Friday, March 20, 2020

Values Clarification essays

Values Clarification essays The corruption of Americas youth is a popular topic today in the media, among lawmakers, and with concerned parents. Often the good old days of generations past are looked upon with longing because of their simpler ways. Decades ago the largest problems in schools were talking out in class, not paying attention, and forgetting to do homework. Todays problems are violence, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, and delinquency in general. Everyone believes these issues are a result of something different: bad home lives, lack of religious ideals, the media, the wrong education or no education at all. Throughout the years, moral education has been looked to as both an answer and cause. Schooling in morals and values that is provided to youth can be categorized (somewhat) two ways: values clarification education and character education. I believe that the extremes of both of these options are not the answer. Concentration on values clarification education, with some indirect cha racter education woven into the general curriculum, is the most practical answer to this on-going argument. Not all people are familiar with values clarification and character education, so it is necessary to specify the standpoint of both positions, neither of which I agree with completely. Values clarification education (V.C.) was a popular way of teaching values education in the 1960s and 1970s. Now referred to as non-directive education, it is a system where students are not told which ways of living, thinking, and feeling are right and wrong. Instead they are encouraged to explore their own personal values and become familiar and comfortable with them. Through this process the youth has formulated a strong set of beliefs that are entirely their own, allowing them to adhere firmly to their values. This is a relativist way of viewing ethical thought because each situation is relative to its own circumstances. ...

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Redefining moments - Emphasis

Redefining moments Redefining moments Many professionals may need to use creative or lateral thinking in their work, but heres a competition that invites anyone to do just that for individual words. This is the so-called Washington Post Mensa Invitational for which neither organisation seems prepared to claim credit. The challenge: to humorously redefine either a common word, or one that has been subtly changed by a letter or two (or, to put it in popular political phrasing, that has undergone redaction*.) While the competition itself may be something of an urban myth, entries apparently pour into the newspaper yearly. Unsolicited** or not, here are some highlights from the 2009 batch (plus a few of our own, below). Straightforward alternative definitions Coffee n. The person upon whom one coughs. Flabbergasted adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained. Balderdash n. A rapidly receding hairline. Circumvent n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men. Subtly-altered redefined words Giraffiti n. Vandalism spray-painted very, very high. Sarchasm n. The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesnt get it. Decafalon n. The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you. Pointless^? Perhaps. But you may never look at another word quite the same way again. If you have any suggestions for, or opinions on, these Semantex ^^ shenanigans, leave them here. *Redaction n. Communist to-do list. **Unsolicited adj. Able to walk past a red light district unchecked. ^Pointless adj. [colloquial Birmingham] Left out of a pub round. ^^Semantex n. The practice of changing the meanings of words with explosive consequences.