Meanings Of Intelligence And Adaptive Behavior Education Essay

Meanings Of Intelligence And Adaptive Behavior Education Essay Meanings of Intelligence and Adaptive Behavior Intelligence refers common mental ability applied by individuals in reasoning, calculating, perceiving analogies and relationships or in learning new information. Intelligence also entails general mental capacity to store and effectively retrieve information, adjust to new information as well as fluency in language use. Therefore, intelligence is the perceived capacity not only in learning and understanding new situations, but also in adapting to those situations and/or environment. Mental retardation (i.e. MR) is a psychological condition characterized by significant limitations in an individuals present intellectual functioning. MR is usually characterized by an intellectual functioning which falls below average. The condition is accompanied with limitations in adaptive skills such as communication, social skills and academic skills, among others (Weiten, 2008). A teacher can use various teaching styles to adapt to the need of the mentally retarded learners. First, the special teacher ought to identify the life skills that the students ought to learn. Life skills are basic proficiency and may include skills such as grooming, dressing and working ability. After skills are identified, the instructor ought to avail a learning atmosphere that will facilitate the learning process. This approach enables the learner to effectively generalize the taught skills into their home environment more quickly. Additionally, the teacher should break the skills to be taught into simple and sequential steps which are measurable. This will enable the learner to gain knowledge of complex activity step by step. For instance, in teaching the basic skill of cleaning the kitchen, the skills should be broken down into possibly; first taking the utensils to the kitchen, turning the sink and finally washing the dishes. Similarly, the teachers should share the skill bein g taught with the learners together with their caregivers so that they can be monitoring the learners progress in practicing the taught skills at home. Such techniques assist in enhancing quick mastery of the skills being taught (Weiten, 2008). Similarly, an instructor teaching mentally retarded students should observe consistency on teaching a particular skill so that the learners can own the skill. This will help reduce stress and anxiety when learning challenging skills. Consistency helps to build the students confidence as mastery of the concept is higher when repetitive teaching is employed by the instructor. Similarly, for the students with mild retardation, the teacher should use over learning to teach cognitive related information. Students with mild retardation are slower in mastering a particular concept than the normal learners. Over teaching will help the special learners to catch-up with the normal learners under common mainstream classes. For students with severe mental retardation, instruction should emphasize on various motion exercises to enhance the adoption of basic skills (Baker Aunsworth, 2004). Assessment of learners with mental disabilities is associated with a variety of problems. First, the assessment instruments have been criticized for ignoring cultural differences in evaluation procedures. Insensitivity to cultural differences may possibly lead to negative labeling and misdiagnosis. Mislabeling has negative effects to the learners being assessed because it usually leads to wrong diagnosis. Additionally, evaluation instruments if not carefully used may affect students self- esteem. In carrying out assessment, special personnel should put into consideration ethical issues that if misused may have detrimental effect on the learner. Individuals with mental retardation exhibit various characteristics depending on the level or the perceived degree of retardation. According to Baker Aunsworth (2004), learners with severe mental retardation usually requires service form the teacher and caregivers throughout their lives. Most individuals with severe mental retardation also have multiple disabilities such as difficulties in communication and mobility challenges. In most instances, mobility is aided by use of wheel chairs while communication difficulties are taken care of by teaching the learners alternative means of articulating their ideas with peers. Learners with severe retardation find complex subjects that require abstract reasoning difficult. Therefore, these learners taught to be basic life skills which are very essential in their normal living. This implies that the learners undertake education for the purpose of gaining life skills because they are incapable of comprehending abstract information. Additionall y, these categories of learners most often than not exhibit common syndromes like down syndrome, which is a big challenge to their intellectual capacity as well (Balla Ziegler, 1983). Due to the perceptible nature in their intellectual ability this category of learners requires special education. Moreover, students with mild mental retardation usually need limited support. This category of learners usually indicates moderate or even mild delays in communications and academics performance levels compared to normal learners. Additionally, the development of children with mild mental retardation is delayed compared to their non-disabled peers. Delays in development usually have an effect in reducing the kids cognitive abilities. Learners under this category usually experience difficulties in grasping complex subjects which require prolonged concentration or abstract reasoning. As such, special teacher or instructor ought to use over teaching to enhance mastery of concept taught. Over teaching requires the instructor to deliberately exercise individualized teaching by giving the needy student more attention than the normal learners. More often, these learners fall between third and fourth grade by the time they finish high school (Balla Ziegler1983). In conclusion, teachers should employ adaptive behavior when teaching students with special needs to enhance effective learning. Employing variety of teaching strategies would work-out to enhance students concentration-span. Similarly, parents and other concerned organizations should partner with special teachers fraternity in helping the learners with severe mental retardation master, practice and perhaps retain basic skills way from school.

Communication Essay

I. Mass Media Effect on Children’s and Teens’ Body Image Outline Mass media outlets of all forms effect adolescent girls’ and young women’s body image negatively. Be it via magazine, television, movies, advertisement, or other sources, girls and young women are bombarded with mass media constantly that contain hidden messages about the â€Å"ideal† woman, and messages on ways to attain the attributes required to be socially accepted by these unspoken standards. Common attitudes acquired by children and teens from the media of what is acceptable physically, related eating disorders, media literacy’s effect on whether an individual will be easily influenced or not by subliminal mass media messages on body image will be discussed accordingly. A. Mass Media Effects on Children’s Attitudes towards overweight individuals and/or obesity 1. According to Bissell K. and Hays, H. (2011), in the article, â€Å"Understanding Anti-Fat Bias in Children: The Role of Media and Appearance Anxiety in Third to Sixth Graders’ Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Toward Obesity† children develop attitudes about acceptable body weight from media such as television. Children view television close to 6 hours a day according to Bissell and Hays (2011). The subliminal content on acceptable body fat and physical appearance abounds. Bissell and Hays state that, â€Å"Given this amount of exposure, it seems likely children are exposed to television and images that reinforce notions about the importance of thinness and attractiveness (p. 116-7)†. Bissell and Hays also say â€Å". . . The media’s influence on the body image of children that the media perpetuate beliefs about the importance of thinness and that a negative stigma associated with being overweight i s then possibly formed (p. 117).† 2. The Social Learning Theory closely relates to the attitudes of other children towards individuals, and can be applied to this point. B. Mass media effects on eating disorders 1. In the article, â€Å"Influence of Mass Media on Body Image and Eating Disorder Attitudes and Behaviors in Females: A Review of Effects and Processes†, by Lopez, et al. (2010), direct effects of magazine and television on adolescent girls and young women. According to Lopez et al, â€Å"Undeniably, a substantial portion of media content consumed by children and adolescents is replete with unhealthy messages about the beauty ideal, body size, food, weight control, and the gender roles of women and girls, as well as use of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances for managing one’s emotions and self-presentation (pg. 388).† Lopez et al goes on to discuss the way that the mass media effects adolescents without their realizing it; â€Å"People are often unaware—and mass media work hard to keep it that way—of the extent to which, and just exactly how mass media play an important role in promoting consumerism, body objectification, and internalization o f the current beauty ideal (Lopez et al., 2010). 2. According to Rieves, S. (2011) â€Å"Models weigh 23% less than the average woman, while a generation ago the gap was 8%†. This ideal sets an impractical role model for young girls. Rieves (2011) also points out the startling fact that, â€Å"At the start of puberty, 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat† (p. 123). Rieves also alludes to the evidence of studies, and said â€Å"Researchers consistently ï ¬ nd a strong relationship between media exposure and the epidemiology of eating disorders at the aggregate population level† (p. 123). 3. Social Comparison Theory relates to eating disorder development and mass media influence. According to Rieves (2011), â€Å"Moreover, celebrity images contribute to unrealistic weight through social comparison (p. 124).† C. Mass Media effects regarding Media Literacy 1. In the article, â€Å"Idealism: Factors Affecting the Body Image of College Students† by Pitura A., college students participated in a study to determine the degree mass media effected body image and which media sources were more influential. Pitura says that media literacy is a crucial quality in whether or not an individual’s body image will be negatively affected by media exposure. According to Pitura (2010), â€Å"In order to become media literate one must be able to sort through the information given by the media and determine fact from fiction (p. 63). 2. According to Meng, J. and Bissell, K., (2009) â€Å"As young girls look to television and movie stars such as Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) or Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical), they see the glamorized images, to a large degree, of very thin girls (p. 7).† What viewers can distinguish between what is real and what is glamorized relates to each viewers le vel of media literacy. If a viewer has a low media literacy, the images that viewer regards as realistic and acceptable outweigh the views of viewers who hold a more realistic outlook when consuming media such as the television shows mentioned. D. Mass Media Effects Factors Contributing to Body Image 1. Several factors contribute to mass media effects on an individual. The degree of consumption of media, the media form, and peer pressure all play a role in the internalization of body image; often these ideals are excessively thin due to media images. 2. A study of girls ages 9 through 12, by Clark and Tiggerman (2006), concluded that media does in facts effects one’s body image and self-worth from adolescents and earlier; â€Å"There is no doubt, however, that the mass media are powerful transmitters of societal ideals for children, just as for adults (Clark and Tiggerman).†

Volcanic Landforms

Volcanic Landforms Volcano is essentially a fissure or vent (opening) which serves as an outlet for hot magma from beneath the Earth’s crust. The hot liquid magma coming out in the form of lava (most commonly molten basalt) is potential of shaping different landforms on earth crust. The most common landforms that are results of volcanic activity include cones, craters, calderas, domes etc. This article gives a description of these volcanic landforms. SHIELD VOLCANOES- These are characterised by gentle upper slopes. The slope varies from only 5 degrees to 10 degrees.The shield volcanoes are made up of mainly thin lava flows around central vent. The low viscosity lava (low silica content) travels down gently and as it cools down it creates less steeper lower slope. These are also found at the flanks of bigger volcanoes like Kilauea is situated on the Hawaiian shield volcano. STRATOVOLCANOES- These are characterised somewhat steeper slopes (30 degrees to 40degees) near the vent a nd the summit due to highly viscous lava flows are not able to travel long distances before they cool down.The less steeper slopes at the base is due to erosional activity. The show inter layering of pyroclastic material and thus sometimes also called composite volcanoes. Pyroclastic material make upto 50% of a stratovolcano. They show a long time of repose which makes them quite dangerous. CINDER CONES- They are small volume cones build up by fall deposites around the eruptive vent. There slope is around 25-30 degrees. During later stages of eruptions the lava may come out from the flanks. Cinder and tephra cones usually occur around summit vents and flank vents of stratovolcanoes.MAARS- The magma heats up the groundwater and converts it into vapours which builds up pressure and results in eruptions containing water and pre-existing rocks. Walls of crater fall back into crater and fills it with loose material. If the crater depth reaches below the water table of the region, the maa rs often fill up with water. LAVA DOMES- The viscous lava or rhyolitic lava is not able to flow far away from the vent, it rather accumulates over the vent. The forecoming lava from the vent pushes and the upper solidified outer surface rolls down to the flank.The slope is very rough due to spines pushed up by the magma below. CRATERS AND CALDERAS- Craters are the depressions which are the results of explosions emitting gases and tephras. They can range upto 1km in diameter. Calderas are large depressions, circular or elliptical in shape with diameters ranging from 1 km to 50 km. Calderas form as a result of collapse of a volcanic structure. The collapse results from evacuation of the underlying magma chamber. The evacuation process of lava chambers in stratovolcanoes in rapid and as the lava goes out the walls collapse and form a large crater.They are enclosed depressions which often collect rain water and snow melt and may form lakes. Like Crater Lake in southern Oregon is about 8 km in diameter and dated to be formed around 6800years ago. FUMAROLES- A fumarole is vent where gases, either from a magma body at depth, or steam from heated groundwater, emerges at the surface of the Earth. Since most magmatic gas is H2O vapor, and since heated groundwater will produce H2O vapor, fumaroles will only be visible if the water condenses. H2O vapor is invisible, unless droplets of liquid water have condensed). HOT SPRINGS- Hot springs or thermal springs are areas where hot water comes to the surface of the Earth. Cool groundwater moves downward and is heated by a body of magma or hot rock. A hot spring results if this hot water can find its way back to the surface, usually along fault zonesGYESERS- A geyser results if the hot spring has a plumbing system that allows for the accumulation of steam from the boiling water.When the steam pressure builds so that it is higher than the pressure of the overlying water in the system, the steam will move rapidly toward the surfac e, causing the eruption of the overlying water. Some geysers, like Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park, erupt at regular intervals. The time between eruptions is controlled by the time it takes for the steam pressure to build in the underlying plumbing system. |

Desert Precipitation, Plant, and Animal Life

Deserts, also known as arid lands, are regions that receive less than 10 inches of precipitation a year and have little vegetation. Deserts occupy about one-fifth of the land on Earth and appear on every continent. Little Precipitation The little precipitation and rain that falls in deserts is usually erratic and varies from year to year. While a desert might have an annual average of five inches of precipitation, that precipitation may come in the form of three inches one year, none the next, 15 inches the third, and two inches the fourth. Thus, in arid environments, the annual average tells little about actual rainfall. What does matter is that deserts receive less precipitation than their potential evapotranspiration (evaporation from the soil and plants plus transpiration from plants equals evapotranspiration, abbreviated as ET). This means that deserts do not receive enough precipitation to overcome the amount evaporated, so no pools of water can form. benedek / Getty Images Plant and Animal Life With little rainfall, few plants grow in desert locations. When plants do grow, they are usually spaced far apart and are quite sparse. Without vegetation, deserts are highly prone to erosion since there are no plants to hold down the soil. Despite the lack of water, a number of animals call deserts home. These animals have adapted to not only survive, but to flourish, in harsh desert environments. Lizards, tortoises, rattlesnakes, roadrunners, vultures, and, of course, camels all live in deserts. Flooding in a Desert It doesnt rain often in a desert, but when it does, the rain is often intense. Since the ground is often impermeable (meaning that water isnt absorbed into the ground easily), the water runs quickly right into streams that only exist during rainfalls. The swift water of these ephemeral streams are responsible for most of the erosion that takes place in the desert. Desert rain often never makes it to the ocean, the streams usually end in lakes that dry up or the streams themselves just dry up. For instance, almost all of the rain that falls in Nevada never makes it to a perennial river or to the ocean. Permanent streams in the desert are usually the result of exotic water, meaning that the water in the streams comes from outside of the desert. For example, the Nile River flows through a desert but the rivers source in high in the mountains of Central Africa. Where Is the Worlds Largest Desert? The worlds largest desert is actually the very cold continent of Antarctica. It is the worlds driest place, receiving less than two inches of precipitation annually. Antarctica is 5.5 million square miles (14,245,000 square kilometers) in area. Outside of polar regions, Northern Africas Sahara Desert is the worlds largest desert at more than 3.5 million square miles (nine million square kilometers), which is slightly smaller than the size of the United States, the worlds fourth largest country. The Sahara stretches from Mauritania to Egypt and Sudan. What Is the Worlds Hottest Temperature? The worlds highest temperature was recorded in the Sahara Desert (136 degrees F or 58 degrees C at Azizia, Libya on September 13, 1922). Why Is a Desert so Cold at Night? The very dry air of the desert holds little moisture and thus holds little heat; thus, as soon as the sun sets, the desert cools considerably. Clear, cloudless skies also help to quickly release heat at night. Most deserts have very low temperatures at night. Desertification In the 1970s, the Sahel strip that stretches along the southern fringe of the Sahara Desert in Africa experienced a devastating drought, causing land that was formerly used for grazing to turn to desert in a process known as desertification. Approximately one-quarter of the land on Earth is threatened by desertification. The United Nations held a conference to begin discussing desertification in 1977. These discussions eventually resulted in the establishment of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, an international treaty established in 1996 to combat desertification.