Diverse Perspectives in Physics Classrooms

Diverse Perspectives in Physics Classrooms The School of Science invited the esteemed Dr. Sylvester James Gate, currently a professor at the University of Maryland, to give two talks on Tuesday March 21,2017. The first talk What unique perspectives does a minority student bring to a physics classroom?, given in Mayo Concert Hall as the second annual Barbara Meyers Pelson 59 Lecture in Faculty-Student Engagement, focused on Gates experience as an educator and his observations on how minority students bring diverse perspectives to physics classrooms. The event began with Janet Morrison introducing Dr. Gate who is an intellectual pioneer in string theory, super gravity, and super symmetry, has authored over 200 research papers, is the director for String and Particle Theory Center in Maryland, and was honored with a membership in the National Academy of Sciences. He received the National Medal of Science from President Obama for is contributions to scientific research in 2013 and became the first African America to hold an endow ed chair of physics at a major United States research university. In addition to is impressive academic achievements, Gate has also been a lifelong advocate for diversity in the classroom; even being the first physicist to write to the United States Supreme Court to argue the importance of minority students in college classrooms. This letter to the Supreme Court and an article published in response to a judges question about his position was the corner stone of his lecture. Gates opened his talk by giving a short summary of his career regarding physics and public outreach through documentaries and commercials. This lead to him discussing his first documentary in the 1990s where he explored how the sciences were starting to be accessible to minorities communities in ways, such as professor positions and research opportunities, that had not been possible before. This lead to allegory on diversity, starting with all things music, that eventually made its way to the Supreme Court. Gate argued that life is enriched from different musical style (Gate) and I doubt anyone would disagree that their life is poorer due to having more than classical music to listen to. This theme of diversity enhancing a topic or product, Gate argues, can be found throughout the scientific disciplines. In biology, diversity in biomes creates life that is more adaptable to change. In biomedical engineering, the use of genetic modification not only increases yields in food harvest bu t also decreases the use of environmentally harmful pesticides. It is this argument, rather than the moral argument (Gate), that Gate bases his position on. He states that, while it is correct morally to ensure individuals from all backgrounds have access to the sciences, it is imperative for science as a discipline to ensure diversity to survive. So what does diversity do? It enriches the experiences. It gives us a bigger set of choices (Gates) and these choices are the future of scientific development. While Gates never mentions the terms situated knowledge or standpoint theory his arguments and stance about diversity in the classroom and academia are dependent on these theories. He stated during the question and answer part of the talk that the outsider viewpoint which is therefor intellectual diversity which Im talking about. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In the example that I talked about, it was the presence of the minorityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that caused the majorityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to be more careful in their analysis and thats what suppressed the grown of [economic] bubbles. So yes, in that case it is the actual ethnic diversity that did that (Gates)1. Earlier, he also stated that minorities, whether they are ethnic minorities or gender minorities, have a different way of thinking and viewing the world due to their minority statues. This all directly relates to situated knowledge and standpoint theory in the idea that the position of these individuals gives then different perspectives that allows them to better understand the problem at hand. He never outright stated that this perspective is superior to the majority perspective but it was, in my opinion, heavily implied which leads to his arguments being more based in situated knowledge than standpoint theory. I found the talk to be informative but slightly disorganized and the speaker to be open and not afraid to speak his mind even if his opinions were unpopular. During the talk, I learned some very interesting information such as Einsteins history of social justice work and current research on diversity in different disciplines; however, the speaker chose to use an allegory type of storytelling that, if one did not listen intently to, was easy to lose track of. Throughout the talk and while answering questions, Gate was forthcoming on his personal views and beliefs whether the audience agreed with him or not. I believe this was especially relevant during the last question after the talk. The person asking the question seemed to be implying that ethnic diversity did not matter as long as there was intellectual diversity, which essentially reminded me of a person arguing that someone was making something all about race, and I believe Gate gave a wonderful answer which not only spoke on ho w ethnic diversity caused intellectual diversity but how it was essential for intellectual diversity. As a teacher, I am hoping to decorate my classroom with diverse scientists, not the same old white guys everyone thinks about when they think of science, and this talk provided me with even more anecdotal and research evidence of the importance of ensure my students see diversity in science. Note This is in reference to a study Gate mentioned that focused on the growth of economic bubbles in stock markets. The study found that the presence of minority traders suppressed the growth of bubbles in the stock market, like the housing bubble that caused the 2008 United States crash, and that these results could be reproduced in white majority nations and Asian majority nations. Work Cited Gates, Sylvester J. What unique perspectives does a minority student bring to a physics classroom? Barbara Meyers Pelson 59 Lecture in Faculty-Student Engagement, The College of New Jersey, 21 March 2017, Mayo Concert Hall, Ewing, NJ, Lecture.

Electrical Engineer Essay -- essays research papers

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER DESCRIPTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “Electrical engineers design, and evaluate the manufacture, testing, installation, operation, and maintenance of electrical and electronic components, equipment and systems.';1 Electrical engineers work with an array of equipment and machinery, such as transformers, switches, electrical appliances and types of generators, and are considered in fields involving communications, radar, aerospace guidance, medical and biomedical research and computers. ENVIRONMENT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Precision is a very regarded value for an electrical engineer. The use of hands on techniques and a vast knowledge of mathematics makes for the engineer to be very detailed in his or her work. Must be creative and initiating, and must be perspective in dealing with work and the communication of others. Must have a feel for science and technicality. Work is mostly done indoors in offices, labs, and factories. Teamwork is essential, as work is often compared with others. Since technology is expanding as time goes on, a continuing education is a must. Computers are used often to learn applications and techniques. PAY AND OUTLOOK   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pay varies depending on education, experience, and your place of employment. “Starting salaries range from $805 to $3,810 per month. Experience will land you from $1,295 to $4,980 per month, and top ranges $1,510 to $5,199 per month. (California pay) St...

Managing Role Stress as a nurse Essay

Role Stress is the number one reason nurses leave the nursing field (Chang, Hancock, Johnson, Daly, & Jackson, 2005). Role Stress happens when you find yourself experiencing things that you did not expect to happen to you as a nurse. It is the difference your perception of a role versus the reality of your role. You might first experience this as a new grad Nurse without confidence, facing unrealistic expectations, and value conflicts. You could also experience Role Stress due to a lack of job control, high demands, and work overload. We are now being faced with shorter and shorter hospital stays equaling more work to be done in less time. (Blais & Hayes, 2011, pg. 27 ) A nurse experiencing Role Stress might end up with Role Strain. â€Å"An emotional reaction accompanied by psychological responses, such as anxiety, tension, irritation, resentment, depression, and job dissatisfaction† (Blais & Hayes 2011, pg. 27). A stressor that one might experience as a substitute school nurse is the lack of consistency on policy from one school to another. A good way to manage the stress caused by the inconsistency is to research school nurse policies in the state you are in, and work under those regulations. Also, voicing your concerns to those involved can help if done politely. This was shown to be effective, thus eliminating stress. In another example; one may not realize the emotional stress of a job. Death in the ED can take a toll on both staff and family. It can produce feelings of guilt, anger, failure. One might become numb and develop emotional defenses to cope with the way they feel. To help with this special education or training can be given to the nurse, which can help improve wellness and performance (http://emedicine. medscape.com/article/806280-overview). In every different nursing environment we will eventually run into stressors, that can cause role strain. There are fortunately some strategies that can help manage stress. A plan of care to manage stress might be helpful to all working in the health care field. The following interventions might help reduce stress: Learn how to identify problems and solve them, have good time management skills, delegate well, and learn to not procrastinate. It is also helpful to not assume too many roles, to arrive early, and prepare ahead of time to eliminate any work overload stress. (Blais & Hayes, 2011, pg. 29). A short term goal could be to arrive early to work everyday which in return could prevent some additional stress.. A long term goal would be the reduction of stress through applying the above strategies, as well as doing something healthy for yourself, such as a walk, exercise, alone time, or perhaps a good book. Using community resources and help available through specialist and friends can also be beneficial. In summary, it is first necessary to take care of yourself, then you will be in a position to apply the many other helpful techniques enabling you to care for others. References Blais, K.K. & Hayes, J.S. (2011). Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and Perspectives (6th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, Inc. Chang, E.J., Hancock, K.M., Johnson, A., Daly, J., & Jackson, D. (2005). Role stress in nurses: Review of related factors and strategies for moving forward. Nursing and Health Sciences, 7, 57-65. Medscape. (2009). Grief Support in the ED. Retrieved September 4, 2013, from http://emedicine,medscape.com/article/806280-overview)

How Robert Louis Stevenson Builds and Maintains a Sense of...

How Robert Louis Stevenson Builds and Maintains a Sense of Mystery and Suspense in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in 1886 after waking from a dream in which he recalled a fine bogy tale. The book was published in the same year and its likes had never been seen before. It gave a chilling insight into the murky depths of both experimental science and the duality of the human mind. These two fields of study were both in their infancy at the time so the novel was delving into the unknown, which instantly creates mystery about the text, this was the key to the success of the book, in my opinion. In the writing of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Stevenson set a standard†¦show more content†¦He knew that with each year science was advancing further and further into the control of genetics and it is my opinion that he used his novel as a warning as to what he believed could happen should we become too fond of playing God. It only takes one step too far before you cant go back, as Jekyll discovers in the book and as scientists are beginning to discover in the twenty first century. The novel is based strongly on a theme of discovering the unknown and exploring the hidden self. Jekyll is held in high regard by his peers and begins to feel trapped by the constant expectations he is forced to conform to, he longs to walk amongst those who carouse and womanise in the name of good fun and high spirits and be excepted as one of them. Yet he still wishes to reap the rewards of a powerful social standing. In short, he craves the best of both worlds. He fulfils his needs in the concoction of a draught that changes his mental and physical state to that of Mr Edward Hyde, a foul and loathsome being with no care or love of the purity of the soul or well being of his fellow man, a being often described as Satan like. As he spends more and more time in the savage world of Hyde, Jekyll begins to lose control and finds himself changing when his mind is most vulnerable, when he is asleep. The experience of going to sleep as one person and