Angel and Demons Book Report Essay Example for Free

Angel and Demons Book Report Essay ANGELS AND DEMONS Angels and demons is a heart pounding adventure written by the author Dan Brown and published in 2000. Dan Brown is also famous for his bestselling novel The Davinci code (published 2003); both these novels feature the fictional college professor Robert Langdon as the main character or â€Å"hero† in the story. Both of these stories revolve around the delicate subject of religion as he incorporates religious fact into fantasy. First off, our characters include Robert Langdon who is a professor of symbology at Harvard University. He is flown to a Swedish nuclear research facility known as CERN (Which really does exist) by the director of CERN Maximilian Kohler to investigate the murder of esteemed scientist Leonardo Verta. Leonardo Verta was the head scientist of a research group working on an antimatter energy source until he was killed, and the anti-matter stolen. Robert leaves CERN with Leonardos daughter Vittoria Vetra to Rome in search of the stolen anti-matter. Robert leaves CERN with a new counterpart and one clue to solve the unraveling mystery of who stole the anti-matter and killed Leonardo Verta; the ambigram branded into the scientist chest saying Illuminati. Soon after arriving in Rome Robert and Vittoria are rushed to Vatican City by commander of the Swiss guard Commander Olivetti, as the situation grows more dire after four high ranking cardinals are kidnapped by the illuminati assassin, with one clue, one will each be slaughtered on the alters of science along the path of illumination. When the threat comes in that if they don’t stop the assassin by eight o’clock the Vatican will be destroyed, as they race against the clock to stop the destruction of the Vatican new problems will rise and betrayal is around every corner. This book is strongly recommended for readers who enjoy large scale mysteries and people who enjoy stories involving conspiracies. This is because this story involves a race against time and a struggle to stop a secret society that controls half of the government itself. This tale is a mind bending race against time and an enemy who seems to be everyone and control everything.

Breaking Barriers: An Intersection of the Institution and the Information Superhighway :: Essays Papers

Breaking Barriers: An Intersection of the Institution and the Information Superhighway What it is all about Distance education. What is it? Barry Birnbaum has cited a feasible definition for it in his book, Foundations and Practices in the Use of Distance Education. The definition is according to a study done by Moore and Kearsley in 1996. Birnbaum quotes, â€Å"distance education is defined as planned learning that normally occurs in a different place and requires a well-defined system of delivery that includes modified teaching techniques, alternative modes for communication (i.e. computers), as well as alternative administrative and organizational components.† (Birnbaum, 2001, p. 1)[1] Then, again in 1996, another researcher by the name of Keegan assigned 5 criteria in his definition of distance education. These 5 criteria are: â€Å"a.) Separation of teacher and learner throughout the learning process, b.) The influence of the organization in the planning and preparation of learning materials, c.) The use of technical media to unite teacher and learner, d.) The role of two-way communication, and e.) The separation of the learning group during the process.† (Birnbaum, 2001, p. 2)[2] Bearing these two definitions in mind, let us proceed. I. How it was all started A man named Isaac Pitman started the whole concept of distance education in England around 1840.(Birnbaum, 2001, p. 10)[3] He wanted to create an opportunity for people to learn shorthand that would otherwise, not be able to do so due to work constraints or other everyday obligations. According to Birnbaum, since this period of time, the primary utilization of distance education has been in the field of foreign language. However, other institutions opt to employ distance education as well. For example, the armed services have found that technical training can be provided to a large number of military personnel in a cost-effective manner through distance education course delivery modules. (Birnbaum, 2001, p. 11)[4] Large corporations such as Best Buy also use e -learning in order to deliver quick, effective training to their employees in lieu of having an actual time reserved for training the employees.

October Sky Movie Essay

October Sky†¯is a movie about how a hillbilly†¯accomplished his dream of building rockets and got out from the falling mining hometown named†¯Coalwood. Homer Hickam, the main character of the movie, would never succeed in his rocket dream without the extraordinary inspiration and encouragement from Miss†¯Riley. An outstanding educator will focus on enlightening students and†¯extending†¯their†¯limits instead of instructing strict rules and following rigid†¯formats. The teacher in the movie, Miss Riley, recognizes the potential in every student, not only the ones with visible ability.†¯ She would use†¯philosophical†¯stories and her experience and observation to help her students to orient their dreams. All†¯the positive impacts on the students came†¯from the unique personality of the instructor. There is a remarkable†¯dialogue†¯that touches my heart and wins my approval in the†¯movie October Sky. When Homer and his partners were going to launch their rocket, some of the town residents had found their blockhouse and had been waiting for†¯their†¯launch. Miss Riley said to Homer, â€Å"You do not have to prove anything to anybody.† Miss Riley said that to the boys to make them feel more relaxed and try to comfort them from†¯nervousness. Even Homer’s father, John Hickam,†¯didn’t†¯believe his son could be successful in†¯building†¯rocket. Miss Riley gave support to the rocket boys and helped them to approach their goal as much she could, such as ordering a book for Homer. In the beginning, Principal Turner reprimand Miss Riley for giving her students false hopes and wasting their time; and confiscated Homer’s rocket and the book about rockets. It was Miss Riley helped to get Homer’s things back and directed him to pursue his goal even though there would be obstacles along the way and he should not fear.†¯ Homer’s father, John Hickam, and Ike†¯Bykovsky†¯both†¯had influence on Homer’s coming of age. The†¯effects from them were definitely not the elements that motivated Homer to achieve his ambition, but they taught Homer his responsibility to the family. Ike rather stayed at mining†¯for higher salary†¯than†¯go back to work in car shop. For the reason that his family was in poverty, his choice headed him to†¯death. In another accident, John was severely wounded, Homer picked up the responsibility to support family as his father had done. John was one of the major†¯obstacles for Homer to†¯accomplish†¯his rocket†¯dream. His father wanted to make Homer to be an exceptional miner in†¯Coalwood then take his place in the Company, so he threw Homer’s rocket equipment out and  sneered at†¯Homer. John had constructed his plan for Homer’s future;†¯nevertheless, Homer hated to be a†¯miner. John’s unsupportive actions towards Homer’s rocket dream were absolutely†¯negative†¯to Homer. But John gave Homer a†¯positive†¯lecture about how to treat friends when John saved†¯O’Dell†¯from his†¯drunken†¯stepfather†¯ou tside the police station. Homer shaped his outlook and grew up to be a man from Ike†¯Bykovsky†¯and John†¯Hickam’s valuable lectures. In†¯this tangible world, educators do not†¯necessary†¯have to be human being. Anything that inspires us can be our role model. The similarity between a physical object or an event and an instructor is that they both can give students positive impacts through affirmative representations. There is another movie that inspired†¯me named,†¯Life of†¯Pi. It is a sad story about how an Indian teenager survived from a marine peril with a tiger.†¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¯When Pi was a child, he converted himself to several religions, and his father told him that having several different faiths in the meanwhile is equal to not believing†¯in anything at†¯all. His mother explained a different idea to him which is, science takes over†¯our outside†¯world and it never gets inside†¯our heart,†¯only†¯faith does. This short†¯conversation†¯in the movie has its own†¯charm;†¯it reveals some truth to me, and affects me on†¯developing†¯my†¯standard of treating the world. Pi’s experience of sailing the sea taught me†¯that†¯no matter how slight the chance†¯is we should never†¯lose†¯hope. Even though the movie did not convey these ideas directly to us, it gave us†¯the direction to imagine. As the interpretation above,†¯great educators always use stories and their experiences to enlighten†¯students.†¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¯That†¯is where usually the positive sources come from. In October Sky, Quentin, one†¯of the rocket boys, could also be†¯seen as†¯a great teacher to†¯Homer. It was him who introduced Homer the basic†¯ideas†¯about†¯rocket; Homer would probably never recognize his hidden potential without Quentin. Before making friends with Homer and the other two Rocket boys, Quentin was the biggest geek in their school. He continued school without having a social life†¯and†¯friends.†¯Ã¢â‚¬ ¯Quentin came from a poor family in the poor†¯Coalwood neighborhood; he had†¯nothing†¯but a clever†¯brain. Rocket Dream joined Quentin and Homer together, and they were attracted by each other’s qualities as well. Homer desired Quentin’s†¯knowledge, and Quentin†¯wanted Homer’s†¯bravery and compassion†¯which encouraged him to pursue his†¯dream. They were not only a good friend to  each other, but also†¯a good teacher to each other. Educators giving great positive impact and support to their students do†¯not require obtaining a high diploma, but the ability to recognize the student’s potential and discover their possibility for greatness. Great educators come with a unique personality.†¯ The most primary job of educators is not to make their†¯students to be†¯solely erudite, but to offer them confidence and understanding to pursue†¯their†¯dreams,†¯just†¯like what Miss Riley have done for the rocket boys.

Gaining Essay Online For Free - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1775 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Education Essay Type Research paper Topics: School Essay Did you like this example? Part 1: Analyse and identify all of the influencing factors on gaining a first class degree. During this analysis clearly display the controllable/uncontrollable factors surrounding this situation. (40marks) The factors that influence the achievement of a 1st class degree can be split into two categories; those that can be controlled by the individual in question and those that cannot. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Gaining Essay Online For Free" essay for you Create order Those that can be controlled relate almost entirely to the individual, where as those that do not relate to both the individual (for example the interest in learning that they acquired due to their parents involvement) and the individuals external environment. In either case, in this study, these factors are subject to the following assumptions; that the individual achieved the required grades to attend the university that he/she is at, that a 1st class degree is based on individual performance rather than a weighting amongst peers, and that there are no extraordinary factors or mitigating circumstances that might affect attainment. Controllable factors based on the student at the start point of the course, centre around the students ability/determination to learn. The largest controllable factor must be the amount of study that the student undertakes. A 1st class degree requires a student to perform above expectation and in general this would mean studying more effectivel y for longer. If the student is able to study for longer, then they should achieve a better grade, and given that the amount of time dedicating to study is essentially up to the student within a certain limit, this factor may be controllable. Distance to the library etc and other factors that affect the amount of study performed may also be down to the individual student. The quality of study is also a controllable factor. The more effective a student is during this study time, the more likely they are to achieve a 1st class degree. This could be controlled by reducing the negative impact of external factors on studying. For example, getting more sleep so the student is alert, or having the correct surroundings for studying (i.e. reducing noise levels). Though the student social life may be detrimental to this, it is controllable by the student, and it is the student who may make a choice between spending time socialising over studying. The correct education and choice of course is a controllable factor in attaining a 1st class degree. A student who has chosen to study a course that they find easier and that they are more capable at may achieve this grade. Whereas the choice to study a harder degree where their core competencies do not lie, may be detrimental. Essentially, the controllable factors come down to the students determination to succeed. A more determined student may forgo the temptations of a social life, may study harder, spend less time on other activities, and focus more on their studies. The controllable factor is essentially one of will power and may be determined by the individuals willingness to succeed, and the perceived reward of attaining a 1st class degree. Uncontrollable factors relate to the student, and their external environment (the University). The uncontrollable factors relating to the student are around genetics and natural preference. The genetics of the students are uncontrollable; they may naturally be le ss intelligent and incapable of a 1st class degree. They may not have the intelligence to perform, or the natural drive to attain a 1st class degree. They may also simply be happy with another class degree. Regarding natural preference, it is known that people learn in different ways, and that different methods suit different people. It may be the case that a students preferred learning method is in contrast to the method taught at the university or the choice of course. A lecturer teaching in a particularly oral manner is an uncontrollable factor for a student whose naturally preferred learning method is through visualisation. The quality of Lecturers is an uncontrollable factor for the student. Though they may have chosen the university they attended, they may have little influence over the lecturers they have. A poor lecturer may result in a lower quality of learning for the student. The standard of the University is important, but in particular, the standard of the university compared to the standard of the student. An average student may be much more capable of attaining a 1st class degree at a lower level university than at a top university. As such, the student has no control over the standards set by the university. The quality and interpretation of marking and communication is another uncontrollable factor. A tutor with many papers to mark may miss key points made by students, misread, or aggregate marks. As such the quality and accuracy of marking is uncontrollable, but could equally affect the student in either direction unless there is a preference for the marker towards an average (of which a 1st class grade is of course not). Finally, there is an uncontrollable element of luck: each student may only have time in the course to study certain elements, and the questions that come up in exams may suit the topics they are better at, or worse at. They may pick a dissertation topic that they later find out is particularly tricky . Part 2: Apply means-end analysis to this situation and devise a plan of action. (40 marks) Means-end analysis takes an individual objective goal, and a current situation, and then attempts to reduce the gap between the two. The Means-End Analysis covers several key points: Identifying the end goal, defining the goals necessary to reach the end state, describing the current situation, analysing the resources required to achieve these states, and planning their attainment. In this case the end goal is the achievement of a 1st class degree. Of course it is perfectly reasonable that the 1st class degree is not the end point for the individual, and that in fact the degree is an enabler for them to achieve a further end, for example attaining a good job, or respect amongst peers etc. The goals necessary to reach a 1st class degree may be specific to the course. But in this case we will make assumptions; that the student is on a 3 year degree course, that the first year has no impact on the degree, but is a foundation year, that the second and third year are weight ed 40% and 60% respectively, of which 30% in the final year is a dissertation, and that the non-dissertation marks totalling 70% are based on annual exams in the 2nd and 3rd years. The final assumption is that the student needs 70% to achieve a 1st class degree. The goals, and plan for this student are therefore: To use the first year in such a way that enables achievement of required grades in the 2nd and 3rd years. To achieve 70% in the 2nd Year exams To achieve 70% in the 3rd year exams To achieve 70% in the dissertation Describing the current situation is much simpler; the assumption is that the current start position is of a student at the start point of a degree course. They have no prior knowledge of the course topic, and no mitigating circumstances. The required resources to attain the stages described can be taken from the controllable factors in the first part of this analysis. The student must study for a sufficient amount of time, they must obtain a level of effectiveness in their studies (quality of study), they must have the correct education for the course, and must be determined enough to succeed that they would prioritise the attainment of a 1st class degree over other activities. These behaviours will ultimately affect all of the above stages. The final part of the means-end analysis is to plan the attainment of these goals, which can be done by taking the behaviours and resources required to meet the individual stages, and marking specific requirements against them, and b y specifying specific aims that will enable attainment of the specific goals: Year 1: Aim to achieve 70% in the first year exams, despite them mark not counting towards the overall degree grade. This will embed the behaviours required to achieve this grade, in preparation for the qualifying years. Attempt to use the first year to identify the topics that are most suitable to the student. Identify those which the student can achieve the best marks in, and then try to carry these topics and module choices through to the final 2 years. Aim to set specific working times, and standards for quality of study in the first year such that they become habit by the 2nd and 3rd years. An example could be studying in silence, or making a routine for trips to the university library that becomes habit. Use this year to identify the students preferred learning method. Year 2: Continue to maintain standards of quality in work, by setting a stringent study timetable, encompassing rewards as a motivation. For the period before the annual exams dedicate more time to study/revision, and less to social life or other activities. Ensure during the year that a suitable learning method has been found and is being utilised. Aim to identify the lecturers and tutors that the student benefits most from, and utilising their expertise. Year 3: Again, continue to maintain standards of quality in work, by setting a stringent study timetable, encompassing rewards as a motivation, but also tailor to the specific project of the dissertation. Effectively plan the dissertation such that the optimal use of time is made throughout the year, and that it does not affect final exam preparations. Make full use of learning methods examined. Attempt to over-prepare in all areas such that the element of luck in exam questions/marking failures is eliminated. If a student were to follow this plan they would give themselves the best possible chance of overcoming the controllable factors, and achieving a 1st class degree. As demonstrated, the uncontrollable factors have a significant role to play in the outcome, but given the actual amount of work required to achieve the grade, any student that has met university entry requirements should be able to achieve it. Part 3: Produce and present a PowerPoint presentation summarising the above analysis. (20 marks) (See separate Document) Bibliography Aurifeille, J.-M. (1995) Determination of the dominant means-end chains: constrained clustering approach. International Journal of Research in Marketing 12 (3) pp. 267-278. Gutman, J (1982) A means-end chain model based on consumer categorization processes. Journal of Marketing 46 pp. 60-72. Klein, G (1998) Sources Of Power: How People Make Decisions. The MIT Press. Walker, B. A. (1991) Means-end chains: Connecting products with self. Journal of Business Research 22 pp. 111-119. Woodside, A (2005) Market-Driven Thinking: Achieving Contextual Intelligence. Butterworth-Heinemann.