Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Unit 7 Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 7 Discussion - Research Paper Example If an economic crisis is experienced, then it is a sure thing that firms and corporations will opt for downsizing and in the process render people jobless. In turn, these people will settle on criminal activities. The third type of data that will be used is the rate of poverty. This statistic depicts the number of people living below the poverty line. They have no income, and engaging in criminal activities will be their only way of survival. The fourth type of data will involve the rate of economic growth. The rate of economic growth in a country indicates how the economy is performing. A positive economic growth means that industries that employ people are coming up. On the other hand, a negative economic growth, means that industries that used to employ people are being closed down, and as a result, people loss their jobs and resorting to crime. The final type of data will involve information regarding the crime perpetrators. Since employment is related to the economy, it will be important to research if the perpetrators were either employed or unemployed at the time they committed the criminal activities (Siegel,

Monday, October 28, 2019

Conclusion On Maternal Health Seeking Health And Social Care Essay

Conclusion On Maternal Health Seeking Health And Social Care Essay The objectives of this study are to describe maternal health-seeking practices of adolescent and adult mothers during pregnancy and childbirth and to determine the effects of maternal health-seeking practices on their pregnancy outcomes. This study used the secondary data from a cross sectional survey named Survey of Pregnancy, Birth and Early Life (SPBEL) which was conducted in Kanchanburi province, 2003. A total of 117 nulliparous adolescent mothers aged 15-19 and 193 nulliparous adult mothers aged 20-29 who have delivered singleton live births within two years were included in this study. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the effects of maternal health-seeking practices on pregnancy outcomes. Our study found that the adolescent pregnancy rate (15-19 years) in Kanchanaburi province was 13%. Regarding their background characteristics, adolescent mothers tended to complete similar education level like adult mothers. A higher proportion of adolescent mothers were unemployed in comparison with adult mothers in this study. Concerning with health-seeking practices, a high level utilization of antenatal care was found in both adolescent and adult mothers and most of them received four or more antenatal visits. However, delayed and less frequent antenatal visits among adolescent mothers were found compared with adult mothers. Delivery rate at health facilities was very high and the rate did not differ between adolescent and adult mothers. With respect to pregnancy outcomes, adolescent mothers were found to have a higher incidence of preterm and LBW deliveries. Overall, pregnancy outcomes of adolescent mothers were more adverse than adults. Bivariate analysis showed maternal health-seeking practices had no significant effects on pregnancy outcomes of adolescent and adult mothers. Further adjustment of socio-demographic factors did not change the observed associations. On the other hand, we observed that age was a significant risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Nulliparous adolescent mothers had two times higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes than adults. In our study, we found the associations between pregnancy outcomes and their residence. The risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes for mothers from urban stratum was higher than that of mothers from rice fields, cash crops and upland strata after controlling age, health-seeking factors, level of education and employment status. Recommendation On the basis of our findings, some recommendations for policy implications and future studies are formulated in this section. Recommendations for policy implication High adolescent pregnancy rate calls for policy makers to give greater emphasis on sex education and promotion of contraceptive use among adolescents in schools as well as in the community. These interventions will help in delaying the initiation of sexual intercourse and improving use of birth control among adolescent women. Effective interventions to reduce either intended or unintended pregnancies among adolescents could improve adolescentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ maternal and child health. Despite the overall high use of maternal health care, adolescent mothers were less likely to use maternal health services compared with adult mothers. It was suggested that physical and social barriers accessing maternal health care for adolescent mothers need to be addressed by the government to improve maternal health care utilization among adolescent mothers. It is also recommended to initiate teenage specific antenatal clinic with youth friendly manner which could provide multidisciplinary care by detecting and managing biological and social risk factors for pregnant adolescents. Adolescent mothers were more likely to deliver preterm and LBW babies who are at higher risk of neonatal death. Moreover, neonatal morbidity among babies born to adolescent mothers was relatively higher than babies born to adult mothers. Provision of better antenatal and delivery care for pregnant adolescents could minimize the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. It is crucial to provide training for health providers to understand more about the higher risks of adolescent pregnancy to achieve better pregnancy outcomes. In addition, health providers should be encouraged to pay special attention to postnatal contraception for adolescent mothers to postpone next pregnancy until they are biologically, psychologically and financially able to care for another baby. 5.2.2 Recommendations for future research Further research is needed to elucidate the relationship between adolescent pregnancy outcomes and health-seeking practices. We suggest a prospective cohort study with a large sample size that includes information about potential risk factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as genital tract infection, pregnancy complications such as pregnancy induced hypertension and premature rupture of membrane, maternal malnutrition, anemia, and social problems faced by adolescent mothers to confidently conclude the effects of health-seeking practices on outcomes of adolescent pregnancy. Access to quality antenatal and delivery care will also be needed to consider as one important factor to determine the effects of maternal health care on pregnancy outcomes. Hence, it is recommended to include quality of maternal health care as one confounding factor of pregnancy outcomes. Our results provide a starting point to explore the reasons for relatively poor health-seeking practices of adolescent mothers. Qualitative study focusing on health-seeking behavior of adolescent mothers and social problems they encountered during pregnancy and delivery should be conducted for more in-depth understanding of adolescent pregnancy outcomes.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Shakespeare in the Sound and the Fury Essay -- Sound and the Fury Essa

Shakespeare in the Sound and the Fury    The "Tomorrow" soliloquy in Act V, scene v of the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth provides central theme and imagery for The Sound and the Fury.   Faulkner may or may not agree with this bleak, nihilistic characterization of life, but he does examine the characterization extensively.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Creeps in this petty pace from day to day   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To the last syllable of recorded time;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And all our yesterdays have lighted fools   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The way to dusty death.   Out, out brief candle!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That struts and frets his hour upon the stage   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And then is heard no more.   It is a tale   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Signifying nothing (Shakespeare 177-8).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The passage suggests man is mortal while time is immortal.   Time maintains its pace independently of man's actions; it creeps through man-made institutions eventually leading to man's death.   However, time maintains indifference towards man.   Life spans are infinitesimal in comparison to the smallest division of time.   In reality, the significance man ascribes to human existence is false: life has no significance.   Life is merely a brief episode of strutting and fretting, "full of sound and fury, . . . signifying nothing."    Every section of the Sound and the Fury relates to Macbeth's speech. Each narrator presents life as "full of sound and fury," represented in futile actions and dialogue.   Benjy, Quentin, Jason, and Dilsey all emit constant wor... ... Faulkner's views on life, a supposed contrast to Macbeth's.   After hundreds of pages of examining Shakespeare's passage, Faulkner concludes his work with an uplifting transcendence of nihilism.   Faulkner leaves the reader with hope, the signification of meaning yet to come.    Works Cited    Commentary. The Sound and the Fury. Olemiss Resources   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/faulkner/n-sf.html    Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Vintage Books, 1984.    Harold, Brent. "The Volume and Limitations of Faulkner's Fictional Method." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 11, 1975.    Irwin, John T. "A Speculative Reading of Faulkner" Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 14, 1975.    Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992.   

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Assessments for Early Childhood Programs Essay

William J. Wilson once said, â€Å"The person who scored well on an SAT will not necessarily be the best doctor or the best lawyer or the best businessman. These tests do not measure character, leadership, creativity, or perseverance†. Why do we test students? What is the purpose of assessments? Do these tests and assessments benefit the students? These are questions educators have been asking for years. It is impossible for one to determine a child’s academic abilities based solely on a test. Yet there still needs to be some form of assessments performed in order to evaluate the academic level each student has reached. But how much assessing is too much? How heavily do educators rely on the results of these assessments? The main issues, when it comes to assessing early childhood students, are the consequences of the assessment results and how they affect the child. According to The National Academies of Sciences, there are two key principles that support the success of assessment. The first is that the purpose of an assessment should be a guide for assessment decisions. The purpose for any assessment must be determined and clearly communicated to all stake- holders before the assessment is designed or implemented. Most important, assessment designed for programs should not be used to assess individual children. Because different purposes require different kinds of assessments, the purpose should drive assessment design and implementation decisions† (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). The second principle is that any assessment performed should be completed in a â€Å"coherent system of health, educational, and family support services that promote optimal development for all children. Assessment should be an integral part of a coherent system of early childhood care and education that includes a range of services and resources† (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). These two principles explain the main purpose of why assessing is important and how assessments should be conducted. After having an understanding of the purpose of assessments, why is it so important to begin evaluations at such a young age? What is the purpose of evaluating infants and toddlers? Author Sue Wortham explains evaluating toddlers and infants determine whether the child is developing normally or if they show any signs of delay and need assistance. All in all, the main purpose of assessment is to benefit the child (Wortham, p. 32). The NAEYC believes that during a child’s early years, evaluating and assessing their development should be the primary focus. They want to study how young children grown and learn. All the â€Å"results of assessment are used to inform the planning and implementation of experiences, to communicate with the child’s family, and to evaluate and improve teachers’ and program’s effectiveness† (Wortham, p. 4). Teachers also use assessment results to in order to plan their curriculum accordingly. So exactly do assessments search for? Assessments look not only for what the child is already capable of doing independently but also what they can do with the help of a teacher or another student (Wortham, p. 35). So how are they assessed exactly? There are many different assessments given to children across the U. S. everyday. These may be administered orally or as written works, such as questionnaires, surveys, or tests. These may include: standardized tests, observations, checklists, rating scales, rubrics, interviews, or portfolios. Each of these serve a different purpose in order to give different pieces of information needed to evaluate the child in question. Standardized tests, though many disagree with them, are meant to measure individual characteristics. Observations, on the other hand, are one of the most effective ways to measure students’ characteristics. When children are young, it can be hard at times to determine if there are any developmental delays (Wortham, p. 39). Developmental checklists, or scopes, are mainly used at all levels of education. These checklists are lists of the learning objectives that have been established by the teacher in order to keep track of their learning and development. Items on a checklist are rated with a negative or positive response from the teacher. Rating scales, unlike checklists, provide measurement on a continuum and are used when a collection of criteria is needed to attain specific information. Another form of assessment teachers commonly use is Rubrics. Rubrics were created to â€Å"evaluate authentic and performance assessments† (Wortham, p. 41). Rubrics, like rating scales, have a range of criteria that must be met. However, unlike rating scales, rubrics can be used to not only determine the quality of performance required, but are also used to assign grades. Rubrics make it easy for students to understand what is expected and is makes it easier for teachers to grade assignments. The final types of assessments that are most frequently used are performance and portfolio assessments. These evaluations might be administered through interviews given directly by the teacher in order to understand the child’s thinking and understanding (Wortham, p. 41). Teachers may present these evaluations through directed assignments, activities, or games. The performance results are typically kept in a student or teacher portfolio. These portfolios contain samples of student’s work and are used as a sort of progress report card. Keeping detailed reports of student’s work in the portfolios help teachers keep track of their student’s progress and help determine which areas of learning are lacking attention (Wortham, p. 41). Overall, according to Wortham, these tests, whether administered to an individual child or a group of students, are meant to determine a student’s â€Å"abilities, achievements, aptitudes, interests, attitudes, values, and personality characteristics† (Wortham, p. 9). Now having an understanding of the different types of assessments used to evaluate students and the purpose, let us turn to the negative and positive effects of these evaluations. It is crucial for educators to administer tests and evaluations carefully, because it they are poorly articulated, it can lead to decisions that are unfair or unclear, and they may do harm to programs, teachers, and, most importantly, children (Snow, C. E. & Van Hemel, S. B. , p. 341-342). Evaluations and assessments are not meant to punish a child, and therefore, should never be overseen lightly. It is important that the information gathered outweighs any negative effects. Editors of Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How, Catherine E. Snow and Susan B. Van Hemel, explain that â€Å"although the same measure may be used for more than one purpose, prior consideration of all potential purposes is essential, as is careful analysis of the actual content of the assessment instrument. Direct examination of the assessment items is important because the title of a measure does not always reflect the content† (Snow, C. E. & Van Hemel, S. B. , p. 346). So what are some negative effects? Negative consequences of assessment findings may include program de-funding, closing a center, firing a teacher, mislabeling a child, or a reduction in program resources (The National Academies of Sciences, 2008). These effects, such as mislabeling a student, can follow students for the rest of their education career. Once a child is entered into a program, it can be difficult at time for teachers to look past that label. Children all develop at different his or her own pace. No one child will develop and learn the same way as another child. They all grow up and develop at different stages. Yet educational theorists have been able to observed and gather enough information to conclude that children, if divided in age groups, do tend to follow a certain development pattern. The problem is, it is hard to determine which children are the outliers in these results without carefully administering proper assessments. Assessments are not used to necessarily judge student or punish them. Their main purpose is to help students, teachers, and parents. So what are some positive effects of assessment and evaluations? Students that benefit from assessments and evaluations are those that are properly observed and tested. Teachers also benefit from the use of assessments because it helps them create an appropriate curriculum for their students. Evaluating children at a young age can have a positive effect if a delay or disability is in fact found, and because it was caught early, the student has a better chance of exceeding their potential in school. Catching developmental delays or disabilities at a young age is the same as finding cancer at an early stage in the sense that the earlier the cancer is found; the chances of survival are greater. Assessment results are used to plan for instruction, evaluate instructional programs, and report student progress. These are all positive results of assessments. Without the results of assessments and test, how can educators determine what to teach their students? Evaluations, if planned and administered properly, can be more beneficial than harmful. Unfortunately, not all teachers evaluate children fairly or appropriately. So it is important for parents to stay involved in their children’s education in the event that the results of an evaluation do not match the potential of their child. Parents should know the norms and abnormalities of their child’s behavior. Therefore, it is always beneficial to the child for parents and teachers to communicate. This way if a child is acting up in class, and the teacher notifies the parent, the parent may confirm any fears right away by simply saying, â€Å"that isn’t like him† or â€Å"he’s just nervous†. Avoiding drastic measures and not jumping to conclusions is the proper way to evaluate a child fairly. What are the predicted long-term benefits to Early Childhood Assessments? Are assessments and student evaluations accurate? Should teachers be required to assess and evaluate students as much as they already do? These are just a few of the questions that plagued educators for years. Too much assessing has placed so much pressure on students and teachers, inevitably taking away a child’s desire to learn for the sake of learning. The purpose of assessments and evaluations is a great concept, but placing too much pressure and emphasis on the test results is tainting the original purpose of learning.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Pros and Cons of Inclusive Education Essay

Pros and Cons of Inclusion in a general education classroom Inclusion in a general classroom is one of the largest controversies that schools face today. Most administrators, parents and teachers question the likely academic impacts associated with the placement of students with special needs into general educational classrooms. Inclusion is the educational approach that requires students with disabilities to learn together with non-disabled students. Rather than the segregation of students based on their physical abilities and disabilities, inclusion dictates that each and every student is a learner who should benefit from a challenging, meaningful and appropriate curriculum. Despite the fact that inclusion had its focus on disabled students, it has been designed to accommodate diverse strengths, experiences, and challenges of all students. Research suggests that inclusion is beneficial for the students’ academic progress; increases social development and helps increase self- esteem of the students. The following annotations throw more light on the concept of inclusion in general educational classrooms. Caralee Adam’s â€Å"The Challenges of Inclusion†. She highlights that most experts and teachers support the objectives of inclusion. However, the main idea she addresses is responsible inclusion. In other words, the teachers and the experts are calling for modifications in the inclusion models such that some scenarios like violent or aggressive kids can be handled effectively.She presents relevant and sufficient evidence in the name of Bill Hutchison, a violent eleven-year old with Down syndrome. This source helps to highlight the key leverage points for effective inclusion. The reputable publication is obtained from a credible source and is sponsored by Scholastic Administrator. Adam owns a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Orleans. She i s a trusted and renowned freelance writer on topics such as health, personal finance, parenting education, et al. Barker’s Does Inclusion Help? This annotation addresses a range of questions through research but chiefly, the impact of inclusion on the entire body of students. On the same note, Barker is interested to know the attitude of disabled students towards learning. He provides sound evidence through a descriptive research. In line with the thesis statement, the publication helps us recognize the effect of inclusion on the students and their  attitudes too. Through this research we can answer whether inclusion really helps or not. This is a trusted reputable source too sponsored by the National Association of Special Education Teachers. Benefits of Inclusive Education. In contrast to most articles that focus on the benefits of inclusion to only disabled students, this annotation highlights what both disabled and non-disabled students benefit with by learning together in one classroom. For instance, disabled students are rewarded with friendships and social relations, greater access to general curriculum, greater opportunities to interact et al. The benefits to non-disabled students include: meaningful friendships, helps them respect all people, ability to understand and accept diversity et al. This source-Kids Together , Inc- is reliable as it is a nonprofit organization that provides resources and information for adults and children with disabilities. This agrees with our thesis statement on the benefits of inclusion in a general educational classroom. However, this source does not provide us with significant evidence through real-life examples or by research whether the specified benefits are actually realized. The next annotation is titled, â€Å"Cons of Inclusion†. This annotation highlights some of the arguments as well as the major concerns against inclusion. In particular, it states the disadvantages of inclusion in a general educational classroom.For instance, inclusion consumes a lot of the teachers time while some teachers lack training and classroom management is a difficult task. In spite of the fact that we do not know the exact author of this article, the source is reputable, credible and the evidence it provides in one 10-year-old Ryan with learning disabilities is magnificent. This evidence is collected through observational fieldwork and hence it is significant. It is too in line with the purpose of the essay though it features it is a one-sided scenario. In other words, it addresses the cons of inclusion rather than both the pros and cons of inclusion. Another interesting annotation on inclusive education is, â€Å"History of Inclusion† by Stephanie Torreno. A century ago, most disabled students were uneducated but today they do learn beside non-disabled students, thanks to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the subsequent 1986 and 1992 amendments. Consequently, educational and employment rights for disabled persons were  guaranteed by federal funded institutions. Most importantly, it brings to light a series of legislation s that have been adopted in the context of inclusive education and regarding employment of disabled persons. Understanding the history of inclusion helps us to evaluate how beneficial inclusion has been hence agreeing with our thesis statement about benefits of inclusion. This source is a reliable one as the author herself is disabled. And therefore we do believe in her interest regarding government laws on education and employment of disabled people. She was born in Niskayuna , USA and in spite of her physical disability, she owns a bachelor’s of Arts degree in Psychology and technical writing. Inclusion by CollenTomko is also another annotation on inclusive education that we focus on. According to Collen, the inclusion objective is attained when children fully participate in class activities as members with all the services and support that they require. Regardless of the class the students learn in, the developed plan should be around their individual needs. She asserts that, children do not necessarily have to become normal in order to effectively contribute to the world. This and in accordance with the context thesis statement on benefits of inclusion, we are able to understand the main goal of inclusion. Kids Together Organization is an already trusted source and Collen Tomko who holds her Bachelors degree from Pennsylvania State University is the president and co-founder of this non-profit organization providing more reason to believe her. Next is, Inclusive Learning Environment for Students with Special Needs. Dee Dickson is the founder of New Horizons for Learning (NHLF), a resource for comprehending learning. The network was used to convey new information to teachers. NHFL guides teachers on fresh effective teaching and learning practices so as to see the whole process of inclusion a success. For us to realize the full benefits of inclusion in general education classrooms, NHFL therefore provides teachers with updated information and resources to effectively educate inclusive classrooms. On Dee Dickson, she has taught each and every level right from elementary schools up to university. In this regard, her experience in teaching diverse students is profound and therefore provides reason to believe in her articles. Besides, New Horizons For Learning is an established, reputable and among the leading learning web sources that identify and communicate successful strategies to adopt in educational  practice. Another Inclusive education related annotation is SEDL-Issues About Change: Inclusion: The Pros and Cons. The article addresses the advantages and disadvantages of inclusion in general educational classrooms. Many questions are asked in this context, namely: what inclusion actually means; how inclusion looks like; comparison and contrast between full inclusion and mainstreaming, et al. It investigates a range of issues that surround inclusion. But chiefly, and in with reference to the thesis statement, the article highlights the pros and cons of this practice. The provision of a historical synopsis about special education development ensures that we could trust this source even though the author is not stated. The paper also provides us with implications for policy makers and educational practitioners. The other paper on the same topic is â€Å"Special Education Inclusion†. This article highlights the confusion the concept of inclusion causes to parents and educators. They do not know whether inclusion is required legally or not and also what is better for their children. The article therefore is about what institutions must do so as to maximally meet the needs of all disabled children. In other words, before we realize the benefits of inclusion, we must answer the question on what must be done and how it should be done. All stakeholders must be involved research, discussions and examination of the entire inclusive educational program for effective or fruitful planning. The annotation is sponsored by a credible source-The Winsconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) which is a representation of education of public employees. Special-needs Education: Does Mainstream Inclusion work? The article is about developing a closer relationship between mainstream schools and special education schools. Yes, ideal inclusion is very expensive but having special schools separately is expensive as well. The respondents featured in this article believe that the curriculum for disabled students needs to be totally different from that of non-disabled students but it is so heartbreaking when students are isolated and stuck in classrooms lacking specialized help. Hence advocates co-location so as to ensure that these students do not suffer. Thus, inclusion in general educational classrooms becomes the only choice. The source is from a UK-based newspaper-The Independent Saturday and can thus be trusted. Starr, Linda. â€Å"Inclusion: Has It Gone Too Far?† One of the advantages of inclusion is reduction of educational fragmentation and  provides an environment in which all the available educational resources are used to improve the performance of each and every child. Inclusive education can be designed for the benefit of both students and teachers through ensuring that all the fisca l and human resources are utilized for the entire body of students. Reduction in educational fragmentation is main benefit of inclusion and therefore in line with the thesis statement about the benefits of inclusion in general educational classrooms.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Introduction to Ancient Stone Debitage

Introduction to Ancient Stone Debitage Debitage,  pronounced in English roughly DEB-ih-tahzhs, is an artifact type, the collective term used by archaeologists to refer to the sharp-edged waste material left over when a flintknapper creates a stone tool (that is, knaps flint). The process of making a stone tool is rather like sculpture, in that it involves whittling down a block of stone by removing unwanted pieces until the sculptor/flint knapper achieves the final product. Debitage refers to those unneeded stone fragments. Debitage is the French term for this material, but it is commonly used in the scholarly literature in most other languages, including English. Other terms in English include waste flakes, stone chips, and chipping debris; all of these refer to the stone fragments left over as a waste product created when a worker produces a stone tool. Those terms also refer to chipping debris leftover when a stone tool is repaired or refined. Why is Debitage Interesting? Scholars are interested in the stone flakes left behind by flintknappers for a number of reasons. The pile of debris is the location where stone tool production took place, even if the tool itself was taken away: that alone tells archaeologists about where people lived and worked in the past. The flakes also hold information about the type of stone used to make a stone tool, as well as the technology, the steps taken in the manufacturing process. Some of the waste flakes may be used as tools themselves, to scrape plants or cut meat for example, but by and large, the word debitage refers to those pieces which have not been reused. Whether the flakes were used as a tool or not, debitage accounts for the oldest evidence discovered for human-like behaviors: we know ancient people were making stone tools because we have found purposeful flaking debris even if we dont know what was being made. And as such, they have been recognized as an artifact type since the first decades of the 20th century. Analyzing Debitage Debitage analysis is the systematic study of those chipped stone flakes. The most common study of debitage involves simple (or complex) cataloging of the flakes characteristics, such as source material, length, width, weight, thickness, flaking scars, and the evidence of heat-treatment among many others. Given that there can be thousands or tens of thousands of pieces of debitage from a site, data from all of those flakes definitely qualifies as big data. In addition, analytical studies have attempted to classify the flakes by step in the tool-making process. In general, a stone tool is made by removing the largest pieces first, then the pieces get smaller and smaller as the tool gets refined and shaped. A popular tool-based debitage typology in the late 20th century consisted of categorizing flakes into three stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary flakes. These rough categories were thought to reflect a very specific set of flake removal processes: primary flakes were removed from a block of stone first, then secondary, and finally tertiary flakes. Defining those three categories was based on size and the percentage of the cortex (unmodified stone) left on the waste flake. Refitting, putting the stone pieces back together whether simply one flake to another or reconstructing an entire stone tool, was originally quite pain-staking and labor-intensive. More recent tool-based imaging processes have refined and built on this technique considerably. Other Analytical Types One of the problems with debitage analysis is there is just so much debitage. The construction of one tool from a block of stone can produce hundreds if not thousands of waste flakes of all shapes and sizes. As a result, studies of debitage as part of the study of all stone artifacts at a given site are frequently completed using mass analysis techniques. Size grading by using a set of graduated screens to sort debitage is often used. Researchers also sort the flakes into categories on a variety of attributes and then count and weigh the total in each category to estimate types of flaking activities. Piece-plotting of the distribution of debitage has been used, when it can be determined that the scatter of flakes has laid relatively undisturbed since its deposition. That study informs the researcher about the mechanics of flint-working activities. As a parallel study, an experimental reproduction of flint knapping has been used to build a suitable comparison of debitage scatters and production techniques. Microwear analysis is the study of the edge damage and pitting of debitage using a low- or high-power microscope, and it is generally reserved for debitage that has likely been used as a tool. Sources and Recent Studies A great source for information about all types of Lithic Analysis is Roger Graces Stone Age Reference Collection. The late Tony Bakers excellent lithics site  while now outdated still contains buckets of useful information based on his understanding of the mechanical processes he learned in his own flintknapping experiments. Ahler, Stanley A. Mass Analysis of Flaking Debris: Studying the Forest Instead of the Tree. In Alternative Approaches to Lithic Analysis. The Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association. Eds. Henry, D. O., and George H. Odell. Vol. 1 (1989): 85-118. Print. Andrefsky Jr., William. The Analysis of Stone Tool Procurement, Production, and Maintenance. Journal of Archaeological Research 17.1 (2009): 65-103. Print. - . The Application and Misapplication of Mass Analysis in Lithic Debitage Studies. Journal of Archaeological Science 34.3 (2007): 392-402. Print. Bradbury, Andrew P., and Philip J. Carr. Non-Metric Continuum-Based Flake Analysis. Lithic Technology 39.1 (2014): 20-38. Print. Chazan, Michael. Technological Perspectives on the Upper Paleolithic. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews 19.2 (2010): 57-65. Print. Eerkens, Jelmer W., et al. Reduction Strategies and Geochemical Characterization of Lithic Assemblages: A Comparison of Three Case Studies from Western North America. American Antiquity 72.3 (2007): 585-97. Print. Eren, Metin I., and Stephen J. Lycett. Why Levallois? A Morphometric Comparison of Experimental ‘Preferential’ Levallois Flakes Versus Debitage Flakes. PLoS ONE 7.1 (2012): e29273. Print. Frahm, Ellery, et al. Sourcing Geochemically Identical Obsidian: Multiscalar Magnetic Variations in the Gutansar Volcanic Complex and Implications for Palaeolithic Research in Armenia. Journal of Archaeological Science 47.0 (2014): 164-78. Print. Hayden, Brian, Edward Bakewell, and Rob Gargett. The Worlds Longest-Lived Corporate Group: Lithic Analysis Reveals Prehistoric Social Organization near Lillooet, British Columbia. American Antiquity 61.2 (1996): 341-56. Print. Hiscock, Peter. Quantifying the Size of Artefact Assemblages. Journal of Archaeological Science 29.3 (2002): 251-58. Print. Pirie, Anne. Constructing Prehistory: Lithic Analysis in the Levantine Epipaleolithic. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 10.3 (2004): 675-703. Print. Shea, John J. The Middle Stone Age Archaeology of the Lower Omo Valley Kibish Formation: Excavations, Lithic Assemblages, and Inferred Patterns of Early Homo Sapiens Behavior. Journal of Human Evolution 55.3 (2008): 448-85. Print. Shott, Michael J. The Quantification Problem in Stone Tool Assemblages. American Antiquity 65.4 (2000): 725-38. Print. Sullivan, Alan P. III, and Kenneth C. Rozen. Debitage Analysis and Archaeological Interpretation. American Antiquity 50.4 (1985): 755-79. Print. Wallace, Ian J., and John J. Shea. Mobility Patterns and Core Technologies in the Middle Paleolithic of the Levant. Journal of Archaeological Science 33 (2006): 1293-309. Print. Williams, Justin P., and William Andrefsky Jr. Debitage Variability among Multiple Flint Knappers. Journal of Archaeological Science 38.4 (2011): 865-72. Print.

Monday, October 21, 2019

7 Work From Home Jobs You NEED to Avoid

7 Work From Home Jobs You NEED to Avoid Everybody thinks working from home is the best possible thing. The grass that is always greener. But there are a few work from home jobs that are more trouble than they’re worth. You may think it’s worth it to work in your pajamas, eating Cheez-Its for breakfast, but at least in a few cases, you might be wrong. Here are a few of the worst work from home jobs, in case you’re considering the career move.1. Obvious ScamsIf a work from home job seems too good to be true, it probably is. Unfortunately, there are a lot of scams out there. Be on the lookout for gigs like â€Å"envelope stuffing,† â€Å"at-home assembly,† â€Å"claim processing,† or â€Å"refund recovery.† And don’t accept any job that asks you for money up front. Keep your private info private until you’re sure an opportunity is legit.2. SalesSales is a pretty tough gig even when you’re not working from home. This work is actually quite competitive. Just think how many of your social media pals are constantly hocking some product or another. Do you really want to be that person who drives their family and friends crazy with constant promotional blasts?3. In-Home Day CareUnless you really love kids, this is often way less money than it’s worth. You’ll have much less privacy, and be exposed to a lot more germs. And you’ll probably have to chase down payments from parents (who will also expect you to work when normal people are vacationing).4. Mystery ShoppingIt sounds brilliant, right? Get a free meal, go shopping incognito, all while making a bit of extra cash. But remember that these assignments pay much less than even minimum wage and you’ll have to work a lot of them to make any money at all.5. MLMDirect sales gigs sound really promising out of the gate. Work from home, unlimited earning potential, being your own boss, but keep normal(ish) hours†¦ But you’ll be on the hook to sell to everyon e all the time, and this can get exhausting. It’s also very tough to do in a saturated market.6. Cold CallingThis work is never fun, no matter where you’re making your calls. Lead generation is necessary for a lot of businesses, but unless you have nerves and personality of steel, it’s miserable work calling uninterested parties and trying to get them interested before they hang up on you in a huff.7. Pay-Per-TasksMindless work for cash? Sounds easy enough, right? Just remember that available tasks can fluctuate widely from season to season and often the rate is mere pennies. You’ll be competing with overseas workers as well, who have a lower standard of living and need less to live- and are hungrier to do the work.