Monday, January 27, 2020
Sexual Education in Schools
Sexual Education in Schools Sexual education (sex ed) in public schools has long been a controversial and debated topic in society. There are several questions when it comes to approaching sex ed in schools. These questions include: appropriate age for introducing sex ed; should sex ed be mandatory or optional; and whether sex ed programs should be comprehensive or abstinence-based. Sex ed is a necessary subject to teach in schools. It should be appropriate to the grade level and taught in a knowledgeable, unbiased manner. Comprehensive sex ed should include teaching students about abstinence, prevention techniques, and should place an emphasis on helping students to acquire decision-making skills when it comes to sexual activity. Sex ed can be a very useful and efficient tool for young students when it comes to making the decision that is best for them. It is an unfortunate trend that not all young adolescents have a safe place to turn to for effective sexual information. Providing sex ed in schools gives all students an equal opportunity to get information about sex and all the aspects that come with it. Age-Appropriate Sex Ed Sex education should begin in early adolescents or sooner, possibly starting in 5th or 6th grade. Sex education that works starts early, before young people reach puberty, and before they have developed established patterns of behavior (Forrest Kannabus, 2009, pg 3). If a child doesnt get introduced to sex ed until age 16, but starts having sex at age 14; then its possible they didnt learn anything about abstinence and STD or pregnancy prevention prior to their sexual activity. At which point it may be harder to teach them new behaviors concerning sexual activity. In 2005, 6.2 percent of high school students reported having engaged in sexual intercourse before age 13 (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS), 2007, n.p.). While 6.2 may seem like a small percent; 45.5% of young women and 45.7% of young men claim to have had sexual intercourse between the ages of 15 and 19. According to these statistics, it would appear that some sex ed would be appropriate at least prior to or at age 12. It is difficult to know at what age sex ed should be administered. It all depends on the physical, emotional, and mental development of the child. Some argue that introducing sex ed at such a young age will encourage young kids to experiment and act on their curiosity. However, According to 48 studies of comprehensive sex and STD/HIV education programs in US schools; there was found to be strong evidence that such programs did not increase sexual activity. Some of them reduced sexual activity, or increased rates of condom use or other contraceptives, or both (Forrest Kannabus, 2009). It appears to be evident that providing sexual education at a younger age, such as 5th or 6th grade, is not only necessary but appropriate as well. Mandatory vs. Optional Sex Ed Because all students deserve the opportunity to have equal access to sex ed; it should be mandated by all schools to teach comprehensive sexual education, with the option for parents opting their children out of class. During interviews conducted with parents of school aged children, by the author of this paper; it was found that all the parents also thought sex ed should be mandatory for schools to teach sex ed, and mandatory for schools to offer parents the choice of opting their children out of the programs. The parents also thought it necessary for schools to allow parents to review the information that would be taught to students prior to their children taking the course, this would give them the opportunity to pull their children out of the course. According to the Guttmacher Institute (2009), 21 states and the District of Columbia mandate that public schools teach sex education (highlight 1). While 37 states require school districts to allow parental involvement in sex ed, onl y 3 states require parental consent for their child to participate in sex ed, and 35 states permit parents to opt their children out of sex ed (Guttmacher Institute, 2009, highlight 3). Only 4% of junior high students parents and 6% of high school student parents believe that sex education should not be taught in schools. Many school districts do however make exceptions for students that cannot participate due to religious beliefs and customs (Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), 2007, n.d.). Program Effectiveness Even though there seems to be little debate about the appropriate age to introduce sex ed and whether it should be mandatory or optional; there is a very big debate about the effectiveness of the two main programs being taught in public schools. These programs include comprehensive sexual education and abstinence-only programs, both of which have supporters and opponents. Many abstinence-until-marriage or abstinence-based programs taught in schools are funded by the federal government. Billions of dollars have been poured into these programs, yet they have not been proven to be as effective as comprehensive programs nor have they shown a positive change in young students sexual activities (No More Money, 2008). Abstinence-only programs place an emphasis on abstinence from all sexual behaviors as a means to prevention of pregnancy and STDs. These programs cover minimal information about contraceptives and STD prevention. If discussed at all, these programs only discuss failure rates (Community Action Kit, 2008). While many proponents of abstinence-only programs argue that the program is the only way for students to be 100% protected, opponents would argue that the programs dont supply enough knowledge to students about other forms of protection and preventative measures. Students are more likely to engage in unprotected sexual activities when they have not been taught any information about prevention. Many abstinence-only programs also teach students about exercising self-control (No More Money, 2008). According to Family Accountability Communicating Teen Sexuality (FACTS Handbook) (2000), Students who do not choose to exercise self-control to remain abstinent are not likely to exercise self -control in the use of a contraceptive device (p. 50). However, this is not a known fact since contraception as a preventative device is not taught in abstinent-only programs. Abstinent-only programs do not prepare students for the possibility that they may not be able to exercise self-control. Educational Psychology by John W. Santrock highlights adolescent thinking, on page 314. Santrock notes that in the heat of the moment, adolescents emotions may especially overwhelm their decision-making ability. In the heat of the moment, a student who hasnt been taught about contraception or condoms probably wont make the right decision. However, an adolescent who has been supplied with adequate information about condoms and contraception might have already considered the consequences before-hand, during a moment not aroused by emotion. Having the knowledge to make the right decision concerning protection may help the young student to make a better choice during an emotionally aroused state. The evidence and research clearly shows that abstinence-only programs do not prevent teen pregnancies or the onset of vaginal intercourse (Kohler, 2008). Comprehensive sexual education (CSE) is an unbiased approach to sex ed. CSE teaches and develops decision-making skills in students about abstinence, contraceptives, STD prevention, condom use, teen pregnancy, human development and reproductive systems and relationships (Community Action Kit, 2008, pgId 886). Many parents argued that sexual education programs did not focus enough on teaching students responsible behavior and self-esteem associated with making decisions about sex. CSE provides that students be taught about relationships and interpersonal skills. This program also highlights the development of students attitudes towards their values and beliefs about sex and exercising responsibility regarding sexual relationships (Community Action Kit, 2008, pgId 888). Even though these programs have been proven to delay the onset of intercourse; reduce the frequency of intercourse and the number of sexual partners; and increase condom or contraceptive use (Community Action Kit, 2008, pgId887); only 15 states require that sex education programs cover contraception (Guttmacher Institution, 2009, highlight 1.2). Even with its proven effectiveness and success rate, CSE is not being taught in enough schools to reach its max potential at reducing young students risky behavior concerning sexual activities. Some critics argue that CSE programs increase sexual activity due simply to the students awareness of sexual information. While CSE may not primarily prevent sexual intercourse it is 50% more likely to prevent teen pregnancies than abstinence-only programs. It is also shown to marginally reduce reports of vaginal intercourse among young students (Kohler, 2008). CSE allows students to continually build upon development and learned skills. It also focuses on helping students to maintain these skills in memory, thinking and decision-making processes. For CSE to be successful, educators have to be dedicated in providing students with unbiased and effective sexual knowledge and information. There are many young adolescents in societys communities that are just not provided with the adequate knowledge about sex ed necessary to make choices and decisions that are best for themselves and their futures. With the right tools and motivation teachers and educators could be very successful at pre paring students for real life sexual encounters. Parents in America strongly support a wide breadth of topics being taught as a part of sex education, and there is broad public support as well. 93% of junior high parents and 91% of high school parents support sex education as a part of school curriculum. 71% up to 100% of junior high and high school parents support topics such as HIV/AIDS, STD prevention, teen pregnancy, birth control, condom use, and sexual orientation as appropriate topics to discuss in sexual education programs (SIECUS, 2007). Even with these high numbers; its alarming to know that many states just dont require it. Many more states need to require that comprehensive sex education be offered in all schools, rather than no sex education or abstinence-only programs. They need to be mandatory programs with the option of opt outs. Programs should start at age-appropriate times such as 5th-6th grade, and each grade level provided with age-appropriate material to increase in intensity in higher grade levels. Only when this approach is taken will sexual education in schools see max potential and effective results. Effective results that just may change those 6% of opposing parents minds.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Waste Land Essay: Ceremonies and Rituals :: T.S. Eliot Waste Land Essays
The Waste Land: Ceremonies and Rituals    Ceremonies are prevalent throughout T.S. Eliot’s poem The Waste Land. Eliot relies on literary contrasts to illustrate the specific values of meaningful, effectual rituals of primitive society in contrast to the meaningless, broken, sham rituals of the modern day. These contrasts serve to show how ceremonies can become broken when they are missing vital components, or they are overloaded with too many. Even the way language is used in the poem furthers the point of ceremonies, both broken and not. In section V of The Waste Land, Eliot writes,                "After the torchlight red on sweaty faces                After the frosty silence in the gardens                After the agony in stony places                The shouting and the crying                Prison and palace and reverberation                Of thunder of spring over distant mountains                He who was living is now dead" (ll. 322-328). The imagery of a primal ceremony is evident in this passage. The last line of "He who was living is now dead" shows the passing of the primal ceremony; the connection to it that was once viable is now dead. The language used to describe the event is very rich and vivid: red, sweaty, stony. These words evoke an event that is without the cares of modern life- it is primal and hot. A couple of lines later Eliot talks of "red sullen faces sneer and snarl/ From doors of mudcracked houses" (ll. 344-345). These lines too seem to contain language that has a primal quality to it.        From the primal roots of ceremony Eliot shows us the contrast of broken ceremonies. Some of these ceremonies are broken because they are lacking vital components. A major ceremony in The Waste Land is that of sex. The ceremony of sex is broken, however, because it is missing components of love and consent. An example of this appears in section II, lines 99-100, "The change of Philomel, by the barbarous king/ So rudely forced"; this is referring to the rape of Philomel by King Tereus of Thrace. The forcing of sex on an unwilling partner breaks the entire ceremony of sex.        Rape is not the only way a broken sex ceremony can take place.  The broken ceremony can also occur when there is a lack of love, as shown in lines 222-256. This passage describes a scene between "the typist" and "the young man carbuncular".
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Ethinicity And American Culture Essay
The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1850 was signed between the American government and the interim government of the military occupied Mexico which resulted in the end of the Mexican-American War. This was intended to bring peace in the disputed territory and the end result was that Mexico ceded a large territory to the United States and its size was reduced by forty-five percent. The land Mexico ceded to the U. S. is now a number of states: Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and California. The military government in Mexico received fair compensation for the territory. The treaty of Guadalupe paved the way for the way for the immigration of Mexicans especially workers to the U. S. this was necessitated by the United States’ need for labor to develop the newly acquired territory. Immigration patterns have been determined by American manual labor needs. The Immigration Process The immigration of Mexicans to the U. S. began soon after the territory was surrendered, the U. S. government sought labor from Mexico to build the railroad which was to connect all the new territory to the other states. Between 1850 and 1880 the U. S. government brought in 55,000 migrant workers from Mexico into the former Mexican territories to work on the railroad. The government preferred Mexican laborers because they were not entitled to any constitutional protection and they could work for substandard wages in the harsh conditions. The process of immigration began to peak up speed in 1910 when the Mexican revolution took place. After the revolution, more then 50,000 Mexican workers immigrated to the U. S. in search of jobs which they felt were better than those available in their home country. Changes over Time Change in the immigration process began to take shape in 1929 when American citizens massively complained that the illegal workers were taking up their job. The government responded by launching major crackdown on immigrants who did not posses the relevant immigration documents. This resulted in the forceful deportation of over two million Mexican of which about one and a half million had been born in the U. S. this was harsh as those born in the U. S. were therefore citizens by birth. The U. S however found itself in a tight spot when it got in World War II in 1942 which elicited the need for Mexican workers. The U. S. acted quickly to remedy the situation by getting into an agreement with Mexican officials and this was known as the Bracero program. Under the program guest Mexican workers would be allowed to enter the U. S. and provide labor on a temporary basis though they would not be afforded the labor protections accorded to their U. S. counterparts. The program run through out the period of World War II and went on up to 1964 as major Corporations had pulled string to ensure that the laborers continued to work as they wanted to cash in on the cheap labor. Since 1964 there was what has been referred to as an unspoken agreement between the undocumented workers, Corporations and the government. The government has intentionally failed to implement border regulations after being lobbied by major corporations which benefit highly from the labor if the immigrants. Though the agreement has been said to benefit all the parties which is utterly false as the immigrant workers are subjected to poor living conditions, are paid substandard wages and do not enjoy the protection of labor unions or practices. In 1986 three million undocumented Mexican-American workers were granted amnesty by the Reagan administration and this consequently made them subject to human rights protections, (Borjas & National Bureau of Economic Research, 2007). Effect on Chicano Movement The Chicano movement was vastly affected by the immigration of undocumented as they were not officially recognized by the U. S. government. This meant that they did not enjoy constitutional protection like other American citizen and the movement’s job was harder as attempts at demanding for rights resulted in deportation. Mexican workers therefore did not seek the help of the movement as they fear that its intervention would result of their deportation, (Rosales, 2000). Conclusion The immigration of Mexican to the U. S. began with the need by the U. S. government to have cheap labor for building of a railroad through the territory acquired from Mexico in 1850. The immigration pattern has however been tied only to the manual labor needs of the U. S. as the government allows entry of undocumented Mexican workers when they are in dire need of cheap manual labor like during World War II. The pattern is also evident from the push and pull debate that rages on the undocumented workers. Reference Borjas, G. J. & National Bureau of Economic Research. (2007). Mexican Immigration to the United States. Chicago? : University of Chicago Press. Rosales, F. A. (2000). Testimonio: A Documentary History of the Mexican-American Struggle for Civil Rights. Houston: Arte Publico Press. ESSAY TWO Some historians describe the Civil Rights Movement as a two-phase process of a southern movement to guarantee basic human rights and a northern movement focused on economic and social inequalities. In an essay, which incorporates lecture, readings and class discussion analyze this process. Introduction The Civil Rights Movement sought reform in the way the American society treated African Americans and it sought to change the perception. The movement originated in the urban areas of the south after large numbers of African Americans migrated from the rural areas and this was after the abolishment of slavery. The American Civil Rights Movement faced a number of challenges in its quest for equal civil rights for African Americans and other minority groups. This came in the form of legislation which promoted the injustices committed against African Americans by white Americans. The movement was therefore forced to employ different strategies and tactics so as to have its voice and that of its people heard. The movement suffered major losses in the road to the eventual attainment of those rights. The Civil Rights Movement refers to a reform movement of African Americans which sought to attain equal civil rights under the law for all people. It sought to have the abolishment of both public and private acts of discrimination and segregation against African Americans. The movement is said to have originated in the southern urban areas when millions of African Americans migrated from rural areas to the urban centers of the south. The Civil Rights Movement employed various strategies which included: nonviolent strikes, civil disobedience, marches, boycotts, protests rallies and â€Å"freedom rides. †The movement therefore focused on disenfranchisement and the Jim Crow laws in the south. The Civil Rights Movement in the south can be said to have been the most intense as it was in the south that African Americans faced the greatest resistance to their attempts to struggle for equal rights. The south had become the most notorious when it came to the suppression of rights of African Americans. The laws in the south permitted or required four acts of discrimination against African Americans. They included voter suppression or disfranchisement, denial of economic opportunities, private acts and mass racial violence and racial segregation which was first upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court decision in 1896 in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. It was also in the south that most of the milestone events in the civil rights movement took place in the south which included the: Martin Luther king Jr. assassination, march on Selma, Alabama, Mississippi freedom summer and the Montgomery bus boycott. The south was also home of some of the most important literature to come out of the Civil Rights Movement like Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham jail. It also home to important Civil Rights Movement landmarks like the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Site. The latter also house a museum which chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement. The challenges of the movement in south emanated from the legislature passing of the Jim Crow laws which legalized segregation in all public facilities. This law meant that African Americans and other non-white citizens were designated different facilities this includes: lavatories, buses, restaurants, housing establishments among others. These went on to be adopted by most local government across the country and this turned to be a major challenge to the Civil Rights Movement. It was the successes of the Civil Rights Movement in the south which made life better for African Americans all over the United States. The civil rights movement culminated in the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965 but of which were a clear symbol of the success of the Civil Rights Movement, (Williams & Bond, 1988). Conclusion Despite the major challenges the American civil Rights Movement faced, it managed to succeed in its cause because of its strategies, sacrifices and it resilience. Some of the sacrifices the movement had to contend with included the loss of one of its leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was assassinated. Though this was a major blow the movement managed to remain resilient and it was rewarded with the passing of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act in 1964 and 1965 respectively. The fact that most of the Civil Rights Movement events took place in the south does not mean that the northern part of the country was not involved as activities like the march on Washington took place in the north. The march was the venue for famous â€Å"I Have a Dream†speech by Dr. Martin Luther King. The civil rights movement therefore came along way to achieve success. Reference Williams, J. , & Bond, J. (INT) (1988). Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, 1954- 1965. ISBN 0833514318, 9780833514318: Bt Bound
Friday, January 3, 2020
Early Childhood Special Education - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1146 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? Child centered education refers to the different education programs, learning experiences and instructional approaches that are intended to address distinct learning needs of children. Children have distinct needs in terms of their cultural backgrounds, aspirations and interest. This means that learning should be tailored to these various distinct specific needs as per the individual child. This paper talks about child centered education, its importance and needs. It also discusses the various challenges faced by professionals in this field. (Doddington, C., Hilton, M. (2007). Child centered education is very important because every child has a right to education. Despite any factor that may separate or distinct a child from other children, he or she still deserve and stand to have a right for education. Child centered education makes this dream come true for many children with special needs. This is because the child will be well cared for in terms of quality education and positive learning experience. This practically means that child centered education oppose the generalization norm of putting all the children together and regarding them as all equal. (Entwistle, H. (2012) Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Early Childhood Special Education" essay for you Create order Children with special needs requires specific learning styles, tailored to their specific needs, Child centered education is therefore very important and highly needed and required in any learning institution. Dewey has had a positive influence in child centered education. He believes that those who are served with the duty of education must do their work extremely well an answer to their call promptly. He believes that all educators must care for the children and give them the best. There are many challenges that professionals in this area of learning normally face. One of the challenges is the wide spread misconception that people have that teaching is easy. In the real since, teaching is a profession that is very hard and entails a lot of responsibilities. Despite all the hardship associated with this profession of early childhood special education, people still fail to recognize the role of teachers or professionals in this profession. These professionals have to deal with children with various disabilities or special needs. Such children require special education that is centered to their special needs. When dealing with for example a handicap child, it would require physical assistance as part of the education. This is a big challenge that requires a lot of devotion. Another challenge that professionals in this field face is the idea that special education and early childhood education do come with additional unexpected duties. When dealing with children of special needs, the possibility or likelihood of emergency is very high with respect to the special needs of the child. Most of this emergency is always very difficult to cope with. This therefore poses additional challenge to professionals in this field. Having to do what they never planned or expected to do. Some of these children with special needs are sometimes too risky to handle, what this means is that they may be suffering from deadly diseases such as epilepsy, this therefore means that the teacher or professional dealing with this child must at all-time keep an eye on the child. This is an additional responsibility and an additional tusk all together. Dealing with children with special needs is therefore a challenging duty and most of the people refer to it as a call. Professionals in this field of early childhood special education must therefore be devoted and hardworking in order for them to perform their duties perfectly. Most of the professionals that are involved in this feed of early childhood special education as discussed earlier are normally faced with various challenges. This therefore means that they should always be given support at all times. On the contrary, these professionals have not been given much support that is required. The society has basically ignored this group of people thus posing another challenge to them. They always lack the technical assistance which can enable them to deliver their best educative support to the growing children especially those who have various disabilities. They also have to be remunerated fairly according to standards and the level of their work. This has never been the case; they have faced salary issues and adequate technical support and assistance. With also the advancement in all sectors of life, including education, this area of special education also requires advancements. Most modern schools these days have adopted computers in their learning programs. Special education requires much more technical assistance in terms of technological improvements. As discussed earlier on the issue of child centered education, it is practically clear that most children with social needs will require special assistive technology that will enable them to acquire the best knowledge and skills. This has been a challenge in the field of early childhood special education. Professionals in this feed have called for governments and NGOs to support them in the provisions of these assistive technologies, but less support have been received in effect. A specific class or learning center may have children with various disabilities. Since each child is a special case, the teacher must change the lessons and teaching styles in order to adapt to the various special challenges. This will also enable the teacher to assist each disabled leaner by providing customized educational programs. This alone makes this profession a great challenge and a dislike to many. Another challenge faced by individuals or professionals in this profession is the problem of an inclusive classroom. This is a concept that refers to having learning centers that have both the special needs children and the children who are developing typically. Inclusive classroom poses a new challenge especially to teachers who are dealing with these children. A good example is where many children who have no disabilities are unaccustomed to dealing with those who do, teachers in this areas or classes are given the responsibility of elimination or removing the cruelty that exist between the two group of children. They should ensure that those with disabilities are treated fairly and with respect. This alone is another challenge or setback to a teacher in this field. ( In Nwokah, E. E., In Sutterby, J. A. (2014). It is therefore very clear that professionals in this field of early childhood special education always face a lot of challenges due to the nature of their work. They therefore deserve support and motivation to boost their morale for work. This is a field that has grown so fast with so many children having special needs coming up. The civilized world of today have shunned away from marginalization of children with special needs. It’s therefore a specific duty of all to cooperate and help these children in achieving their dreams. From the common say, disability is not inability, people can always learn that such children ought to be well educated and trained through centered and customized learning styles in order to derive the best from them.
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