best to assist that child in mastering more advanced skills and concepts. This is where scaffolding comes in. Although not used by Vygotsky himself, the concept of scaffolding helps us understand how aiming instruction within a child’s ZPD can promote the child’s learning and development. Socio-cultural context of knowledge. Vygotsky emphasizes the important role of culture in influencing how individuals learn and think. His thinking has had a significant impact on research demonstrating that cognition is â€Å"situated† – occurs in content. Social Processes in Learning Situated Learning (Situated learning is related to Vygotsky’s notion of learning through social development. Situated learning is a general theory of knowledge acquisition. It has been applied in the context of technology-based learning activities that focus on problem-solving skills. Lave (1988) argues that learning as it normally occurs is a function of the activity, context and culture in which it occurs. This contrasts with traditional classroom learning activities which involve knowledge which is often presented in an abstract form and out of context. Social Interaction is a critical component of situated learning – learners become involved in a ‘community practice’ which embodies certain beliefs and behaviours to be acquired. Learning becomes a Social Process dependent upon transactions with others placed within a context that resembles as closely as possible the practice environment. Principles: 1. Knowledge needs to be presented in an authentic context, i. e. , settings and applications that would normally involve that knowledge. 2. Learning requires social interaction and collaboration. The two approaches to learning: decontextualized (classroom) versus contextualized (situated) learning. General Idea of situate learning: â€Å"If you put a learner in a real world situation (authentic context) and interact with other people then learning occurs. † Situated learning as well can be applied in technology based learning activities focused on problem solving skills. In this type of learning and participative methods can be used extensively by the teacher so that students will learn more effectively. Communication Patterns in Learning Sociolinguistics Is the study of language in society. Sociolinguistics is the study of the linguistic indicators of culture and power. Sociolinguistics is the study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and the way language is used. It studies how dialects differ between groups separated by certain social variables, e. g. , ethnicity, religion, status, gender, level of education, age, etc,. and how creation and adherence to these rules is used to categorize individuals in social class or socio-economic classes. Sociolinguists also study the grammar, phonetics, vocabulary, and other aspects of this sociolect much as dialectologists would study the same for a regional dialect. Sociolinguistics is the effect of the society on the language, while the latter’s focus is on the language’s effect on the society Fundamental concepts in sociolinguistics Speech community: describes a more or less discrete group of people who use language in a unique and mutually accepted way among themselves. High prestige and low prestige varieties; certain speech habits are assigned a positive or a negative value which is then applied to the speaker. Social network is another way of describing a particular speech community in terms of relations between individual members in a community. A social network may apply to the macro level of a country or a city, but also to the intrapersonal level of neighborhoods or a single family Recently, social networks have been formed by the intern. et, through chat rooms, online dating services. Types of Classroom Interaction To avoid overemphasizing the theory and memorization of the material presented in class, teachers employ classroom interaction to give students the ability to think critically, focus on specific details and practice what they have learned. Teachers have access to many methods of creating an interactive classroom. Common methods include classroom conversation, question-and-answer, reading aloud and role-playing. Reading Aloud Reading aloud is a classroom activity in which one person is reading while others listen. Reading aloud may be performed by the teacher or student. Reading aloud may be performed by a single person or by a group taking turns. This form of highly structured classroom interaction allows all students to be focused at exactly the same point in a reading. This allows students to easily focus on vocabulary and pronunciation. Conversation Classroom conversation is a form of classroom interaction in which students in the class discuss a given topic. The conversation may be held across the whole class or in smaller groups. Conversation is an important form of classroom interaction because it helps students develop their language skills. In a conversation, students may apply the skills and knowledge they have acquired in the class, making classroom conversation a practical form of interaction. Role-Play Role-playing is an activity in which students take on given or chosen roles and act out a scene with others. This form of interaction lends itself to almost any situation, and the only restriction is a students imagination. Role-playing allows students to demonstrate their creativity and knowledge about their roles, and it allows students to think outside of the constraints of the classroom and consider how they might apply the learned material to the real world. This form of interaction can integrate different subjects into one activity. Question-and-Answer Question-and-answer is a traditional form of classroom interaction in which a teacher or student explains and poses a question for the other. Questions asked by the teacher are usually for the purpose of assessment, while questions asked by the students are usually for obtaining new information. The Socratic method is also a form of question-and-answer interaction. The Socratic method is a form of asking questions with the intent of leading students to discover the answer themselves. Question-and-answer as a form of interactive learning allows students to have a large influence on the agenda of the classroom, because it allows them to freely express their thoughts and feelings.

Sample Compare and Contrast Essay on Racism

Sample Compare and Contrast Essay on RacismA sample compare and contrast essay on racism is a good thing to have in your student's essay library. It is a small easy to download lesson plan that can help you ease students' way into the world of politics and knowledge. In fact, it is even more necessary as it can provide you with a good basis of analyzing the big picture of racism.The main aim of this essay is to get your students to discuss the matter as best as they can and to answer what really is racism. Therefore, it should be clear for you as the teacher to know what kind of questions will have students on the edge of their seats. Even though the different types of racism can be quite different in terms of meaning, we will always consider the most common kinds as racist.We are going to start the article by telling you how difficult stuff can be to understand, so let us first get some basics about racism and then we will move on to examples and situations. When analyzing some of t he situations and events that are truly difficult to understand, one of the main things that can help you is a sample compare and contrast essay on racism.These types of essays have been around since the beginning of the 20th century and they are still used today in real time situations. These have helped many teachers in teaching their students some basic facts that can make them understand these topics and that is why the introduction of a sample compare and contrast essay on racism can help you teach better. Of course, the lessons must be brief and it must give enough information to be understood in just ten minutes or less.Sample essays such as these are designed to be easy to read and to understand. This is a great advantage because they will keep your students from being stressed out and distracted while they are reading the lesson plans. With these essays, students will be able to understand the concepts and learn important things while reading the essay.There are many people who want to know exactly what racism is, especially from all the important and famous news outlets such as the BBC. They want to know everything there is to know about this different form of prejudice and discrimination and this is where these sample essays come into play. These samples can help you answer this question.Think about it, most of these groups (based on race) cannot talk to each other as if they were human beings. These groups are in a way biologically different, but somehow, they can all talk to each other. They can all think, but they also can't agree on what actually is racism.Explain to your students that racism is the act of treating others differently from yourself based on race. It is not limited to racial, ethnic or religious grounds. It is simply racism in any other sense.

Battle of Salamis in the Persian Wars

Battle of Salamis in the Persian Wars The Battle of Salamis was fought in September 480 BC during the Persian Wars (499-449 BC). One of the great naval battles in history, Salamis saw the out-numbered Greeks best a larger Persian fleet. The campaign had witnessed the Greeks pushed south and Athens captured. Regrouping, the Greeks were able to lure the Persian fleet into the narrow waters around Salamis which negated their numerical advantage. In the resulting battle, the Greeks badly defeated the enemy and forced them to flee. Unable to supply their army by sea, the Persians were forced to retreat north. Persian Invasion Invading Greece in the summer of 480 BC, Persian troops led by Xerxes I were opposed by an alliance of Greek city-states. Pushing south into Greece, the Persians were supported offshore by a large fleet. In August, the Persian army met Greek troops at the pass of Thermopylae while their ships encountered the allied fleet in the Straits of Artemisium. Despite a heroic stand, the Greeks were defeated at the Battle of Thermopylae forcing the fleet to retreat south to aid in the evacuation of Athens. Assisting in this effort, the fleet then moved to ports on Salamis. Athens Falls Advancing through Boeotia and Attica, Xerxes attacked and burned those cities that offered resistance before occupying Athens. In an effort to continue resistance, the Greek army established a new fortified position on the Isthmus of Corinth with the goal of defending the Peloponnesus. While a strong position, it could be easily outflanked if the Persians embarked their troops and crossed the waters of the Saronic Gulf. To prevent this, some of the allied leaders argued in favor of moving the fleet to the isthmus. Despite this threat, the Athenian leader Themistocles argued for remaining at Salamis. Frustrations at Salamis Offensively-minded, Themistocles understood that the smaller Greek fleet could negate the Persian advantage in numbers by fighting in the confined waters around the island. As the Athenian navy formed the larger component of the allied fleet, he was able to successfully lobby for remaining. Needing to deal with the Greek fleet before pressing on, Xerxes initially sought to avoid fighting in the narrow waters around the island. A Greek Trick Aware of discord among the Greeks, Xerxes began moving troops towards the isthmus with the hope that the Peloponnesian contingents would desert Themistocles in order to defend their homelands. This too failed and the Greek fleet remained in place. To promote the belief that the allies were fragmenting, Themistocles began a ruse by sending a servant to Xerxes claiming that Athenians had been wronged and wished to switch sides. He also stated that the Peloponnesians intended to depart that night. Believing this information, Xerxes directed his fleet to block the Straits of Salamis and those of Megara to the west. Moving to Battle While an Egyptian force moved to cover the Megara channel, the bulk of the Persian fleet took up stations near the Straits of Salamis. In addition, a small infantry force was moved to the island of Psyttaleia. Placing his throne on the slopes of Mount Aigaleos, Xerxes prepared to watch the coming battle. While the night passed without incident, the following morning a group of Corinthian triremes was spotted moving northwest away from the straits. Fleets Commanders Greeks ThemistoclesEurybiades366-378 ships Persians XerxesArtemisiaAriabignes600-800 ships Fighting Begins Believing that the allied fleet was breaking up, the Persians began moving towards the straits with the Phoenicians on the right, the Ionian Greeks on the left, and other forces in the center. Formed in three ranks, the Persian fleets formation began to disintegrate as it entered the confined waters of the straits. Opposing them, the allied fleet was deployed with the Athenians on the left, the Spartans on the right, and other allied ships in the center. As the Persians approached, the Greeks slowly backed their triremes, luring the enemy into the tight waters and buying time until the morning wind and tide (Map). Greeks Victorious Turning, the Greeks quickly moved to the attack. Driven back, the first line of Persian triremes was pushed into the second and third lines causing them to foul and for the organization to further break down. In addition, the beginning of a rising swell led the top-heavy Persian ships to have difficulty maneuvering. On the Greek left, the Persian admiral Ariabignes was killed early in the fighting leaving the Phoenicians largely leaderless. As the fighting raged, the Phoenicians were the first to break and flee. Exploiting this gap, the Athenians turned the Persian flank. In the center, a group of Greek ships managed to push through the Persian lines cutting their fleet in two. The situation for the Persians worsened through the day with the Ionian Greeks being the last to flee. Badly beaten, the Persian fleet retreated towards Phalerum with the Greeks in pursuit. In the retreat, Queen Artemisia of Halicarnassus rammed a friendly ship in an effort to escape. Watching from afar, Xerxes believed that she had sunk a Greek vessel and allegedly commented, My men have become women, and my women men. Aftermath Losses for the Battle of Salamis are not known with certainty, however, it is estimated that the Greeks lost around 40 ships while the Persians lost around 200. With the naval battle won, Greek marines crossed and eliminated the Persian troops on Psyttaleia. His fleet largely shattered, Xerxes ordered it north to guard the Hellespont. As the fleet was necessary for the supply of his army, the Persian leader also was forced to retreat with the bulk of his forces. Intending to finish the conquest of Greece the following year, he left a sizable army in the region under the command of Mardonius. A key turning point of the Persian Wars, the triumph of Salamis was built upon the following year when the Greeks defeated Mardonius at the Battle of Plataea.

A Strategic Analysis for Tim Hortons

A Strategic Analysis for Tim Hortons Presently, Tim Hortons is regarded as the leading publicly traded restaurant chain in Canada. Not only is it Canada’s leading quick-service restaurant brand but also the fourth largest publicly traded restaurant chain in North America based on market capitalization. They have the number one market share in breakfast and snacking day parts and a solid number two share in the lunch day part in Canada (1). However, Tim Hortons needs to pay more attention towards their growth and development into U.S. and other markets worldwide in order to become a true spearhead in their industry. Moreover, they can lessen the risks related with expansion by engaging in partnerships with other successful firms. Analysis/Rationale Although, as mentioned above, Tim Hortons is possibly the leading publicly traded restaurant chain in Canada, it enjoys its success due to its inhabitation of a much smaller market in comparison to markets in U.S., India, and China. To be the best of the lot, Tim Horto ns cannot exclusively depend on a single market. In this day and age, there are solid opportunities for them to become the world’s best, through new emerging markets with high probability for huge profits. There are increasing trends of coffee drinkers in China and India, two countries with enormous fondness for Western style drinks and meals and Tim Horton’s expansion in those countries will play to their advantage. That is the main reason why McDonalds, the equivalent quick service restaurant industry to Tim Hortons, is earning massive profits from both China and India. Entering into partnerships also ensures that the firms are able to share the risks of failure; thereby reducing their burden. Thus, the partnership of Tim Hortons with Kahala Corp is a great idea, since it links together both Tim Hortons and the Cold Stone Creamery concepts stores in U.S. In this situation, with the benefit of sharing risks of failure; in Kahala Corp, Tim Hortons have a partner who ha s enough knowledge about the U.S market, and how it works. Similarly, Tim Hortons need to ensure that they engage in further partnerships with other firms with the purpose of offering fresh and innovative Tim Hortons products that consumers are able to purchase outside of Tim Hortons stores. This move will evolve their brand image and their competitors will feel increased competitive pressure. Even with the motivation to expand globally, financing will be a tough challenge for Tim Hortons. Financial investments and cash are vital components needed to develop their brand image in other countries; however these investments can also turn out to be extremely risky. For that reason, engaging in partnerships will reduce their financial load and the overall risk. It is also very crucial for Tim Hortons to find vastly reputable and ethical firms to be linked with, since their image will be tied with those firms. Integrated Strategy The expansion of Tim Hortons should happen gradually with a ccuracy and precision. Since they already have a solid market share and leadership position in Canada, they need to form reasonable objectives and not have an enormous anticipation during the course of their global development. The strategy which Tim Hortons needs to follow when entering into China and India is broad differentiation strategy, due to the massive population. Majority of population in these two countries consist of people with low income; though it also holds a growing middle class. Attracting a wide range of customers and buyers would prove much more profitable for Tim Hortons instead of simply appealing to a niche market. So far, this approach has been effective for them in Canada, and it may as well assist them in foreign markets. However, substantial research of their prospective customers’ values, lifestyles and beverage preference must be completed before Tim Hortons enters into these new markets. In order to satisfy majority of the consumers in foreign ma rkets, items offered such as coffee, baked goods, other hot beverages, and meal items need to be redesigned according to consumers’ needs and fondness in the region/country they are living in. For instance, Tim Hortons should stock wide variety of teas and additional milk beverages in India, since majority of the people like to drink tea and other milk based beverages in that country. Moreover, not stocking up on breakfast items will lessen costs, since there isn’t a breakfast eating routine in India. Most people just drink tea there in the morning. Thus, this reduction in costs due to the lack of breakfast items in stock can be shifted to other areas.

FINAL PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

FINAL PAPER - Essay Example ating phenomenon to mankind, the very essence of our existence and the ability for an individual to ponder reflectively on his/her life has been a puzzle to all generations, the problems of identity exist because we exist, on the same concept, the problems emanate from our natural awareness and inquisitiveness, firstly, our identity is directly attached to our personhood, but the question arises, what is a person? The answer most probably must mention some several key activities like locomotion and reproduction, Locke argued that a person is an organism that possess mental capability, Descartes, in his famous quote, I think, therefore I am also directly mentions the faculty of thought, but the challenge arises when we cannot prove whether other ‘things’ have similar capabilities as we do, for example cattle that possess locomotive and reproduction abilities, another question ensues with this issue in that we must wonder- do these other ‘things’ think as we do? And if they do, do they possess an identity as we do. Computers are capable of doing analytical tasks at a speed faster than an individual-so, does it think? So with such matters, it is not a simple task to draw a line between a person and a non person. Besides, it is a reasonable question to ask oneself, when does one become a person, and what would cause him to cease to be? If a person is an organism that possesses mental capability, where do we classify the lunatic or a fetus? No wonder there have been very controversial debates on abortion as some perceive a fetus as a non person while others perceive a fetus as a living organism. The debate further boils to when does life (person) begin, at birth or during conception? Personhood therefore can be clearly defined especially after considering other intelligent animals and automated robots and that are capable of imitating almost everything that we can do, unless we accept the common definition that a person is a human being. This definition

Stereotypical Interaction Styles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Stereotypical Interaction Styles - Assignment Example â€Å"They† referred to the judges in High Court mentioned in the preceding sentence while â€Å"he† referred to Hamza. By using passive/active sentences and idiomatic expressions, the writer was able to clearly tell the events that took place. These also gave the story a more detailed description of what happened. Even if the event revolved around capturing a terrorist and a legal battle for Hamza, the expressions and words in the article were easy enough to understand by civilians. The linguistic choices the writer used were only appropriate for readers of a newspaper, mostly civilians, which is the type of publication the article appeared in. With his linguistic choices, the writer was able to give a clear picture of how terrorism is viewed as a serious social problem. In fact, the reaction to a possible terrorist threat is so great that Hamza was ordered to leave the country. Moreover, the writer was able to show that even if the problem is a social one, the justice system will be tapped to handle the situation thereby involving the political arena. For Lines 2/3, the overlap is inadvertent. It can be deemed from studying the first couple of lines that Line 2 is an explanation of Line 1. Also, Speaker A ended his first statement with the phrase â€Å"you know†. So, upon hearing the phrase again, Speaker B assumed that Speaker A was finished sharing information. For Lines 4/5, the overlap violates turn-taking rules. Line 5 can be considered an interruption by Speaker A. An analysis of Line 4 will show that ending the statement with the word ‘everything’ would not relay the real meaning of Speaker B’s message. Moreover, Line 5 does not really respond to the meaning of Line 4 if Speaker B was not interrupted.

kiss the sky :: essays research papers

Ten people sit, waiting to embark On a journey to a place called Jurassic Park. They sit impatient, they can’t wait to leave Too see something none of them have ever seen. They’ve seen it in movies and on TV But never in real life like they are about to see. Although it will be exciting to be there, It’s as well a dangerous atmosphere; For they all tried to run when they heard the roar But they all got eaten by a dinosaur. So all we know is who they were; Nothing from after or from before But I will tell you what I can guess About all these people, I’ll do my best. There was a man who played on the stage And for each film he made, earned a hefty wage. He was an actor in huge demand Any sum of money would be placed in his hand. He could make you think he was anyone He could even convince his father he wasn’t his son. Although in his head he wasn’t too bright His personality was more than all right. The other nine like him, and that’s no surprise He was especially easy on the eyes. The man who with the actor bonded best Was a man with a million dollar wrist. On the cover of every sports magazine And being him was every boy’s dream. He was a bit short-tempered, but liked to joke They all thought he was funny, even the old folks. Although he could play many sports He was also a gentleman of many sorts. He was quite a charmer, pure to the core No girl could ever ask for anything more. Next on the list was a man who sang And when he did, on every word you would hang. For he could set the mood of any situation And make something small into a big sensation. Although he was not much to look at His words were rich like butter is fat. He was a college man but not very bright He never studied during the day, but he sang at night. He was rather shy and kept to himself Until he was on stage, then his songs he would belt. Then there was a man with utmost control Boss of the country was his role. Every decision was of his own He could change anything by making a call on the phone. But that’s okay, he was quite trusted And so neat about everything, even his ironing board was dusted. Everything he wore looked brand new It’s like everything he wore, he had two. He had great posture, even when he sat He stepped very lightly, just like a cat.