donna71 Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 With advances and evolution in various technologies and social media platforms, the subsequent changes in communication have led to a loss of personal privacy. For instance the use of Facebook can be seen as an advancement in communication as it has provided a new and different way of communicating with others. On Facebook, one’s activities and information can be monitored by a third party or another individual; these were real privacy concerns to the extent that Facebook had to make revisions in order to uphold requirements by the Canadian government’s privacy laws. In addition when one writes on another person’s wall, likes a photo, plays a third party application/game, or even reads a specific article, these postings by default can show up for all to see. Not only is this a loss of privacy for one’s own activity on the internet, but one is also bombarded with the unnecessary activity/information provided by others. Therefore advancements in communications can be beneficial, but also requires careful monitoring of one’s own information. On the other hand, advances in communication have led to more efficient means to communicate but not necessarily accompanied by a loss in personal privacy. With the introduction of the many smart phones companies have introduced new and creative ways of communicating with others, such as through video messaging/calling or enabling text messaging to be instant, real time messaging and with this our communication styles, means, and efficiency has increased. However, this has not necessarily led to a loss of personal privacy as one may be communicating with the same small group of people but in a different way; one still has control over the means and content provided to the other person and such information is not communicated to a mass of people unknowingly. In addition, smart phones such as the Blackberry are touted as being very secure, which is why the United States government has not shied away from using the Blackberry despite recent market moves towards different types of phones. Therefore the advancements in communications brought about by smart phones has not significantly led to a loss of personal privacy. As technology and society evolves, so does one’s ability or means to communicate with others. Advancements in both social media communication and communication through technological devices have led to both loss in personal privacy but also a retention in privacy. What determines whether or not privacy is retained or lost is dependent upon the audience viewing such information; in cases such as social media which has a larger scope to reach a larger number of people it can be stated that advances in this form of communication are more likely to lead to a loss of privacy as it may be difficult to control who can view such information. However, personal phone devices which one uses to communicate on a more intimate level with a smaller audience (between another individual or two) are not likely to lead to a loss of privacy as it is easier to control the information shared and who is receiving the information and simply provides a new means to communicate (video chat versus conventional chatting). With the changing nature of communication, it is important to be mindful about the type and amount of information being shared in specific contexts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbarnes Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Advances in communication have led to a loss of personal privacy. Describe a specific situation in which an advance in communication might not lead to a loss of personal privacy. Discuss what you think determines when advances in communication lead to a loss of personal privacy. The ongoing evolution of technology has facilitated global communication with one major caveat: personal privacy has become a thing of the past. With the advent of the internet, an enormous amount of personal information is freely accessible to the world at large. Social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook or Twitter allow for the instantaneous expression of thoughts and feelings, but these messages may not be constrained to their intended targets. Even if an individual has the forethought to safeguard their own communication, the nature of social networking results in the sharing of personal information by friends and family, which is wholly out of one's control. As these sites become more advanced, more and more information is collected; Facebook and Google allow for the tracking of where you have been, who you've been with, and what you've done. It becomes clear then that the advancement of communication technologies threaten the very existence of personal privacy. However, this loss of privacy may be prevented with appropriate countermeasures. The vast majority of social networking sites, such as Facebook, are dependent upon the creation of personal profiles; these profiles are stored onto network servers, and any relevant information is electronically marked and filed in these locations. By refusing to participate in social networking sites, it becomes far more difficult to track one's ongoings, as no profile is generated, and therefore, the information posted to the site in question is not easily consolidated. It is then possible to remain in contact with acquintances using secured methods of communication. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a secured, encrypted messaging system that is widespread throughout the world wide web. In truth, the vast majority of communication techologies, such as Facebook Chat, Gmail Chat and so forth, are based upon early versions of IRC. By using less commercial versions of the software, personal information can be controlled strictly by the user output. Hence, personal privacy in this electronic era is dependent upon the individual. It is up to the user of these advanced forms of communication to set the boundaries of what they are comfortable with the world to see; the commercial interests of the service providers and the personal interests of the consumer often do not overlap. Therefore, people must constantly monitor how their information is being disseminated across the world wide web; sites such as Facebook and Google have a vast wealth of security options available to their users. These options are in constant flux as the nature of the sites change, which calls for due diligence from the individual. As we stand on the precipice of enormous technological potential, an old adage rings true: with great power comes great responsibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaKirbster Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Advances in communication have led to a loss of personal privacy. Describe a specific situation in which an advance in communication might not lead to a loss of personal privacy. Discuss what you think determines when advances in communication lead to a loss of personal privacy. --- Technological advances have been expanding at an exponential rate for the last few years, and continue to do so. These new technologies make our lives easier everyday at home, at work, and when trying to stay connected with loved ones. Due to the vast diffusion of information that comes with these advances, personal details that are sent over communication networks can often unintentionally end up in the wrong hands. It follows then that these advances in communication have led to a loss of personal privacy. This phenomenon is well-exemplified by Facebook, a social media network where users upload information about themselves in order to stay connected with people that they might not be able to otherwise. Users often divulge personal details intended only for their friends, unaware that many other people can access their information - such as marketers, scammers, and even personal identity theifs. To further complicate the manner, Facebook often changes their privacy policy regarding what information is and is not available to the public, sometimes even unbeknownst to the user. Further still, Facebook's privacy policy is hidden within the fine print of their terms and conditions and is skipped by most users. This all results in users posting vasts amounts of information about themselves, available to anyone who wishes to use it - for better or for worse. However, there are some cases whereby advances in communication have not led to a loss or personal privacy. For example, cell phones have been steadily evolving since they were first released. There always seems to be a better and more advanced cell phone available for purchase capable of doing nearly anything. It is simpler than ever for someone to use a cell phone to call anyone across the world. It is even now possible to do so with video, as to mimic having a conversation face-to-face when halfway around the world. Yet these advances have not marginalized the personal privacy of those who use them. Cell phones are now more secure than ever, as more precautions are being put forth to ensure the user's protection, such as passwords, voice recognition software, and even fingerprint recognition. If by chance an unwanted person gets someone's cell phone number without permission, the cell phone owner is able to block that person from their cell phone. All in all, it is clear that advances in cellular devices have not resulted in a loss of personal privacy. Ultimately, what determines whether or not certain advance in communication have led to a loss of personal privacy depends on if the user of the new technology is aware of the risks in using said technology. Referring to the first example, most Facebook users are unaware of their complicated privacy policies and frivilously plug loads of information into their profiles. Agencies that can utilize this information for their own benefit use this to their advantage and can mop up all the information the user unwittingly leaves behind. On the other hand, cell phones remain relatively simple in terms of user privacies. Most users are able to take advantage of this straightforwardness to protect themselves and their privacy while enjoying the benefits of nearly unlimited communication. In a perfect world, users would take responsibility for their personal privacy but until that happens, their information is at risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 M3D Hi Raymond. Thanks for putting this on for everybody, you're doing a great deed for the premed community. Please have a look at this essay that my girlfriend wrote. I see what you did here. A little bit of flattery to gloss over the missed deadline. I will mark this essay but please ensure future deadlines are adhered to. Advances in communication have lead to a more productive and stable society. Despite this, technological advances in the area of communications technology, which make the world seem smaller, can lead to a loss of privacy, in that it can be easier for more people to acquire information about others. An obvious example of when this is true is the social media web site Facebook. When using the Facebook service, people can communicate with others, and also voluntarily display personal information as intimate as their political and religious views. Although one can elect to restrict what information others can see on the service, many are not aware of this function or do not have the technical expertise to do this, so for them, self-disclosure is being forced upon them. This is a bit of a flimsy argument. There are other Facebook related arguments that are stronger which could be used here. Facebook also does not allow for anonymous usage of the service - something which further reduces the privacy of users. If you had elaborated on this point, it would have been much stronger. Contrarily, the invention of email serves as an example of an advance in communications technology that has not resulted in a loss of personal privacy. Email serves as a replacement to traditional letter writing. Email is nearly functionally identical to traditional mail, the only difference is that it is faster and is accessed by a computer. Email does not offer any additional opportunities for self-disclosure than does traditional letter writing, thus has not resulted in a loss of privacy. Email, if anything, has resulted in an increase in personal privacy, because anonymous conversations can more easily take place. In the past, you would normally write your name and return address on any mail you sent, making anonymous communication more difficult. This example is okay. It is adequate but not entirely convincing. So what is it that determines whether or not advances in communications technology leads to a loss of personal privacy? One loses privacy due to an advance in communications technology when the new method of communication allows or forces more self-disclosure than the old method of communication. Advances in communications technology also cause the loss of privacy when they make it easier to determine who the sender of messages is - it doesn't matter how much you self-disclose if people can't put a name to these details. Only one well-developed resolution principle is required. Although it may seem better, the more ideas you introduce the more difficult you make it for yourself. Facebook is a method of communication that not only encourages, and in some instances forces self-disclosure, but it also removes any shred of anonymity one might havehad by requiring users to use their real name when accessing the service. The second part of the argument can be countered with people using fake names to remain anonymous similar to e-mail. On the other hand, email is an advance in communications technology that does not force or encourage users to engage in any additional self-disclosure than its predecessor, letter writing, did. Email also increases personal privacy by allowing the sending of anonymous communications more conviently. In summary, features that result in forced self-disclosure and a reduction of the ability to communicate anonymously, when incorporated into a new method of communication, result in a loss of privacy. By extension of this, advances in communications have not inherently lead to a reduction of personal privacy. This last sentence is not a good concluding sentence for your resolution paragraph. Overall, your first idea of increased self-disclosure is good. However, your second idea, wasn't as convincing for separating your two examples. You need to better develop your first idea. The purpose of the resolution paragraph is to create contrast between your examples. So why did you discuss e-mail vs regular letter mail here? Overall Mark: 4/6 (Corresponds to approximately a P ) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 4 Supporting task is adequately addressed. Refuting task is adequately addressed. Resolution task is somewhat addressed. Depth: 4 Focus and coherence: 4 Grammar and vocabulary: 4.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 A teacher's job is not to provide the right answers, but to ask the right questions. Describe a specific situation in which a teacher's job might be to provide the right answers. Discuss what you think determines when a teacher's job is to ask the right questions and when it is to provide the right answers. Instructions In 30 minutes, write an essay for the prompt and instructions above and post your essay in this thread. Use the Notepad accessory on your computer so word processing functions are turned off. Note: Do not read other essays replying to this prompt on the forum until after you have written and submitted your own essay. Deadline 11:59pm Tuesday, April 10. Essays posted after the deadline will not be scored but a new Prompt will be posted on Wednesday, April 11. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Jon Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 Teachers play an invaluable role in society. The statement means that a teacher's job is not to simply present information to students, but rather to encourage students to develop an intrinsic interest (by "asking the right questions"), hopefully inspiring them to learn by themselves. For example, my old evolution professor would post questions on the class online discussion board for us to debate on our own time. These questions were curiosity provoking, and many students participated in the discussion by doing research on the topic and posting their own opinions on it. This caused myself and others involved in the discussions to become more interested in evolution, and we learned a lot about the subject this way. Contrarily, there are educational scenarios in which a teacher's job is to provide the right answers - to simply present and explain the information to be learned without attempting to cause the students to learn on their own. When I took a course on CPR, my instructor did not offer the class any opportunity for discussion or to figure out the skills to be learned on our own. Although the instructor could have conceivably run the class this way, it would have been extremely inefficient to do so. When it comes to CPR, there is only one "correct" way of doing things, so having the class arrive at that correct way by ourselves would have had the same result as the instructor simply just telling it to us, but it would have taken much longer. When you take a CPR course, you come with the expectation of learning CPR as quickly as possible. So what is it that determines whether or not a teacher's job is to simply present information, or to encourage students to learn on their own? It has to do with the nature of what is being taught. When students learn pratical skills that will be used in the real world, it is the duty of the teacher to make sure the students remember what they need to know so they will be able to apply their skills effectively in real situations, and to teach the skills as quickly as possible so more can be covered. Thus in these sitations, a teacher should "provide the right answers." This is why in CPR classes, for example, information is presented to the students without forcing them to figure things out on their own - this would be too time inefficient and does not give them enough opportunity to reinforce the knowledge. On the other hand, learning situations in which the point of being there is not to learn anything practical, but rather to simply explore an area of interest, a teacher should focus on getting the students interested in the subject so they can learn on their own. My evolution professor, who's task it was to get us excited about evolution and to broaden our minds to different points of view, succeeded in her task by provoking us to learn on our own by posting debate questions. Although my professor could have just presented the information relevant to the debate in class, this would not have had the effect of getting myself and my classmates more involved and interested in evolution - the goal of being there. To summarize, a teacher's job is to ask the right questions when the subject matter is not going to be put into practice in real life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 donna71 With advances and evolution in various technologies and social media platforms, the subsequent changes in communication have led to a loss of personal privacy. For instance the use of Facebook can be seen as an advancement in communication as it has provided a new and different way of communicating with others. On Facebook, one’s activities and information can be monitored by a third party or another individual; these were real privacy concerns to the extent that Facebook had to make revisions in order to uphold requirements by the Canadian government’s privacy laws. In addition when one writes on another person’s wall, likes a photo, plays a third party application/game, or even reads a specific article, these postings by default can show up for all to see. Not only is this a loss of privacy for one’s own activity on the internet, but one is also bombarded with the unnecessary activity/information provided by others. This part is unnecessary. Therefore advancements in communications can be beneficial, but also requires careful monitoring of one’s own information. This is excellent. On the other hand, advances in communication have led to more efficient means to communicate but are not necessarily accompanied by a loss in personal privacy. With the introduction of the many smart phones companies have introduced new and creative ways of communicating with others, such as through video messaging/calling or enabling text messaging to be instant, real time messaging and with this our communication styles, means, and efficiency has increased. This sentence is cluttered which hurts the clarity. However, this has not necessarily led to a loss of personal privacy as one may be communicating with the same small group of people but in a different way; one still has control over the means and content provided to the other person and such information is not communicated to a mass of people unknowingly. I know what you are saying but the way it is written is disorganized. In addition, smart phones such as the Blackberry are touted as being very secure, which is why the United States government has not shied away from using the Blackberry despite recent market moves towards different types of phones. Therefore the advancements in communications brought about by smart phones has not significantly led to a loss of personal privacy. This example is also very good. The clarity of some sentences was lacking. Expanding on Blackberry being secure would have made it excellent. As technology and society evolves, so does one’s ability or means to communicate with others. Advancements in both social media communication and communication through technological devices have led to both loss in personal privacy but also a retention in privacy. What determines whether or not privacy is retained or lost is dependent upon the audience viewing such information; in cases such as social media which has a larger scope to reach a larger number of people it can be stated that advances in this form of communication are more likely to lead to a loss of privacy as it may be difficult to control who can view such information. This is one long run-on sentence. Your principle is not applied in a strong way here. The explanation should be clearer. However, personal phone devices which one uses to communicate on a more intimate level with a smaller audience (between another individual or two) are not likely to lead to a loss of privacy as it is easier to control the information shared and who is receiving the information and simply provides a new means to communicate (video chat versus conventional chatting). This is another run-on sentence and brackets are not a great idea for a formal essay such as the writing sample. With the changing nature of communication, it is important to be mindful about the type and amount of information being shared in specific contexts. The resolution principle is good. It could have been better if you mentioned that it is the size of the group that can view messages that is important at the beginning. Simply stating that it depends on the audience is vague. There is a problem with run-on sentences here which makes things harder to follow. The ideas are excellent but the writing style needs improvement. Overall Mark: 5/6 (Corresponds to approximately a R ) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 5.5 Supporting task is completely addressed. Refuting task is well addressed. Resolution task is well addressed. Depth: 5 Focus and coherence: 4 Grammar and vocabulary: 3.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 jcbarnes The ongoing evolution of technology has facilitated global communication with one major caveat: personal privacy has become a thing of the past. You shouldn't start your supporting paragraph with an absolute statement. That automatically weakens anything you will say in your refuting paragraph. With the advent of the internet, an enormous amount of personal information is freely accessible to the world at large. Social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook or Twitter allow for the instantaneous expression of thoughts and feelings, but these messages may not be constrained to their intended targets. Even if an individual has the forethought to safeguard their own communication, the nature of social networking results in the sharing of personal information by friends and family, which is wholly out of one's control. As these sites become more advanced, more and more information is collected; Facebook and Google allow for the tracking of where you have been, who you've been with, and what you've done. It becomes clear then that the advancement of communication technologies threaten the very existence of personal privacy. This is a great example. A little bit more focus on the communication aspect would have made it excellent. However, this loss of privacy may be prevented with appropriate countermeasures. This weakens your previous argument. The vast majority of social networking sites, such as Facebook, are dependent upon the creation of personal profiles; these profiles are stored onto network servers, and any relevant information is electronically marked and filed in these locations. By refusing to participate in social networking sites, it becomes far more difficult to track one's ongoings, as no profile is generated, and therefore, the information posted to the site in question is not easily consolidated. This first part is unnecessary. It does not add anything to address the refuting task. It is then possible to remain in contact with acquintances using secured methods of communication. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a secured, encrypted messaging system that is widespread throughout the world wide web. In truth, the vast majority of communication techologies, such as Facebook Chat, Gmail Chat and so forth, are based upon early versions of IRC. By using less commercial versions of the software, personal information can be controlled strictly by the user output. This discussion was mostly off-topic and was not focused on addressing the refuting task. The IRC example would have been excellent had the discussion been focused on that. Hence, personal privacy in this electronic era is dependent upon the individual. This is vague and ambiguous. You want your resolution principle to be clear and easy to apply. It is up to the user of these advanced forms of communication to set the boundaries of what they are comfortable with the world to see; the commercial interests of the service providers and the personal interests of the consumer often do not overlap. Therefore, people must constantly monitor how their information is being disseminated across the world wide web; sites such as Facebook and Google have a vast wealth of security options available to their users. These options are in constant flux as the nature of the sites change, which calls for due diligence from the individual. As we stand on the precipice of enormous technological potential, an old adage rings true: with great power comes great responsibility. This does not address the resolution task. You do not create a contrast between your two examples which is the purpose of the resolution paragraph. Overall Mark: 2/6 (Corresponds to approximately a L) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 2 Supporting task is well addressed. Refuting task is weakly addressed. Resolution task is not addressed. Depth: 3.5 Focus and coherence: 2.5 The focus was not on addressing the writing tasks. Grammar and vocabulary: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 DaKirbster I am on Eastern Time but submitting it by midnight pacific time is fine. I just didn't have time to mark all of the essays before needing to put up the next prompt. Technological advances have been expanding word choice at an exponential rate for the last few years, and continue to do so. These new technologies make our lives easier everyday at home, at work, and when trying to stay connected with loved ones. Due to the vast diffusion of information that comes with these advances, personal details that are sent over communication networks can often unintentionally end up in the wrong hands. It follows then that these advances in communication have led to a loss of personal privacy. This phenomenon is well-exemplified by Facebook, a social media network where users upload information about themselves in order to stay connected with people that they might not be able to otherwise. Users often divulge personal details intended only for their friends, unaware that many other people can access their information - such as marketers, scammers, and even personal identity theifs. To further complicate the manner, Facebook often changes their privacy policy regarding what information is and is not available to the public, sometimes even unbeknownst to the user. Further still, Facebook's privacy policy is hidden within the fine print of their terms and conditions and is skipped by most users. This all results in users posting vasts amounts of information about themselves, available to anyone who wishes to use it - for better or for worse. Excellent. However, there are some cases whereby advances in communication have not led to a loss or personal privacy. For example, cell phones have been steadily evolving since they were first released. There always seems to be a better and more advanced cell phone available for purchase capable of doing nearly anything. It is simpler than ever for someone to use a cell phone to call anyone across the world. It is even now possible to do so with video, as to mimic having a conversation face-to-face when halfway around the world. Yet these advances have not marginalized word choice the personal privacy of those who use them. Cell phones are now more secure than ever, as more precautions are being put forth to ensure the user's protection, such as passwords, voice recognition software, and even fingerprint recognition. If by chance an unwanted person gets someone's cell phone number without permission, the cell phone owner is able to block that person from their cell phone. All in all, it is clear that advances in cellular devices have not resulted in a loss of personal privacy. This is okay. More supporting points would made it better. Ultimately, what determines whether or not certain advances in communication have led to a loss of personal privacy depends on if the user of the new technology is aware of the risks in using said technology. Referring to the first example, most Facebook users are unaware of their complicated privacy policies and frivilously plug loads of information into their profiles. Agencies that can utilize this information for their own benefit use this to their advantage and can mop up all the information the user unwittingly leaves behind. On the other hand, cell phones remain relatively simple in terms of user privacies. Most users are able to take advantage of this straightforwardness to protect themselves and their privacy while enjoying the benefits of nearly unlimited communication. In a perfect world, users would take responsibility for their personal privacy but until that happens, their information is at risk. The resolution principle is not very strong. It weakens your first discussion since it argues that it is not the advancement in technology that has resulted in a loss of privacy but it is the user's lack of awareness that results in the loss of privacy. It also does not apply well to the cell phone example. Overall Mark: 4.5/6 (Corresponds to approximately a Q ) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 4.5 Supporting task is completely addressed. Refuting task is adequately addressed. Resolution task is somewhat addressed. Depth: 4.5 Focus and coherence: 4.5 Grammar and vocabulary: 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna71 Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Thanks again for your services Raymond! Everyone has come across a teacher or will come across a teacher at some point in their life. Some teachers will instruct and guide you in the right direction by posing the right type of questions, rather than providing the right answers. For instance a young teenager, at the point of their life in which one's identity is being sought, may seek an older sibling or friend as a teacher or mentor in figuring out his or her values. The teacher in this situation should not should impose their own values or instruct them to worship Buddha, to mingle with Justin Bieber fans, or to become an airpilot if these are things in which the individual has no interest. Rather, the young student should be posed with questions that he/she may meaningfully seek to answer for her or himself. In addition, the teacher is unable to provide the "right" answers for the student in such personal and subjective situations, which will differ from person to person. Therefore sometimes the teacher's role is to pose the right meaningful questions rather than dole out the right answers. However, sometimes as students we must seek teachers for their expertise and the right answers rather than be bombarded with questions. In mathematics when the answer is black/white and based on deductive and logical reasoning, if one is unable to find the one and only correct answer then he/she will likely remain stuck until presented with an answer from which he or she may learn from. More specifically, if one is unable to grasp the concepts to basic elementary processes, or have the right answers to fundamentals such as the multiplication table, then one is perpetually unable to proceed into algebra or calculus. Furthermore, upon providing the answers a student may learn from the such answers and be able to apply their newfound skills to answer analogous questions. This is in large part why math students are provided with exercises and examples. Therefore a teacher in this type of situation is not to probe their student with questions, but present the right answers to the student on which foundations may be built. Teachers play an integral role in our lives and sometimes they are present to pose the right questions, but at other times they are to pose the right answers. What determines the teacher's role is determined by the subject area of learning in which the student is engaged and whether it be subjective or objective in manner. Should the subject be subjective and personal, such as in personal matters, the teacher's role is to pose the right type of questions for the student to answer at his or her own pace. However, should the subject be of objective and non-personal nature, the teacher's role is to provide answers and help the student build foundations upon which the student may formulate skills to answer similiar answers on their own. Whichever approach the teacher takes, they play a very meaningful and crucial role in all aspects of our lives to become better and more productive individuals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enviro_4_Medschool Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 A teacher's job is not to provide the right answers, but to ask the right questions. Describe a specific situation in which a teacher's job might be to provide the right answers. Discuss what you think determines when a teacher's job is to ask the right questions and when it is to provide the right answers. ---- The role of the teacher is one that has many scenarios with some advocating a strict adherence to principles and others advocating for a more autonomous learning approach. While the term right may be ambiguous in the sense of right imparting an established procedure, teacher's may find it is more effective to teach by providing these right or correct answers. This is especially true in situations where the fundamentals of a subject are being taught. At the most basic stage, it is easiest to teach someone by providing a context of right and wrong without further elaboration into the intricacies. At this stage, a teacher may find it more effective to provide right answers on the procedures rather than focusing on questions which may lead to ambiguity. For example, in the learning of languages, an incorrect pronunciation may lead the student having meanings that may not be intended. An example of this is the french distinction between "je suis pleine", and "je n'ai rien faim". The former is a direct translation from english "I am full" and indicates that a person has become impregnated and the latter is the correct structure stating that I'm not hungry anymore. Without providing what are the right answers to sentence and grammatical construction the chance of being misunderstood is greatly increased. However, simply providing right answers may provide a narrow and constricting viewpoint. As knowledge of a subject area becomes increased, there are many situations which may not necessarily have a right answer. In this case asking the right question may further comprehension of a subject. For example, a math logic formula may result in an answer of 2=1. This is impossible but by asking the question how did 2=1 for a given logic statement a student may never forget some of the rules in mathematical logic. It should be noted though that correct or right logic rules such as "0/0 is impossible" had to be established before asking these types of questions. By asking the right questions about the subject matter, the teacher may insure that the student is thinking critically about a problem and as such will gain insight that strictly providing right answers would not provide. A teacher may find that when initially starting a subject that it is better to provide right answers in order to build a foundation. This enables the student to have a grasp of how the scope of the subject. Without some grounding of a correct procedure (and therefore right answers), there may be a risk of significant confusion about the topic as a whole. This was shown in the distinction of "je suis pleine" and "je n'ai rien faim" in the aforementioned case of languages. However, as mastery of the subject is achieved, a teacher may find it more beneficial to impart probing questions that insure understanding of the topic matter at hand, or in the case of 2=1 the fallacies of not thinking about a subject critically. It is with these right questions, which generate critical thinking and increased mastery of a subject may be achieved. --- Thanks again, you were right in your last post, it was my first time trying to do the writing prompt and I must admit the whole process is unnatural. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatMatt Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 A teacher's job is not to provide the right answers, but to ask the right questions. Describe a specific situation in which a teacher's job might be to provide the right answers. Discuss what you think determines when a teacher's job is to ask the right questions and when it is to provide the right answers. --------------------- Critical thinking skills are essential to succeeding in today’s information economy. Job interviews with many of the world’s top companies, such as Xerox, KPMG, and Price Waterhouse Coopers, require applicants to demonstrate their creativity, problem-solving, leadership, and conflict-resolution skills. To help better prepare students for the real world, the North American and European education systems now emphasize developing these qualities and skills in students. Humanities and social sciences curricula from the elementary to tertiary levels are designed to encourage students to discover answers for themselves, using critical thought and creativity. Even in mathematics and sciences, where there is one correct end answer to many problems, emphasis is on teaching students how to solve problems and understand the underlying theory, rather than simply memorize the correct end answer. Teachers guide students by asking poignant questions designed to help the student strengthen and apply their critical thinking skills, which ultimately allows them to discover answers and build arguments on their own. Unlike teaching critical thinking skills, teaching a foreign language requires an entirely different approach from teachers. Proficiency in a foreign language requires students to become comfortable with a broad vocabulary, and this requires rote memorization, practice, and feedback on pronunciation. Further, students must learn the appropriate structure and grammatical rules by alternating between practicing and being corrected. While well-developed critical thinking skills allow students to identify and apply grammatical and structural patterns within a new language, what is really required to become competent in another language is learning and applying the right vocabulary and structure at the right time. This requires that teachers provide students with correct information, allow them to practice, and correct their mistakes with the right answers. Indeed, teaching a foreign language requires teachers to tell students the correct answer. Whether a teacher should focus on providing the right answers or asking the right questions of his or her students depends on the subject being taught and the teacher’s goal for the lesson. Graduates today are expected to be well rounded, and subject-specific knowledge is valued along with critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As such, teachers should be competent in both teaching styles: using poignant questions to guide students to find answers on their own, thereby developing critical thinking skills, and telling students the correct answer, such as the correct word in a foreign language, to help them build subject-specific knowledge. By adjusting their teaching styles appropriately, teachers play an invaluable role in producing well-rounded graduates capable of thriving in today’s economy. ---------------- Thank you in advance for your feedback, Raymond. This is very helpful, and is much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Little Jon Teachers play an invaluable role in society. The statement means that a teacher's job is not to simply present information to students, but rather to encourage students to develop an intrinsic interest (by "asking the right questions"), hopefully inspiring them to learn by themselves. Try not to use brackets in a formal essay to interject information. For example, my old evolution professor would post questions on the class online discussion board for us to debate on our own time. These questions were curiosity provoking, and many students participated in the discussion by doing research on the topic and posting their own opinions on it. This caused myself and others involved in the discussions to become more interested in evolution, and we learned a lot about the subject this way. This example is okay. Personal examples have less depth than national or international examples which should be your goal. Contrarily, there are educational scenarios in which a teacher's job is to provide the right answers - to simply present and explain the information to be learned without attempting to cause the students to learn on their own. When I took a course on CPR, my instructor did not offer the class any opportunity for discussion or to figure out the skills to be learned on our own. Although the instructor could have conceivably run the class this way, it would have been extremely inefficient to do so. When it comes to CPR, there is only one "correct" way of doing things, so having the class arrive at that correct way by ourselves would have had the same result as the instructor simply just telling it to us, but it would have taken much longer. When you take a CPR course, you come with the expectation of learning CPR as quickly as possible. Again, this works but personal examples are lower on the ladder when it comes to examples for the writing sample. So what is it that determines whether or not a teacher's job is to simply present information, or to encourage students to learn on their own? It has to do with the nature of what is being taught. This is obvious and is too vague. You need to be more specific so that you are able to apply your resolution principle consistently to your two examples. When students learn pratical skills that will be used in the real world, it is the duty of the teacher to make sure the students remember what they need to know so they will be able to apply their skills effectively in real situations, and to teach the skills as quickly as possible so more can be covered. Thus in these sitations, a teacher should "provide the right answers." This is why in CPR classes, for example, information is presented to the students without forcing them to figure things out on their own - this would be too time inefficient and does not give them enough opportunity to reinforce the knowledge. On the other hand, learning situations in which the point of being there is not to learn anything practical, but rather to simply explore an area of interest, a teacher should focus on getting the students interested in the subject so they can learn on their own. My evolution professor, who's task it was to get us excited about evolution and to broaden our minds to different points of view, succeeded in her task by provoking us to learn on our own by posting debate questions. Although my professor could have just presented the information relevant to the debate in class, this would not have had the effect of getting myself and my classmates more involved and interested in evolution - the goal of being there. To summarize, a teacher's job is to ask the right questions when the subject matter is not going to be put into practice in real life. The idea is excellent. However, the way in which the resolution principle is expressed needs improvement. You could have simply said it depends on whether the information is theoretical or practical. That is specific, elegant and easy to apply. Furthermore, you should apply your resolution principle to your supporting example first and then your refuting example. This is the more logical organization. Overall Mark: 4/6 (Corresponds to approximately a P) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 4 All of the tasks are adequately addressed. Depth: 3 The depth of ideas requires improvement. Focus and coherence: 4 Grammar and vocabulary: 4.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wstntime Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Thanks a lot Raymond for the feedback. Much appreciated. A teacher's job is not to provide the right answers, but to ask the right questions. Describe a specific situation in which a teacher's job might be to provide the right answers. Discuss what you think determines when a teacher's job is to ask the right questions and when it is to provide the right answers. A teacher's role in the education system is to ensure students are gaining the basic knowledge of a given curriculum, and that they are able to apply that knowledge to real world scenarios. A tool that can be used to evaluate student progress is to assess performance by regularly testing students on the application of subject matter taught in a given curriculum. A teacher's role is to determine the appropriate questions to ask to effectively monitor progress. Consider the education system in the province of Ontario, where student aptitude tests are given in grades 3, 6, 9 and in high school. These aptitude tests require the application of learned material from a wide variety of curricula. The teacher, or educators collectively, can use the results of these tests to determine whether the education system is meeting its objective of providing students with the necessary skills during each stage of their educational development. By asking the right questions in this case, educational curricula can be modified, if necessary, based on the results of students performance. It can also be argued that a teacher's role is to provide the right answers. Consider students in their junior high school years that are beginning to learn algebra. An effective teaching tool is to provide the correct answers to algebra questions to students, which can be used by students as a means of self-evaluation. By focusing on self-evaluation, as students begin to realize their own successes, it can be highly motivating as they see that their own approaches to studying material are leading to success. This can provide the internal drive to students to challenge themselves to learn new material, or to gain a better grasp on current material. From this perspective, providing the correct answers to problems is a teacher's primary role. While there are obvious benefits to both scenarios, whether or not a teacher's role is to ask the right questions or to provide the correct answers, depends on whether the emphasis is on external evaluation or self-evaluation. In the scenario regarding standardized testing, external evaluation is an important tool in monitoring the effectiveness of the education system. The effectiveness of the education system plays a large role in the progress of students in their educational development. On the other hand, developing methods for self-evaluation also play an important role in educational development. Providing the correct answers is a way of indirectly fostering a drive for learning throughout a student's development. Both of these components are necessary teaching tools for educational development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 donna71 Everyone has come across a teacher or will come across a teacher at some point in their life. This is a bit too obvious to be effective. Some teachers will instruct and guide you in the right direction by posing the right type of questions, rather than providing the right answers. For instance a young teenager, at the point of their life in which one's identity is being sought, may seek an older sibling or friend as a teacher or mentor in figuring out his or her values. The teacher in this situation should not should grammar impose their own values or instruct them to worship Buddha, to mingle with Justin Bieber fans, or to become an airpilot this is random if these are things in which the individual has no interest. Rather, the young student should be posed with questions that he/she may meaningfully seek to answer for her or himself. In addition, the teacher is unable to provide the "right" answers for the student in such personal and subjective situations, which will differ from person to person. Therefore sometimes the teacher's role is to pose the right meaningful questions rather than dole out the right answers. There are a few problems here: 1) This example is hypothetical which makes it less effective than a concrete and specific example. 2) The definition of a teacher is stretched a bit too far, to the point where it is missing the point of the prompt. 3) It is not well described. However, sometimes as students we must seek teachers for their expertise and the right answers rather than be bombarded with questions. In mathematics when the answer is black/white and based on deductive and logical reasoning, if one is unable to find the one and only correct answer then he/she will likely remain stuck until presented with an answer from which he or she may learn from. More specifically, if one is unable to grasp the concepts to basic elementary processes, or have the right answers to fundamentals such as the multiplication table, then one is perpetually unable to proceed into algebra or calculus. Furthermore, upon providing the answers a student may learn from the such answers and be able to apply their newfound skills to answer analogous questions. This is in large part why math students are provided with exercises and examples. Therefore a teacher in this type of situation is not grammar to probe their student with questions, but present the right answers to the student on which foundations may be built. This is much better than your last example and is adequate. Teachers play an integral role in our lives and sometimes they are present to pose the right questions, but at other times they are to pose the right answers. What determines the teacher's role is determined awkward phrasing by the subject area of learning in which the student is engaged and whether it be subjective or objective in manner. Should the subject be subjective and personal, such as in personal matters, the teacher's role is to pose the right type of questions for the student to answer at his or her own pace. However, should the subject be of objective and non-personal nature, the teacher's role is to provide answers and help the student build foundations upon which the student may formulate skills to answer similiar answers grammar on their own. Whichever approach the teacher takes, they play a very meaningful and crucial role in all aspects of our lives to become better and more productive individuals. Excellent. Strong principle, strong application. Overall Mark: 4/6 (Corresponds to approximately a P) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 4 Supporting task is weakly addressed. Refuting task is adequately addressed. Resolution task is completely addressed. Depth: 3.5 Focus and coherence: 4 Grammar and vocabulary: 3 Numerous grammatical mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 Enviro_4_Medschool The role of the teacher is one that has many scenarios with some advocating a strict adherence to principles and others advocating for a more autonomous learning approach. This is more suitable for the resolution paragraph. While the term right may be ambiguous in the sense of right imparting an established procedure, teacher's may find it is more effective to teach by providing these right or correct answers. The term "right" doesn't need to be elaborated upon. In addition, your order of paragraphs is off. You should be starting with the supporting paragraph. This is especially true in situations where the fundamentals of a subject are being taught. At the most basic stage, it is easiest to teach someone by providing a context of right and wrong without further elaboration into the intricacies. At this stage, a teacher may find it more effective to provide right answers on the procedures rather than focusing on questions which may lead to ambiguity. For example, in the learning of languages, an incorrect pronunciation may lead the student having meanings that may not be intended. awkward phrasing. An example of this is the french distinction between "je suis pleine", and "je n'ai rien faim". The former is a direct translation from english "I am full" and indicates that a person has become impregnated and the latter is the correct structure stating that I'm not hungry anymore. Without providing what are the right answers to sentence and grammatical construction the chance of being misunderstood is greatly increased. This is okay but there are some issues. You talk about incorrect pronunciation, but then the example you provide isn't a problem of pronunciation. The right pronunciation is also not really the right answer because there isn't really a question being asked. However, simply providing right answers may provide a narrow and constricting viewpoint. As knowledge of a subject area becomes increased, there are many situations which may not necessarily have a right answer. In this case asking the right question may further word choice comprehension of a subject. For example, a math logic formula may result in an answer of 2=1. This is impossible but by asking the question how did 2=1 for a given logic statement a student may never forget some of the rules in mathematical logic. It should be noted though that correct or right logic rules such as "0/0 is impossible" had to be established before asking these types of questions. By asking the right questions about the subject matter, the teacher may insure that the student is thinking critically about a problem and as such will gain insight that strictly providing right answers would not provide. The idea is good but the illustration and explanation need improvement. A teacher may find that when initially starting a subject that it is better to provide right answers in order to build a foundation. This enables the student to have a grasp of how the scope of the subject. Without some grounding of a correct procedure (and therefore right answers), there may be a risk of significant confusion about the topic as a whole. This was shown in the distinction of "je suis pleine" and "je n'ai rien faim" in the aforementioned case of languages. However, as mastery of the subject is achieved, a teacher may find it more beneficial to impart probing questions that insure understanding of the topic matter at hand, or in the case of 2=1 the fallacies of not thinking about a subject critically. It is with these right questions, which generate critical thinking and increased mastery of a subject may be achieved. Your resolution principle of whether the subject is new or if there is already mastery of a subject is very good. However, the weakness of your illustrations and examples comes back to hurt you again in this paragraph. Make sure you have the proper order when it comes to the paragraphs. Overall Mark: 3/6 (Corresponds to approximately a N) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 3 All of the tasks are only somewhat addressed. Depth: 4 Focus and coherence: 3 Grammar and vocabulary: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 KatMatt Critical thinking skills are essential to succeeding in today’s information economy. Job interviews with many of the world’s top companies, such as Xerox, KPMG, and Price Waterhouse Coopers, require applicants to demonstrate their creativity, problem-solving, leadership, and conflict-resolution skills. Excellent. To help better prepare students for the real world, the North American and European education systems now emphasize developing these qualities and skills in students. Humanities and social sciences curricula from the elementary to tertiary levels are designed to encourage students to discover answers for themselves, using critical thought and creativity. Even in mathematics and sciences, where there is one correct end answer to many problems, emphasis is on teaching students how to solve problems and understand the underlying theory, rather than simply memorize the correct end answer. Teachers guide students by asking poignant questions designed to help the student strengthen and apply their critical thinking skills, which ultimately allows them to discover answers and build arguments on their own. You started off well. But then your introduction kind of dragged on. Only the italicized portion directly addressed the writing task. The other points you made were good but they need to be discussed within the context of your example. You should have started with the italicized portion first, elaborated upon it further then discussed the rest of your points in relation to the idea. Unlike teaching critical thinking skills, teaching a foreign language requires an entirely different approach from teachers. Proficiency in a foreign language requires students to become comfortable with a broad vocabulary, and this requires rote memorization, practice, and feedback on pronunciation. Further, students must learn the appropriate structure and grammatical rules by alternating between practicing and being corrected. While well-developed critical thinking skills allow students to identify and apply grammatical and structural patterns within a new language, what is really required to become competent in another language is learning and applying the right vocabulary and structure at the right time. This requires that teachers provide students with correct information, allow them to practice, and correct their mistakes with the right answers. Indeed, teaching a foreign language requires teachers to tell students the correct answer. Excellent. Take out the italicized portion. It is unnecessary and takes away from your argument. Whether a teacher should focus on providing the right answers or asking the right questions of his or her students depends on the subject being taught and the teacher’s goal for the lesson. You should pick one resolution principle. Here you have two. This makes the application easier for you and one well developed principle is all that you need. Graduates today are expected to be well rounded, and subject-specific knowledge is valued along with critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As such, teachers should be competent in both teaching styles: using poignant questions to guide students to find answers on their own, thereby developing critical thinking skills, and telling students the correct answer, such as the correct word in a foreign language, to help them build subject-specific knowledge. This is not the point of the resolution paragraph. By adjusting their teaching styles appropriately, teachers play an invaluable role in producing well-rounded graduates capable of thriving in today’s economy. The point of the resolution paragraph is to introduce a resolution principle that separates your two examples. You need to address the resolution task which is: Discuss what you think determines when a teacher's job is to ask the right questions and when it is to provide the right answers. You don't address this task here. You start with a good resolution principle (i.e. subject) but then go off track. Overall Mark: 2.5/6 (Corresponds to approximately a M) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 2.5 Supporting task is somewhat addressed. Refuting task is completely addressed. Resolution task is not addressed. Depth: 3.5 Focus and coherence: 3 The resolution paragraph got off track. Grammar and vocabulary: 4.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 durabol A teacher's role in the education system is to ensure students are gaining the basic knowledge of a given curriculum, and that they are able to apply that knowledge to real world scenarios. A tool that can be used to evaluate student progress is to assess performance by regularly testing students on the application of subject matter taught in a given curriculum. A teacher's role is to determine the appropriate questions to ask to effectively monitor progress. Consider the education system in the province of Ontario, where student aptitude tests are given in grades 3, 6, 9 and in high school. These aptitude tests require the application of learned material from a wide variety of curricula. The teacher, or educators collectively, can use the results of these tests to determine whether the education system is meeting its objective of providing students with the necessary skills during each stage of their educational development. By asking the right questions in this case, educational curricula can be modified, if necessary, based on the results of students performance. This is an interesting take on the prompt. It definitely works and the example is well explained. However, you don't explain why teachers should not provide the right answers which is the other part of addressing the writing task. It can also be argued that a teacher's role is to provide the right answers. Consider students in their junior high school years that are beginning to learn algebra. An effective teaching tool is to provide the correct answers to algebra questions to students, which can be used by students as a means of self-evaluation. By focusing on self-evaluation, as students begin to realize their own successes, it can be highly motivating as they see that their own approaches to studying material are leading to success. This can provide the internal drive to students to challenge themselves to learn new material, or to gain a better grasp on current material. From this perspective, providing the correct answers to problems is a teacher's primary role. The argument here about internal motivation is okay but not great because it ignores the other possibility that it may actually decrease motivation if students are not getting the right answer. While there are obvious benefits to both scenarios, whether or not a teacher's role is to ask the right questions or to provide the correct answers, depends on whether the emphasis is on external evaluation or self-evaluation. In the scenario regarding standardized testing, external evaluation is an important tool in monitoring the effectiveness of the education system. The effectiveness of the education system plays a large role in the progress of students in their educational development. On the other hand, developing methods for self-evaluation also play an important role in educational development. Providing the correct answers is a way of indirectly fostering a drive for learning throughout a student's development. Both of these components are necessary teaching tools for educational development. There are some interesting ideas here but overall the arguments are not strongly convincing. In standardized testing, the students receive their evaluations so there is also a large element of self-evaluation. Furthermore, the argument made in the refuting paragraph is still a bit weak. Overall, it was an interesting interpretation of the prompt. However, the strength of the arguments needed improvement. Overall Mark: 3.5/6 (Corresponds to approximately a O ) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 3.5 Supporting task is adequately addressed. Refuting task is somewhat addressed. Resolution task is somewhat addressed. Depth: 4 Focus and coherence: 4 Grammar and vocabulary: 4.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Non-trad hopeful Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 Thanks in advance! A teacher's job is not to provide the right answers, but to ask the right questions. Describe a specific situation in which a teacher's job might be to provide the right answers. Discuss what you think determines when a teacher's job is to ask the right questions and when it is to provide the right answers. A good teacher can have an enourmous impact on a student. This impact is often gained not by teaching the student the 'right' answers to succeed but by asking them the right questions. Indeed, a teacher's job is not to provide the right answers, but to ask the right questions. It is through this method that students are taught to think critically - an invaluable skill in today's society. For instance, if an English instructor was teaching his or her class Shakespeare, the job of that teacher would not be to tell the students the meaning of the book, or the purpose of a particular action. Rather, the job of the teacher in this case is to ask the students the right questions in order to get them to think critically about what they are reading. This is done not only to encourage critical thinking but because there is no 'right' answer to the meaning of a Shakespearean novel. Rather than have the teacher tell the students his or her interpretation of the novel, it is much more effective to get the students to discuss amongst themselves the various interpretations of the novel. On the other hand, there are cases when it is indeed the teacher's job to provide the right answers. In the case of a teacher instructing math, for instance, it is the teacher's job to demonstrate the right answer by working through examples and providing appropriate feedback when a student is unsure of a particular answer. Unlike English, this is a subject where there are strict 'right' and 'wrong' answers and it is the job of the teacher to instruct on these answers. While lessons may still take the form of student participation, the teacher's job is to mediate that participation to ensure that the correct answers and methods of analysis are being employed by the students. Whether it is a teacher's job to provide the right answers depends upon the subject matter at hand. Specifically, it depends upon if the subject in question is one which presents strictly 'right' and 'wrong' answers or whether the subject and its 'answers' are up for interpretation. In the case of most science subjects, such as math, a teacher's job will be to provide the right answers. Math is a subject where the 'right' or 'wrong' answer is not up for interpretation. In this case, students will learn through examples and in some cases, through trial and error, but ultimately it is the teacher's job to guide the students in the correct path and provide the right answer. On the other hand, teaching Engish may require the teacher to not provide the right answers but simply to ask the right questions. In the case of teaching Shakespeare, students need to be asked to right questions but not given the right answers - which in many cases may not even exist - in order to critically engage with the subject at hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 Non-trad hopeful A good teacher can have an enourmous impact on a student. This impact is often gained not by teaching the student the 'right' answers to succeed but by asking them the right questions. Indeed, a teacher's job is not to provide the right answers, but to ask the right questions. It is through this method that students are taught to think critically - an invaluable skill in today's society. For instance, if an English instructor was teaching his or her class Shakespeare, the job of that teacher would not be to tell the students the meaning of the book, or the purpose of a particular action. Rather, the job of the teacher in this case is to ask the students the right questions in order to get them to think critically about what they are reading. This is done not only to encourage critical thinking but because there is no 'right' answer to the meaning of a Shakespearean novel. This part undermines your argument. Your points have been good thus far but this is essentially saying that the teacher shouldn't give right answers because there are no right answers which doesn't demonstrate complexity of thought. Rather than have the teacher tell the students his or her interpretation of the novel, it is much more effective to get the students to discuss amongst themselves the various interpretations of the novel. This example is okay. It would have been better to stay away from the idea that there is no right answer (therefore none can be given which is obvious). There should have been more elaboration upon the benefits of asking the right questions. You only have encouraging critical thinking as one of the merits of asking the right questions. On the other hand, there are cases when it is indeed the teacher's job to provide the right answers. In the case of a teacher instructing math, for instance, it is the teacher's job to demonstrate the right answer by working through examples and providing appropriate feedback when a student is unsure of a particular answer. Unlike English, this is a subject where there are strict 'right' and 'wrong' answers and it is the job of the teacher to instruct on these answers. While lessons may still take the form of student participation, the teacher's job is to mediate that participation to ensure that the correct answers and methods of analysis are being employed by the students. This is okay. Similar to before, the reasoning lacks depth. Whether it is a teacher's job to provide the right answers depends upon the subject matter at hand. Specifically, it depends upon if the subject in question is one which presents strictly 'right' and 'wrong' answers or whether the subject and its 'answers' are up for interpretation. This could have been expressed as whether the subject is subjective or objective in nature. That is a simpler and more elegant way of expressing the same idea. In the case of most science subjects, such as math, a teacher's job will be to provide the right answers. Math is a subject where the 'right' or 'wrong' answer is not up for interpretation. In this case, students will learn through examples and in some cases, through trial and error, but ultimately it is the teacher's job to guide the students in the correct path and provide the right answer. On the other hand, teaching Engish may require the teacher to not provide the right answers but simply to ask the right questions. In the case of teaching Shakespeare, students need to be asked to right questions but not given the right answers - which in many cases may not even exist - in order to critically engage with the subject at hand. The ideas here are good. Overall, the essay has the fundamentals but is very plain in style and content. Overall Mark: 4/6 (Corresponds to approximately a P ) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 4 Supporting task is somewhat addressed. Refuting task is adequately addressed. Resolution task is adequately addressed. Depth: 3.5 Focus and coherence: 4 Grammar and vocabulary: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaKirbster Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 A teacher's job is not to provide the right answers, but to ask the right questions. Describe a specific situation in which a teacher's job might be to provide the right answers. Discuss what you think determines when a teacher's job is to ask the right questions and when it is to provide the right answers. -------- Teachers are responsible for promoting learning and critical thinking within the young generation. Effectively, teachers have a heavy impact on the future by moulding their students, who will become the citizens of the future. In order to properly stimuate the students' mental growth, a teacher must ask the right questions. By asking the right questions, a teacher can spark thoughts in students that will engage them in creative thinking and allow them to harness their full imaginative power. For example, if a history teacher simply told his students the reason the World War II occurred, the students would simply acknowledge it and committ it to memory. A more effective method of teaching would be to ask students why they think that World War II occurred to stimulate imaginative thought in the students. Then, after letting the students think about it and later revealing the answer, the teacher could ask the students why this reason caused the war. This would allow the students make connections of cause and effect and provide them with a better opportunity to understand human rationale. Overall, asking the right questions will stimulate critical thinking among students significantly more than simply providing them with the answer. However, there are some cases whereby providing the right answer is the main necessity of the teacher's job. For example, a math teacher must provide students with right answers to be an effective teacher. The study of mathematics is foreign to many students, and they rely on the teacher to show them how to solve problems. Once the student has learned how to solve new problems, the student needs to practice the technique. The teacher must provide the correct answer to practice problems to affirm that the student is correctly solving the problems. Since math is very objective, there is little room for critical thinking. The student may or may not find it intuitive by nature, and the teacher has a limited impact on the result. The teacher can only provide the student with the right answer and the way to get there; the rest is up to the student. Whether a teacher's job is to provide the right answers or ask the right questions depends on whether or not the subject they are teaching is objective or subjective. A subjective subject has much room for critical thinking and growth, whereas an objective subject is more skills-based and straightforward. History is a subjective subject that incorporates lessons from the past from which we can learn for the future; what we learn from it depends on how we study it. If a teacher does not ask the right questions in history, the students will not take many useful lessons from it. Math is an objective subject, based solely on numbers and equations, where all answers are either right or wrong. Two plus two can only equal four, and it is the teacher's job to inform the students of these rights answers and how to get them. Ultimately, teachers have a large influence on our society and must be able to effectively pass on knowledge to students, whether that be with the right answers or the right questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbarnes Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 A teacher's job is not to provide the right answers, but to ask the right questions. Describe a specific situation in which a teacher's job might be to provide the right answers. Discuss what you think determines when a teacher's job is to ask the right questions and when it is to provide the right answers. In modern society, teachers are responsible for the education of each new generation of students. This education is not predicated upon rote memorization of facts, but rather the development of crucial skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and the synthesis of new ideas. Becoming proficient in these areas requires much more than reading passages from a textbook; teachers must intellectually challenge their students with the appropriate questions to stimulate their mental growth. By adopting this manner of teaching, education serves to prepare children for whatever profession they may take. For example, most high school students are required at some point to critically dissect the works of Shakespeare; while professionals such as engineers or lawyers would have no need to employ the intracacies of iambic pentameter, the ability to analyze the meaning of convoluted and foreign-sounding text can be used in a number of situations, from reading technical briefings to intepreting new laws. It is clear though that the development of transferrable skills is not the sole purpose of schooling. An engineer who is able use his or her expertise to coordinate the workings of architects, city planners and construction crews is invaluable. However, a person who lacks the technical expertise required to comprehend structural problems is not truly an engineer. Similarly, a person who is a powerful and persuasive speaker, with mastery of logic and rhetoric is useless in the courtroom; without prior knowledge of laws and proper courtroom etiquette, lawyers are not able to act in their assigned function. The need for knowledge even extends back into the classroom; delving into the works of Shakespeare as an exercise of critical thinking is useful, but is predicated upon the ability of the students to read and understand the vocabulary used in 16th century english. With these factors in mind, an old proverb rings true, with a minor amendment: "give a man a fish, and he is fed for a day; teach a man to fish, and he has food for a lifetime. The first thing to teach him is what a fishing pole is." Challenging students to acquire fundamental skills is the primary purpose of a teacher, but a knowledge base must first be established in order to facilitate the learning process. This knowledge base may be expanded upon as necessary, depending on the level of education, but the combination of transferrable skills and useful knowledge is far more useful to matriculating students than either alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 DaKirbster Teachers are responsible for promoting learning and critical thinking within the young generation. Effectively, teachers have a heavy impact on the future by moulding their students, who will become the citizens of the future. In order to properly stimuate the students' mental growth, a teacher must ask the right questions. By asking the right questions, a teacher can spark thoughts in students that will engage them in creative thinking and allow them to harness their full imaginative power. For example, if a history teacher simply told his students the reason the World War II grammar occurred, the students would simply acknowledge it and committ it to memory. A more effective method of teaching would be to ask students why they think that World War II occurred to stimulate imaginative thought in the students. Then, after letting the students think about it and later revealing the answer this goes against what the prompt is asking for , the teacher could ask the students why this reason caused the war. This would allow the students make connections of cause and effect and provide them with a better opportunity to understand human rationale. Overall, asking the right questions will stimulate critical thinking among students significantly more than simply providing them with the answer. This example is not effective because eventually the right answer is provided. The prompt asks for an example where the teacher's job is to ask the right questions not give the right answers. But here it is still the teacher's responsibility to give the right answer. However, there are some cases whereby providing the right answer is the main necessity word choice of the teacher's job. For example, a math teacher must provide students with right answers to be an effective teacher. The study of mathematics is foreign to many students, and they rely on the teacher to show them how to solve problems. Once the student has learned how to solve new problems, the student needs to practice the technique. The teacher must provide the correct answer to practice problems to affirm that the student is correctly solving the problems. Since math is very objective, there is little room for critical thinking. This is not true. The student may or may not find it intuitive by nature, and the teacher has a limited impact on the result. The teacher can only provide the student with the right answer and the way to get there; the rest is up to the student. The last few sentences are off-topic and add little to the addressing of the refuting task. The example here could work but it is 1) basic 2) not well explained in a way that addresses the writing task. Whether a teacher's job is to provide the right answers or ask the right questions depends on whether or not the subject they are teaching is objective or subjective. Why do you reverse the order here? A subjective subject has much room for critical thinking and growth, whereas an objective subject is more skills-based and straightforward. History is a subjective subject that incorporates lessons from the past from which we can learn for the future; what we learn from it depends on how we study it. If a teacher does not ask the right questions in history, the students will not take many useful lessons from it. You do not discuss your specific example here, only the general example. Math is an objective subject, based solely on numbers and equations, where all answers are either right or wrong. Two plus two can only equal four, and it is the teacher's job to inform the students of these rights answers and how to get them. Why? The level of reasoning here is basic and lacks depth. Ultimately, teachers have a large influence on our society and must be able to effectively pass on knowledge to students, whether that be with the right answers or the right questions. The resolution principle is good. The application needs improvement. Overall Mark: 2.5/6 (Corresponds to approximately a M ) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 2.5 Supporting task is weakly addressed. Refuting task is somewhat addressed. Resolution task is somewhat addressed. Depth: 3 The ideas lacked depth. Focus and coherence: 3.5 Grammar and vocabulary: 4.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 jcbarnes In modern society, teachers are responsible for the education of each new generation of students. This education is not predicated upon rote memorization of facts, but rather the development of crucial skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and the synthesis of new ideas. Becoming proficient in these areas requires much more than reading passages from a textbook; teachers must intellectually challenge their students with the appropriate questions to stimulate their mental growth. By adopting this manner of teaching, education serves to prepare children for whatever profession they may take. For example, most high school students are required at some point to critically dissect the works of Shakespeare; while professionals such as engineers or lawyers would have no need to employ the intracacies of iambic pentameter, the ability to analyze the meaning of convoluted and foreign-sounding text can be used in a number of situations, from reading technical briefings to intepreting new laws. The example here could work but is not well explained. The discussion is not focused on the questioning aspect. It also does not address why it is not the teacher's job to give the correct answers. The argument that dissecting literary works is applicable to law and engineering is interesting but not wholly convincing. It is clear though that the development of transferrable skills is not the sole purpose of schooling. An engineer who is able use his or her expertise to coordinate the workings of architects, city planners and construction crews is invaluable. However, a person who lacks the technical expertise required to comprehend structural problems is not truly an engineer. Similarly, a person who is a powerful and persuasive speaker, with mastery of logic and rhetoric is useless in the courtroom; without prior knowledge of laws and proper courtroom etiquette, lawyers are not able to act in their assigned function. The need for knowledge even extends back into the classroom; delving into the works of Shakespeare as an exercise of critical thinking is useful, but is predicated upon the ability of the students to read and understand the vocabulary used in 16th century english. This does not address the refuting task. Using lawyers and engineers in your refuting example as well makes the resolution task difficult. With these factors in mind, an old proverb rings true, with a minor amendment: "give a man a fish, and he is fed for a day; teach a man to fish, and he has food for a lifetime. The first thing to teach him is what a fishing pole is." Challenging students to acquire fundamental skills is the primary purpose of a teacher, but a knowledge base must first be established in order to facilitate the learning process. This knowledge base may be expanded upon as necessary, depending on the level of education, but the combination of transferrable skills and useful knowledge is far more useful to matriculating students than either alone. This does not address the resolution task. Please refer to this link: http://portal.prep101.com/Forum/yaf_postst58_How-to-write-Writing-Sample-essays.aspx Overall Mark: 1.5/6 (Corresponds to approximately a K) Breakdown (out of 6): Addresses tasks: 1.5 Supporting task is somewhat addressed. Refuting and resolution tasks are not addressed. Depth: 2 Focus and coherence: 1.5 The discussion is not focused properly on addressing the writing tasks. Grammar and vocabulary: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondPrep101 Posted April 11, 2012 Report Share Posted April 11, 2012 The public's right to information should override the government's need for security. Describe a specific situation in which the public's right to information might justifiably not override the government's need for security. Discuss what you think determines when the public's right to information should take precedence over the government's need for security. Instructions In 30 minutes, write an essay for the prompt and instructions above and post your essay in this thread. Use the Notepad accessory on your computer so word processing functions are turned off. Note: Do not read other essays replying to this prompt on the forum until after you have written and submitted your own essay. Deadline 11:59pm Sunday, April 15. Essays posted after the deadline will not be scored but a new Prompt will be posted on Monday, April 16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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