Great Teachers, Bad Students :: essays research papers

Great Teachers, Bad Students "I have a student in my second hour class who is an idiot ." Students probably have never heard their teachers complaining about them in the halls. In contrast, a person could roam Jefferson and hear conversations about how terrible teachers are from every corner of the school. "I got an F- on the final but it's only because Mr. Doe* is a crappy teacher." This a common attitude among students who fair poorly on a test. It is not bad teaching that causes a student to fail a class, it is bad learning. Laziness, foreign substance abuse, and truancy are a few characteristics of a bad learner. The word "lazy" is frequently used to describe high school students who do not turn in their homework, study for tests and are constantly ill prepared for class. One form of laziness is the dreaded disease that only affects seniors, "Senioritis." The symptoms include lack of motivation and falling grades. Yet the seniors who have the most severe case of "Senioritis" are the same ones who complain about poor teaching. Of course all lazy students are not seniors. There are students from every grade level who do not do their homework or study. Effort must be put forth by the student in order for learning and retention to occur. Students who use illegal substances show the characteristics of a poor learner. The abuser may consistently forget homework assignments and do poorly on exams. Recovered drug user Bob* explains, "The pressure from your friends and society to use drugs is sometimes overwhelming. Once I started, everything went downhill, especially my grades." Drugs soon consume the student's life, leaving no time for studying or homework. Truancy is obviously going to produce a poor learner. By not showing up at school there is no possible way he or she can get assignments or take tests. Even skipping only once or twice in a semester can be detrimental. "I skipped one day when we had a pop quiz. My teacher never let me make it up because he said I skipped," said Susie* a junior at Jefferson. The teacher had every right to not let Susie make up the quiz that she missed because she skipped class. This is a classic example of a student who is a bad learner. Every day the teachers show up prepared to teach their classes.

Coco-Cola and Coco Frio

The journey of Coco-Cola and Coco Frio In the poem â€Å"Coca-Cola and Coco Frio† Martin Espada talks about a boy who travels to Puerto Rico searching for something different, that he himself has never had or tasted before, Puerto Rican Culture. The narrator explains that he only knows stories of his family, realization of his identity, and finally connects with his true identity after his first trip. In the poem Espada says â€Å"island of family folklore† witch indicates that stories that he has heard is all he knows of Puerto Rico, the family’s that live there.Espada also says the fat boy wandered, table to table, with mouth open. He was looking for heritage, culture, and identity instead he found what he had in Brooklyn witch was Coco-Cola. In the text he keeps on referring to himself as the fat boy that is on the island, like and out sider that doesn’t fit anywhere. The fat boy sees himself going to every table where he sees a â€Å"great-aunt† giving him a cold glass of Coco-Cola. Witch in his mind he is thinking to his self why Coco-Cola is such a great thing here. Espada makes it clear that the fat boy is lost in his own identity.In the second stanza he still refers to himself as the fat boy when he gets to the roadside stand off the beach. That first sentence he says â€Å"opened his mouth to Coco Frio†. That means he finally opened his mind to a new feeling in his identity, Culture. Once the fat bot tried the Coco-Frio he was no longer the fat bot he was the boy now. As the green shell overhead, drooled coconut milk down his chin. He finally got to know how his family culture is. The last sentence in the second stanza Espada says â€Å"suddenly, Puerto Rico was not Coco-Cola or Brooklyn, and neither was he†.He was explaining how Puerto Rico and Brooklyn weren’t all about Coco-Cola anymore. He finally connects to his culture and he knows his identity. Time went by and the boy thought back of how p eople on the island would drink Coco-Cola and sing songs from WW2. To the boy people in Puerto Rico were losing their culture and they were focusing on the American culture with coco cola. As Espada would state in the third stanza â€Å"while so many coconuts in the trees sagged have with milk, swollen and unsuckled†.The boy was trying to say that as a lot of people focus on coco cola as a new icon in Puerto Rico there losing their true identity and Culture as the boy did before trying the coconut. The experiences that Espada went through when he got to the island other people go through also. Every day people try to find their true identity in their culture making sure people don’t miss important details. The boy finally understands what it means to be a true Puerto Rican, it’s not all about the party’s and fun u can have on the island. Its learning how the island has symbols that people don’t see. Coco-Cola and Coco Frio The journey of Coco-Cola and Coco Frio In the poem â€Å"Coca-Cola and Coco Frio† Martin Espada talks about a boy who travels to Puerto Rico searching for something different, that he himself has never had or tasted before, Puerto Rican Culture. The narrator explains that he only knows stories of his family, realization of his identity, and finally connects with his true identity after his first trip. In the poem Espada says â€Å"island of family folklore† witch indicates that stories that he has heard is all he knows of Puerto Rico, the family’s that live there.Espada also says the fat boy wandered, table to table, with mouth open. He was looking for heritage, culture, and identity instead he found what he had in Brooklyn witch was Coco-Cola. In the text he keeps on referring to himself as the fat boy that is on the island, like and out sider that doesn’t fit anywhere. The fat boy sees himself going to every table where he sees a â€Å"great-aunt† giving him a cold glass of Coco-Cola. Witch in his mind he is thinking to his self why Coco-Cola is such a great thing here. Espada makes it clear that the fat boy is lost in his own identity.In the second stanza he still refers to himself as the fat boy when he gets to the roadside stand off the beach. That first sentence he says â€Å"opened his mouth to Coco Frio†. That means he finally opened his mind to a new feeling in his identity, Culture. Once the fat bot tried the Coco-Frio he was no longer the fat bot he was the boy now. As the green shell overhead, drooled coconut milk down his chin. He finally got to know how his family culture is. The last sentence in the second stanza Espada says â€Å"suddenly, Puerto Rico was not Coco-Cola or Brooklyn, and neither was he†.He was explaining how Puerto Rico and Brooklyn weren’t all about Coco-Cola anymore. He finally connects to his culture and he knows his identity. Time went by and the boy thought back of how p eople on the island would drink Coco-Cola and sing songs from WW2. To the boy people in Puerto Rico were losing their culture and they were focusing on the American culture with coco cola. As Espada would state in the third stanza â€Å"while so many coconuts in the trees sagged have with milk, swollen and unsuckled†.The boy was trying to say that as a lot of people focus on coco cola as a new icon in Puerto Rico there losing their true identity and Culture as the boy did before trying the coconut. The experiences that Espada went through when he got to the island other people go through also. Every day people try to find their true identity in their culture making sure people don’t miss important details. The boy finally understands what it means to be a true Puerto Rican, it’s not all about the party’s and fun u can have on the island. Its learning how the island has symbols that people don’t see.

What Are Carbon Nanotubes

Scientists dont know everything about carbon nanotubes or CNTs for short, but they do know that they are very thin lightweight hollow tubes made up of carbon atoms. A carbon nanotube is like a sheet of graphite that is rolled into a cylinder, with distinctive hexagonal latticework making up the sheet. Carbon nanotubes are extremely small; the diameter of one carbon nanotube is one nanometer, which is one ten-thousandth (1/10,000) the diameter of a human hair. Carbon nanotubes can be produced to varying lengths. Carbon nanotubes are classified according to their structures: single-wall nanotubes (SWNTs), double-wall nanotubes (DWNTs), and multi-wall nanotubes (MWNTs). The different structures have individual properties that make the nanotubes appropriate for different applications. Because of their unique mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties, carbon nanotubes present exciting opportunities for scientific research and industrial and commercial applications. There is much potential for CNTs in the composites industry. How Are Carbon Nanotubes Made? Candle flames form carbon nanotubes naturally. In order to use carbon nanotubes in research and in the development of manufactured goods, however, scientists developed more reliable methods of production. While a number of production methods are in use, chemical vapor deposition, arc discharge, and laser ablation are the three most common methods of producing carbon nanotubes. In chemical vapor deposition, carbon nanotubes are grown from metal nanoparticle seeds sprinkled on a substrate and heated to 700 degrees Celsius (1292 degrees Fahrenheit). Two gases introduced into the process start the formation of the nanotubes. (Because of reactivity between the metals and electric circuitry, zirconium oxide is sometimes used in place of metal for the nanoparticle seeds.) Chemical vapor deposition is the most popular method for commercial production. Arc discharge was the first method used for synthesizing carbon nanotubes. Two carbon rods placed end-to-end are arc vaporized to form the carbon nanotubes. While this is a simple method, the carbon nanotubes must be further separated from the vapor and soot. Laser ablation pairs a pulsing laser and an inert gas at high temperatures. The pulsed laser vaporizes the graphite, forming carbon nanotubes from the vapors. Like with the arc discharge method, the carbon nanotubes have to be further purified. Advantages of Carbon Nanotubes Carbon nanotubes have a number of valuable and unique properties, including: High thermal and electrical conductivityOptical propertiesFlexibilityIncreased StiffnessHigh tensile strength (100 times stronger than steel per unit of weight)LightweightRange of electro-conductivityAbility to be manipulated yet remain strong When applied to products, these properties provide tremendous advantages.  For example, when used in polymers, bulk carbon nanotubes can improve the electrical, thermal, and electrical properties of the products. Applications and Uses Today, carbon nanotubes find application in many different products, and researchers continue to explore creative new applications. Current applications include: Bicycle componentsWind turbinesFlat panel displaysScanning probe microscopesSensing devicesMarine paintsSports equipment, such as skis, baseball bats, hockey sticks, archery arrows, and surfboardsElectrical circuitryBatteries with longer lifetimeElectronics Future uses of carbon nanotubes may include: Clothing (stab-proof and bulletproof)Semiconductor materialsSpacecraftSpace elevatorsSolar panelsCancer treatmentTouch screensEnergy storageOpticsRadarBiofuelLCDsSubmicroscopic test tubes While high production costs currently limit commercial applications, the possibilities for new production methods and applications are encouraging. As understanding of carbon nanotubes expands, so will their uses. Because of their unique combination of important properties, carbon nanotubes have the potential for revolutionizing not only daily life but also scientific exploration and healthcare. Possible Health Risks of Carbon Nanotubes CNTs are a very new material with little long term history. Although none have yet fallen ill as a result of nanotubes,  scientists are preaching caution when handling nano particles. Humans have cells that can process out toxic and foreign particles such as smoke particles. However, if a certain foreign particle is either too big or too small, the body might not be able to capture and process out that particle. This was the case with asbestos. The potential health risks are not cause for alarm, however, people handling and working with carbon nanotubes should take the necessary precautions to avoid exposure.