FEEDBACKS

ENGLISH FEEDBACK

Bose, Kabita. Early Childhood Education Journal. Aug2005, Vol. 33 Issue 1, p17-24. 8p. 1 Chart, 4 Graphs. DOI: 10.1007/s10643-005-0017-3. Computers in Reception Schools–A Case of Gaborone, Botswana.

 

1)Several weeks ago I went to visit my family to meet the new addition to the family two nephews and one niece all below the ages of five. My niece who is the oldest wanted to show me her favorite Disney games she played on the computer as she became to retrieve the information I was overwhelm and special because of the knowledge she displayed. I truly thought she would need help from her parents but she did not. The article by Kabita Bose expresses how computers are changing young children’s world in profound ways. Today’s children are growing up in a rapidly changing digital age that is far different from mind and my parents. There are variety of technologies all around us in our homes, schools and offices. Research shows that when computer technology is used appropriately in early years of life, it enhances virtually every aspect of development, i.e., cognitive, social, emotional, language and fine motor skills. The article as the question whether people in Botswana use computer technology for your children, and if so how do we use it. The present study was conducted in the reception schools of Gaborone, Capital of Botswana, and data could only be collected from nine schools. In todays society every educational system in the world should know that computers are motivating for young children and help in their cognitive development (NAYEC).

Mitra, S. (2010, September 8). The hole in the wall: self organising systems in education” Keynote speech by Sugata Mitra, Professor of Educational Technology at Newcastle University at the 2010 conference of the Association for Learning Technology.

2)This is a speech given by Sugata Mitra. In it, he describes the process of Hole-in-the-Wall (HiWEL) wherein computers were given to children in 1999 and the evolution of the experiments and studies up to 2010 when this speech was given. Among other things, the speaker touches on one experiment in particular that stands out to me. It involves the premise that there are limits to the HiWEL process and that there are things that children cannot teach themselves, like biotechnology of DNA replication. With the test in place for 3 months, the 26 children are asked if they understood anything. They answer with “no, it’s in English its big chemistry words; we didn’t understand anything at all.” The children look at it every day but still do not understand it, so they were asked what they were doing. One girl spoke up and said, “Apart from the fact that improper replication of the DNA molecule causes genetic disease, we’ve understood nothing else.” The lesson learned here is rather simple: When a child tells you that they don’t understand, ask again, you might be surprised as to just what it is they “don’t understand”.

HISTORY FEEDBACK

1)Ancient Indian religion has transformed over time from ritual sacrifices as offerings to gods, to atheistic materialism, to intense spirituality. Jainism is one of the most influential of the new religions. Although Jainist doctrines first appeared during the 7th century B.C.E., they became popular only when the great teacher Vardhamana Mahavira turned to Jainism in the late sixth century B.C.E when he left his home to escape the cycle of incarnation and achieve salvation. Jains believed that everything in the universe, including humans, plants, animals, bodies of water, air and even rocks, possessed a soul. As long as they remained trapped in earthly bodies, these souls experienced both physical and psychological harm. Only by purification from selfish behavior could souls gain release from their imprisonment, shed the burdens of Karma that they had attained during their various incarnations, and attain a state of bliss [178]. Jains observed the principles of ahimsa, nonviolence to other living things or their souls. Some very devout Jain monks went to extremes to avoid harm to the millions of souls they encountered every day. They went as far as sweeping the ground in front of them, purifying water of tiny microorganisms, and keeping to a strict vegetarian diet. Jainist ethics were so extensive and demanding that only few other than devout monks could hope to observe them closely. However, the Jainist teachings of ahimsa had a huge influence in both India and beyond. Ahimsa also transferred over into Buddhism and Hinduism as a fundamental element of their belief [178].

Siddhartha Gautama, born about 563 B.C.E., was the founder of Buddhism. Gautama was born into a wealthy family, but was later dissatisfied with his life and the suffering of others. He wandered into a new life for himself in hopes that it would help him understand the phenomenon of suffering. About 534 B.C.E., Gautama left his wife, family, and comforts of his home to lead the existence of a holy man. After several unsatisfying tactics, he sat one day beneath a large bo tree in Bodh Gaya until he understood the problem of suffering. He sat there for forty-nine days until he achieved enlightenment. He understood both the problem of suffering and the means by which humans could eliminate it from the world. At that point he became Buddha- “the enlightened one.”Buddha’s teachings quickly spread. His doctrine, known as the Four Noble Truths, teaches that all life involves suffering and desire is the cause of suffering. Elimination of desire brings an end to suffering and a disciplined life conducted in accordance with the Noble Eightfold Path brings elimination of desire. They believed that living a moderate lifestyle would bring them to personal salvation and attainment of nirvana. Taken together, the teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path constitute the Buddhist dharma. Buddhism became very appealing, especially over Jainism because it did not demand such rigorous asceticism. The language used by early Buddhist monks and preachers was that of vernacular tongues, therefore it was able to reach a much larger popular audience [181]. The practice of Buddhism became very popular and widespread over India and even into other countries.

             Hinduism also played an important role in India’s religion. As Buddhism generated new ideas and attracted widespread interest, Hinduism underwent a similar evolution that transformed it into a popular religion of salvation [182].The habharata and the Ramayana illustrate the development of Hindu values. Hindu ethics, however, differed considerably from those of earlier Indian moralists. Hindu ethical teachings made life easier for the lay classes as long as they participated actively in the world and met their caste responsibilities. The teachings emphasized that they should not become personally or emotionally involved in their actions, and they especially should not strive for material reward or recognition, instead, they should perform these duties out of good faith. Hinduism popularity grew so large that it gradually displaced Buddhism as the most popular religion in India. Hinduism attracted political support and patronage in India, particularly from Gupta emperors. By about 1000 C.E., Buddhism had entered a noticeable decline while Hinduism grew in popularity [184].

[1] Bentley and Ziegler, 178, 181-184

2) During the Zhou dynasty, the period of the Warring States took place from 403 to 221 B.C.E. Subordinate leaders disregarded Zhou kings and fought amongst themselves to expand their territory and influence. In 221 B.C.E. the king of Qin overthrew the last Zhou dynasty king and brought stability to China.

Initially, Chinese citizens were likely enthusiastic about the social and political order the Qin dynasty brought to the region. Leaders of the Qin dynasty adopted the Legalist doctrine which focused on strengthening the empire’s agricultural production and military forces. Legalism discouraged any profession that did not directly support or strengthen the empire. Careers such as educators, artists, and merchants were not supported. During the Zhou dynasty leaders followed Confucian teachings which were founded on rituals, education, and humane behavior. Legalists believed in strict obedience to their laws with severe punishment for violations of the law. Although Legalism brought order and discipline to China, Chinese citizens likely grew tired of the strict implementation of the system. In the end, adherence to Legalist laws enabled China to unify its citizens and strengthen its empire. The Qin dynasty only lasted for 14 years from 221 to 206 B.C.E. The death of the first Emperor of the Qin Empire, Qin Shihuangdi in 210 B.C.E. brought about a revolt from Chinese citizens which inevitably overthrew the Qin emperor in 206 B.C.E.

The Han Empire enjoyed much more success than the Qin Empire. The Han Empire spanned from 206 B.C.E to 220 C.E or 406 years. The Han dynasty’s successful reign can be partially credited to the fifty-four year reign of Emperor Han Wudi from 141 to 87 B.C.E. Wudi’s success can be attributed to centralized governmental control and expansion of his empire. During Wudi’s reign he expanded his reach as far as modern day Korea and Vietnam.

The Xiongnu, were nomadic people from Turkish descent that posed the most significant threat to Emperor Wudi’s Han empire. The Xiongnu were excellent horsemen who were constantly on the move harassing Chinese citizens that were not willing to comply with their wishes. Since the Xiongnu did not have a base of operations they were able to constantly relocate their forces and practice their guerilla tactics against the established Han forces.

“Bentley and Ziegler, 94, 154-161”

 

Pete

BIOLOGY FEEDBACK

1)Prior to Mitosis or Meiosis, DNA replication happens. In both Meiosis and Mitosis the nuclear membrane breaks down as the DNA organizes into chromosomes. In Meiosis chromosome pairs come together, or synapse, and crossing over occurs resulting in mixing of the genetic information between the chromosome pairs. The paired chromosomes then align along the central plate of the cell and then separate, one traveling to each end of the cell. In Meiosis, a second splitting up sequence occurs resulting in 4 cells with half the number of chromosomes. Mitosis involves a single division sequence resulting in two cells with no net change in the number of chromosomes. As for Henrietta, that is really cool that researchers are still able to use her cells and help other people by studying them. however, I personally am really upset that her cells are being sold World Wide and companies are making profit. I wish they would have compassion enough to compensate her family. All her family and families’ family until the cells are no more, which from what I read, I think they will be around for awhile.

2) Half of each parent is passed to the offspring. Red Queen hypothesis talks about how reproductive species evolve to be stronger or faster based on process of elimination. So if a rabbit is faster then the fox then in due time rabbits will become faster. Sexual reproduction steps are meiosis in germ cells, then they produce gametes (i.e. sperm). Two gametes (i.e. a sperm and a egg) fuse together and they form what is called a zygote. Meiosis process is when the tubes of the chromosomes get attached to a spindle and repeat that process until they are completely broken down into separate cells. In animals when the two chromosomes become tightly aligned DNA gets swapped between partners. It is all on chance on how human 23 chromosomes get separated to form a new combination during reproduction. Plants muticelled bodies for reproducing are sporophyte and gametophytes.

3)  Gregor Mendel was an Austrian monk that studied the breeding habits and variation in traits in pea plants.  He breeds certain plants together and observed the outcome of their offspring.  Mendel prevented the pea plants from self-fertilizing by removing the anthers and brushing their carpels with pollen on another pea plant. He came to discover that when you cross-fertilize pea plants their offspring have foreseeable patterns that later led him to conclude that from generation to generation hereditary information is passed down in units, also known as genes.

When a person has identical alleles of a gene it is called homozygous. These alleles can either be dominant or recessive. Dominant (A) or (AA) masks the effect of recessive (a) or (aa). If the alleles are different from each other like (Aa), than they are known as heterozygous or hybrid. If something such as a plant that is homozygous has dominant allele (PP) than that plant can only make dominant allele P gametes. Same goes for recessive allele (p); they can only make recessive (pp) gametes.  But if they were to cross one another, than they could make a (Pp) gamete.  Punnett squares are a type of cross that can predict these genetic outcomes.  For someone that has a dominant trait but you don’t know the genotype you could use a testcross. The testcross is used to find out if a person is heterozygous (nonidentical alleles) or homozygous (identical alleles).  You would use a monohybrid cross to find out which allele is dominant over the other of a single gene.  Dihybrid crosses are like monohybrid crosses but instead of testing for dominance of a single gene you are testing between two genes.

Codominance is neither dominant nor recessive and the 2 nonidentical alleles are expressed. For example in the ABO gene the A and B are codominant when they are together, but the O is recessive when paired with AB.  If you have an AO your blood type is A and if it is BO than your blood type is B. OO is just O.  When an allele is not all the way dominant over the other it is called Incomplete dominance. Take for example a really bright red flower that is homozygous (RR) and cross it with a white homozygous (rr) flower. Your outcome will be a heterozygous (Rr) pink flower.