Sexual Harassment Paper Essay Example for Free

Sexual Harassment Paper Essay Define sexual harassment as the term is used legally. â€Å"Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that tends to create a hostile or offensive work environment.† (sexual harassment. (n.d.) Wests Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. (2008). Sexual harassment comes in several different forms from words to touching to gestures something that is present from one person to another person sexually that is not wanted by the other person. This normally makes one person feel uncomfortable in the workplace causing an employee to not feel comfortable at work which all employees have the right to feel comfortable and safe in the workplace. Explain how sexual harassment differs from gender discrimination. Sexual harassment is the act of sexual advances from one person or group of people to another person or group of people whereas gender discrimination is when a person is not afforded the same opportunities as another solely based on the gender male or female. Gender discrimination is unlawful and protected under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, â€Å"It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer -(1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or† (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 SEC. 2000e-2. [Section 703]) Provide the legal definition of quid pro quo (also known as vicarious liability) sexual harassment. Provide one example of a behavior which could be found to be quid pro quo sexual harassment. According to The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, â€Å"EEOCs Guidelines define two kinds of sexual harassment: quid pro quo, in which submission to or rejection of [unwelcome sexual] conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual,( The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission N-915.048 1/12/90) An example of this would be when a person sexually harassment another employee but the employee that is  receiving the sexual harassment does not do anything about it when they allow this to happen where as another employee would not allow and this employee is then promoted to a better position due to allowing the sexual harassment to go on this person was granted special rewards for allowing the sexual harassment or even acting on the sexual harassment to be promoted, this can also work the opposite way as well say the employee that was sexually harassed file a complaint confronts the person doing the sexual harassment then this person is not promoted or given a raise that is due based on them not allowing the sexual harassment to continue. Provide the legal definition of hostile environment sexual harassment. Provide one example of a behavior which could be found to be hostile environment sexual harassment. The 2nd kind of sexual harassment defines by The U.S. Equal Employment Op portunity Commission is hostile environment, in which unwelcome sexual conduct unreasonably interfer[es] with an individuals job performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. ,( The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission N-915.048 1/12/90) In the hostile environment the person receiving the sexual harassment feels they must allow this to continue and/or comply with the sexual requests all to keep the job they have and/or to continue to receive raises and promotions, even though the employee does not want to do this they have the feeling of pressure and fell they have no other options. List the factors which contribute to a determination of whether behavior is sexual harassment. 1.The victimized employee alleging sexual harassment must be a member of a protected class—that is, a man or a woman. 2.The complaint must be gender related—for example, a female must assert that there would have been no harassment if she were not a woman. 3.The employee must not have consented to the sexual advances or participated in the hostile work environment. 4.The harassment must be based on sex. 5.The conduct complained of must have had a deleterious effect on the employee’s job. 6.The harassment must have occurred during the scope of employment. (Moran 2011 pg 276.). The 1st factors is speaks to the person needs to be in a protected the class the protected classes are man and woman. The 2nd factor needs to show that gender played a factor had the person not been that gender then it would not of been sexual. The 3rd needs to show that the person receiving the ha rassment did not agree to the sexual harassment. The 4th needs to show  that the harassment is sexual in nature. The 5th needs to show that sexual harassment affected the insured job in some way. The 6th will need to show that sexual harassment took play while the insured was employed with the employer. Explain what situations are considered severe or pervasive and why these terms are important. â€Å"se†¢vere adjective \sÉ™-ˈvir\: very bad, serious, or unpleasant : causing a lot of physical pain or suffering : very harsh† (Severe. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com) â€Å"per†¢va†¢sive adjective \pÉ™r-ˈvÄ -siv, -ziv\ : existing in every part of something : spreading to all parts of something† (Pervasive. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com) Some situations that are considered severe and pervasive are touching, joking, commenting, distribution of sexual materials, (Moran 2011) when the items are not warranted and it is asked to stop†¦. Both of these terms are important together to make the determination if the situation meets the minimum to be determined as sexual harassment. Give the main legal reason why every company should have a valid written policy against sexual harassment (besides the fact it is the right thing to do.) The main legal reason is so that it is clearly spelled out in black and white for all employees to see so that at no point can anyone ever say they were not aware of the policy or the rules that guide this policy. The employer needs to put all the steps clearly stated as it rest for the employer to make all attempts that this does not happen. Case Analysis: I have chosen case BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC. v. ELLERTH to discuss here. The facts: Kimberly Ellerth was an employee at Burlington Industries where she was employed for 15 months as a salesperson. Ted Slowik was a mid-level manager over Ellerth with authority to hire and promote with approval from high management. Ellerth alleges that Slowik subjected her to sexual harassment with repeated boorish and offensive remarks with remarks as threats towards less advancement. Ellerth had never reported any incidents prior to filing suit and did receive 1 promotion during her employment as Burlington. The issue: The issues are since it was never reported can Burlington be held liable for something they were not aware of and could Ellerth claim be categorized as quid pro quo harassment and should a claim he vicarious liability or negligence. The decision: It was determined that Ellerth has only a hostile work environment claim as the threats from Slowik were never carried out. An employer is negligent, and therefore subject to liability under  §219(2)(b), if it knew or should have known about sexual harassment and failed to stop it. Negligence sets a minimum standard for Title VII liability; but Ellerth seeks to invoke the more stringent standard of vicarious liability. Section 219(2)(d) makes an employer vicariously liable for sexual harassment by an employee who uses apparent authority (the apparent authority standard), or who was â€Å"aided in accomplishing the tort by the existence of the agency relation† (the aided in the agency relation standard). Given the Court’s explanation that the labels quid pro quo and hostile work environment are not controlling for employer-liability purposes, Ellerth should have an adequate opportunity on remand to prove she has a claim which would result in vicarious liability. Althou gh she has not alleged she suffered a tangible employment action at Slowik’s hands, which would deprive Burlington of the affirmative defense, this is not dispositive. In light of the Court’s decision, Burlington is still subject to vicarious liability for Slowik’s activity, but should have an opportunity to assert and prove the affirmative defense. I {agree or disagree} with the court’s decision because†¦ I agree with the court’s decision due to Ellerth not reporting the incidents. I also agree since no actions were taken by Slowik on the threats made but since I Slowik was n a position of management over others Burlinton does have some responsibility for placing this person in a position of authority. Appendix A good sexual harassment policy will include the following sections, and I have also explained why those sections should be included. A good sexual harassment policy should include the following Statement that shows the employer is trying to combat and prevent sexual harassment from happing in the work place. An explanation of sexual harassment, outline some issues, use explanations, try to paint a clear picture what is wrong. Outline the Employers Responsibilities under This Policy make it clear what the employer will due when this brought up including termination. Outline the steps/process to include mediation, grievances, EEO processes and who can be notified of this issue also list some people in upper management so an employee does not feel they have to tell local management if it involves local management. Demonstrate that it is the employee’s responsibility to reports these event even if they don’t involve them. Provide additional resources regarding sexual harassment and work to reiterate that all actions taken within this policy are confidential. References sexual harassment. (n.d.) Wests Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. (2008). Retrieved February 16 2014 from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/sexual+harassment Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Retrieved February 16 2014 from http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission N-915.048 1/12/90) Retrieved February 6 2014 from http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/sexualfavor.html The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission N-915.048 1/12/90) Retrieved February 6 2014 from http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/sexualfavor.html Employment Law for DeVry University [VitalSouce bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://devry.vitalsource.com/books/9781256431671/id/ch11lev1sec1 Severe. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved February 16, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/severe Pervasive. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved February 16, 2014, from http://www.merria m-webster.com/dictionary/pervasive

Sexual Harassment Paper Essay Example for Free

Sexual Harassment Paper Essay Define sexual harassment as the term is used legally. â€Å"Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that tends to create a hostile or offensive work environment.† (sexual harassment. (n.d.) Wests Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. (2008). Sexual harassment comes in several different forms from words to touching to gestures something that is present from one person to another person sexually that is not wanted by the other person. This normally makes one person feel uncomfortable in the workplace causing an employee to not feel comfortable at work which all employees have the right to feel comfortable and safe in the workplace. Explain how sexual harassment differs from gender discrimination. Sexual harassment is the act of sexual advances from one person or group of people to another person or group of people whereas gender discrimination is when a person is not afforded the same opportunities as another solely based on the gender male or female. Gender discrimination is unlawful and protected under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, â€Å"It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer -(1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or† (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 SEC. 2000e-2. [Section 703]) Provide the legal definition of quid pro quo (also known as vicarious liability) sexual harassment. Provide one example of a behavior which could be found to be quid pro quo sexual harassment. According to The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, â€Å"EEOCs Guidelines define two kinds of sexual harassment: quid pro quo, in which submission to or rejection of [unwelcome sexual] conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual,( The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission N-915.048 1/12/90) An example of this would be when a person sexually harassment another employee but the employee that is  receiving the sexual harassment does not do anything about it when they allow this to happen where as another employee would not allow and this employee is then promoted to a better position due to allowing the sexual harassment to go on this person was granted special rewards for allowing the sexual harassment or even acting on the sexual harassment to be promoted, this can also work the opposite way as well say the employee that was sexually harassed file a complaint confronts the person doing the sexual harassment then this person is not promoted or given a raise that is due based on them not allowing the sexual harassment to continue. Provide the legal definition of hostile environment sexual harassment. Provide one example of a behavior which could be found to be hostile environment sexual harassment. The 2nd kind of sexual harassment defines by The U.S. Equal Employment Op portunity Commission is hostile environment, in which unwelcome sexual conduct unreasonably interfer[es] with an individuals job performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. ,( The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission N-915.048 1/12/90) In the hostile environment the person receiving the sexual harassment feels they must allow this to continue and/or comply with the sexual requests all to keep the job they have and/or to continue to receive raises and promotions, even though the employee does not want to do this they have the feeling of pressure and fell they have no other options. List the factors which contribute to a determination of whether behavior is sexual harassment. 1.The victimized employee alleging sexual harassment must be a member of a protected class—that is, a man or a woman. 2.The complaint must be gender related—for example, a female must assert that there would have been no harassment if she were not a woman. 3.The employee must not have consented to the sexual advances or participated in the hostile work environment. 4.The harassment must be based on sex. 5.The conduct complained of must have had a deleterious effect on the employee’s job. 6.The harassment must have occurred during the scope of employment. (Moran 2011 pg 276.). The 1st factors is speaks to the person needs to be in a protected the class the protected classes are man and woman. The 2nd factor needs to show that gender played a factor had the person not been that gender then it would not of been sexual. The 3rd needs to show that the person receiving the ha rassment did not agree to the sexual harassment. The 4th needs to show  that the harassment is sexual in nature. The 5th needs to show that sexual harassment affected the insured job in some way. The 6th will need to show that sexual harassment took play while the insured was employed with the employer. Explain what situations are considered severe or pervasive and why these terms are important. â€Å"se†¢vere adjective \sÉ™-ˈvir\: very bad, serious, or unpleasant : causing a lot of physical pain or suffering : very harsh† (Severe. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com) â€Å"per†¢va†¢sive adjective \pÉ™r-ˈvÄ -siv, -ziv\ : existing in every part of something : spreading to all parts of something† (Pervasive. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com) Some situations that are considered severe and pervasive are touching, joking, commenting, distribution of sexual materials, (Moran 2011) when the items are not warranted and it is asked to stop†¦. Both of these terms are important together to make the determination if the situation meets the minimum to be determined as sexual harassment. Give the main legal reason why every company should have a valid written policy against sexual harassment (besides the fact it is the right thing to do.) The main legal reason is so that it is clearly spelled out in black and white for all employees to see so that at no point can anyone ever say they were not aware of the policy or the rules that guide this policy. The employer needs to put all the steps clearly stated as it rest for the employer to make all attempts that this does not happen. Case Analysis: I have chosen case BURLINGTON INDUSTRIES, INC. v. ELLERTH to discuss here. The facts: Kimberly Ellerth was an employee at Burlington Industries where she was employed for 15 months as a salesperson. Ted Slowik was a mid-level manager over Ellerth with authority to hire and promote with approval from high management. Ellerth alleges that Slowik subjected her to sexual harassment with repeated boorish and offensive remarks with remarks as threats towards less advancement. Ellerth had never reported any incidents prior to filing suit and did receive 1 promotion during her employment as Burlington. The issue: The issues are since it was never reported can Burlington be held liable for something they were not aware of and could Ellerth claim be categorized as quid pro quo harassment and should a claim he vicarious liability or negligence. The decision: It was determined that Ellerth has only a hostile work environment claim as the threats from Slowik were never carried out. An employer is negligent, and therefore subject to liability under  §219(2)(b), if it knew or should have known about sexual harassment and failed to stop it. Negligence sets a minimum standard for Title VII liability; but Ellerth seeks to invoke the more stringent standard of vicarious liability. Section 219(2)(d) makes an employer vicariously liable for sexual harassment by an employee who uses apparent authority (the apparent authority standard), or who was â€Å"aided in accomplishing the tort by the existence of the agency relation† (the aided in the agency relation standard). Given the Court’s explanation that the labels quid pro quo and hostile work environment are not controlling for employer-liability purposes, Ellerth should have an adequate opportunity on remand to prove she has a claim which would result in vicarious liability. Althou gh she has not alleged she suffered a tangible employment action at Slowik’s hands, which would deprive Burlington of the affirmative defense, this is not dispositive. In light of the Court’s decision, Burlington is still subject to vicarious liability for Slowik’s activity, but should have an opportunity to assert and prove the affirmative defense. I {agree or disagree} with the court’s decision because†¦ I agree with the court’s decision due to Ellerth not reporting the incidents. I also agree since no actions were taken by Slowik on the threats made but since I Slowik was n a position of management over others Burlinton does have some responsibility for placing this person in a position of authority. Appendix A good sexual harassment policy will include the following sections, and I have also explained why those sections should be included. A good sexual harassment policy should include the following Statement that shows the employer is trying to combat and prevent sexual harassment from happing in the work place. An explanation of sexual harassment, outline some issues, use explanations, try to paint a clear picture what is wrong. Outline the Employers Responsibilities under This Policy make it clear what the employer will due when this brought up including termination. Outline the steps/process to include mediation, grievances, EEO processes and who can be notified of this issue also list some people in upper management so an employee does not feel they have to tell local management if it involves local management. Demonstrate that it is the employee’s responsibility to reports these event even if they don’t involve them. Provide additional resources regarding sexual harassment and work to reiterate that all actions taken within this policy are confidential. References sexual harassment. (n.d.) Wests Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. (2008). Retrieved February 16 2014 from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/sexual+harassment Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Retrieved February 16 2014 from http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission N-915.048 1/12/90) Retrieved February 6 2014 from http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/sexualfavor.html The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission N-915.048 1/12/90) Retrieved February 6 2014 from http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/sexualfavor.html Employment Law for DeVry University [VitalSouce bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://devry.vitalsource.com/books/9781256431671/id/ch11lev1sec1 Severe. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved February 16, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/severe Pervasive. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved February 16, 2014, from http://www.merria m-webster.com/dictionary/pervasive

The importance of geometry

The importance of geometry This chapter includes the importance of geometry and the importance of learning how to solve traditional word problems by students in school mathematics. The concerns of mathematics education stakeholders about word problem solving based on national and international assessments and the suggestions provided by researchers and educators to improve students performance when solving word problems are also reviewed. The theories and empirical studies that focus on comprehension, representation, and solution of word problems are summarized. Although using mathematics, and in particular geometry, to model situations from work places has been part of education for centuries, the review of the literature starts with the beginning of the late nineteenth century, with the exception of Renà © Descartes (1596-1650) doctrine of problem solving (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1983). The review includes recommendations from important publications that inform mathematics education. Research-based theoretical and conceptual frameworks that support the solution process of mathematics word problems are used to develop a research hypothesis for examination in this study. Problem Solving and Solving Word Problems Some mathematics educators and researchers believe that a problem lies as an obstruction between two ends, the problem and the solution, without any clearly defined ways to traverse (Brownell, 1942; Mayer, 1985; Polya, 1980). This definition may also be applied to word problems because many researchers include math word problems in problem solving research (Kilpatrick, 1985). The logic behind this definition can be traced back to Renà © Descartes (1596-1650) philosophy which suggests that method is necessary to uncover the truth of nature. The following excerpt from Encyclopedia Britannica (1983) on Descartes Discourse on Method is worth mentioning as part of his doctrine of problem solving  [1]  [The Discourse] is a philosophical classic. [It] hides the fundamental assertion that the human mind is basically sound and the only means of attaining truth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ never to accept anything as true which I [you] did not clearly and distinctly see to be so. Descartes thus implies the rejection of all accepted ideas and opinions, the determination to doubt until convinced of the contrary by self-evident facts. The second rule is an instruction to analyze the problem to be solved. Once cleared of its prejudices, the mind, using the example set by mathematicians, must divide each of the difficulties under e xamination into as many parts as possible; that is, discover what is relevant to the problem and reduce it as far as possible to its simplest data. The third rule is to conduct my thoughts in order, beginning with objects that are the simplest and easiest to know and so proceed, gradually, to knowledge of the more complex. The fourth rule is a warning to recapitulate the chains of reasoning to be certain that there are no omissions. These simple rules are not to be considered a mere automatic formula; they are to be regarded as a mental discipline, based on the example of mathematical practice. (p. 600) Schoenfeld (1987) summarized the four phases of Descartes problem solving plan. The idea in phase I is to reduce an algebra problem to a single variable equation for solving. Phase II suggests reducing a mathematics problem to an algebra problem and solving it according to phase I. In phase III, any problem situation is converted to a mathematics problem by mathematizing. In phase IV , the problem is then solved using the ideas in phase I and II. In two of his many rules (rules XIV and XV), Descartes suggested the drawing of diagrams as an aid to solving problems (pp. 29-36). It is noted from the above excerpt of Descartes problem solving process that a problem should be broken down to its parts before attempting to solve it. Each part should also be understood separately. For example, a word problem can usually be solved if one can understand the words (vocabulary), their meaning, their interconnection, the objects they represent, and the relevance of those objects in the problem. Solving a word problem is also sometimes referred to as problem solving. According to Branca (1987), problem solving is an alternative meaning of applying mathematics to different circumstances (p. 72). That means if a situation is explained in words, or in a word problem, then applying mathematics as a tool to solve that problem situation may be treated as problem solving. Also, Brow n, Cronin, and McEntire (1994) stated that assessment on word problems has different names, including math reasoning, problem solving, word problems, as well as story problems (p. 32). Although word problems have been extensively used in problem solving research, the similarity and differences between word problems and problem solving should be clarified. A word problem is also a problem to solve, according to the definitions previously mentioned. Many educators think solving word problems require the problem solving skills. For this dissertation, word problems will refer to problems of the type that appear in standardized assessments and tests such as the NAEP, the New Jersey HSPA, the SAT, and the ACT. They are not problems related to everyday human life without unstated facts where students have to wander, collect facts for mathematizing the situation before solving them. The problems in this study can be attempted using general heuristics (Polya, 1945; Schoenfeld, 1985), as well as through the application of Descartes problem solving principle and other methods based on Descartes philosophy. According to Kilpatrick (1987), in recent years, some researchers in mathematics education have used problems with increasing level of difficulty and learning opportunity that require the novel combination of rules and reasoning. A few similar problems were used in this research. (See Appendix K for sample problems) However, these problems are infrequently found outside of tests or class assignments. Solving Word Problems: A Goal of Mathematics Education Learning to solve problems is the principal reason of studying mathematics (National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, 1977, p. 2). The NCTM (Krulik Reys, 1980) also suggested that problem solving be regarded as the major goal of learning school mathematics from 1980 to 1989 and repeated that recommendation more recently (NCTM, 2000). Mathematics accomplishment of students, which includes problem solving, became a major concern in the U. S. with the release of A Nation at Risk (U. S. Department of Education, 1983). This publication recommended focusing on the teaching of geometric and algebraic concepts and real-life importance of mathematics in solving problems. The low word problem solving ability of U.S. students of 9, 13, and 17 years of age was verified by the first data from the NAEP conducted in 1973. While analyzing the results of that assessment, Carpenter, Coburn, Reys, and Wilson (1976) concluded: It is most disturbing to ascertain the suggestion that many students receive very little opportunity to learn to solve world problems. The assessment results are so poor, however, that we wonder whether this is not the case. A commitment to working and thinking about word problems is needed for teachers and their students. (p. 392) Table 2.1 shows the scale scores of NAEP on mathematics obtained by U.S. students in grades 4, 8, and 12, on a 0 to 500 scale, from 1990 to 2007. Table 2.2 s hows the percent of different types of word problems correctly answered by the students in grades 8 and 12. According to Braswell et al. (2001), the achievement levels of 249, 299, and 336 are considered proficient levels for fourth-, eighth-, and 12th-grade students, respectively. Table 2.1 indicates very small improvements in the NAEP test scores for fourth-grade and eighth-grade students over the span of 17 years (1990 to 2007). However, these scores are below the suggested proficiency levels. It may be noted from Tables 2.1 and 2.2 that improvement, either in overall performance or in word problem solving skills for all participating U.S. students, is trivial. Also the scores that hover around 230 for grade 4, 275 for grade 8, and 300 for grade 12 on a 0 to 500 scale are too low. Of particular concern is an average of only 4% correctly answered questions for the years 1990 to 2000 (Table 2.2) by U.S. grade 12 students on volume and surface area related problems. International as sessments such as the FIMS in 1965, the SIMS in 1982, the PISA in 2003 and 2007, and the TIMSS in 1995 and 2003 further attested U.S. students poor problem solving skills and highlighted their low mathematical achievement in comparison to students from other participating countries. The FIMS and SIMS conducted mathematics assessment of 13year-old students and high school seniors (National Council of Educational Statistics, 1992). According to the NCTM (2004), the PISA measures the numerical skills and problem solving aptitude of 15-year-old students on a scale of 0 to 500whereas the TIMSS measures fourth and eighth grade students ability on concepts on a scale of 0 to 1000. The NCTM also reported that the NAEP, TIMSS, and PISA, which are low-stakes tests, generate group performance results of students. High-stakes tests, like New Jerseys HSPA or other state mandated tests, as well as the SAT and ACT, focus on the performance of individual students. Of the three assessments, NAEP, TI MSS, and PISA, TIMSS and NAEP have the most in common in terms of mathematical concepts and cognitive necessity (NCTM). The findings from the mathematics results of the PISA of 2000 and 2003 reported by Lemke et al. (2004) indicated that U. S. performance in algebra and geometry was lower than two-third of the participating OECD countries. Even the top 10% of the participants in the U.S. were outperformed by more than half of their OECD counterparts in solving problems. The then U.S. Education Secretary emphasized the need to reform high schools on top priority basis (U.S. Department of Education, 2005). The latest PISA (2007) results indicated that the mathematical accomplishment of U.S students is lower than the international average. According to TIMSS (2003), U.S. students of fourth and eighth grades scored on average 518 and 504, respectively in mathematics. These scores were higher than the average score of 495 of the fourth-grade students in the 25 participating countries and the average score of 466 of the eighth-grade students in the 45 participating countries. However, these scores were lower than the 4 Asian countries and 7 European countries for fourth grade and lower than the 5 Asian countries and 4 European countries for eighth grade. Although the average score of U.S. eighth-grade students improved by only 12 points from 492 in 1995 to 504 in 2003, there was no change reported by TIMSS in their score from 1999 to 2003. Overall, these scores on a scale from 0 to 1000 indicate that students in grades four and eight in the U.S. only achieved about 50% mastery of the concepts tested. National (NAEP, 2007) and international (FIMS, 1965; SIMS, 1982; TIMSS, 1995, 1999, 2003) assessments indicate that student achievement in mathematics remains a major educational concern. Those assessments use multiple choice, short-response, and open-ended word problems which are similar to those on the New Jersey HSPA, SAT, and ACT. Since students mathematical skills are measured using one or more of the above assessments, learning to solve word problems must be considered a major goal of mathematics education and a major component of assessing student achievement in mathematics. Further, learning to solve word problems related to real-life situations using mathematical concepts also helps students to be successful at work and in their lives. Geometry as a Cornerstone of Mathematics-History of Problem Solving and Geometry In ancient India, the rudiments of Geometry, called Rekha-Ganita, were formulated and applied to solve architectural problems for building temple motifs (Srivathsa, Narasimhan, Saà ¡Ã‚ ¹Ã†â€™sat 2003, p. 218). The 4000 years old mathematics that emerged in India during The Indus Civilization (2500 BC-1700 BC) proposed for the first time, the ideas of zero, algebra, and finding square and cube roots in Indian Vedic literature (Birodhkar, 1997; OConnor Robertson, 2000; Singh, 2004). The significance of studying geometry is evi dent from the past mathematical records. The book, A History of Mathematics (Suzuki, 2002) provides the mathematical innovations made by the most brilliant mathematicians from ancient times until the 20th century. Some of the mathematical developments presented in this book that are related to problem solving and geometry are discussed next. According to Suzuki (2002), the ancient Egyptians (3000 B.C.) demonstrated their skills in solving word problems by an Egyptian scribe on the mathematical papyri using the concepts of linear and nonlinear equations without any mathematical notations. That is, every problem solved by an Egyptian scribe was a word problem (p. 13). In order to redraw property lines after the yearly flooding of the Nile, the Egyptians developed realistic geometry related geometric figures, but not their abstract properties. Also, their geometry is filled with problems relating to pyramids (p. 16). The Babylonians (1700 B.C.) also routinely solved more complicated an d complex problems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ entirely verbally (Suzuki, 2002, p. 28) without any system of mathematical notations. Their ways of solving interest relate problems show their advanced mathematical skills. According to Suzuki, the Babylonians also developed methods for calculating the area of triangles, trapezoids and other polygons. Before Pythagoras (580-500 B.C.), the Pythagorean Theorem was well known to the Babylonians (p. 31). The development of pre-Euclidean geometry goes back to the age of Plato (427-347 B.C.). It is said that the entrance plaque to Platos school in Athens read, Let No One Unversed In Geometry Come Under My Roof (Suzuki, 2002, p. 74). According to Suzuki, Plato had probably discovered the word mathematics from the mathema, meaning the three liberal arts, arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy (p. 74). Later, Euclid (300 B.C.), who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, wrote the Elements, a conglomeration of 300 years of Greek geometrical development. The Elements was so important for the next two thousand years of mathematics that Euclidean geometry became an essential part of learning mathematics until it faced the first serious mathematical challenges (p. 86) in the 19th century. The significance of understanding geometry for high school students has been a part of recommendations of the committees on mathematics education in the U.S. since 1894 (Commission on Mathematics, 1959; National Education Association, 1894, National Committee on Mathematical Requirements, 1923; Progressive Education Association (PEA) Committee and the Joint Commission, 1940; The National Committee of Fifteen, 1912). An account of these committees reports may be found in the 1970 yearbook of the NCTM, A History of Mathematics Education in the United States and Canada. A brief of the recommendations of these committees are presented below. The first national group of experts that addressed mathematics education was the subcommittee on mathematics of the Committee of Ten (National Education Association, 1894). They considered the goals and curriculum for mathematics education and recommended preparatory work on algebra and geometry in the upper elementary school curriculum. On demonstrative geometry, the committee stressed on the importance of elegance and finish in geometrical demonstration (p. 25). About demonstrative geometry, the committee further stated, there is no student whom it will not brighten and strengthen intellectually as few other exercises can (p. 116). This suggests all mathematics teachers engage their students in using the geometric concepts to visualize their surroundings and to geometrically demonstrate what they visualize. The final report of The National Committee of Fifteen on the Geometry Syllabus (National Education Association, 1912) recommended using realistic approaches to exercises in mathematics instruction. Eleven years later, its final report, The Reorganization of Mathematics in Secondary Education (The National C ommittee on Mathematical Requirements, 1923) also stressed the importance of the studying geometry. The commission advocated that the course of study in mathematics during the seventh, eighth, and ninth years contain the fundamental notions of arithmetic, of algebra, of intuitive geometry, of numerical trigonometry, and at least an introduction to demonstrative geometry (p. 1). One of the practical aims of this ecommendation was to encourage familiarity with geometric forms common in nature and life, as well as the elementary properties and relations of these forms, including their measurement, the development of space-perception, and the exercise of spatial imagination.

Muslim Attitudes to Marriage and Family Life :: Papers, Religion, Culture

Muslim Attitudes to Marriage and Family Life Works Cited Missing In Islam, marriage is a partnership. Muslim women accept only Allah as their master, and do not therefore consider themselves to be inferior to a husband. It is basic in Muslim society that the man is responsible for the family's welfare and business outside the home, but the woman has virtually absolute rights within it so long as her behaviour does not shame her provider or husband. No institution works well without a clear leader, and therefore there should be one in every family. Most Muslim women are quite happy for this leader to be the man. If the man is not worth respecting, divorce is a straightforward matter, and the woman may look for a better one. Sometimes the woman in a household is more intelligent or organized or practical than the man, so he will quite sensibly leave most matters to her-but in Islam he is still responsible for her and therefore must take care of her and try to provide for her as much as he could and not just take advantage of her advantage of her. The women usually live with the husband's family but must be treated with the same respect and not considered an outsider. Marriage and family life are considered to be very important in Islam. Traditionally the man's duty is to go out to work to support the family and the woman's duty is to bring up the children and look after the household. The father makes the main decisions whilst the mother is important within the home and must be shown respect by her husband and children. This is seen as the natural order of things and the way Allah intended men and women to live. The man was also considered to be the provider for the family. Muslims believe that their household is an institution founded by God and intended to give a secure atmosphere for the growth and progress of all its members. Anything, which weakens or disrupts it, therefore

Much Ado About Nothing: Love And Marriage Essay -- essays research pap

Even though love and marriage was a major ideal in Shakespearean England, we can get views from Much Ado about Nothing which oppose this idea. From the two main ‘couples’ in this play we can understand their different views on commitment throughout and because of this we as readers and viewers can learn about each relationship separately and watch the thoughts and ideas change throughout the play. From the scene given we can make many assumptions on the Beatrice and Benedick relationship and how it may have grown throughout the previous acts and scenes. We can tell from this small passage that Beatrice and Benedick have a love/hate relationship which may have come from past relationship let downs†¦ Beatrice: indeed my lord, he lent it me awhile, and I gave him use for it, a double heart for his single one. Marry, once before he won it off me with false dice, therefore your grace may well say I have lost it. The two seem to have the same ideas on marriage even though we learn through the play that this is not true, they both know it is important to get married but have different viewpoints on the matter, they both appear to want their individuality. We can see this idea in the passage provided and many other parts of the play†¦ Beatrice: just, if he send me no husband; for the which blessing I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening. Lord, I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face I had rather lie in the woollen†¦ Benedick: the savage bull may; but i...

WAL-MART Essay -- essays research papers

Wal-Mart Is Wal-Mart good for communities, or is Wal-Mart a wolf in sheep's clothing? With a gross annual sales of over $67 billion and more than 2,000 stores, Wal-Mart is one of the biggest corporations in the United States. Wal-Mart opens a new store once every two days in small communities and cities across the United States, however, are these stores good for these communities, or are they wrecking havok? When you look down at the fine print Wal-Mart doesn't earn it's money it steals it money from other businesses. Choking other smaller businesses by offering wider varity of products at a more competitive price. This is actually a very simple business tactic if you want to sell a lot of something cut your profit margin to beat the other competitors and you will sell more. Wal-Mart stole an average of over $10 million in an average sized Iowan Town. You want to beat Wal-Mart keep by keeping it from invading you town and making it a ghost land? Here are some steps that have been victorious in the past as how to keep Wal-Mart out. Quote Wal-Marts officers, they have been known to say very contradictory things for instance: Wal-Mart's founder Sam Walton once said "If some community, for whatever reason, doesn't want us in there, we aren't interested in going in and creating a fuss." or is the VP of Wal-Mart once stated, "'We have so many opportunities for building in communities that want Wal-Marts, it would be foolish of us to pursue construction ...

Growing afraid Essay

Pip describes the afternoon as being â€Å"raw†, which describes the bitterness of the weather, the weather is almost attacking Pip. The graveyard can be described as very old because â€Å"overgrown with nettles† lays a churchyard, which is uncared for and in an instant it could just crumble away. Pip again adds significant words, as he repeats all of the names on the gravestones, â€Å"Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias and Roger† that have died in this harsh place, Pip reads it as if it were a list with so many people there, who have been there for a long period of time. â€Å"Dark, flat, wilderness beyond the churchyard† again explains the lack of community and the Isolation around the area. Dickens personifies wind as the â€Å"wind was rushing†, as if it were â€Å"rushing† to get Pip who was at the time a â€Å"small bundle of shivers† growing afraid. The marshlands had an effect not only on Pip, but the convict also, the convict had been â€Å"smothered in mud and lamed by stones and cut by flints, and stung by nettles and torn by briars†, showing he had escaped for a long time and had spent most of his time hiding in the marshlands. As the convict roughly treats Pip, he tilts him over, gradually down to the floor, he gives Pip a greater â€Å"sense of helplessness and danger† which adds to the atmosphere significantly. Toward the end of the chapter, a sad atmosphere is created, as the convict â€Å"hugged his shuddering body in both arms clasping himself as if to hold himself together†. The convict limps toward the â€Å"low church wall† producing an image of one who is close to death. Pip creates another childish imagination but this one describes the dead rising up â€Å"stretching up cautiously out of their graves†, showing how much fear he had in him at the time. The marshes are depicted as just a â€Å"long black horizontal line† with the sky being â€Å"just like a row of long angry red lines and dense black lines intermixed†, describing the darkness, and anger in Pip’s world. Charles Dickens leaves you with eerie images of death, of a limping man, as if he were a â€Å"pirate come to life and come down and going back to hook himself up again. We are introduced to Miss Havisham first as an â€Å"immensely rich and grim lady†, a notorious woman who lived in a large house that was heavily barricaded against robbers. She is described as living a life of â€Å"seclusion† which leads us to believe that she is isolated, miserable and depressed. Pip describes her as being the â€Å"strangest lady† he had ever seen. She was dressed in rich materials, satins, lace and silks, all that are symbols of wealth. She had a â€Å"long white veil dependent from her hair† which makes us believe that she is a bit odd wearing bridal wear for no apparent reason. Her hair was white which symbolizes that she is quite old. Another symbol of wealth is created because she had some bright jewels sparkling around her neck. Pip states that the â€Å"bride within the bridal dress had withered like the dress† which is another clue to her being quite old. We are given another unhealthy image of Miss Havisham, of her dying, the book reflects this by stating that there was â€Å"no brightness left but the brightness of her sunken eyes† and her figure had â€Å"hung loose† and had â€Å"shrunk to skin and bone†. She states that she had never seen the sun since she was born, this makes the reader feel that she is again isolated and hiding away from life outside. She is also a cold-hearted person, because she says that her heart was broken with an eager look on her face. We learn that she despises adults, and that she acts like a child, the novel portrays this by stating that she has â€Å"sick fancies† and she orders Pip with an â€Å"impatient movement of the hand† to play. When Estella came to play with Pip, Miss Havisham says to Estella that she can break Pips heart, this indicates that Miss Havisham has set out to seek revenge on men, and that is one of the reasons why she brought Pip to her house. There is a sense that life has ceased for Miss Havisham, the book shows this by stating that her silk stocking â€Å"once white, now yellow had been trodden ragged†. Pip says that the frillings and trimmings on her bridal dress looked like â€Å"earthy paper† which describes it as being fragile, like Miss Havisham herself. After Pip had finished playing cards with Estella, Miss Havisham states â€Å"You shall go home soon†, â€Å"Play the game out† this illustrates to the reader that she is depressed and emotionally hurt, and is not to used to the company of others, so she sends him away. She had an appearance of â€Å"dropped body and soul, within and without, under the weight of a crushing blow† which leads us to believe that the marriage which didn’t take place, has caused her to drop her body and drop her soul. Miss Havisham once again thinks highly of herself, acting as if she owns Pip, she expresses this by stating â€Å"When shall I have you here again? â€Å". We also learn that she is a misguided woman because she says she doesn’t know anything about the days of the week, or the weeks of the year. We first learn that Estella is selfish and speaks in an scornful manner to anyone she isn’t familiar with, the evidence of this is that after Pip politely said that she could go in first, she replied by saying â€Å"Don’t be ridiculous boy; I am not going in† and she also left Pip in the dark by taking the candle with her. When Pip called her name out to play with him, she didn’t come straight away, she took her time, deliberately trying to be awkward. When Miss Havisham tried the jewel on Estella, she obviously had intentions for her to get married. Estella thinks she is better than Pip, the evidence of this is that when she was ordered by Miss Havisham to play with Pip, she replied â€Å"With this boy! Why he is a common labouring boy! â€Å". When Estella asked Pip what games he played, she asked it in the â€Å"greatest disdain† which makes us believe she is strict and again scornful and looks down on lower classes. Estella is used as a weapon, a heartbreaker by Miss Havisham, who as we know wants to treat men as she was treated, Miss havisham illustrates this by stating â€Å"beggar him† to Estella. Estella has no respect for Pip and thinks highly of herself and no one else, the evidence of this is that she says, â€Å"he calls the knaves, jacks this boy! † and â€Å"what coarse hands he has†. This leaves an effect on Pip as he becomes ashamed of his hands. She was watching Pip creating tension, trying to make him do wrong, so that she could insult him more on his faults. Pip tells us this by stating â€Å"she was lying in wait for me to do wrong; and she denounced me for a stupid, clumsy labouring boy† As Pip was whispering to Miss Havisham, even though she wasn’t saying anything, Estella was making Pip say nice things about her with her eyes, the evidence of this is that she was looking at Pip with look of â€Å"supreme aversion†. As the game between Pip and Estella finished, Estella threw all of the cards down as if she â€Å"despised† them for having been won of Pip, this shows that Estella is spiteful, treats Pip disdainfully and she is very proud. Estella was to told feed Pip, so she put the food down on the ground without looking at Pip as if Pip was a â€Å"dog in disgrace†, this shows that Estella again thinks Pip as being lower class and she has contempt for Pip. Estella had made Pip cry, she looked at him with quick delight as being the cause of the tears, this proves she has no feelings and is satisfied for making him cry, this makes her not a likeable character at all. The first Impressions of Miss Havisham`s house is that it is a huge house filled with mystery, â€Å"dismal house, barricaded against robbers† which reflects the owner’s feelings. The house can furthermore be described as bleak and nervous for anyone who approaches it, with its â€Å"great front entrance† having two chains across it. It is a dark, gloomy place, with a sense of bad experiences. The text tells us this by stating, â€Å"the passages were all dark†¦ and still it was dark, and only the candle lighted us†. Miss Havisham`s room was also dark, she obviously prefers darkness, and all of the candles represent the light in the room, the evidence of this is that â€Å"a pretty large room, well lighted with candles† and â€Å"no glimpse of daylight was to be seen in it†. There is a sense of chaos in the room as everything is untidy, dresses and half-packed trunks were scattered about also Miss Havisham only had one shoe on. Everything was left as it was years ago, â€Å"all confusedly heaped about the looking glass†. Pip relates Miss Havisham to a waxwork he had once seen, with her skin sallow. He also makes a reference to death by describing a skeleton in the ashes of a rich dress. Miss Havisham is almost a ghost in her own house, the evidence of this is that â€Å"waxwork and skeleton seemed to have dark eyes that moved†. All of the watches and clocks in her room had stopped at twenty minutes to nine, which is deliberate and could be linked with her marriage that didn’t take place. Pip is made to feel vulnerable, he has no choice but to do what Miss Havisham says, this is because he had the â€Å"desperate idea of starting round the room† meaning that he had to embarrass himself in front of Miss Havisham. She asked Pip if he was sullen and obstinate, he is obviously very misunderstood. Miss Havisham becomes frustrated with him and pitiful for him, the book expresses this by stating â€Å"So new to him† â€Å"So old to me† â€Å"So melancholy to both of us! † Miss Havisham again makes Pip feel discomfort as he is made to shout out â€Å"Estella† in a dark and â€Å"mysterious passage of an un-known house† again he is made to embarrass himself. Another sense that life has seized for Miss Havisham is that there are â€Å"pale, decayed objects† which also creates a deathly and unsettling atmosphere. Pip also describes her clothes as â€Å"grave-clothes† and her â€Å"long veil looking like a shroud† both of which are linked with a corpse. As Pip leaves Miss Havisham`s house, he states that the â€Å"rush of daylight† quite confounded him, this is another clue that the house is a very dark place. Toward the end of the chapter, we feel pity for Pip, because Estella treats him so badly, but he is strong because he refuses to cry in the presence of her, even though his feelings are â€Å"bitter†. This also shows that he wishes he had come from a family who were more of an upper class, than the family he was brought up with, because then maybe Estella would have treated him better.