Saturday, January 25, 2020

The Lack Of Education Education Essay

The Lack Of Education Education Essay The correlation between formal education and work has been a focus of mounting public debates over the past decades. The current population are faced with mounting challenges in choosing from various collection of educational efforts endorsed under the pretext of lifelong learning sequentially to keep up with rapidly shifting job markets, the fast pace of technological change and global competiveness. Learners are urged to seek adequate degree (and the right type) of education to meet labour force obligations, educationalists are required to guarantee their academic curriculums are customized to generate workers with the exact skills needed to increase productivity and competitiveness in todays globally competitive economy (Wotherspoon, 2009). In the context of global competition, in which a greater level of general and specialized competence is required, education is viewed as a measure of success for a nation (Glen A a Jones). But there is general consensus that the education syste m has lost touch with the task of preparing students for a meaningful career. Penchants against career technical education among academia together with increasing demands to teach to standardized tests are obliging schools to prepare students for a future they will never have, rather than providing graduates with the real-world skills (Wotherspoon, 2009). In a study on the relevance of school education to employment in Wotherspoon and Schissel (2201) observed that there is a mismatch between what traditional school education develops in learners and the needs of the world of work. The research established that most employees criticized the education system for being too academic and lacking in the development of proper work ethic. This gap between schooling and work is generally explained through the analysis of technological functionalism and human capital theory (Wotherspoon, 2009). The technological functionalism hypothesis assumes that changes in educational demands are connected to changes in skills and expertise, and that formal educations offers the required training for highly specialized jobs (Wotherspoon, 2009). This rational links education as an investment and therefore will provide a greater return for competitive economical growth. Conversely, the lack of education or an unsuitable career path reduces individuals prospects and weakens economic growth (Livingston, 1999a). In response to the rhetoric of healthy economy, educational institutions are therefore encouraged to overhaul their curriculum to correlate with job expectations and the complex realities evolved in a globalized and technological era (Wotherspoon, 2009). David Livingstone (1999a), through is own inquiries, proposes a scathing critique of the myth in the quest of the perfect type of education for the perfect job professed by the advanced industrial economies. Livingstone argues that we should be more alarmed with the lack of meaningful and rewarding work associated with educational deficiencies but to job churning (Livingstone 1999a, p. 223). If we are to recognize the mismatch between education and work, underemployment and wasted talents are an even larger social problem and more of an economical issue than educational deficiencies (Livingston e 1999a). Original empirical evidence reveals that Canadians have accumulated extensive education qualifications and experience which currently exceeds the actual performance requirements of their jobs (Livinstone 1999a) and that women are more apt than men to have an higher education than their profession actually requires (Metcalf, 1992). Our growing preoccupation with the standardized hierarchical pyramid endeavours of our educational system is augmented by various learning flurries that form a huge unknown and unrecognized iceberg of informal learning (Livingstone 1999a p. 149). Provoked by an absence of adequate jobs, lack of opportunities to apply their formal education and the continuous desire for self-development, individuals engage in more education only to stumble upon the odds that further hindrances will deviate their search for meaningful employment (Livingstone 1999a). But the opinions of wasted talent among a percentage of the labour force has increased in popularity during a time of prevalent unemployment and subjective underemployment and are the end result of peoples inability to find work, to get validation for their qualifications and abilities, or to use their skills in their current profession (Livingstone 1999a). These tensions appraised throughout Livinstones The Education-Jobs Gap bring a sundry of dissemination for educators. Formal educational credentials will continue to be essential imperatives as long as employers and learners value these requirements as the necessary distinct to social advancement and economic success (Livingstone 1999a). However, these same pressures command incessant job restructuring and workplace practices, creating redundancy in many workers skills and knowledge (Lawton, 1992a). The promotion by large profit-driven corporations to commodify, justify and control learning related practices is liable to create a plethora of alternative educational opportunities along with additional propaganda and reorganizing of existing educational programs (Fleissner 2005) As this education system is restructured in accordance by public and private appeals for practical forms of training linked to the current job demands, however, fiscal and corporate restraints may curb admission to educational services, affecting most critically persons from the least advantaged social groups (Livingstone 1999a). Taylor and Watt-Malcolm (2008) has provided an illuminating analysis of these shortcomings in the context of fostering useful knowledge and apprenticeship programs, and the impact this has on the rationalization of the workforce learning agenda and the academic/vocational division in schools. The authorsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ inquiries with students and instructors involved in a carpentry program revealed important data concerning the liberal attitudes to workforce development. Interestingly, limits on learning took place in schools somewhat because of the academic/vocational gap in curriculum. In the educational realm, the downfall to deal with consternation rooted in power relations in the workplace restricted studentsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ learning. Similarly, students were forced to make trade-offs in the workplace that limited their learning. The authors disputed that taking steps to attend to these concerns would improve workplace practices and learning environments for apprentices. While policy-makers are inclined to concentrate on formal training, their research recommends a change in workplace practices encouraging an all encompassing learning environment for apprentices. For example, students were often confronted with an option between accepting more secure work in a specific area of the trade and obtaining work with established entrepreneurs who stipulated a higher return on their training investment (Taylor Watt-Malcolm 2008). In the latter case, the difference between employee skill development and exploitation was not always apparent. With regards to acquisition of skills and overall quality of an apprenticeship program, employers should assume bigger accountability by providing mentorship opportunities. In order to create a highly educated and flexible labour force for increasingly demanding workplaces greater contingencies could be afforded to students and educators to survey workplace challenges (Taylor Watt-Malcolm 2008). However, such suggestions are also problematic. The apprenticeship system is not ready to change. It is intensely entrenched in a mind-set, in its customs, traditions and institutional framework (Schuetze, 2003). From their inception, the educational system in Canada has been created by differing and often conflicting principles. Factors like conformity, competition, advancement of knowledge, and economic development are meant to coexist with to democratic values, diversity, individuality, inclusiveness, modification, and personal growth. Canadian educational advances have been differentiated by growing acknowledgment that uniformity in mass public training bestowed by repeated challenges to amalgamate diverse and changing groups of learners and social development. Broader debates in diverse national perspective have framed public concern around issues of how schools do or should contribute to the economic arena and to the development of human capital. Of relative importance is how well schools achieve their role as a comprehensive training system to provide to all learners equitable access for social, economic, and political participation (Carnoy Levin, 1985). Education is a dynamic process involving individuals, groups, and society in which they live. It is a process which is shaped by the past, and at the same time, one which must be refined continuously to meet challenges which cannot be avoided in the future. Much has been accomplished in recent years toward the provision equitable access to all who are qualified and seek further education. With imaginative and sensitive leadership both at the government level and institutional level higher education has the ability to exploit to the fullest the talents and potentials. The challenge however must be met without sacrificing those underlying values. In Canada, as in many other countries, there is concern that the existing education systems are not adequately meeting the challenges of the complex modern world.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Pre-Tensioning in Civil Engineering

Introduction : The idea of pre tensioning has been around for centuries and has been applied to many forms, such as: wagon wheels, wooden barrels etc. In these cases heated metal is made to just fit an object. When the metal cools it contracts and induces prestress into the object thereby strengthening it. The idea of pretensioned concrete has been around since the late 19th century, but its use was limited by the quality of materials available at the time. It wasn’t until the 1920s that materials of a suitable quality were available in sufficient quantity to allow pretensioned concrete to be used with confidence. The pioneers of this field were Freyssinet, Magnel and Hoyer. Description: In pre-tensioned concrete tensile elements such as cables, ribbons, or rods are clamped under calculated tensile stress (Stage 1). Concrete is cast around these elements and allowed to cure( Stage 2). When fully hardened the clamps are released and the stress is transferred within the rigid concrete (stage 3). As long as a load is applied within the design limit, the concrete structural element will never be subjected to tensile stress of sufficient force to cause failure. Pre-tensioning can be used in pre-cast as well as in cast-in-place construction. Most of the pre-tensioning construction techniques are patented although the basic principle used in all of them is common and is well known. Hard drawn steel wires which are indented or crimped are preferred for pre-tensioned elements because of their superior bond characteristics. Small diameter wires of 2 to 5 mm are mostly used in the form of strands comprising two, three or seven wires. High Strength Concrete mix: Pre-stressed concrete requires concrete which has a high compressive strength, with comparatively higher tensile strength. Low shrinkage, minimum creep characteristics and a high value of Young’s modulus are generally deemed necessary for concrete used for prestressed members. Uses: Common uses include Railway Sleepers, Communications Poles, Pretensioned Precast â€Å" Hollowcore† slabs, Pretensioned Precast Double T units –for very long spans, Pretensioned precast inverted T beams – for short-span bridges, Pretensioned precast PSC piles, Pretensioned precast portal frames. Alternatives: The alternative to pre-tensioning is post-tensioning. In a post-tensioned beam, the tendons are stressed and each end is anchored to the concrete section after the concrete has been cast and has attained sufficient strength to safely withstand the prestressing force. In the posttensioning method, tendons are encased in a duct or sheath or coated with grease or a bituminous material before placing them in the formwork to prevent them from becoming bonded to concrete. Advantages: Prestressed concrete has the following advantages 1. Since the technique of prestressing eliminates cracking of concrete under all stage of loading, the entire section of the structure takes part in resisting the external load. In contrast to this, in reinforced concrete, only the portion of the concrete above neutral axis is effective. 2. Since the concrete does not crack, the possibility of steel to rust and of concrete to deteriorate is minimized. 3. Absence of cracks results in higher capacity of the structure to bear reversal of stresses, impact, vibration and shock. 4. In prestressed concrete beams, dead loads are practically neutralized. The reactions required are therefore much smaller than required in reinforced concrete. The reduced dead load weight of the structure results in savings in the cost of foundations. The neutralization of dead load is of importance in large bridges. 5. The use of curved tendons and the pre-compression of concrete helps to resist shea r. 6. The quantity of steel required for prestressing is about 1/3 of that required for reinforced concrete, although the steel for the former should have high tensile strength. 7. In prestressed concrete, precast blocks and elements can be assumed and used as one unit. This saves in the cost of shuttering and centering for large structures. 9. Prestressed concrete can be used with advantage in all those structures where tension develops, such as tie and suspender of a bow string girder, railway sleepers, electric poles, etc. 10. Prestressed concrete beams usually have low deflection.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Mrs. Dalloway - 2643 Words

I. Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf, was published on May 14, 1925 in London, England. The novel follows Clarissa Dalloway and a variety of other characters throughout the span of one day in their lives in 1923 London. Woolf utilizes a narrative method of writing. With the novel’s structure, the narrator possesses the ability to move inside of a character’s mind and compose her thoughts and emotions immediately as events occur throughout the day. The novel’s main character, Clarissa, is a middle-aged woman who belongs to the upper-middle class in society and is well-married to a Member of Parliament—Richard Dalloway. Clarissa’s day is full of arrangements for a dinner party she plans to host that evening. During the novel, numerous other†¦show more content†¦Rather than hold lengthy conversations between characters, she frequently writes only of small talk and leaves more serious topics to be recited in an individual’s exclusive thou ghts. One of her purposes in writing the novel is to expose the hypocrisy of society. The characters in the novel range from eccentric acquaintances to extravagant lords and ladies to vindictive tutors to suicidal veterans. One example of this theme occurs when Rezia and Septimus attempt to settle down in the park. When the airplane soars overhead, she writes, â€Å"Tears ran down his cheeks (Woolf 21).† While one may mistake this as joy or, at worst, sorrow over the recent war, Woolf gives the reality of the action beneath the surface, stating, â€Å"They are signaling to me†¦ this exquisite beauty†¦ but he would not go mad. He would see no more (21).† While Septimus dwindles on the brink of insanity, Rezia chatters away about nature, unaware of the mess resting beside her. Septimus portrays the appearance of one man yet expresses an entirely new persona through his contemplations. Another instance of the theme transpires when Miss Kilman and Clarissa wait for Elizabeth to retrieve her gloves before going shopping. Clarissa and Kilman both make attempts at small talk. However, both give their attentions to a mutual disgust of each other. Clarissa simply asks if Kilman is taking Elizabeth to the stores. Kilman replies dryly, but inShow MoreRelatedMrs Dalloway1427 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Mrs. Dalloway Ââ€" Virginia Woolf Mrs. Dalloway, published in 1925, is a romantic drama with deep psychological approaching in to the world of urban English society in the summer of 1923, five years after the end of World War I. The book begins in the morning with the arrangements for a party Clarissa Dalloway will give and it ends late in the evening when the guests are all leaving. There are many flashbacks to tell us the past of each character, but it does not leave the range of thoseRead MoreEssay On Mrs Dalloway1021 Words   |  5 Pages Influenced Women Taking a Stand in Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway is a detailed day of a high society british woman named Clarissa Dalloway who is the host of a party. As she goes on with her day for preparations for the party, a tragic event stumbles upon an acquaintance of hers before the grand festivity. When word spreads of the shocking yet terrifying accident, Clarissa has an eye-opening realization because of the event that causes her to change her life and future for theRead MoreFeminism in Mrs. Dalloway1354 Words   |  6 PagesFeminism in Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf is one of the greatest writers whose works reflect her philosophy of life and identification of women. 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