Sunday, November 24, 2019

Climate Change vs. Global Warming

Climate Change vs. Global Warming Global warming and climate change are sciences odd couple - you hardly hear one mentioned without the other. But much like the confusion that surrounds climate science, this pair is often misunderstood and misused. Lets take a look at what each of these two terms really means, and how (even though theyre often used as synonyms) theyre in fact two very different events. The incorrect interpretation of climate change: A change (usually an increase) in our planets air temperatures. Climate Change Is Non-specific The true definition of climate change is just as it sounds, a change in long-term weather trends - be that rising temperatures, cooling temperatures, changes in precipitation, or what have you. By itself, the phrase carries no presumptions about how the climate is changing, only that a change is occurring. Whats more, these changes could be the result of natural external forces (like an increase or decrease in solar sunspot or Milankovitch Cycles); natural internal processes (like volcanic eruptions or changes in ocean circulations); or human-caused or anthropogenic effects (like the burning of fossil fuels). Again, the phrase climate change doesnt specify the reason for the change. The incorrect interpretation of global warming: Warming due to a human-induced increase in greenhouse gas emissions (like carbon dioxiode). Global Warming Is One Type of Climate Change Global warming describes an increase in Earths average temperature over time. It doesnt mean that temperatures will rise by the same amount everywhere. Neither does it mean that everywhere in the world will get warmer (some locations may not). It simply means that when you consider the Earth as a whole, its average temperature is increasing. This increase could be due to natural or unnatural forces such as an increase in greenhouse gases, particularly from the burning of fossil fuels. Accelerated warming can be measured in Earths atmosphere and oceans. Evidence for global warming can be seen in retreating ice caps, dry lakes, increased habitat reduction for animals (think of the now-infamous polar bear on a lone iceberg), global temperature rises, shifts in weather, coral bleaching, sea-level rise and more. Why People Mix Them Up If climate change and global warming are two very different things, why do we use them interchangeably? Well, when we talk about climate change were usually referring to global warming because our planet is currently experiencing climate change in the form of rising temperatures. And as we know from monikers like FLOTUS and Kimye, the media loves blending words together. Its easier to use climate change and global warming as synonyms (even if it is scientifically incorrect!) than it is to say both. Perhaps climate change and global warming will get its own portmanteau in the near future? How does clowarming sound? The Correct Verbiage If you want to be scientifically correct when talking climate topics, you should say that Earths climate is changing in the form of global warming. According to scientists, it is highly likely that both are being driven by unnatural, human-caused reasons.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Think Aloud Learning Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Think Aloud Learning Strategy - Assignment Example The authors state that the Think Aloud method of recognizing cognition is a way of learning the productive thinking process of students, a fact that is confirmed by the research studies that the researchers conducted. The Think Aloud strategy is a process used by effective teachers to demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategy to students. This is done by demonstrating the ease of solving problems that require cognitive thinking to solve the problems. The importance of the Think Aloud process is a way that can be used by teachers to assess how their students respond to hard tasks in the classroom setting. This is because the process gives teachers the opportunity to learn the weaknesses of their students in problem solving situations, therefore, helping in the identification of effective solutions. The process also teaches students the importance of internal dialogue in problem identification and solution, a fact that leads to the effective development of reading skills. The Think Aloud process allows students to develop into reflective and independent learners, therefore, leading to effective achievement of learning tasks. This factor is beneficial because it allows the student to approach problems with the proper mindset for effective solutions. ... Therefore, the teacher monitoring the students is able to identify weak spots in the reading strategy employed by the student, and propose effective solutions to the problems. The Think Aloud strategy is also used in problem solution, where the student refers to the steps already completed in the solution process, and identifies errors or difficulties encountered. Therefore, the Think Aloud strategy is used to improve the problem solving capability of the students and improve their learning ability. The other application of the Think Aloud process is to research and data collection. The process of thinking aloud when performing a difficult task is also useful in collecting data related to the cognitive process of a test subject. This means that, a researcher aiming to study the cognitive process can utilize the Think Aloud strategy to identify the cognitive processes involved in the thinking process; therefore, the results can be used to map cognitive processes. According to Johnston e, Bottsford-Miller and Thompson (2006), the Think Aloud process is independent of the interpretive process in the human brain; therefore, the data collected from the process is viable and cannot be manipulated by a student or researcher. Therefore, the Think Aloud process can be identified to be of importance in the solution process of a research study. #3 In the health care industry, the Think Aloud process can also be used to identify solutions to the problems stated above. According to Phaneuf (2009), the nursing industry is currently exposed to changing situations and increasing workloads. The author states that after the change in nursing