Mobile phones Essay

In this innovative quick world, obviously, cell phones turned into an inescapable piece of everybody’s existence with no age limit. Despite the fact that, it has loads of benefits, in my perspective, the extreme utilization of cell phones among kids might be disheartened as a result of its antagonistic effects on them. In any case, cell phones have various advantages. By and by, it isn't only a basic gadget, which permits a simple availability between individuals. It is supporting various different projects, for example, mini-computers, morning timers, voice recorder, etc. these projects help their scholastic exhibitions, in the event that they use it astutely. For example, morning timers in cell phones are helpful for them to woke up promptly toward the beginning of the day or modify the time span to compose an exposition. The simple openness of guardians and companions make them agreeable and empower them to meet any crisis or sudden conditions. Guardians additionally will be greatly loose, as they probably am aware their kids are sheltered. Then again, these brilliant gadgets have negative sides too. Above all, the radiations from these gadgets are unsafe for their creating minds. Investigates demonstrated that, these radiations may prompt malignant growths. The pulverization of studies is another matter of concern. The games in the cell phones make augmentations to kids. Talking and telephonic discussions with unknown individuals may bring about unconquerable effects on their young personalities. These contacts may humor them in awful organization and mafia particularly medication and sex, ruin their future. Besides, simple availability to web draws in them to undesirable sites and their complete character may change. Furthermore, youngsters can easily swindle their folks by persuading a bogus. To show, on the off chance that they are getting a charge out of a TV program at his companions home, they can make to accept their folks that they are en route to their educational cost class. To finish up, cell phones are useful gadgets, on the off chance that we use it reasonably. Kids, as they are not full grown to deal with it adequately, it might leave exceptional drawbacks on them. Subsequently, I accept that cell phones are not great for youngsters, particularly on the off chance that it is utilized uncontrolled without appropriate direction and time limit.

Playstation 4 vs Xbox One

The year 2013 denoted the new time of computer game consoles. Sony and Microsoft, two heavyweight diversion organizations that are both battling for the title of the best support. In one corner you have Sony’s Playstation 4 and in the different sits Microsoft’s Xbox one. Both of these are cutting edge comforts that utilization the most recent advances to give the gamer a superior vibe for the game that the person in question plays. Both of these consoles are comparative in an assortment of ways be that as it may, for the likenesses that they share they additionally contain numerous distinctions. Sony’s Playstation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox one are both two ground-breaking comforts be that as it may, are totally not the same as one another before I can one I have to analyze the two. The Playstation 4’s support configuration is like the its ancestor outwardly wearing a comparative smooth plan conspire yet, this is the place the closeness closes. The ps4 utilizes a semi specially quickened preparing unit that joins a focal handling unit and designs preparing unit across the board chip. This chip is utilized to intensify the intensity of the reproduction and designs on the support. The reassure additionally holds a few chips that aid its performing multiple tasks capacity and can be used even while the framework is in rest mode. The ps4 houses an extraordinary sound chip that can be utilized to help in game talk capacity among different players and supports in game mp3 spilling. The support accompanies 8 gigabytes of GDDR memory and a transfer speed of 176 gigabytes every subsequent which is multiple times the sum the ps3 had. The ps4 will contain a bluray circle drive that peruses plates at 6x CAV for a read speed of 27 megabytes per second. The ps4 flaunts a monstrous 500 gb pre-introduced memory that can be adjusted with the goal that client can include more at whatever point the individual in question wishes. Like the remainder of the most recent gaming supports the PS4 will have remote availability; an Ethernet port will likewise be coordinated into the framework to for wired associations. The playstation 4 is additionally Bluetooth good. The ps4 will bolster HDMI links perceiving up to 1080p isually. The framework will likewise come packaged with a mono stero headset and a fringe movement identification gadget, The Playstation Camera. This year’s model of the Playstation will stamp the introduction of an extreme change to double stun controller, the DualShock 4. The DualShock 4, being the most recent in the arrangement of controllers is well further developed than the past three. The rudiments of the controller haven’t changed a lot throughout the years other than the expansion of new fastens, capacities and abilities. The Dual Shock 4 accompanies a touchscreen cushion on the back, an offer catch that will permit client to transfer recordings of their own interactivity encounters, a little inherent mono speaker, and a lightbar that changes shading to show which player is which and can be utilized by the ps4’s Playstation Camera to decide genuine development and profundity of the player. Indeed, even the select and start catches have been converged into a solitary catch called, alternatives. These highlights aren’t remembered for some other gaming controller accessible to people in general. This controller even took an Emmy for best â€Å"Peripheral Development and Technological Impact of Video Game Controllers† by The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on January 8, 2007. In the other corner of the ring, you have Microsoft’s new warrior, the Xbox One. The Xbox One is a gaming console and all around theater setup. This year Microsoft has chosen to move away from the PowerPC chip and is presently using an AMD processor in this new comfort. The Xbox One was worked with substantial accentuation on the Kinect fringe camera gadget and accompanies various capacities that utilization this gadget too. Reassure clients can connect their link boxes and observe live TV through the gaming console. Xbox live, the consoles signature gaming administration has additionally been improved. Gamers will be able to record live film of their game play and have the option to stream that recording to specific outlets or offer it with their companions on the web. The Xbox one comes packaged with the Kinect movement camera gadget and the standard Xbox one controller. The kinect will play a considerably more significant job on the Xbox One. The kinect will incorporate with the Xbox One permitting clients to utilize capacities, for example, voice orders, it will have diverse hand movements for various capacities, and the most basic part is, the Xbox one won't work without the kinect connected in any case, doesn’t need to enter a controlled state similarly as along as its snared to the comfort. The Xbox One controller despite everything has a similar structure as the first xbox in any case, will have a marginally extraordinary format and highlights. The directional cushion has been changed to a four-way plan, the battery compartment has been made slimmer, the beginning and back catches has been renamed menu and view separately. The two triggers on the controller have been equipped with another component also. Both of the triggers have autonomous thunder engines called, Impulse Triggers, these Impulse Triggers permit computer game designers to carry vibration to controllers freely. Presently both of these consoles sound incredible right? The two of them accompany astounding highlights and do astonishing things. Both the PS4 and Xbox One come packaged with controllers and gadgets and have stacked these gadgets with numerous highlights. The Playstation 4 comes estimated at $399. 00 USD, accompanies a 500 gigabyte hard drive, an AMD 8-center puma processor, and 8 gigabytes of RAM. The Playstation camera comes independently from the gaming console. The PS4 is additionally Bluetooth good. The Xbox One and the included Kinect will be evaluated at $ 499. 00 USD, will have a 500 gigabyte hard drive, will have a custom 8 center chip worked by microsoft, and isn't Bluetooth perfect. The Kinect uses voice orders, can recognize body and hand movements and can follow up to 6 individuals one after another. Xbox one controllers have been intended to incorporate vibration packs in the triggers. So as should be obvious these framework both offer comparative capacities, gear, and equipment specs. One of the most evident contrasts is the cost with the PS4 valued at a hundred dollars less expensive than the Xbox one. On the off chance that I or any other individual has enthusiasm for these gaming consoles and wishes to buy one, this data would be expected to look at the two preceding I can settle on a choice.

Mapping the ACT Difficulty Meets Strategy

Mapping the ACT We have all heard the stories of drivers taking GPS instructions too literally and performing a â€Å"Turn Left Now† into a ditch. Navigating a standardized test poses a similar risk when students follow rules by rote. The notion of orienteering is closer to the ideal. Students have a map, a compass (my apologies for the coincidence), and a pack of knowledge to make their way through a wide range of testing challenges. Two of the most fundamental aspects students need to understand are question difficulty and pacing. I will take a look at how these come into conflict on the ACT, and how  students can intelligently maneuver around obstacles. ACT Summary An ACT Composite score (136) is the rounded average of four tests (also scaled 136), each with its own differences in topography and pacing recommendations. In order to visualize ACT difficulty, I have created heat maps of the exam  that  show how item difficulty is spread throughout each section. Hot spots are what students want to avoid or, at least, plan for. These maps are made up of thousands of data points from 11 released ACTs. You can quickly see how different they are for each of the ACTs four subject areas.   I have provided a quick summary below and provided a deeper analysis later in the post. English Test (5 Passages, 75 Questions, 45 Minutes) English passages do not increase in difficulty, and there is no pattern of difficulty within each passage. Students can push themselves for speed without hitting killer problems late in the test. Unlike Reading and Science, most questions appear parallel to  the passage as opposed to after it; students answer as they go. This simplicity makes English an important target for higher scores. Mathematics Test (60 Questions, 60 Minutes) Mathematics questions increase in difficulty. Problems at the end of a section consume more time (several minutes per problem, in some cases) and are far less rewarding toward a student’s overall score than earlier items. Score increases depend on improving ACT Math skills and balancing speed and power (how hard a student works at each question). Science Test (6 or 7 Passages, 40 Questions, 35 Minutes) Science passages increase in difficulty over the course of the test. Questions within each passage move roughly from easiest to hardest. This sawtooth pattern, combined with the speededness of the section, make Science the trickiest test to navigate. Reading Test (4 Passages, 40 Questions, 35 Minutes) Reading passages do not increase linearly in difficulty. The biggest challenge for students is finishing the entirety (or majority) of the test. Momentum  is more difficult to gain than on English, but it comes with less risk than it does with Math. Writing Test (Optional Essay, 40 Minutes) The essay is not a part of the Composite score. The essay score is combined with English to give a 136 ELA (English Language Arts) score. In this post, I focus on the multiple-choice components of the ACT. Difficulty and Data All too often, discussions of difficulty leave out data. I hear anecdotes about harder problems, easier test dates, harsh scales, and sections impossible to finish. It is a shame, because with millions of testers per year, there is plenty of data and science to dispel common misconceptions. Most of the figures below are accumulated from the thousands of free practice tests that Compass provides. We are able to cross-section performance in multiple ways across many different exams. This post focuses on question difficulty and pacing. Later posts will address more advanced concerns such as test-to-test equating or SAT versus ACT comparisons. Item Difficulty as Building Block The basic building block for all difficulty discussions is item difficultyhow often will a student of a given ability level get a question right? This simple concept allows test makers to construct an exam and helps students build a map for it. What can make the SAT and ACT so frustrating for students (and parents) is that the tests are designed for students to get a lot of questions wrong. This is not meant to be torture; it is just statistics. OK, sometimes the concepts are similar. These tests must provide insight to colleges by differentiating among students. If most test takers got 85% of questions correct, too many students would be clustered in the upper ranges to draw useful conclusions. If everyone gets a perfect score, then a perfect score is meaningless. Test makers refer to this as a â€Å"ceiling effect.† Psychometricians (the specialists who  study and design the tests) find that an ideal difficulty is for the average student to get about 55% of questions correct. You can see in the table below that a score that might produce a D in an English class can give a solidly above average score on the ACT (a Composite score of 24 is the 75th percentile and matches, approximately, 11601190 on the SAT). This table averages more than 20 released exams, and we have found little shift over time. The percentages required to achieve a given scaled score are not all that different across the subject areas. English questions are a bit easier, so students must get more correct to gain an equivalent scaled score. Science has a reputation for difficulty, but it is not harder than other sections so much as it is much less pleasantwe will look into why that is. Time and Tide Wait for No Tester Getting from place A to place B is much easier when it is a leisurely stroll. I think of orienteering, on the other hand, as a race against the clock, the elements, and the terrain (some students might argue that orienteering on the ACT is akin to being dropped in enemy territory and attempting a successful extraction). Difficulty of items and test timing are inextricably linked. The SAT and ACT are referred to as speeded tests, because a students ability to work through every last problem is constrained by the clock. The ACTs sheer volume of words, equations, and diagrams can be overwhelming. [In fairness, things are not much different over at the SAT.] Why does it have to be like this? The Test Makers Dilemma Imagine yourself a test maker. If you could offer an 8-hour exam, you would have lots of room to ask an array of questions of all different difficulty levels. You might achieve a deeper understanding of student skills in more sub-areas. You could probably forgo demanding time limits. It seems like a dream, except that no one would take your test. It would be too expensive, too long, and not that much more accurate or predictive than the speeded 34 hour exams that we face today. The pace at which students can complete a task turns out to be a useful proxy for mastery. Measuring Elevation. Managing  Difficulty. A topographic map provides elevation in addition to distance; a contour line represents a fixed change in elevation. We need that extra information to avoid mishaps (such as navigating into or over a cliff). We can think of the contour line on an ACT map as deriving from how a raw score is calculatedevery problem is worth a single point (scaled scores are a bit different). The hardest question gives no scoring benefit over the easiest. Why does this matter? I can use this information for cliff avoidance  and toward using my time wisely. Moving 100 feet up Everest would give me the same elevation change as walking 100 feet up a trail in Griffith Park or the Marin Headlands, but the difference in time and energy commitment is immense. We find the exact same thing on the ACTespecially on the Science and Math Tests. At the ends of these tests, students may need several minutes to complete a problem, only to find that they are 50% less likely to gain a point than they were 15 problems earlier. Students cannot afford such poor returns on invested time if they are to excel on the ACT. I often read that students just need to work faster or should scan for easy problems so that they do not miss out on points. When not tailored to the student’s specific situation, this can be horrible advice. On some ACT sections and in some places, speed is essential. In other situations, speed kills. Moreover, questions do not have labels on them saying easy points here. Hard problems are sometimes difficult because they look temptingly easy. Lets turn to the data. Navigating Math: Difficult Questions are Closer Than They Appear The Math heat map displays how difficult a question has been historically. We find that early questions are easy (i.e. most students answer them correctly), so they are shaded green or yellowish-green. Questions at the end are the hardest on the test, so they show up as red or orangish-red.   Even though Math comes after English  on the ACT, I start with the Math heat map because it is the easiest to interpret and, perhaps, the most important to respect. The Math Test has the steadiest progression of difficultyfrom its easy solve-for-x† beginnings to the time-consuming puzzlers at the end. Students moving too quickly can be punished. For most students, the notion that they must â€Å"hurry through the first problems so that they have enough time for the difficult problems† is â€Å"Turn Left Now† into quicksand. Below is a table showing how students at different score ranges performed on different portions of one ACT Math Test that I will refer to as Form D (this form is typical and will be the one used for many of the tables). The percentages are how many raw points the students earned versus the potential points (1 per problem). The Concept of Points Above Guessing (PAG) It is tempting to look at the numbers for 1622 students and note that they are still picking up points on the last 20 questions. There are two problems with that interpretation. First, the ACT has no guessing penalty, and each Math question has 5 answer choices; pure random guessing should achieve 20% of the available points. Second, hard problems soak up time. Lots of time. It is not uncommon for one of the harder questions to take four times as long as an easier problem. To account for random guessing, I have provided another way of looking at the data in the table belowhow many points are students earning versus how many points earned above a student guessing randomly? We could estimate that for every 20 problems, a random guesser would average 4 correct answers. The only sensible reason to invest time in a problem is to do better than random. The Composite 1622 students in our sample population are doing 20 of the hardest questions and coming away with less than 1 raw Point Above Guessing (PAG). They get 12 times the PAG on the first third as they do on the final third. You can also see that they still have ample room for improvement on questions 140.  The sample population for this test represents first-time testers, so it is not surprising that their orienteering skills are underdeveloped. What About Higher Scoring Students? While the impact of difficulty ladder, timing strategy, and guessing strategy is most noticeable for the 1622 scoring group, we can zoom in to see the same sort of impact for students scoring 2329 (67th to 93rd percentiles, so strong Math testers). On questions 5160, these students gained only 1.5 PAG. On the last 5 questions, they barely beat out a random guesser.   Again, the penalty is not just missing out on points, it is the awful return on invested time. In an effort to avoid being left out, students often end up on problems above their optimal range. For example, students scoring below the 90th percentile (approximately 27 or  lower) are better off letting questions 5660 be someone else’s headache. Tipping Points Most students reach a tipping point where they move from correctly answering all or most questions to struggling with many or most questions. As they reach this point, problems also start consuming larger chunks of time.  It is tempting to follow the orienteering theme and label this the Point of No Return. A more fitting name might be the Return of No Points. For most students, score increases  on Math come from improving their performance before and close to  that tipping point. Blowing past simply to attempt every problem  is not sound strategy. It is the over-or-into-a-cliff route. Where that tipping point falls is highly dependent upon a student’s score. Below is a chart of students’ performance on Form D  broken into three score ranges. By problem 30, the 16 to 22 scorers fall below 50% correct answers (recall that 20% would be random guessing). The 23 to 29 cohort hits the same mark at problem 49. The 30 to 36 scorers hold out until question 58. Other than smoothing out the data, the curves would look much the same if we were to plot multiple tests. The Curse of the Outlier It is possible to find an exception to every rule. Somewhere in ACT-land there is a Math problem #52 that is easier than a Math problem #42. It is tempting to use that as an excuse to  scan the test for easy problems. An outlier is used to justify a bad decision. Sometimes the Bridge Out Ahead sign is wrong; still, the best decision is to turn back.  Once more, it comes down to return on invested time. It takes time to scan problems. It takes time to assess the difficulty of  an item. It takes even more time to judge how long the problem will require  to answer. Finally, one must actually solve the problem to claim the point. The return is not there if the student strays too far off the optimal course. Blanking Out The 1622 scorers left an average of 4.6 items blank on the Form D Math Test. They either ran out of time when the proctor called pencils down, did not realize that there was no penalty for guessing, or had forgotten to come back to a problem. Whatever the reason, these students lost almost a full raw point for the simple fact  of not bubbling in an answer to every question. There is no point deduction for wrong answers on the ACT, so THERE IS NO REASON TO EVER LEAVE AN ACT QUESTION BLANK [I apologize for yelling, but it is a fundamental part of the ACTand the current SAT.] These students were  first time ACT takers, and some studentsthrough no fault of their ownbring along bad habits. The old SAT (offered for the last time in January 2016)  deducted 1/4 point for wrong multiple-choice answers, so the strategy there was more nuanced  and conflicted with the BUBBLE EVERYTHING approach of the ACT and current SAT. Students must understand the topography of each test. Mapping Science: A Bumpy Ride Science does not reveal its secrets until you pay closer attention to the passages and their transitions (passages are outlined in white). It is a rumbling roller coaster of a trail that moves from easy to hard, easy to hard, medium to hard and so on until its final harrowing passages. I have highlighted an area of the heat map where the trend is particularly easy to see over several passages. Averaging Science question difficulty by problem number can be misleading, because it neglects that passages begin and end in different places on each test. Still, in the table below, I’ve provided the average line (orange) to stay consistent with Math. Also included is the  example  Form D  (blue). In both cases, the trend line is obvious, and you can see the various peaks and valleys. The passage breaks are shown  on the single form to indicate  how quickly difficulty shifts from a passages end to a new passages beginning. The breaks are almost always preceded by a high (a difficult problem) followed by  a drop (an easier problem). The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet. Damon Runyon As on  Math, we need to be careful about succumbing to the Curse of the Outlier. On these 11 tests, there are the occasional outliersproblems that end up easier than they should be. Damon Runyon’s hard-boiled take on Ecclesiastes is a reminder that you do not get a return on investment betting on these infrequent outliers. Its one thing when a long-shot pays 501, and quite another when it pays 11. Students must never forget that there is no ACT Award for Difficulty. We can better observe progression of difficulty on ACT Science by looking at the data at the passage level. Rather than merely graphing things by rank, the chart below is based on student performancewhat percentage of questions did they answer correctly. Students do well on initial passages and poorer on the later passages. A â€Å"gimme† question would be close to 100%. In theory, the baseline on ACT Science should be 25%, as there are only 4 answers from which to choose. We find that in real life, things can get worse than random guessing. On the hardest Science questions, a wrong answer (a distractor in test-speak) can be more tempting than the correct answer. The chart below is based on over 1,000 students for Form D scoring between 16 and 20 on Science. Interpreting Difficulty by Passage There is a lot going on in the chart. The green and red lines show the performance on the first two questions and last two questions of each passage, respectively. The blue line is the overall average for a passage. The dotted line is the 25% random guessing baseline. On the seventh passage of this particular test, the 1622 (average score of just under 20) students did worse than guessing. [I have presented this group of average scorers only because the data is that much starker. The difficulty pattern remains the same across all score ranges.]   They performed below guessing levels at the end of Passage VI, as well. As with Math, the real damage is done from the time spent on these hard problems. If all that these students did on Passage VII were to bubble in random answers, they would have had more time for the preceding passages. Students can easily be confused by mixed messages: Speed is important. Dont go too fast. That both are true is why practice is so important. The gap between green line and red line shows the difference in difficulty between the first two items of a passage and the last two. These students are getting  25% fewer points on the late-in-the-passage questions. Given that these students are only averaging 47% right across the Science Test, this difference can be viewed as another cliff. Fight or Move Forward? For this group of 16 to 22 scorers, the first questions from Passage VI were actually easier than the final questions from Passages IV and V. In figuring out a students map, the difficulty of individual problems must be offset against the time involved in plunging into the next passage. In other words, Is it better for me to answer the last questions of Passage V or try to pick off a couple of points from Passage VI? As I have tried to emphasize, the findings should always be applied with an eye toward the individual students performanceteaching a student orienteering tools instead of giving the false confidence of Turn Left Here. I know that the first questions of Passage II will be easier than the last questions of Passage I. So shouldn’t I just skip over those harder questions and move on to Passage II? No! Every test taker should be aiming to get through at least 45 passages. If you are going to answer a question anyway, you are almost always better off doing it right away (which also includes problems where you need to cut your losses and move on). The strategy starts to come into play when you near your tipping point. It may make more sense to get to the easiest questions of Passage VI instead of flailing away at the end of Passage V. Some students have no tipping point. A student regularly scoring 3236, for example, must reach all of the passages and most of the questions. Orienteering should not be confused with overthinking. Sometimes students try too hard to outsmart the test, when the easier route is answering the question. Does Passage Type or Position Matter More? Another element in our multidimensional map is passage type. ACT Science presents its pieces in the styles of a Data Representation piece, a Research Summaries piece, and a Conflicting Viewpoints piece. Previously, ACT had  three examples of the first two types and a single Conflicting Viewpoints, but recently we have seen this mix change slightly from test-to-test (and the passage count vibrate between 6 and 7). If I were to identify the passage type, what added information does this provide? Is it best to avoid Conflicting Viewpoints questions? Are Data Representation passages easier than Research Summaries passages? Should I skip one of them? A finding of our research into thousands of scores is that the common perception that there are easier and harder Science passage types is not borne out by the data. Conflicting Viewpoints passages are, on average, more difficult, but not more difficult than we would expect a similarly located passage to be. In other words, if you are on Passage V and you hit a Conflicting Viewpoints, it is no worse than if you hit a Data Representation at Passage V. It is true that you are more likely to see Conflicting Viewpoints passages later on the test. ACT can mix up passage types in any order it chooses, so the best map to follow is based on passage  position  and not type. No Need to Classify A student hitting a Passage V Conflicting Viewpoints might be tempted to skip ahead to a Research Summaries on Passage VI or VII. Our data shows that this is a mistake and that, on the whole, students will do better by taking passages in order. An added benefit of this approach is that  students need not worry about classifying passage types. Under the pressure of the exam, it is easy for students to confuse a Data Representation with a Research Summaries, for example. Fortunately, the solution is to not spend any time worrying about it. The simplest and most accurate rule has nothing to do with passage type and requires virtually no added time to figure out: Passage II is [almost always] harder than Passage I. Passage III is harder than Passage II. Passage VI is harder than Passage V. Know How to Pace Yourself For many years, identifying the type of Science passage was as easy as counting the number of associated questions. However, over the past few years, ACT has varied the number of questions per passage within each passage type. Additionally, while there are usually 6 passages per test, it is best for students to verify this at the start of any Science Test. Flipping to the end of the Science Test is now as important as looking up your destination in Google Maps. The Science Test is already a bumpy ride; you do not want any surprises at the end of it. Consider keeping track of pacing  by using question count rather than passage count milestones. No matter what practice test or real test you take, the Science Test will always have 40 questions. You should know where you want to be on the clock after 10, 20, and 30 questions. Mapping English: Candy-Colored Questions The heat map for ACT English resemblesto this avid moviegoera spilled box of Mike and Ike candies, with easy, medium, and difficult problems mixed throughout the testthe green being the sweetest of all. Ive broken the test into thirds to give some sense of transitions. Passage breaks are less  relevant, because there is no dramatic shift in difficulty. English has 5 passages, but the number of questions  related  to each passage can vary slightly from the mean of 15. Canceling the Noise Most students (not all) know to fill in an answer for every ACT question. This creates a bit of noise when analyzing question difficulty toward the end of a test. Did students do poorly on an item because they did not reach it or because the question was too hard? Although it is beyond the scope of this post, we can often glean information from the pattern of wrong answers across large numbers of students. Attempted problems show wrong answers clustered around the most popular distractor choices. Rapidly bubbled items show a more random pattern. An easier  way of showing the weak correlation between question number and difficulty is to only look at the first 60 questions. After that point, time pressure comes into play for many students. As you see in the chart below, the variability is large, and the fit with a linear trend is very poorwhich is a fancy way of saying that difficulty bounces somewhat randomly  throughout the test. In fact, you rarely need to go more than one or tw o tough questions before catching a breather with an easier question or two. Within a passage, English questions are tied to line order, so ACT test makers do  not have the ability to present  items by  difficulty as they do with Science. Difficult ACT English questions tend to exploit subtle or unexpected grammar and punctuation rules. They do not stand out in the same way that a hard Math question stands out. While some Rhetorical Skills questions can take added time, they prove to be of similar overall difficulty to Usage/Mechanics. On the Math Test, a student moving more quickly is hit with harder problems. On the English Test, the student will find questions not all that much different from the ones they faced at the beginning of the section. Improved speed is more of an unalloyed benefit on English. There is always an easier question around the next bend. Mapping Reading The Reading Heat Map shows that students start to run low on time as they work on the third and fourth passages. ACT Reading is a special case when it comes to passage order. The test always has a Literary Narrative or Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science passage in that order. There appears to be added difficulty on the latter two passages, but much of that is an artifact of time limitations. An interesting experiment would be to re-sort the passages and measure student performance. The  Test Taking Rebel and the Bubble Sheet Shift In looking at the plot of difficulty rank for our set of 11 forms and for our exemplar, the trend lines clearly go up, but you can see how poor the fit is. As with English, if you were to truncate the data after question 30, you would little trend or correlation. Question to question variability is high. Overall, our sample of several thousand students did slightly better on Social Science (Passage II) than on Prose Fiction (Passage I) and did more poorly on the second half of the test than the first. This is an example, though, of where overthinking can get in the way. Every student should be trying to get at least as far as the Humanities (III) passage. Mixing things up by moving from Social Studies (II) to Prose Fiction (I) to Humanities (III) to Natural Science (IV) might mark a test taker as a rebel, but it would serve no purpose toward raising the students score. Whenever skipping around, a student risks the most dreaded of test day errorsthe Bubble Sheet Shift. Erasing and red oing 20 answers is not a productive use of time. No Front-Loading Unlike Science, Reading does not front-load easier questions at the start of a passage block, so trying to pick-off questions by location alone does not work as a strategy. The orienteer needs to work on getting quickly through the reading passage and into the questions.  Improved speed on Reading is not hindered by steadily increasing difficulty. There appears to be no solid reason for taking passages out of order or abandoning a passage midway through its questions. Although uncommon, there are situations where individual students may have brain-lock on a particular passage. If that happens, it does make sense to move away and try other passages. Upon returning, students may find that things are clearer. Some students have allergies to certain passage types, but their reactions are usually far more exaggerated than the results. Students can encounter hard questions on any passage and at any point. The focus of Reading preparation should be on achieving sufficient speed and recogn izing when to throw in the towel on a problem. Paired Passage As of the June 2014 exam, ACT makes one of the passages on each test into a paired passageusually two perspectives on a shared  topic. The question count remains at 10, with 34 questions referring to the first passage/author, 34 questions on the second passage/author, and 23 questions comparing or contrasting the styles or viewpoints. This passage was added to better align the ACT Reading with academic standardsincluding the Common Corethat expect students to compare texts. ACT did not change the overall difficulty of Reading with this change, and we find that the paired passage is not more difficult than a regular passage.  The SAT has had this type of paired passage for quite some time. Map. Practice. Perform. In little ways and in big ways, ACT takers are constantly challenged to find an optimal path. Students are greatly dependent on their own pacing and navigational skills. No one will tap you on the shoulder during the 60-minute Math Test and warn you to move more quickly. GPS is not allowed in the testing room. Updated October 20, 2018/strong

European Union Foreign Policy - 1639 Words

Enlargement of the European Union (EU) is a contentious issue for the public and scholars alike due to its novelty, even garnering the phrase sui generis. There are many legitimate reasons for opposing enlargement, including: loss of sovereignty and autonomy, diverting efforts and resources from deepening integration between member states, and the stress being put on the institutions and economies of member states by countries with unfair trade, rampant corruption, and territorial and ethnic disputes. Regardless of the validity of these criticisms, in terms of effectiveness, enlargement proves the most powerful foreign policy tool of the European Union. I will contend this by focusing on the different foreign policy tools available to states and multi-state coalitions like the EU: diplomacy, foreign aid, and military force. Through this examination of available foreign policy tools, I will contend that enlargement combines these tools resulting in a finished product that is greater t han the sum of its parts. The EU’s foreign policy options include diplomacy, foreign aid, and military force. In terms of diplomacy, the EU affords itself many advantages through its multilateral decision-making. These advantages allow the EU to use what Ernest J. Wilson III calls smart power, â€Å"the leadership of the (PRC), has deployed power resources strategically. The individual policy choices made have reflected a sophisticated analysis of the world as it is; and they have deployed a balanced,Show MoreRelatedThe European Union And Foreign Policy2253 Words   |  10 PagesThe European Union is an organization unlike any other which includes an economic and political union between many different countries in Europe. It operates as a single institution with one foreign policy although it is composed of 28 individual countries with their own foreign policies. This paper, therefore, seeks to understand the institutional organization of the European Union in regards to foreign policy as well as pro vide an analysis of the actions the EU takes in its diplomacy. The EU hasRead MoreEuropean Union s Foreign Policy961 Words   |  4 Pagesanalyze European Union’s Foreign policy. Some interpret the policy to be an ‘ongoing puzzle’, emerging from the distinction of either being a derivative policy of a common Union, or being a policy of cooperation amongst the independent EU member states, while the others consider the policy area to be ‘a moveable feast in a state of constant flux’. (Christiansen Tonra, 2005) (Smith H. , 2002) . There are even those academicians who presume that European Union does not have a foreign policy as it isRead MoreEuropean Union Foreign Policy In A Changing World Summary896 Words   |  4 PagesSmith’s book European Union Foreign Policy in a Changing World is another installation of the series started in 2003. The second installation is an update and expansion in which she offers a crisp and different outlook on the intricacies of the contemporaneous European Union’s fo reign policy. Karen expounds on EU foreign policy by not only examining what the European Union is but also what it does. The book has nine chapters that delve into different aspects of the European Union policy but all focusingRead MoreDistribution of Work in the European Council652 Words   |  3 Pagesof the President of the European Council Herman von Rompuy and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton? The answer to this question is very debatable. Catherine Ashton obtains many functions, the most known is that she is the High representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security policy. But she is also the First Vice President of the European Commission and has many other duties such as chairing the Foreign Affairs council Read MoreNation and United States Essay833 Words   |  4 PagesStates and around the world. There are many defining characteristics that allow countries and groups of countries to understa nd each other, and in some cases, for unions. The purpose of this essay is to briefly discuss nations, states, and nation states, how the United States constitutes a nation state, and the European Union. A nation is a union of people who share social similarities such as language, beliefs, culture, possibly religion, and values. A state is defined by laws and politics, uniting peopleRead MoreThe Characteristics of the Nation-State and Transnational Entities1343 Words   |  6 Pagesapproximately 1,000 miles south of Oahu, Hawaii. Through the appropriation of the Republic of Hawaii in 1898 the territory of Hawaii was integrated, Palmyra Atoll was integrated as component of that territory. When the State of Hawaii was accepted to the Union in 1959 Congress separated Palmyra Atoll from the recent federated state. Palmyra stayed an integrated territory, but obtained no organized government. (Wikipedia) The United States government and American society have worked to foster sovereigntyRead MoreThe Relationship Between National And Supranational Levels Of Governance1209 Words   |  5 PagesIn the world of politics, the act of governing policies, actions, and affairs can be conducted through a national level and a supranational level. In other words, influence can be concentrated within national boundaries or it can surpass the boundaries to encompass several states. One significant example of the relationship between national and supranational levels of governance is the relationship of the European Union and its member states. In order to effectually scrutinize this relationship,Read MoreGaullism1002 Words   |  5 Pagesthen president Charles de Gaulle. Contents * 1 Doctrine * 1.1 Foreign policy * 1.2 Domestic policies * 2 Political group * 3 Germany * 4 Gaullist political parties * 5 References * 6 See also | Doctrine Foreign policy The main theme of de Gaulles foreign policy was national independence, and maintaining as much control as possible of as many of Frances colonies as possible (cf. de Gaulles policy on Indochina) with, as some practical consequences, some degree of oppositionRead MoreCharacteristics of the Modern Nation-State Essay1600 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will describe the characteristics of the modern nation-state, explain how the United States fits the criteria of and functions as a modern nation-state, discuss the European Union as a transnational entity, analyze how nation-states and transnational entities engage on foreign policy to achieve their interests, and the consequences of this interaction for international politics. Some of the characteristics that make up a modern nation-state are; the population of the territory is unitedRead MoreThe European Union ( Eu )1393 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The European Union (EU) is not a typical international organization. With a mixture of supranational and intergovernmental institutions, its unique structure has become a distinctive political system with some resembles a federation. With no path to trace, the EU must determine which direction it should follow suit. However, these difficult discussions foster constant dispute over how much further integration of member states should proceed. Support for the EU moving towards a federation

Why I Chose to Become a Mental Health Counselor Essay

Why I chose to become a mental health counselor Counseling others is a difficult job that requires people to listen, take notes, and respond in ways that are positive and helpful. It is important that trust be built between the counselor and the patient so that the patient will feel comfortable speaking about issues that are private or embarrassing. There are many different types of counselors including drug counselors; marriage counselors, grief counselors, job counselors, diet and exercise counselors, and others that can help people improve their lives in different ways. Counselors are trained to offer advice and listen to issues that may be bothering other people. They are not allowed to prescribe medication or expected to provide†¦show more content†¦They help people address aging problems or emotional and mental health issues. Often working with a group, they counsel individuals and their families dealing with drug or alcohol addictions. The counselor helps their clients prevent and rectify conflicts or problems. A m ental health counselor gets his or her information through observations, interviews and tests so they can decide the best course of action to help their client. Some of the other professionals they work closely with when necessary are psychologists, family and marriage workers, psychiatric nurses, school counselors, psychiatrists, and social workers. Many counselors choose to specialize in specific areas or with certain age groups like substance abuse or teenagers. A mental health counselor often helps their clients make positive choices and changes due to the decisions and insights they help facilitate. Many counselors work in hospitals with psychiatric patients or with mentally ill adults in continued day treatment programs. Some choose private practice or practice in counseling centers, government agencies, and corporations and youth homes. They usually work in pleasant and comfortable surroundings, working a standard workweek. Some counselors are available weekends or evenings for the convenience and needs of their clients. Mental health counselors are an extremely valuable part of the healthcare system. Common work activities include: †¢ SchedulingShow MoreRelatedObservation On An Outpatient Health Service Agency : North Central Behavior Health Systems916 Words   |  4 PagesDescription: I completed my participation observation on an outpatient behavioral health service agency called North Central Behavior Health Systems (NCBHS) that is located in LaSalle, Illinois. The reason why I chose the NCBHS agency center is because I have heard of the services the agency provides many individuals in the local region. I currently work in an inpatient behavioral health unit, in which the patients are discharged with a treatment plan that includes follow up appointments with outpatientRead MoreMy Observation On An Outpatient Health Service Agency1121 Words   |  5 PagesI completed my participation observation on an outpatient behavioral health service agency called North Central Behavior Health Systems (NCBHS) that is located in LaSalle, Illinois. The reason why I chose the NCBHS agency center is because I have heard of the services provided to the local and neighboring communities. I currently work in an inpatient behavioral health unit. Our patients are discharged with a tr eatment plan that includes follow-up appointments with outpatient service centers suchRead MoreThe Mental Health Counseling Program1203 Words   |  5 PagesA mental health counselor is a counseling professional, whose duties involves helping individuals cope with difficult life events, managing mental illnesses, and referring patients to additional resources that can help them. Before they can start counseling, they need to follow their states specific requires. For instance, in Louisiana, one has to obtain a master’s degree from an accredited program, have the required hours of supervised practice and coursework, and pass the National Counselor ExaminationRead MoreThe Field Of Couples Counseling836 Words   |  4 PagesLebow (2006) stated that currently couples therapy is on a roll more than it was 20 years ago, as it has become more accepted by the general public. It would be important to know the advances made in the field of couples counseling research. Competency and professional advancement due to this research is also important. Research within the field of couples counseling is very limited for various reasons. Title of Paper Research in the field of couples and family counseling is very limited, one ofRead MoreSubstance Abuse And Addiction Counselor1393 Words   |  6 PagesSubstance Abuse and Addiction Counselor Substance abuse as well as addiction is a topic many people choose to ignore or tend to believe that it does not affect them. Addiction itself does not seek out certain types of people but can affect anyone, at any time, for any reason. Stress, per pressure, financial trouble, even genetics all play a role in substance abuse and addiction. Unlike others, I don’t see substance abusers as weak willed but instead in need of guidance and someone to talk to aboutRead MoreInterview With A Social Worker1330 Words   |  6 PagesFor this assignment, my partner and I decided to interview a social worker whom led me to develop my aspiration for this career. Michelle Hayes is a private practice counselor, who has encountered much experience and knowledge through social work agencies, leading her to be very successful. For this assignment, I decided to interview Michelle Hayes, because not only did she counsel me, and positively impact my life, but I would be more than pleasured to be en lightened with knowing how she becameRead MoreCareer Goals and Learning Paper1084 Words   |  5 Pageshow I was going to achieve them was something that I have always thought about before I enrolled in school at the University of Phoenix. I have my Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Services grom Southern University, and I decided to return to school to pursue my Master’s of Science Degree in Psychology at the University of Phoenix. My plan is to become a counselor, whether it is a rehabilitation counselor, mental health counselor, substance abuse counselor, or behavioral counselor. IRead MoreThe Center For Health Care Services898 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is the agency you selected, and what is your rationale for choosing this particular agency? The center for health care services. I chose this agency because I like what it has to offer not only for its employees, but for the community. 2.What other agencies did you consider, and why did you not select them? Community Options, Inc., and Austin Area Mental Health Consumers, Inc. Community options inc is an amazing company. The fact that they go above and beyond for their clients with specialRead MoreThe Lgbt Population Throughout My Exploration1700 Words   |  7 Pages While most of this research was not new to me, I learned quite a bit about the LGBT population throughout my exploration. I think that this research expanded my awareness in that it increased my understanding of individuals who may be struggling with their LGBT identification. I, at first, was not aware that sexual orientation and gender identification were formed at such a young age. I was aware that most individuals become aware of gender at the ages of three and four, but had not previouslyRead MoreAppeal for My Academic Dismissal from NOVA Southern University1148 Words   |  5 PagesI am writing to appeal my academic dismissal from NOVA Southeastern University. I was not surprised, but very upset to receive a notice of my dismissal. I sat out for a year and would like to be accepted for the upcoming semester. I admit, I had a very difficult time during my last semester and as a result my grades suffered. I dont mean to make excuses for my poor academic performance and I understand it’s my fault, but I would like to explain the circumstances as well as my great interest in the

Effective Communication Paper free essay sample

One way to share information and ideas is by working in teams. â€Å"A team is a small group of people with complementary skills, who work together to achieve a shared purpose and who hold themselves mutually accountable for its accomplishment† (Lombardi Schermerhorn, 2007, p. 76). â€Å"Teamwork is essential in the provision of healthcare. The division of labor among medical, nursing and allied health practitioners means that no single professional can deliver a complete episode of healthcare† (Leggat, 2007, p. ). Through teamwork, people work together to accomplish the goals set forth by members of the team or organization. Teamwork requires leadership, commitment, and understanding. Through these aspects, team members can learn how to operate together, achieve high levels of task performance, and membership satisfaction. When team members work together they can pull their resources together and come up with the best outcome possible for any problem they may have or goal they want to achieve. We will write a custom essay sample on Effective Communication Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Working in teams also has a huge impact on individuals’ needs, attitudes, and performance. Teams can be good for members and the organization and provide benefits, such as â€Å"increasing resources for problem-solving, fostering creativity and innovation, improving the quality of decision making, enhancing members’ commitments to tasks, raising motivation through collective action, helping control and discipline members, and satisfying individual needs as organizations grow in size† (Lombardi Schermerhorn, 2007, p. 6) They may feel that their ideas are the best because of more training or experience. Others may just feel like being on a team is not a good for them because they can work better alone.   In a healthcare environment teamwork can be applied to benefit the organization and patients. Managers are responsible for choosing individuals they see best fit for working together to achieve the maximum goals for the organization. In a healthcare setting individuals specialize in many areas. When patients have multiple illnesses or injuries, nurses, doctors, and specialists can work together, pull resources from all areas, and share their knowledge to achieve the best results for treatment plans so the patient always receives the best care possible. One downfall would be putting a couple of specialists in the same field together and them not agreeing on the same treatment. This could delay treatment for the patient while the team is trying to decide on what to do for the patient Technology can have a great impact on the success of teamwork. While the team members are sharing their knowledge of the issues at hand, the Internet is readily available as a resource tool. If any questions arise about success rates, techniques, treatments plans or options, or side effects, the team members can research the information to make the final decision. They may also look at the history of the patient through electronic medical records to see if any previous issues would be the cause of new symptoms, the patient has any medical allergies, or to see if any treatment plans did not work for the patient in the past if the issue is a recurring one.

iPhone free essay sample

Discuss the role that product demand played in pricing the iPhone. How did this demand influence Apple’s decision to price it high in the beginning and then lower it two months later? Demand is the quanity of a product that will be sold in the market at various prices for a specified period. The quanity of a product that people will buy demands on its price. The higher the price, the fewer products will be sold. Conversely, the lower the price, the more products will be in demand.Apple has a loyal customer following that eagerly waits for each new product launch and be depended on to purchase the iPhone right out of the gate-regardless of the price. Apple was confident in pricing it high early on when no other company may have been able to sell a single cell phone for $599, let alone 270,000 of them within the first three days on the market. We will write a custom essay sample on iPhone or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Apple has a history of successfully using premium pricing for its products.When sales of the iPhone slowed down two months after its launch, Apple realized that it may lose opportunities for holiday sales when research showed that few people were likely to spend $599 on a Christmas gift and lowered the prices by $200. Jobs stated that he was â€Å"willing to make less money to get more iPhones out there† during holiday season. The price drop was calculated to increase customer demand now that the core â€Å"Apple Nation† cutomers had already paid the higher price and demand had lowered.