Individual Newsletter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual Newsletter - Essay Example We, as the current students who are taking this course are working hard so that we may success and strive in our lives. We are a dedicated class, who work together so as to achieve our individual dreams in our lives, individually and as a whole group (W. O 2012). In PR, one has to posses some qualities that are unique to this course (Ezine 2000)). In this newsletter I am setting out the ten essential qualities that successful self-employed PR person must posses, and qualities that PR students should nature in themselves. Since I started doing this course, I came to realize that Successful PR pros love what they do, and they know that, in this field, there is no working time because PR is not just a profession, but also a way of life, or lifestyle (Microsoft 2012). This newsletter is intended to enlighten employees and the wider University about PR students studying at the University, and the benefits of taking this course. It is going to reveal how influential PR is to the society at large (Grapevine 2012). For personal professionalism, I believe that it is imperative to differentiate between the core expectations your employer has for you from those that you have for yourself. I also comprehend and acknowledge the significance of personal professionalism in a workplace (Alliancetac 2010). I have always recognized the significance of having high self-expectations both professionally and personally (WPP 2009). Personal professionalism cannot be just a matter of common sense, but the ability to get to work on time, with a good attitude and to consistently meet the basic standards of adequate behavior. Personally, those are some of the qualities that I possess (Salsbury 2002). Other qualities I have that are imperative in PR are; excellent communicating and listening skills, organizational and psychological skills, searching and observing skills, and technological literacy.

Chimney Sweeper Essay Example for Free

Chimney Sweeper Essay A great writer, or poet, will make their readers feel as if they are a part of their story. The reader will feel happy when the character is happy, or sad when the character is sad. This is achieved by various rhetorical strategies that writers use. Some of these strategies include imagery and word diction. Sometimes it is one sentence that really gets to the reader. Other times it is simply one word that can make the reader feel anything from warm to sad. In William Blake’s poem, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper,† from Songs of Innocence, there is an important transition in which the reader’s sense of emotions change from negative feelings of darkness, death, and misery to positive emotions of happiness, hope, and salvation. This transition in emotions reflects the child’s innocence and oblivion to his victimization whereas in the same poem from Songs of Experience the child is aware that he is the victim and therefore only reveals feelings of bitterness and sarcasm. This contrast is important to my understanding of the Innocence poem because it reveals a softer and more innocent perspective than the poem of Experience does. In the first half of the poem Blake uses word diction that gives off negative connotations in order to illustrate the horrible conditions the young chimneysweepers live in. The chimneysweeper says, â€Å"And my father sold me while yet my tongue/Could scarcely cry weep! weep! weep! weep! ’ (2-3). Not only does the word â€Å"weep† clearly give off a sense of sadness and depression, but the fact that it is repeated four times puts an emphasis on the sadness that the chimneysweeper feels. The quote implies that the father sold his child at a very young age. As a result, the child was still too young to weep and therefore could not refuse to be sold. Another quote says, â€Å"So your chimneys I sweep in soot I sleep† (4). When one hears the word â€Å"sweep†, they are imagining dirt and filth being lifted off the ground. Moreover, the phrase â€Å"in soot I sleep†, if one imagines it in a literal sense, shows that the child is literally sleeping in soot, which is the black debris that the smoke from the chimney creates. As a result, this quote illustrates a dirty and filthy setting that these chimneysweepers are forced to live in. A phrase that, without a doubt, gives off a sense of death and hell is â€Å"coffins of black† (12). The chimneysweeper uses this phrase to describe where the other chimneysweepers are locked in Tom’s dream, which is still filthy and almost suffocating. While these quotes and phrases observe and reveal the terrible conditions that these children are living in, the chimneysweeper in the Experience poem reasons why he is living in those conditions by blaming his parents. This comparison makes evident the different perspectives from each poem. Hints of hope are first revealed in the Innocence poem where Blake uses the child’s sarcasm to show that in moments of darkness and unhappiness there is still space for optimism so as not to suffer so much. This is revealed when the chimneysweeper reassures Tom to â€Å"never mind it, for when your head’s bare/You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair† (7-8). In a way this would make Tom feel hopeful because with a bare head, the soot cannot ruin his hair. But in a metaphorical sense, it implies that darkness (the soot) will not prevail over everything, which gives one hope. What follows this sense of hope is Tom’s description of his dream: And by came an Angel who had a bright key/And he open’d the coffins set them all free/Then down a green plain leaping, laughing, they run/And wash in a river, and shine in the Sun/Then naked and white, all their bags left behind/They rise upon clouds and sport in the wind. (13-18) This stanza contains numerous amounts of words and phrases that all give a positive connotation of hope, freedom, warmth, and happiness. Words such as â€Å"Angel†, â€Å"bright key†, â€Å"laughing†, â€Å"Sun†, and â€Å"white† give off a feeling that is too good to be true, which explains why it is a dream in the first place. But that hope and happiness is so strong that when Tom awakes, he continues his work happily. This utopian perspective clearly shows the innocence of these children, while the child in the poem of Experience has no sense of hope because he is aware of the reality he is living in. While the children in the Innocence poem use religious words and phrases to give them something to look forward to, the child in the Experience poem condemns religion. Blake shows how religion is used to almost condone the treatment and conditions of these chimneysweepers when he writes, â€Å"And the Angel told Tom, if he’d be a good boy/He’d have God for his father and never want joy† (19-20). This quote implies that obedience and sticking to your duties will bring happiness in the afterlife. The same thing is implied when the chimneysweeper says, â€Å"So if all do their duty they need not fear harm† (24). In other words, as long as these chimneysweepers continue with their gruesome work while refraining from complaints, they will be happy and will be rewarded in the afterlife for their good behavior. This mentality seems to convince the children that it is acceptable live in these horrible conditions because they will be rewarded once they pass. In contrast, the child in the Experience poem does not see the afterlife or God as something or someone to look forward to because he blames God for the position he is in. He mocks God by saying, â€Å"And are gone to praise God and his Priest and King/Who make up a heaven of our misery† (11-12). The child’s parents are praying in the church and believe that they have not caused their child any injury. In this case, it is the parents that are condoning the brutal life of their child. This major difference between the two poems is important because it reveals how differently each child views the situation they are in as chimneysweepers. Blake’s use of word diction and imagery in the poem of Innocence and in the poem of Experience differentiates the two opposing perspectives of each poem. Because the Innocence poem transitions from darkness and hopelessness to freedom and hopefulness, my understanding of this poem is extremely different from the other. It is clear that the chimneysweeper in the Experience poem is aware that he is the victim; therefore, his feelings of sadness and despair block him from seeing any hope. Instead, he blames God and his parents for the life he lives. In contrast, I am given the sense that the chimneysweeper in the Innocence poem is completely oblivious to the fact that he is a victim, and therefore it is easier for him to see the light in the darkest moments; in this sense he is still innocent of any hard feelings towards his father or God.

Self Efficacy And The Social Cognitive Theory Education Essay

Self Efficacy And The Social Cognitive Theory Education Essay This chapter is divided into four parts. The first part initially discusses the construct of self-efficacy in the social cognitive theory. Then, definitions and properties of self-efficacy, characteristics of high and low self-efficacious individuals, the sources of self-efficacy and the difference between this construct and other similar constructs are discussed. Moreover, the last section of the first part is devoted to the role of self-efficacy in second/foreign language achievement and proficiency in general and in specific skills. The second part is devoted to the definitions of language learning strategies and their classifications. Moreover, the role of language learning strategies in second/foreign language proficiency and achievement and the relationship between language learning strategies and self-efficacy are discussed in this part, too. The third part is devoted to the construct of anxiety in general and foreign language anxiety in particular. In this part, definitions a nd classifications of anxiety, the role of anxiety in second/foreign language achievement and proficiency and the relationship between foreign language anxiety and self-efficacy are discussed. The last part discusses the concept of listening comprehension and how it is related to the three constructs of self-efficacy, language learning strategies, and foreign language anxiety. 2.1 Self-efficacy and the social cognitive theory To understand the concept of self-efficacy better, one must consider the theoretical framework of social cognitive theory. Bandura (1986, 1997) considers the social cognitive theory as a theory of human functioning. Based on this theory, human functioning can be explained through the operation of three factors that interact with each other. One factor is what Chomsky refers to as cognition, and Bandura in the social cognitive theory refers to as personal factors. Another factor is what Skinner referred to as environment and the third factor is what Bandura refers to as behavior. Bandura (1986) believed in the concept of triadic reciprocality in the social cognitive theory. This refers to the interaction among personal, behavioral and environmental factors. Moreover, an individuals behavior is determined by the interaction of the above mentioned factors. In this theory, individuals are considered as proactive, self-regulating, self-organizing and self-reflecting rather than reactive o nes and controlled by biological or environmental forces. Based on the social cognitive theory, individuals have a system of self-belief or a self-system that enables them to control their actions, feelings, thoughts, and motivation (Bandura, 1986; Pajares, 1997). This self-system makes it possible for individuals to make choices, choose their courses of actions, self-examine the adequacy of their behavior, interpret the outcomes, develop beliefs about their capabilities, and store this information to be used as a guide for future behavior (Bandura, 1986). Bandura (1997) considered the practice of self-reflection as the most influential mediator of human functioning and among the most arbiters of self-reflection are perceptions of self-efficacy. 2.1.1 Self-efficacy and its definitions Bandura (1986) considers self-efficacy as the main feature in the social cognitive theory. Based on the social cognitive theory, self-efficacy is the primary determinant of an individuals motivation to act. Bandura (1986) defines self-efficacy as peoples judgment of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances. It is not concerned with the skills one has but with the judgment of what can one do with whatever skills one possesses (p. 391). Besides Bandura, many researchers have provided different definitions of self-efficacy but most of them are based on Banduras definition. Delcourt and Kinzie (1993) stated that self-efficacy reflects an individuals confidence in his or her ability to perform the behavior required to produce specific outcomes (p. 36). Huang and Shanmao (1996) defined self-efficacy expectations as the beliefs about ones ability to perform a given task or behavior successfully (p. 3). Schunk (2001) considers self-efficacy as beliefs about ones capabilities to learn or perform behaviors at designated levels (p. 126). Moreover; Baron and Byrne (2004) identified three kinds of self-efficacy: Social self-efficacy, self-regulatory self-efficacy and academic self-efficacy. They considered social self-efficacy as the ability to maintain relationships, engage in social activities, and become assertive. They referred to the self-regulatory self-efficacy as the ability to be curious, think carefully, and avoid hi gh-risk activities. Finally, they considered academic self-efficacy as the ability to take part in learning activities, regulate the learning activities and meet expectations. 2.1.2 Self-efficacy and its properties Self-efficacy beliefs are not dependent on ones abilities but instead on what one believes may be accomplished with ones personal skills. Moreover, Bandura (1997) believed that there is a major difference between possessing skills and being able to use them in different situations. And that is why, different people with similar skills or the same person on different occasions may perform differently. Bandura (1997) mentioned that self-efficacy beliefs are distinguished from the skills one possesses, although they may be influenced by the acquisition of skills. That is why he assumed that self-efficacy beliefs are often better predictors of success than prior accomplishments, skills, or knowledge. For example, in educational settings, students self-efficacy mediates between the several determinants of competence (e.g., skills, knowledge, ability, or previous achievements) and their subsequent performances (Bandura, 2006; Schunk Pajares, 2001). Bandura (1997) mentioned that optimistic efficacy beliefs maintain and enhance motivation, and boost performance. Optimistic self-efficacy beliefs are instrumental to the successful completion of challenging tasks. These beliefs may increase effort and persistence and promote accomplishment in challenging circumstances. In academic settings, these beliefs seem to be necessary for attempting novel tasks or for learning new materials. He also stated that innovativeness requires an unshakable sense of efficacy to persist in creative endeavors when they demand prolonged investment of time and effort (Bandura, 1997, p. 239). Self-efficacy is not a fixed ability that individuals have or dont have in their repertoire of behaviors. But it is a generative capability in which cognitive, social, emotional and behavioral sub-skills must be organized and effectively orchestrated to serve innumerable purposes (Bandura, 1997, p.36). Bandura (1997) believed that the sense of self-efficacy influences individuals motivations, the goal they set, the effort they expend to achieve their goals and their willingness to persist in the face of difficulties and failures. For example, in an educational setting, students who have the sense of self-efficacy in their academic skills expect high marks on exams and expect the quality of their work to gain benefits for them. Another feature of self-efficacy is that it is task and domain specific. In other words, it refers to specific judgment of a specific situation and it is not a context-free disposition. A high sense of efficacy in one domain does not necessarily mean high sense of self-efficacy in another domain. And this is why measures of self-efficacy must determine the domains of action. In educational settings, self-efficacy beliefs are more specific and situational judgments of capabilities (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, Pastorelli, 1996; Bong, 2006; Pajares, 1997). In academic settings, according to Bandura (1986), self-efficacy refers to judgment of confidence to perform academic tasks or succeed in academic activities. Self-efficacy beliefs are also hypothesized to mediate the influence of other determinants of academic outcomes such as skills or past performance on subsequent actions. Efficacy beliefs also act in concert with other common mechanisms of personal agency such as self-concept beliefs, anxiety, and self-regulatory practices in influencing and predicting academic outcomes. Also, Bandura (1997) mentioned that in such settings self-efficacy affects students aspirations, their level of interest in academic work and accomplishments and how well they prepare themselves for future careers. He identified two types of efficacy in such settings: One refers to achievement in specific subject area such as language or science and the second refers to self-regulated learning and the extent to which an individual feels successful on tasks that generalize across academic domains. 2.1.3 High and low sense of self-efficacy Bandura (1997) stated that people usually tend to become involved in and perform activities that they judge themselves capable of managing, but they tend to avoid those situations that are threatening and they believe exceed their skills and abilities. In an educational setting, a learner is more likely to exert effort to engage in an assigned learning task when he or she sees him/herself capable of accomplishing it. When facing with difficult situations, those who have a stronger sense of self-efficacy tend to make greater efforts to deal with challenges. But those who have a lower sense of efficacy are likely to avoid engaging in a difficult task or even not try hard enough to accomplish the task. Avoiding difficult tasks leads to lower success and this, in itself, leads to even lower sense of self-efficacy. Based on the researches done in the area of self-efficacy, there are major differences between those with high and low sense of self-efficacy. High self-efficacious people exert more attention, effort and persistence in the case of difficulties than people with lower sense of self-efficacy. Those with high sense of efficacy work harder than their low self-efficacy peers. When those with low sense of self-efficacy fail, they often put the blame for their failure on everything except their own shortcoming. High self-efficacious people set more challenging goals for themselves than low self-efficacious ones. People with high sense of self-efficacy outperform those with low sense of self-efficacy and they employ more strategies to accomplish their goals (Bandura Locke, 2003; Latham, 2004; Locke Latham, 1990). Pajares (2006) reported that students with high sense of self-efficacy, regardless of previous successes or abilities, persist in the face of adversity. Moreover, these students are more optimistic and have lower stress levels and achieve more. Pajares and Schunk (2001) stated that the higher the sense of efficacy, the more energy and effort are used to keep trying tasks or situations that may be more difficult and challenging in nature. They believed that in educational settings, a self-efficacious student takes academic risks, sets goals for him/herself, compares him/herself to other peers, maintains routines, and keeps track of what works well and what doesnt regarding academic and social progress. A self-efficacious person may not have the highest grades in the class, but he/sh e believes in his or her own abilities to accomplish tasks, to find the right answer, to meet goals and often to surpass other peers. Schunk (1983) stated that a heightened sense of efficacy sustains task involvement and results in greater achievement and lower perceptions of efficacy lead to less persistence and lower achievement. Regarding the difference between high and low sense of self-efficacy, Bandura (1997) stated that self-efficacy beliefs influence individuals pursued courses of action, effort expended in given endeavors, persistence in the confrontation of obstacles, and resilience to adversity. Self-efficacious individuals will, therefore, approach challenges with the intention and anticipation of mastery, intensifying their efforts and persistence accordingly. These individuals rapidly recover their lowered sense of self-efficacy after enduring failure or difficulty, and attribute failure to insufficient effort or deficient knowledge. Students with a high level of self-efficacy perceive tough tasks as challenges. They also have higher motivation to conquer the difficulties and more confidence to accomplish demanding tasks. On the contrary, students with low sense of self-efficacy regard things as harder than they really are; they do not perceive their efforts can lead to better results, so they hav e less motivation to devote time to demanding tasks. He also stated that self-efficacy is a factor that can differentiate successful learners from unsuccessful ones. Eggen and Kauchak (2004) mentioned that students who have high self-efficacy are more willing to accept a challenging task, work harder, have a calmer disposition despite experiencing failure in the beginning, practice effective learning strategies, and generally generate better performance than students who have low self-efficacy, even if they have the same ability and skill. Finally, Bandura (1997) describes the feature of self-efficacious learners as follow: self-efficacious learners feel confident about solving a problem because they have developed an approach to problem solving that has worked in the past. They attribute their success mainly to their own efforts and strategies, believe that their own abilities will improve as they learn more, and recognize that errors are part of learning. Students with low self-efficacy believe that they have inherent low ability, choose less demanding tasks and do not try hard because they believe that any effort will reveal their own lack of ability (p. 3). 2.1.4 Self-efficacy and its sources People get their self-efficacy information from four different sources: Mastery experiences, vicarious (observational) experiences, verbal persuasions, and physiological reactions or states (Alderman, 2004; Bandura, 1997; Ormrod, 2003; Pajares, 2003; Pintrich Schunk, 2002; Zimmerman, 2001). The first source of self-efficacy is a mastery experience which is, according to Bandura (1997), the most influential source of efficacy information. Mastery experiences are prior performances that may be interpreted positively or negatively. Successful performances strengthen personal efficacy beliefs while failed performances undermine ones sense of self-efficacy. Successful performances lead to the anticipation of future success. Therefore, the information which is gathered from mastery experiences provides a reliable base from which one can evaluate self-efficacy and predict successful performance of future tasks. According to Palmer (2006), mastery experiences are the most powerful sources of creating a strong sense of efficacy because they provide students authentic evidence that they have the capability to succeed at the task. In educational settings or academic contexts, the previous success of a learner is the most influential source of self-efficacy beliefs. The second source of information for self-efficacy is vicarious experiences. It refers to the appraisal of ones own capabilities in relation to the accomplishment of peers. One can manage a task and foster the belief that he/she might possess similar capabilities by observing the success of comparable peers. Also, observation of the failure of a comparable peer can undermine an individuals perception of the ability to succeed. So, vicarious experience may affect efficacy positively or negatively. The third source of self-efficacy comes from verbal persuasion. It refers to the peoples judgments of others ability to accomplish a given task. Verbal persuasion is a weaker source of efficacy information in comparison to mastery or vicarious experiences. Verbal persuasion can be in the form of performance feedback or encouragement in overcoming obstacles. Positive verbal messages can lead to successful performances in future. On the other hand, negative persuasion can hinder the development of stronger sense of self-efficacy. The last source of self-efficacy information is physiological or emotional states of people such as stress, anxiety, or fatigue in judging their capabilities. Physiological and emotional states can lead both to an expectation for failure or enhancing beliefs for future success. According to Bandura (1997), high emotional arousal can undermine performance and people are more likely to expect success when they are not troubled by aversive arousal than when they are tense and emotionally agitated. Finally, it should be mentioned that self-efficacy beliefs do not come from a single source of the above mentioned information, but it is through the selection, integration and interpretation of information from these diverse sources that ones sense of self-efficacy is formed (Bandura, 1997). 2.1.5 Self-efficacy and similar constructs There are some constructs such as self-esteem, self-concept, and confidence that have fuzzy boundaries with self-efficacy or seem to constitute a conceptual overlap with it. The common feature of all these constructs is that they all refer to beliefs about perceived ability but what distinguishes self-efficacy from them is the idea that it refers to specific types of performance and explicit desired goals or results (Pajares, 1996). The main difference between self-esteem and self-efficacy is that self-esteem is a personal trait while self-efficacy is not. Self-esteem is a more emotional response to self while self-efficacy applies to specific fields of human behavior. Self-efficacy is the assessment of ones capabilities while self-esteem is the assessment of ones self-worth (Epstein Morling, 1995; Maddux, 1995). According to Zimmerman and Cleary (2006), self-esteem is an affective reaction indicating how a person feels about him or herself whereas self-efficacy involves cognitive judgments of personal capacity. They stated that self-esteem is not a predictor of academic performance while self-efficacy is. The main difference between confidence and self-efficacy is that self-efficacy is the belief in ones power to achieve certain levels of performances while confidence does not involve the persons power or ability to perform at a certain level (Epstein Morling, 1995). According to Pajares and Schunk (2001), an individuals self-concept involves evaluation of self-worth and it takes the cultural and social values into consideration. Self-concept has an indirect influence on performance while self-efficacy due to its task-specific nature can predict performance more easily than generalized measures of self-esteem, self-concept or anxiety (Zimmerman Cleary, 2006). Bong and Skaalvik (2003) argued that self-efficacy can be seen as providing a basis for the development of self-concept. Moreover, Pajares (2003) stated that writing self-efficacy is a significant predictor of achievement in writing while writing self-concept beliefs are not. 2.1.6 Self-efficacy and its role in achievement and proficiency Based on the properties of self-efficacy mentioned above, it seems that it plays a great role in determining individuals behavior in their daily lives and especially in educational and academic settings. In this part the role of self-efficacy in individuals achievement and proficiency will be elaborated and some major relevant studies will be reviewed. Some of these studies focus on the predictive power of self-efficacy in individuals achievement. Bandura (1986) assumed self-efficacy to be a much more consistent predictor of behavior than any other closely related variables. He mentioned that many students have difficulty not because they are incapable of performing successfully, but because they are incapable of believing that they can perform successfully, that they have learned to see themselves as incapable of handling academic skills(p. 390). Some researchers (e.g., Bandura, 1997; Pajares, 1997; Schunk, 1989; Zimmerman, 1995) assumed that self-efficacy, which is an individuals judgment about his or her abilities to perform a given task can be a better predictor of success than his/her actual abilities because they considered self-efficacy a critical determinant of behaviors. Some studies that have been done in the educational settings (e.g, Berry, 1987; Schunk, 1989) have shown that when learners have the same skills or they are at the same level of cognitive skill development, their performance can be different depending on their self-efficacy beliefs. That is why, Pajares (1997) stated that peoples prior accomplishments or actual abilities are not always good predictors of their subsequent success because the beliefs they hold about their abilities influence their subsequent behavior. But some researchers (e.g, Carmichael Taylor, 2005; Mills, 2004) warned that measuring self-efficacy in educational settings before the target skills are acquired cannot be considered as a good predictor of achievement. For example, in Mills (2004) study, self-efficacy was measured at the beginning of a semester when the participants had not acquired the required skills to perform the tasks. So, the result revealed that self-efficacy did not predict the final grade. According to Zimmerman and Kitsantas (2005), self-efficacy can better predict or explain subsequent performance when the students are familiar with the necessary skills to perform the task being measured. Schunk (1999) also warned that high self-efficacy beliefs will not produce competent performance if students lack necessary skills. For example, Chen (2003) found that the impact of students self-efficacy beliefs on their math performance was greater when they possessed underlying math skills. Multon, Brown, and Lent (1991) after doing a meta-analysis of self-efficacy research found a positive and significant relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and academic performance. Moreover, they indicated that self-efficacy was strongly related to student performance in a variety of subject matters. They reported that self-efficacy beliefs accounted for approximately 14% of the variance in students academic performance. Graham and Weiner (1996) found that self-efficacy beliefs more consistently predicted academic performance than other motivational constructs. Recently, several researchers (e.g, Maddux Gosselin, 2003; Skaalvik Bong, 2003) have shown that students academic self-efficacy is predictive of their study behavior as well as academic outcomes. Self-efficacy has consistently been shown to be positively associated with general academic achievement (e.g., Jackson, 2002; Lane Lane, 2001) and with performance in several specific domains, including math (Pajares Miller, 1995), and writing (Pajares, 2003; Pajares, Britner, Valiante, 2000). Some recent studies have found a consistent link between having a high sense of self-efficacy and achievement and the fact that efficacy beliefs are one of the most important predictors of motivation and performance (Bong, 2002; Pajares, 1996; Robbins, et al., 2004; Schunk Pajares, 2001). Also, Mills, et al. (2006) found that a stronger sense of self-efficacy leads to higher levels of achievement, greater willingness to face challenges and to exert effort. Many researchers indicated that self-efficacy has a stronger effect on academic performance than other motivational beliefs and it is found to have critical effects on various types of academic learning (Gibson, Randel, Earley, 2000; Linnenbrink Pintrich, 2002; Pintrich Schunk, 2002). Yazici, Seyis, and Altur (2011) found that self-efficacy beliefs are the most powerful predictors of academic achievements. Yang (2004) and Wong (2005) stated that students learning outcome is influenced by their perceived sense of self-efficacy. Moreover, Yang (2004) asserted that students learning attitudes, learning behaviors or even learning performances are affected by their sense of self-efficacy. Wong (2005) has shown that students performance can be facilitated by the enhancement of their sense of self-efficacy. Pajares (2002) mentioned that students academic self-efficacy influence their academic achievements in several ways. It influences the choices students make and the courses of action they pursue. In situations that students have free choices, they tend to engage in tasks about which they feel confident and avoid those in which they dont. It also helps to determine how much effort students will expend on an activity, how long they will persevere when facing obstacles and how resilient they will be in the face of adverse situations. Although considerable research has been done to study self-efficacy in educational and academic settings, most of these studies have been restricted to the domain of mathematical problem solving and languages other than English. For example, (Britner Pajares, 2001; Pajares Graham, 1999) found that perceived self-efficacy of the students mediate between their abilities and their academic performance in mathematics and science. Collins (1982) found that across ability levels, students whose self-efficacy is higher are more accurate in their mathematics computation and show greater persistence on difficult items than do students whose self-efficacy beliefs are low. Pajares and Graham (1999) aimed to determine whether mathematic self-efficacy makes an independent contribution to the prediction of mathematic performance when other motivational variables and previous achievements are controlled. They found that mathematic self-efficacy was the only motivational variable to predict mathem atic performance. Ayotola and Adedeji (2009) examined the relationship between mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics achievement. The result revealed that there was a strong positive relationship between mathematics self-efficacy and achievement in mathematics. The researchers concluded that self-efficacy beliefs are important components of motivation and of academic achievement. Jaafar and Ayub (2010) also found a positive relationship between mathematics self-efficacy and mathematics performance. In the case of languages other than English, McCollum (2003) found that the German language self-efficacy was a significant predictor of the semester final grade. In a similar study, Mills (2004) investigated the relationship between French self-efficacy in reading and listening and proficiency in reading and listening. The result of the analysis indicated that French reading self-efficacy was a predictor of French reading proficiency but French listening self-efficacy was not a predictor of proficiency in listening. Mills (2004) assumed that the failure of French listening self-efficacy to predict French listening proficiency may have been partly due to the fact that the critical task measure in the study-that is, listening proficiency test-possessed psychometric flaws. Recently many researchers have investigated the role of self-efficacy in foreign language settings and the role it plays in the achievement and proficiency in foreign languages specially English. Hsieh and Schallert (2008) examined the relationship between self-efficacy and attribution in a foreign language setting. In their study attribution referred to the explanations individuals give for their success or failure in a particular performance. The result indicated that despite failure in performing the given tasks, students reported the same level of self-efficacy as successful students when they attributed their failure to lack of effort. The researchers concluded that even when students reported having low self-efficacy, helping them view success and failure as an outcome that they can control may increase their expectancy for success and lead to successful experiences. Wang and Wu (2008) adopted the social cognitive model to investigate the role of self-efficacy on behavioral influences such as feedback behaviors and learning strategies and on environmental influences such as achievement. In the case of behavioral influences, the result indicated that self-efficacy was significantly related to students elaborated feedback behaviors and use of learning strategies. However, the results indicated that self-efficacy was not related to students academic performance. The researchers argued that this may be due to the domain specific nature of self-efficacy. They assumed that students who lack performance information or experience in the academic domain may form inaccurate estimation of self-efficacy and this may have been the reason why self-efficacy did not predict students achievement in this study. With regard to learning English, Huang and Shanmao (1996) found a relationship between self-efficacy of ESL students and their scores on the reading and writing sections of the TOEFL test. In a similar study, Templin (1999) divided the EFL participants into high and low self-efficacy groups and found a significant difference between the English proficiency of the two groups. 2.1.7 Self-efficacy and its role in achievement and proficiency in specific skills Some researchers studied the role of efficacy in specific skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in English. Pajares (2003) in reviewing the predictive power of self-efficacy in writing found that writing self-efficacy makes an independent contribution to the prediction of writing outcomes and plays a meditational role that social cognitive theorists hypothesized. Moreover, he suggested that instruction in self-regulatory strategies such as goal setting, self-recording progress, revision strategies, and self-evaluating progress may increase both self-efficacy and writing skills. Shang (2010) investigated the impact of EFL self-efficacy in reading and reading proficiency. He found a correlation between EFL learners self-efficacy in reading and their reading proficiency. Recently, Sioson (2011) aimed to determine among the subscales of language learning strategies, beliefs about language learning and anxiety which one is the strongest predictor of performance in an academic speaking context. The result of multiple regression analysis revealed that only the motivation and expectation subscale of beliefs about language learning was the significant predictor of speaking performance. Woodrow (2011) indicated that self-efficacy is a powerful predictor of writing performance than anxiety. According to the finding of his study, highly self-efficacious students performed well in their English writing and showed desirable learning attributes such as exerting effort. Ghonsooly and Elahi (2010) found a positive relationship between the Iranian EFL learners self-efficacy in reading comprehension and their reading achievements. The researchers indicated that high self-efficacious learners performed better than low self-efficacious learners in reading achievements. They concluded that EFL learners self-efficacy is an important factor in the achievement of high scores in English language skills such as reading comprehension. Rahemi (2010) studied the self-efficacy of Iranian high school students. The result indicated that students majoring in humanities had a very weak English self-efficacy and held certain negative beliefs about their academic ability as EFL learners. Moreover, a strong correlation was found between their English achievement and sense of self-efficacy. Rahimi and Abedini (2009) explored the role of self-efficacy in listening comprehension of Iranian EFL learners and their listening comprehension test performance. According to the res ults of the study, there was a significant difference between high and low self-efficacious students in terms of listening comprehension. Moreover, self-efficacy in listening was significantly related to listening proficiency. In another study, Graham (2006) studied the role of efficacy in the development of listening skills and

The War on Drugs is Failing Essay -- George Bushs War on Drugs

The War on Drugs is Failing â€Å"Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance†¦ for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation and make a crime out of things that are not a crime. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principle upon which our government was founded† Abraham Lincoln On January 16, 1920 the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified by thirty-six states and became part of the Constitution. The intention of this new amendment was to lower alcohol consumption by Americans. At the time each American consumed on average thirty gallons of alcohol a year.[1] This new amendment took away the license to do business from the brewers, distillers, and the wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol consumption did taper off somewhat at the beginning of prohibition only to slowly rise back to pre-prohibition levels shortly before the end of the movement which took place on December 5,1933. Not only was the goal of prohibition never achieved, but it raised organized crime to levels of power unimaginable before and seriously disrupted both the legitimacy and revenue of the government. Just as Prohibition incited many unsavory activities, so has the War on Drugs. The easiest way to show the connection between these to movements is an excerpt from an article pertaining to Prohibition in America during the 1920’s: Bootleggers ran wild. Professional robberies began as soon as Prohibition did. Territories were divided by groups of organized crime that became the scum known as the Mafia. The territories were decided by violence and death, both against each other, as well as those in the public who may/may not have been innoce... ...equipped with state of the art learning tools. Teachers will receive pay raises. Students will be in an environment conducive to learning. Not to mention violence in schools will diminish drastically. Public schools across America would phase out drug addicts by teaching drug awareness, tolerance and moderation. It is quite clear that the War on Drugs is failing. A drug free country would be ideal. So would an alcohol-free country, a pollution-free country, and most likely a fast food-free country. None of these things will happen, so we have to make the best out of the situation as it is presented. The only practical method of dealing with this problem is the legalization of drugs. The government should take advantage of the money drug revenues will generate to supply the youth of America with the knowledge to make the right choice.

Optional Helmet Law Is a Disaster for Pennsylvania Essay -- Argumentat

Optional Helmet Law Is a Disaster for Pennsylvania 1. September 4, 2003 was a sad day for Pennsylvanians. Governor Rendell signed the new motorcycle helmet law into effect, sentencing riders to death and increasing the tax burden caused by this new law. Pennsylvania is the 31st state to repeal its all-rider helmet law (Berenson 2). The new law states â€Å"no helmet is required for a person 21 years of age or older who has been licensed to operate a motorcycle for not less than 2 full calender [sic] years or has completed a motorcycle rider safety course approved by the Department of Transportation or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation† (Lobel 3). This new helmet law has increased accident fatalities and the burden on taxpayers. 2. Motorcycle fatality rates due to riding without a helmet are quickly rising. Nationally, motorcycle fatalities have increased 59 percent since 1997 (Motorcycle 1). Between September and December of 2003 in Pennsylvania, helmetless rider fatalities more than doubled, but fatalities decreased in riders wearing helmets (Wlazelek 1). Similarly, research done by the American Journal of Public Health found that motorcycle helmets severely reduce the presence and severity of head injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents (Rowland 4). Obviously, there is strong correlation between helmet use and the number of fatal crashes. The research done across Pennsylvania in the years following the repeal of the all-rider helmet law suggests that helmets do in fact decrease the risk of serious head injuries and death among motorcyclists. According to Judith Stone, increased deaths were enough for Louisiana to reject helmetless riding and revert back to an all-rider helmet law. Louisiana saw a 100 per... ...aw Repeal Concerns Region’s Hospitals. 17 June 2003. 4 October 2004. . Rowland, Jefferson, Frederick Rivara, Phillip Salzberg, and Robert Soderberg. â€Å"Motorcycle helmet use and injury outcome and hospitalization costs from crashes in Washington State.† American Journal of Public Health 86.1 (1996): 41-42. Proquest (general). Penn Coll. Lib., Williamsport. 4 October 2004. . Stone, Judith Lee. Special Commendation to Louisiana Legislature and Governor Blanco For Reinstatement of Lifesaving All-rider Helmet Law. 18 June 2004. 4 October 2004. . Wlazelek, Ann, and John L. Micek. Optional helmet law effect unknown. 30 August 2004. 29 September 2004. .

Irony, Satire, Symbols, and Symbolism in Voltaires Candide :: Candide essays

Use of Irony, Satire, and Symbolism in Candide In the novel, Candide, Voltaire uses many literary writing tools to prove the points in which he believes. Some of these many literary tools are irony, satire, and symbolism. Through these tools, Voltaire proves that greed is a universal vice, and usually ends in ones own destruction. Voltaire strongly emphasizes his pessimistic view throughout the story. During Chapter 10, he uses his philosophies, as well as other literary tools, to present greed as a devastating factor of society's corruption. For example, Cunegonde found that someone had stolen her money and jewels. "Who could have stolen my money and diamonds? ...I strongly suspect a reverend Franciscan who slept in the same inn with us last night in Badajoz."(Pg. 40) She was sure that the thief was the reverend; how is it that money can makes someone so holly, corrupt enough to make a sin? Voltaire uses irony here to show the pessimistic view of greed overcoming a holly person's wholesomeness. Voltaire satirized philosophical optimism. He used exaggerations and berated all the petty inhumanities of society. This is illustrated in the scene where Cunegonde was ready to marry a man for money, not on love. Â  "'Madam, you have seventy-two years of nobility, but not one penny. You now have the chance to become the wife of a man who's the greatest lord in South America and has a very handsome mustache." (Pg. 51) As Cunegonde ponders whether or not to marry a man for money, she provide support for Voltaire's overall theme of pessimism. Candide and Cacambo traveled to Eldorado, and found it to be the best place ever. "If our friend Pangloss had seen Eldorado, he wouldn't have said that the castle of Thunder-ten-tronckh was the finest thing on earth." (Pg. 68) Leaving a perfect place, such as Eldorado, where they could be seen as equals, and extremely pleased, seems insane. However, Candide and Cacambo found money more important. They left to live in a corrupt world, filled with riches and wealth. "[If we return to our world] we'll be richer than all the kings of Europe put together." (Pg. 70) This just goes to show that humanity see more, and better of money than happiness, and riches in contentment.

Childhood Obesity: The Causes And Health Problems Essay

The topic that I have chosen for my paper is addressing the issue of childhood obesity. According to Merriam-Webster (2010) obesity is a condition where there is excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body. I think that childhood obesity is an epidemic that the United States of America is facing as a major issue for children health. Childhood obesity is one of the fastest growing health concerns in the United States. The definition of an epidemic according to Encyclopedia Britannica (2011) is the occurrence of disease that is temporarily of high prevalence. The childhood obesity rate has more than tripled in the United States over the last 30 years( Center for Disease Control, 2010) I will prove that there are ways to prevent the causes of childhood obesity. Research will be focusing on the causes, the health concerns, and the ways to prevent childhood obesity. The resources that will be using for the research are: internet research, case and research reports, and interviews. So far research findings are showing that there are many causes and effects of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is difficult health problem because it has biological, behavioral, social, economic, environmental, and cultural causes (Koplan, Liverman, Kraak, 2005, pg 340). Each one of the causes stated above can have many different influences for a child in this country. An economic example is when the recession caused a lot of people to lose their jobs. The recession caused a lot of people to lose their income, which caused a lot of families to not be able to afford the necessities of life. People had to choose between making their house payment or buying food. The number of people also has something to do with how a family eats. The number of people that are in the family determines the amount and the cost of food needed. A family income also has an important role in a family. If the family size is larger and the income level is low then the  family may have problems buying healthier food. A social example would be their peers influencing what they eat when they are away from their house. Children could be more likely to eat what their friends eat when they are not home as well. The community has a role in this as well. The reason the community has a role in this is due to the restaurants that are in the area and the food those places offer. If your community only offers fast food then the child is more likely to eat that food, which is high in fat. The education level and number of parents may also affect childhood obesity. Research shows that the higher level of education and if both parents are in the home then it is less likely that a child will be obese ((Koplan, Liverman, Kraak, 2005, pg 216). A cultural example would be how we advertise products in the United States. Companies are advertising towards children. For example at a fast food restaurant the child meal comes with a toy. With children watching more and more TV these days the retailers are making commercials for the children that are watching them. The child’s ethnicity is an important factor as well. The traditions that the parents grow up with will be taught to the child and passed down to the next generation. The community again is important factor for this cause as well. People adapt to where they are living. For example if a family moves to from a neighborhood that had more restaurants than fast food, and then the family moves to a neighborhood that has nothing but fast food and there is no other place to eat they may change their diet. A behavioral example would be that a young child that does not want to eat their vegetables at lunch because they say they do not like them. Portion size is a very important factor for childhood obesity. If the portion size of an unhealthy food is too big then the child is more likely to become overweight. When a child is eating fast food or processed food or if they are drinking soda and juice, then they are consuming more sugar and calories than someone that may be eating vegetables or fruit. When a child intakes more calories or sugar, then does not exercise then the child is not burning off the extra intake off. Some children also play a lot of video games and  a child may watch a lot of TV, instead of playing outside. A biological example is if someone has a medical condition where it makes their metabolism not work the best and it causes them to have trouble losing weight or they just gain weight easily. Every person has a different metabolism level as well. Some people may have an over active metabolism and then there are others that have a metabolism that is very slow. Metabolism is how fast the body burns off calories or energy that the body takes in. Another factor is genes or heredity. Genes or heredity is something that you get from your parents of other people in your family. This gets passed down from generation to generation and there is nothing that can be about it, except trying to offset it buy changing diet or level of physical activity. An environmental example would be looking at the ease of accessing processed or fast food near a child’s home. The food that a parent fixes their child is an important factor. This is important due to the fact if the parent is fixing processed or just bringing fast food home then the child will be in taking more calories per meal which could affect the child’s weight in a negative way. The foods that a school offers are also a factor. A school that offers healthier choices may help the student choose the healthier food. When a child chooses a healthier food then they are more likely to continue their diet as an adult but this will also help the child’s weight then too. The state that a child lives in could also be a factor. Each state has their own specialty that almost everyone fixes. If the child is living somewhere, where foods are fired then they are in taking more fat and calories. There are so many health concerns that come with childhood obesity. Some of the health concerns are type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, lower life expectancy, stress, depression, and low self-esteem. According to the Center of Disease Control (2010) children that suffer from childhood obesity are more likely to get the above health problems when they get older to have these diseases as adults. If some kids are left to manage their own health then they will be unhealthy as an adult because their  lifestyle will not change. This is a very important health concern for our children because they are the future leaders of this country and this is causing them to die earlier than their life expectancy. Cardiovascular disease is one disease that is affecting children with childhood obesity. Cardiovascular disease is relating to or involving the heart and blood vessel in the body(Merriam-Webster, 2011). According to the Center of Disease Control, 70% of children that are obese have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. One contributing factor is cholesterol to the above statistic. Kids are eat more and more fast food in this generation which is increasing their weight and cholesterol levels. Children are also not exercising or doing cardiovascular exercises like: swimming and running. This disease can also lead to many other health problems in adulthood. Another health concern for children that are obese is high blood pressure. Keeping your blood pressure in a healthy level is important because high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure is known as hypertension. Hypertension is abnormally high arterial blood pressure (Merriam-Webster, 2011). According to Rob Stein (2007) â€Å"increases so far have been small — just 2.3 percentage points for early hypertension and 1 point for full-blown hypertension — they translate into hundreds of thousands more children developing what often becomes a chronic, lifelong condition†. High blood pressure can lead to other health concerns such as: heart disease, stroke and kidney troubles. The next major health issue that can come from a child being obese is type 2 diabetes. According to the University of Michigan Health System it could take up to 10 years before an obese child shows the development of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is when the body can not process the insulin in the body produces. There are many things that can contribute to a child having type 2 diabetes. The level of exercise can help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes because when you exercise it helps the body burn the energy that is consumed. There are some complications for health when you have diabetes, those complications are blindness and amputations of the arms  and/or legs. Stress can also have an effect on a child’s health. Stress can cause many health issues because it takes energy to be stressed and many people worry when they are stressed. According to Merriam-Webster (2011), stress is a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation. Stress can come from home, school, friends, and family. When someone is stressed they may eat for comfort and this can cause extra calories being taken in and not burned off. Stress can be linked to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and many more. Low self-esteem is another important factor for children. Low self-esteem is a confidence and satisfaction in oneself. Low self-esteem can be from children bullying, making fun of each other, and stress. When a child has trouble making friends they may form a low self-esteem. Low self-esteem can cause an eating disorder. According to Susan Okie (2005, p 73), obesity is a risk factor for the development of an eating disorder. A child overweight could have a poor self-image and that could lead to an eating disorder. There is also a lower life expectancy with children that are obese. Life expectancy is referring to the age that a person lives to base on sex, ethnicity, and other factors. There are many factors that contribute to this. One factor is suicide. Children that have a low self-image or ones that have given up could resort to suicide. Another factor is the health issues that the obese child has. As the child gets older and if they already have heart disease, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes are likely to have the complications with those diseases earlier in their adult life. One way that Americans are trying to prevent childhood obesity is having schools offer more gym class time. Another way that Americans are trying to incorporate exercise is that the TV network Nickelodeon has a day that they turn off the cartoons and encourage children and their parents to go outside and play, they call it the national day of play. There are many health  programs also ran by the government trying to help low income families with providing their children with a balanced diet. The biggest thing that a parent can do is change their own lifestyle and pass it to the child. A parent leads by example showing their children how to live, act, and what to believe. A parent can start a daily activity with the family included and make this routine for the family. The parent can also change the food bought at the store and what is fixed at home. A child can be given a much smaller portion size and then if they are still hungry they could ask for more and the parent would determine the portion size of the extra the child would get. School are not out of the woods on this subject matter either. Schools offer processed food which are higher in calories, fat, and maybe sugar. Schools need to change their menu to offer healthier lifestyle choices. Schools would also help prevent childhood obesity by increasing the amount of time the student gets physical exercise during the school day. Another item the school should change to help prevent childhood obesity is the portion size of food their offering to a child. A community could ban together to prevent childhood obesity as well. The community could offer to have a campaign. These campaigns would be able to use multiple strategies,such as: media campaigns , community mobilizations, education programs for health professionals and the general public, modifications of physical environments, and health screenings and referrals (Koplan, Liverman, Kraak, 2005, pg 196). The community could also build a bike or walking trail in a park. Having the bike or walking trail will encourage the citizens of the community to get out and exercise. The community could also build a community center that has exercise equipment or a program ran thru the building to help teach parents to eat right. When the parents know what to do to help then they can pass the information down to the children. There are also many government ran programs to help low income families. One good example is the WIC program which stands for Women, Infant, and  Children. This program helps low income people that are pregnant or they have children under the age of five and they also have to meet the income guidelines for the size of the household. Income guidelines vary depending on what state in which the family resides in. WIC only offers certain foods to families. They offer formula for a baby, but the formula has to be on a state approved list (USDA, 2011). If there is a pregnant woman in the household, WIC then offers the household milk, whole grain bread, peanut butter or dry beans, fruit, approved cereal, and 100% fruit juice(USDA, 2011). If the woman is breastfeeding the baby then she is offered tuna and carrots for the nutritional value those foods give (USDA, 2011). Another government program is Food Stamps which help low income families buy food. There are income guidelines that someone would have to meet before getting assistance with this program. There is not much of a requirement of what food to buy on this program but they do have items that you are not allowed to buy. The recipient cannot buy taxable items such as diapers, paper towels, or toilet paper. The recipient cannot buy alcohol either. When a person on food stamps goes to a store to buy groceries the register will notify the cashier what is food stamp eligible and what is not. Anything that is not eligible the consumer must pay for. Without these programs the United States could have lots of hungry people that could starve to death. Research is stating that childhood obesity is preventable when proper diet and exercise are incorporated into a child’s life from a young age. If a child does not eat healthy foods and does not exercise then that child is more likely to be obese. When a child is obese, then the child is at risk for some serious medical diseases that may not show up until they are an adult. If a child has a serious medical disease young then they more likely to have a more severe condition like cardiovascular disease when they are an adult. There are many government and community programs to help the low income families that are in need of assistance. Preventing childhood obesity is a concern for parents, schools, communities, and government to solve together with all of the programs available. References Center of Disease Control. (2010, June 3). Childhood Obesity. In Health Topics (par. 2) [Fact Sheet]. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/#5 Epidemic. (2011). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/189776/epidemic Institute of Medicine (U. S.) Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth. (2005). Confronting the Childhood Obesity Epidemic. In V. A. Kraak, J. P. Koplan, & C. T. LIverman (Eds.), Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. (p. 196). Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10075881&ppg=196 Institute of Medicine (U. S.) Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth. (2005). Confronting the Childhood Obesity Epidemic. In V. A. Kraak, J. P. Koplan, & C. T. LIverman (Eds.), Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. (p. 216). Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10075881&ppg=216 Institute of Medicine (U. S.) Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth. (2005). Confronting the Childhood Obesity Epidemic. In V. A. Kraak, J. P. Koplan, & C. T. LIverman (Eds.), Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. (p. 340). Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10075881&ppg=340 Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Ed.). (2011). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/cardiovascular Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Ed.). (2011). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypertension Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Ed.). (2011). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obesity?show=0&t=1297741121 Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Ed.). (2011). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-esteem Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Ed.). (2011). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/stress Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Ed.). (2011). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/type+2+diabetes?show=0&t=1298313788 Okie, S. (2005). Size, Health, and Self Esteem. In Fed Up! Winning the War Against Childhood Obesity (pp. p 73). Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10075869&ppg=73 Stein, R. (2007, September 17). More Kids Developing High Blood Pressure. The Washingtion Post, par 3. Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/atricle/2007/09/10/AR2007091001349.html?hpid=topnews University of Michigan Health System (2008, July 12). Coming Epidemic Of Type 2 Diabetes In Young Adults. ScienceDaily. Retrieved fromhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/08070819329.htm USDA. (2011). Women Infants and Children [Brochure]. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic