Cultural Myth of Education as a Pathway to Success in America

Education does not only concern itself with going to school to study, but all the implications it has on an individual, be it positive or negative (Colombo, Lisle 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Myth of Education as a Pathway to Success in America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the American context, students who hail from other backgrounds away from the mainstream American backgrounds must give up their cultural heritage as well as home values in order to go through the American Educational system forcing them to get more exposure to the new cultures as much of their time and effort is geared towards education. After giving up their heritage and values, what do they achieve in the long run; is it worth the sacrifice? Thesis â€Å"Education accelerates culture erosion in mainstream America† Richard Rodriguez in his effort to pass his gospel across examines what education does to an indivi dual, his major point of concern being the alienation and separation from ones culture that is brought about by the American Education System (Rodriguez 205). He portrays education as the major reason for cultural erosion, which is seen through the longer time an individual is held to schooling and therefore opening a way for the same individual to be detached from this or her culture (Rodriguez). By merely leaving for school and exposure to education, Rodriguez comes to see how different his parents were in terms of their speech (Rodriguez 196), to an extent that he felt embarrassed by their pronunciations of words with their rich Spanish accents â€Å"I was not proud of my mother and father (Rodriguez 200)†. I was embarrassed by their lack of education (Rodriguez 200)†. He further goes ahead to point out that through his parents insisting on him to read, it got him detached from his culture and at the end of the day he gets his academic achievements but looses his cul tural touch. He also admits that his separation from his mother was one of the worst experiences that ever occurred to him in the name of schooling but he had no choice so going to school was a must (Rodriguez 199). Michael Moore on the other hand in â€Å"Idiot Nation† focuses on criticizing the intelligence of Americans as well as the general American Education system, his major concern is that the general American system takes in very useless information for example sport facts instead of very important matters (Moores 130). Moore, seeks to pass across the message that â€Å"education system in a way has failed due to lack of financing which has led to deteriorating of the educational system in the United States of America, and that despite the progression of one in acquiring education, the more disappointing the outcome because the prerequisites for the standards of learning are not met, he says that† (Moores 100).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Le t's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"The halls are packed with burned-out teenagers shuffling from class to class, dazed and confused, wondering what the hell they’re doing there (Moores 99)†. The education system that is propagated in the students discourages individuals to have an identity for they are often confused as being members of the mafia group in addition to an education system that does not provoke students to think beyond recitation of answers of what they are taught rather than understand the content of what they are taught (Moores 145). Creativity and independence of an individual is not an important stand. It also shows the not so focused nature of the students who may be assumed to be in school not because they wish to be there but because they are forced to be there by circumstances. The American Education system is left wanting because it deprives an individual of personal identity as well as indepen dence. It does not at all meet the intended objectives of learning; on the contrary the people who come out of it are half baked. Multicultural compositions like in the American context should take into consideration all the groups that are in concern, that diversity rules above individuality such that the main aim of education is achieved. That cultural myth is the centre stage upon which learning should be built. Those cultural myths that pose a challenge should be dealt with adequately in order for them to be addressed appropriately. Cultural myths should be embodied on the general mainstream education because cultural diversity is put to test here. Of course there are differences as far as people’s opinions and perspectives are concerned in regard to culture and education systems, but where does the buck stop? The complexity in society calls for coexistence and balance among all cultures and education so that no culture is seen to out do the other in the name of education , the end product in education therefore in all partakers of education are called upon to look into the areas that contradict in as far as cultural myths and education are concerned and reconcile them with the mainstream education systems and ideologies. Works Cited Colombo, Gary Lisle, Bonnie. Rereading America.†Introduction: Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths† 8th Ed. New York. John Willy Sons Publishers. 2006. pp. 1 – 6.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Myth of Education as a Pathway to Success in America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moores, Michael. â€Å"Idiot Nation†. Rereading America. Ed. Colombo, Gary Lisle, Bonnie. 8th Ed. New York. John Willy Sons Publishers. 2006. pp. 128 – 145. Rodriguez, Richard. â€Å"Achievement of Desire†. Rereading America. Ed. Colombo, Gary Lisle, Bonnie. New York. John Willy Sons Publishers. 2006. pp. 194 – 206. This essay on Cultural Myth of Education as a Pathway to Success in America was written and submitted by user Colton T. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Snowflake Chemistry - Common Questions

Snowflake Chemistry - Common Questions Have you ever looked at a snowflake and wondered how it formed or why it looks different from other snow you might have seen? Snowflakes are a particular form of water ice. Snowflakes form in clouds, which consist of water vapor. When the temperature is 32 ° F (0 ° C) or colder, water changes from its liquid form into ice. Several factors affect snowflake formation. Temperature, air currents, and humidity all influence shape and size. Dirt and dust particles can get mixed up in the water and affect crystal weight and durability. The dirt particles make the snowflake heavier  and can cause cracks and breaks in the crystal and make it easier to melt. Snowflake formation is a dynamic process. A snowflake may encounter many different environmental conditions, sometimes melting it, sometimes causing growth, always changing its structure. Key Takeaways: Snowflake Questions Snowflakes are water crystals that fall as precipitation when its cold outside. However, sometimes snow falls when its slightly above the freezing point of water and other times freezing rain falls when the temperature is below freezing.Snowflakes come in a variety of shapes. The shape depends on the temperature.Two snowflakes can look identical to the naked eye, but they will be different on the molecular level.Snow looks white because the flakes scatter light. In dim light, snow appears pale blue, which is the color of a large volume of water. What Are Common Snowflake Shapes? Generally, six-sided hexagonal crystals are shaped in high clouds; needles or flat six-sided crystals are shaped in middle height clouds, and a wide variety of six-sided shapes are formed in low clouds. Colder temperatures produce snowflakes with sharper tips on the sides of the crystals and may lead to branching of the snowflake arms (dendrites). Snowflakes that grow under warmer conditions grow more slowly, resulting in smoother, less intricate shapes. 32-25 ° F - Thin hexagonal plates25-21 ° F - Needles21-14 ° F - Hollow columns14-10 ° F - Sector plates (hexagons with indentations)10-3 ° F - Dendrites (lacy hexagonal shapes) The shape of a snowflake depends on the temperature at which it formed. 221A / Getty Images Why Are Snowflakes Symmetrical (Same on All Sides)? First, not all snowflakes are the same on all sides. Uneven temperatures, presence of dirt, and other factors may cause a snowflake to be lop-sided. Yet it is true that many snowflakes are symmetrical and intricate. This is because a snowflakes shape reflects the internal order of the water molecules. Water molecules in the solid state, such as in ice and snow, form weak bonds (called hydrogen bonds) with one another. These ordered arrangements result in the symmetrical, hexagonal shape of the snowflake. During crystallization, the water molecules align themselves to maximize attractive forces and minimize repulsive forces. Consequently, water molecules arrange themselves in predetermined spaces and in a specific arrangement. Water molecules simply arrange themselves to fit the spaces and maintain symmetry. Is It True that No Two Snowflakes Are Identical? Yes and no. No two snowflakes are exactly identical, down to the precise number of water molecules, spin of electrons, isotope abundance of hydrogen and oxygen, etc. On the other hand, it is possible for two snowflakes to look exactly alike and any given snowflake probably has had a good match at some point in history. Since so many factors affect the structure of a snowflake and since a snowflakes structure is constantly changing in response to environmental conditions, it is improbable that anyone would see two identical snowflakes. If Water and Ice Are Clear, then Why Does Snow Look White? The short answer is that snowflakes have so many light-reflecting surfaces they scatter the light into all of its colors, so snow appears white. The longer answer has to do with the way the human eye perceives color. Even though the light source might not be truly white light (e.g., sunlight, fluorescent, and incandescent all have a particular color), the human brain compensates for a light source. Thus, even though sunlight is yellow and scattered light from snow is yellow, the brain sees snow as white because the whole picture received by the brain has a yellow tint that is automatically subtracted. Sources Bailey, M.; John Hallett, J. (2004). Growth rates and habits of ice crystals between −20 and −70C. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. 61 (5): 514–544. doi:10.1175/1520-0469(2004)0610514:GRAHOI2.0.CO;2 Klesius, M. (2007). The Mystery of Snowflakes. National Geographic. 211 (1): 20. ISSN 0027-9358 Knight, C.; Knight, N. (1973). Snow Crystals. Scientific American, vol. 228, no. 1, pp. 100-107. Smalley, I.J. Symmetry of Snow Crystals. Nature 198, Springer Nature Publishing AG, June 15, 1963.