Marshall Mcluhan Essays - Marshall McLuhan, Media Studies

Marshall Mcluhan Author and social theorist Tom Wolfe once commented on Canadian professor Marshal McLuhans mantra, the medium is the message saying: The new technologiesradically alter the entire way people use their five senses, the way they react to things, and therefore, their entire lives and the entire society. It doesnt matter what the content of a medium like t.v. is 20 hours a day of sadistic cowboys caving in peoples teeth or Pablo Casals droning away on his cello. How is it that violence and the arts are effective in the same manner? Wouldnt the content be the most important factor in analyzing a television program? To understand Marshall McLuhans theories the reader must not be concerned with the symbolic content of what is being said or the cosmetic interpretation of the actual show but rather, look deeper into the whole infrastructure of the medium itself. McLuhan was prone to thinking up clever analogies and plays on words; and describing the content of a medium was no different. He described it as the juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind. We are the content of our media because the way we live life is largely a function of the way we process information. That information is presented and made available by way of a certain medium. In turn, each medium delivers a new message and a new form of human being, whose qualities are suited to it. The same words spoken face to face, printed on paper, or presented on television provide three different messages simply because of the different senses used to perceive it. McLuhan thought primary channels of communication change the way we look at the world around us. The dominant medium of any age governs people and reconnects modes of relationships with the world based on which sensory motor apparatus is being activated. Dominant epochs spring from the phonetic alphabet, printing press, and the telegraph, which were turning points in society because they changed the way people thought about themselves. To understand how and why people are affected by television, one must first become familiar with McLuhans idea of the electronic age. With the advent of television, the power of the printed word is decreased significantly. Books become made-for-t.v. movies and newspapers come alive with twenty-four hour a day headlines. Marshall McLuhan noted this increase in sound and touch and declared that instant communication was a return to prealphabetic oral tradition. The television connected people in a way that created an all at once world where closed human systems are rare. Suddenly everyone could share the same experience of watching images on t.v. at the same time with the same effects. To McLuhan, this meant returning to a single global village where the electronic media re-tribalize the human race. The whole world is becoming like the small town beauty shop where rumors and gossip include foreign ministers and movie stars. We all become busy bodies tracking everyone elses business. As we live, we search for meaning and the process of watching television is no different. However, it is the procedure used to compute this meaning that differs. Watching television has often been seen as a routine, unproblematic, passive process: the meanings of the programs are seen as given and obvious; the viewer is seen as passively receptive and mindless. (Livingstone p.3) This would mean that the television audience does not have to do anything but stare without thinking, and that the pictures we see do not leave any space for interpretation. However, we are a generation that has grown up learning to read television and interpret the conventions of television in order to put a meaning to the images shown. This creates the notion of reading television as natural. Marshal McLuhan also noted this active participation and in turn, labeled the television as a cool medium. A Cool medium is a low-definition display that draws a person in, requiring high participation to fill in the blanks. Although we do not realize all of the many processes required to view a television program, the watcher is in fact highly involved because of the low resolution monitor, mosaic screen, and thusly, greater mental participation. The mosaic of colored dots

Biography of Aviator Amelia Earhart

Biography of Aviator Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and the first person to make a solo flight across both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans.  Earhart also set several height and speed records in an airplane. Despite all these records, Amelia Earhart is perhaps best remembered for her mysterious disappearance, which has become one of the enduring mysteries of the 20th century. While attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world, she disappeared on July 2, 1937, while heading toward Howlands Island. Dates: July 24, 1897 July 2, 1937(?) Also Known As: Amelia Mary Earhart, Lady Lindy Amelia Earhart’s Childhood Amelia Mary Earhart was born in her maternal grandparents’ home in Atchison, Kansas, on July 24, 1897 to Amy and Edwin Earhart. Although Edwin was a lawyer, he never earned the approval of Amy’s parents, Judge Alfred Otis and his wife, Amelia. In 1899, two-and-a-half years after Amelia’s birth, Edwin and Amy welcomed another daughter, Grace Muriel. Amelia Earhart spent much of her early childhood living with her Otis grandparents in Atchison during the school months and then spending her summers with her parents. Earhart’s early life was filled with outdoor adventures combined with the etiquette lessons expected of upper-middle-class girls of her day. Amelia (known as â€Å"Millie† in her youth) and her sister Grace Muriel (known as â€Å"Pidge†) loved to play together, especially outdoors. After visiting the World’s Fair in St. Louis in 1904, Amelia decided she wanted to build her own mini roller coaster in her backyard. Enlisting Pidge to help, the two built a homemade roller coaster on the roof of the tool shed, using planks, a wooden box, and lard for grease. Amelia took the first ride, which ended with a crash and some bruises – but she loved it. By 1908, Edwin Earhart had closed his private law firm and was working as a lawyer for a railroad in Des Moines, Iowa; thus, it was time for Amelia to move back in with her parents. That same year, her parents took her to the Iowa State Fair where 10-year-old Amelia saw an airplane for the very first time. Surprisingly, it didn’t interest her. Problems at Home At first, life in Des Moines seemed to be going well for the Earhart family; however, it soon became obvious that Edwin had started to drink heavily. When his alcoholism got worse, Edwin eventually lost his job in Iowa and had trouble finding another. In 1915, with the promise of a job with the Great Northern Railway in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Earhart family packed up and moved. However, the job fell through once they got there. Tired of her husband’s alcoholism and the family’s increasing money troubles, Amy Earhart moved herself and her daughters to Chicago, leaving their father behind in Minnesota. Edwin and Amy eventually divorced in 1924. Due to her family’s frequent moves, Amelia Earhart switched high schools six times, making it hard for her to make or keep friends during her teen years. She did well in her classes  but preferred sports. She graduated from Chicago’s Hyde Park High School in 1916 and is listed in the school’s yearbook as â€Å"the girl in brown who walks alone.† Later in life, however, she was known for her friendly and outgoing nature. After high school, Earhart went to the Ogontz School in Philadelphia, but she soon dropped out to become a nurse for returning World War I soldiers and for victims of the influenza epidemic of 1918. First Flights It wasn’t until 1920, when Earhart was 23 years old, that she developed an interest in airplanes. While visiting her father in California she attended an air show and the stunt-flying feats she watched convinced her that she had to try flying for herself. Earhart took her first flying lesson on January 3, 1921. According to her instructors, Earhart wasn’t a â€Å"natural† at piloting an airplane; instead, she made up for a lack of talent with plenty of hard work and passion. Earhart received her â€Å"Aviator Pilot† certification from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale on May 16, 1921 a major step for any pilot at the time. Since her parents could not afford to pay for her lessons, Earhart worked several jobs to raise the money herself. She also saved up the money to buy her own airplane, a small Kinner Airster she called the Canary. In the Canary, she broke the women’s altitude record on October 22, 1922, by becoming the first woman to reach 14,000 feet in an airplane. The First Woman to Fly Over the Atlantic In 1927, aviator Charles Lindbergh made history by becoming the first person to fly non-stop across the Atlantic, from the U.S. to England. A year later, Amelia Earhart was asked to make a non-stop flight across the same ocean. She had been discovered by publisher George Putnam, who had been asked to look for a female pilot to complete this feat. Since this was not to be a solo flight, Earhart joined a crew of two other aviators, both men. On June 17, 1928, the journey began when the Friendship, a Fokker F7 specially outfitted for the trip, took off from Newfoundland bound for England. Ice and fog made the trip difficult and Earhart spent much of the flight scribbling notes in a journal while her co-pilots, Bill Stultz and Louis Gordon, handled the plane. 20 Hours and 40 Minutes in the Air On June 18, 1928, after 20 hours and 40 minutes in the air, the Friendship landed in South Wales. Although Earhart said she did not contribute any more to the flight than â€Å"a sack of potatoes† would have, the press saw her accomplishment differently. They started calling Earhart â€Å"Lady Lindy,† after Charles Lindbergh. Shortly after this trip, Earhart published a book about her experiences, titled 20 Hours 40 Minutes. Before long Amelia Earhart was looking for new records to break in her own airplane. A few months after publishing 20 Hours 40 Minutes, she flew solo across the United States and back the first time a female pilot had made the journey alone. In 1929, she founded and participated in the Woman’s Air Derby, an airplane race from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio with a substantial cash prize. Flying a more powerful Lockheed Vega, Earhart finished third, behind noted pilots Louise Thaden and Gladys O’Donnell. On February 7, 1931, Earhart married George Putnam. She also banded together with other female aviators to start a professional international organization for female pilots. Earhart was the first president. The Ninety-Niners, named because it originally had 99 members, still represents and supports female pilots today. Earhart published a second book about her accomplishments, The Fun of It, in 1932. Solo Across the Ocean Having won multiple competitions, flown in air shows, and set new altitude records, Earhart began looking for a bigger challenge. In 1932, she decided to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. On May 20, 1932, she took off again from Newfoundland, piloting a small Lockheed Vega. It was a dangerous trip: clouds and fog made it difficult to navigate, her plane’s wings became covered with ice, and the plane developed a fuel leak about two-thirds of the way across the ocean. Worse, the altimeter stopped working, so Earhart had no idea how far above the ocean’s surface her plane was a situation that nearly resulted in her crashing into the Atlantic Ocean. Touched Down in a Sheep Pasture in Ireland In serious danger, Earhart abandoned her plans to land at Southampton, England, and made for the first bit of land she saw. She touched down in a sheep pasture in Ireland on May 21, 1932, becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first-ever person to fly across the Atlantic twice. The solo Atlantic crossing was followed by more book deals, meetings with heads of state, and a lecture tour, as well as more flying competitions. In 1935, Earhart also made a solo flight from Hawaii to Oakland, California, becoming the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. This trip also made Earhart the first person to fly solo across both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Her Last Flight Not long after making her Pacific flight in 1935, Amelia Earhart decided she wanted to try flying around the entire world. A U.S. Army Air Force crew had made the trip in 1924 and male aviator Wiley Post flew around the world by himself in 1931 and 1933. Two New Goals But Earhart had two new goals. First, she wanted to be the first woman to fly solo around the world. Second, she wanted to fly around the world at or near the equator, the planet’s widest point: the previous flights had both circled the world much closer to the North Pole, where the distance was shortest. Planning and preparation for the trip were difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Her plane, a Lockheed Electra, had to be completely re-fitted with additional fuel tanks, survival gear, scientific instruments, and a state-of-the-art radio. A 1936 test flight ended in a crash that destroyed the plane’s landing gear. Several months passed while the plane was fixed. The Most Difficult Point in the Trip Meanwhile, Earhart and her navigator, Frank Noonan, plotted their course around the world. The most difficult point in the trip would be the flight from Papua New Guinea to Hawaii because it required a fuel stop at Howland’s Island, a small coral island about 1,700 miles west of Hawaii. Aviation maps were poor at the time and the island would be difficult to find from the air. However, the stop at Howland’s Island was unavoidable because the plane could only carry about half the fuel needed to fly from Papua New Guinea to Hawaii, making a fuel stop essential if Earhart and Noonan were to make it across the South Pacific. As difficult as it might be to find, Howland’s Island seemed like the best choice for a stop since it is positioned approximately halfway between Papua New Guinea and Hawaii. Once their course had been plotted and their plane readied, it was time for the final details. It was during this last minute preparation that Earhart decided not to take the full-sized radio antenna that Lockheed recommended, instead opting for a smaller antenna. The new antenna was lighter, but it also could not transmit or receive signals as well, especially in bad weather. The First Leg of Their Trip On May 21, 1937, Amelia Earhart and Frank Noonan took off from Oakland, California, on the first leg of their trip. The plane landed first in Puerto Rico and then in several other locations in the Caribbean before heading to Senegal. They crossed Africa, stopping several times for fuel and supplies, then went on to Eritrea, India, Burma, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. There, Earhart and Noonan prepared for the toughest stretch of the trip the landing at Howland’s Island. Since every pound in the plane meant more fuel used, Earhart removed every non-essential item even the parachutes. The plane was checked and re-checked by mechanics to ensure it was in top condition. However, Earhart and Noonan had been flying for over a month straight by this time and both were tired. Left Papua New Guinea Heading Toward Howland’s Island On July 2, 1937, Earhart’s plane left Papua New Guinea heading toward Howland’s Island. For the first seven hours, Earhart and Noonan stayed in radio contact with the airstrip in Papua New Guinea. After that, they made intermittent radio contact with the U.S.S. Itsaca, a Coast Guard ship patrolling the waters below. However, the reception was poor and messages between the plane and the Itsaca were frequently lost or garbled. The Plane Did Not Appear Two hours after Earhart’s scheduled arrival at Howland’s Island, at about 10:30 a.m. local time on July 2, 1937, the Itsaca received a last static-filled message that indicated Earhart and Noonan could not see the ship or the island and they were almost out of fuel. The crew of the Itsaca tried to signal the ship’s location by sending up black smoke, but the plane did not appear. Neither the plane, Earhart, nor Noonan were ever seen or heard from again. The Mystery Continues The mystery of what happened to Earhart, Noonan, and the plane has not yet been solved. In 1999, British archaeologists claimed to have found artifacts on a small island in the South Pacific that contained Earhart’s DNA, but the evidence is not conclusive. Near the plane’s last known location, the ocean reaches depths of 16,000 feet, well below the range of today’s deep-sea diving equipment. If the plane sank into those depths, it may never be recovered.

Renewable Energy Project Financial Plan Coursework

Renewable Energy Project Financial Plan - Coursework Example Duke Energy alongside the plan will be depended on a current purchase by Duke Energy (DUK) within the solar energy. The goal is to debate on the project’s decision and cost evaluation process. This plan will entail project cost of capital, cash flows, cash flow statement, approximation of capital in every hazard classification, risk class of assets, exhaustive financial features of the enterprise, as well as the validation debate of whether the project must be undertaken. Black Mountain Solar Project Duke Energy currently bought an Arizona solar farm investment from Solon Corporation. The Black Mountain Solar Project is a 10-Megawatt (MW) 40,000 solar panel renewable energy farm located in Mohave County, Arizona. Project Cash Flow The ensuing spreadsheet indicates the cash flows, net present value (NPV), as well as the internal rate of return (IRR) for the Solar Farm Project that Duke Energy is interested in purchasing. Calculations for the Project Cash Flow Period Cash Flows NPV $35,366.48 Dec-08 453,000.00 Dec-09 556,000.00 Dec-10 128,000.00 Dec-11 440,000.00 Dec-12 550,000.00 Dec-13 740,000.00 NPV at 15% rate for a period of five years is $ 35,366.48 Cost of Project Capital The phrase cost of project capital is usually misunderstood. For instance, it is not the company’s past cost of finances like a coupon settlement of present stocks. The essential cost is a chance cost. This refers to the rate by which investors may offer funds for the capital budget project under concern now† Emery, Finnerty, & Stowe, 2007). Cost of capital: = %debt*After Tax Cost Of Debt + %equity*Required Return On Equity After Tax Cost Of Debt = (1-TaxRate)*Required Return On Debt Required Return On Equity = Risk Free Rate + Beta*(Return On Market – Risk Free Rate) = (313.38 + 0.16)/ 21.56 = 14.72 = 15%. Project Cost Flow Project cash flow PVIF@ 15% P.V Year 1 2 3 4 5 556000 128000 440000 550,000 740,000 0.8696 0.7561 0.6575 0.5485 0.4360 483497 96781 289300 364825 480395 Less initial capital 372000 +NPV 1342798 IRR using 15% Years Cash flow PVIF@ 15% P.V 1 2 3 4 5 556000 128000 440000 550000 740000 0.8696 0.7561 0.6575 0.5485 0.4360 483497 96781 289300 364825 480395 1714998 Using 10% Years Cash flow PVIF@ 15% P.V 1 2 3 4 5 556000 128000 440000 550000 740000 0.8696 0.7561 0.6575 0.5485 0.4360 505459.6 105779.2 330572 402657.9 512475.6 1856944.3 Therefore IRR = x[Z/-c = w – r/x – 7] + r = z = w – r + r x - c x -7 = z = 15% - 10% + 10% 569810.8 72232.8 72232.8 z = 2849054 z = 2849054 72232.8 = 39.44 + 10% IRR = 49.44 Cash Flow Statement Years Ended December (In millions) 2011 CASH FLOWS OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net Income $ 2,235 Changes to settle net income to net cash offered by functioning activities Depreciation and amortization (including amortization of nuclear fuel) 2,026 Equity component of AFUDC (260) Gains on sales of other assets (19) Impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets 335 Deferred income taxes 602 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates (160) Contributions to qualified pension plans (200) Accrued pension and other post-retirement benefit costs 104 (Increase) decrease in Net realized and unrealized mark-to-market and hedging transactions (48) Receivables 2 Inventory (247) Other current assets 185 Increase (decrease) in Accounts payable 41 Taxes accrued 27 Other current liabilities (254) Other assets 12 Other liabilities (188) Net cash provided by operating

Michigan History2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Michigan History2 - Research Paper Example The area was also important to the French because it acted as a link between the Great lakes in the West and the Illinois County in the South. The area grew to become a military town, housing the French military. The inhabitants of this town would have looked forward to having one of the greatest commercial centers and a Military Fort. In the late 17th Century, the French were abandoning their forts in America. Viewing this as an invitation to the British to occupy the evacuated Forts, Cadillac requested the French government to allow him to build a new settlement in the Northern part of America. He chose to settle in the area near Lake Huron, then known as Le Detroit. He chose this area because of its fertile land, its hospitable climate, and its strategic location near the river. He brought Farmers, traders, soldiers, artisans and Native Americans from Montreal to settle in the place which later became known as Detroit. The final resting place of this famous Jesuit priest who helped convert Indians to Catholicism has been a subject of controversy over the years. He died on 18th may, 1675, aged 38 after enduring a fight with Tuberculosis. In 1972, bones believed by many scholars to be his were excavated at St. Ignace. These bones might have been brought by Indians. Other places associated with his final resting place include Ludington and

Peer Editing for Essay Writing

Peer Editing for Essay Writing The aim of this study was to find out whether the use through Wikispaces helps to correct errors made in essay writing by Form Four students of a Smart School in Kinta district, Perak. This final chapter provides a summary of this research study. It is divided into four parts: conclusions, implications, limitations and recommendations for both practice and further research based on the findings discussed in Chapter 4. Conclusions The following conclusions are based on the three research questions of the study. Each question and its associated conclusions will be discussed. Research Question 1- What are the errors that L2 students frequently edit in essay writing? This study has found that grammar is the most frequently edited language aspect in essay writing by the L2 students. Even though, weekly coding sheets and frequency analysis showed different outcomes for DE1 and DE2, Table 4.1 proved that grammar is still considered as the frequently edited language aspect with a total of 307 (37.4%) errors. This is in line with similar findings of several previous studies as mentioned in the literature review (Maros et.al, 2007; Muhari, 2008; Nor Hashimah et. al., 2008; Darus and Subramaniam, 2009; Darus and Khor, 2009; Wee, 2009). The interview transcripts revealed that the students concentrated more on grammar compared to other language aspects since grammar is indisputably an essential element of second language writing (Frodesen Christine, 2003). Furthermore, field notes illustrated that the students in this study seem to learn new knowledge of the five language aspects, and they did not repeat the same mistakes in following essay writing. In fact, the students realization of being critical for other language aspects besides grammar came into an act after gradual practice of peer editing through Wikispaces. Conversely, sentence structure is reported as the hardly used language aspect by the students in the DE1 and DE2. Research Question 2-How does the use of peer editing through Wikispaces help in correcting L2 students writing? The findings of this study suggested that in general peer editing through Wikispaces could help to reduce errors in L2 students writing. The primary findings from the students essays reported that the students were able to correct most of the errors quite well through online collaborative activity. The language errors identified could be used as a guideline for L2 students to equip themselves with the adequate knowledge and skills in writing essays. They would be benefited the most if they were able to comprehend the conventions and features of this specific context. However, as for the unidentified errors by students, the teacher plays the critical role in emphasizing them in the classroom. The teacher should clearly explain the rules and give a lot of examples as well as provide ample of opportunity to the students to use, produce and practice on their own. This can be done by getting them involved in various immersion activities in class and outside the classroom. It will eventually help the learners to be more aware of the particular language aspects in their essays. Besides that, there were also tendencies for students to correct errors wrongly when editing others work. This situation could be overcome through consistent practice of peer editing. Both questionnaire and feedback forms revealed more positive impressions of the students towards the usefulness of peer editing through Wikispaces in correcting L2 students writing. Additionally, several characteristics and strengths of Wikispaces also supported the peer editing activity. In short, peer editing through Wikispaces is seen as a valuable learning process which can foster independent learning. Research Question 3-How do L2 students respond to the feedback provided by their peers through Wikispaces? Based on the analysis of interview transcripts, it can be concluded that majority of the students showed mixed responses when receiving and giving comments on Wikispaces. But overall, the students were satisfied with the kind of comments given by their group members due to several good reasons: comments given were useful, helped them to increase knowledge, correct mistakes in essays. Apart from that, a number of usefulness of the comments and benefits from peer editing and giving comments to others were also pointed out with reference to the selected descriptions taken from the interview transcripts. In a nutshell, the findings have led the researcher to conclude that the use of peer editing through Wikispaces is an effective alternative way in correcting errors in students essay writing. Implications The implications of this study can be best explained by three aspects, namely (i) pedagogy, (ii) social, and (iii) technology. These are elaborated in the paragraphs below. Pedagogical Implications Students The use of peer editing through Wikispaces has the potential to uphold various pedagogical approaches such as case based learning, collaborative pedagogy strategy-knowledge co-construction activities.Students This technique which serves as an accessible alternative way of error correction also supports the designed learning activities that are to perform in any group dynamics. Hence, this allows the students to share, negotiate and co-construct information on error correction in their writing. The peers can even provide suggestions and advices through discussion tab. In other words, the platform itself is considered as an appropriate space for students whereby they can take ownership of their own pages in groups. Nevertheless, peer editing through Wikispaces helps to promote learning in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). At this point, students enjoy working in groups. They learn more by working in groups rather than they work by themselves. Through the correspondence and collaboration among the group members, the students do stand a chance to discover and learn about the grammatical rules from their peers. Both correct and incorrect versions act as a guide to the students on what is right and what is wrong. In the initial stage, they may make miscategorise the errors, but it will be better after consistent practice. Teachers The students English proficiency is different in a class, which can be perceived through various errors students have made in their essays. In an ESL teaching context where the classroom population is becoming larger and larger, its a good channel for a teacher to know his or her students learning through the errors or mistakes they make. So teachers should make record of these errors and analyze them to find the possible causes of them, and then decide on the proper way to enable students to learn from the errors. In this study, one can see that its common for students to make the so-called mistakes, and that through peer editing activity such mistakes can be corrected generally, which can not only improve the students language proficiency, but also promote their sense of perfecting the language in writing. The teacher plays the role of moderator and facilitator. Wikispaces features enable the teacher to track and monitor students development process (history logs). It helps to keep systematic records of daily reflections, announcements, due dates and attendance. Text-editor: Teacher posting of instructions and other resources (multiple modes) by teachers a platform for students to rationalize and explain their actions (decisions) in the course of their activities Comment feature-allows the teacher to provide feedback when necessary: errors wrongly corrected and errors which are not identified. In addition, it also promotes collaborative learning. Social Implications Peer editing through Wikispaces supports a variety of interactions and their dynamics: peer-peer, student-teacher. Students can publish their thoughts and obtain feedback from the others at any time. They do not have to depend much on the teacher. Students can turn to others for help when they encounter problems through asynchronous communication: group discussions and personal messages. It is a safe and comfortable learning environment for students to work within. Students are able to draft and modify postings before and after publishing. This will likely give them time to think, amend and improve on the postings suitable to their audiences or for other specific purposes. Additionally, Wikispaces utilities support group work as well as foster group dynamics cohesiveness. Technological Implications The peer editing activity through Wikispaces is a web-based application. Thus, it can be conveniently accessible all time (as long as there is Internet connection). Students could easily learn and use as it does not require any high technical skills to set up the account. Particularly, the text editor toolbar is similar to that of Microsoft Word. This may then serve as an advantage for those students who are computer literate. Limitations of the Study A number of limitations were present in the research. These limitations need to be noted and considered in relation to the research procedures and research findings. Basically, there are three limitations: time constraints, small sample size and limited capacity of doing peer editing on Wikispaces. Firstly, this research was actually scheduled for eight weeks of data collection. But somehow, the data collection procedures which have been planned earlier could not be carried out due to the school holidays. As a result, the researcher has to shorten the duration to five weeks after negotiating with the administrators of the school. In fact, the researcher decided to spend more time then what has been scheduled in order to give the students more guidance and pace to do their peer editing in the computer lab. Although the latter data collection went on well, but still it would have been better if more time with were provided for the research procedures. Secondly, the findings are achieved based on the small sample size, covering only one Smart School located in Kinta district, Perak. There are still many Smart Schools located all over Perak and other states. Besides that, there are also many National schools with similar facilities and criterion participants. Therefore, the researcher suggests carrying out further studies on this topic involving other Smart Schools and National Schools in Malaysia. Thirdly, students were found having some difficulties while doing the peer editing on the same page at one time. It seemed that clashes and overlapping disrupted the students attention while editing. In this situation, it is vital for the teacher to plan the design of the Wikispaces properly at the initial stage as Wikispaces comes with a blank space. The teacher may group up the students but necessarily assign each student with their own page. This solution will definitely reduce the probability of future clashing during the peer editing sessions. Recommendations From the conclusions, the present study proves that the use of peer editing through Wikispaces gives positive implications for the teacher (the researcher) and the students. Therefore, this action which serves as an alternative way in correcting students errors in writing should be implied in secondary schools. However, several recommendations for practice and thereafter for future research are discussed below. Recommendations for Practice As for recommendations, the use of peer editing through Wikispaces should be exposed to teachers in schools. Certainly, there are teachers who are not aware of the benefits of peer editing and giving comments to others in terms of the students essay writing. Furthermore, some are busy with their daily work. They do not have enough time to spend on trying out this kind of technique with their students. Perhaps, as for the start, it is recommended that may be the head panels should be given the training, and later an in-house training can be given to rest of the teachers. Other than that, the use of peer editing through Wikispaces is a suitable learning technique that helps and leads the learners to be independent learners. Nowadays, most the students are no longer the quiet and passive ones in the classroom. Students prefer something new, challenging and suit their interest as well. Teachers impart knowledge to the students. Then, students will themselves discover the knowledge on their own and apply them into other matters. Recommendations for Future Research In the light of the limitations with regard to the findings available to the researcher, it is recommended that further research related to error correction is needed. It would be interesting to find out the A profound study involving each type of would provide further information on the pattern of in a specific context. The information derived from the findings on language errors was insufficient for making any generalization. In terms of the itself, much work needs to be done to uncover some knowledge on the .With all these studies, hopefully all the underlying can be overturned and bring benefits to all. Summary This chapter has presented the conclusions, implications, limitations and recommendations for both practice and further research based on the findings discussed in the previous chapter. The conclusions have shown that the use of peer editing through Wikispaces has a great impact in correcting errors in the L2 students essay writing. This alternative way has proven to be an effective technique and the students involvement in the peer editing was thus enhanced. Students could correct most of the errors quite well through online collaborative activity. Furthermore, most of the findings obtained were fared positively. These outcomes show that the use peer editing through Wikispaces should be employed in teaching and learning of writing. This study has further implied in three aspects: pedagogy, social and technology. Last but not least, limitations of the research were highlighted and recommendations for both practice and future research were suggested.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Forty

Damon was moving fast, and Elena and the others had to almost race to keep up with him as they headed for the library. â€Å"Typical Stefan, sacrificing himself,† he muttered angrily. â€Å"He could have asked for help when he realized something was going on.† He stopped for a second to let the others catch up and glared at them al . â€Å"If Stefan can't handle a few newly made vampires by himself, I'm ashamed of him,† he said. â€Å"Maybe we should just leave him after al . Survival of the fittest.† Elena touched his hand lightly, and, after a moment, Damon hurried on toward the library. She didn't for an instant believe he would leave Stefan a captive. None of them did. The taut, strained lines of his face showed that Damon was entirely focused on the danger his brother was in, their rivalry temporarily forgotten. â€Å"It's not just a few vampires,† Matt said. â€Å"There are about twenty-five of them. I'm sorry, you guys, I've been a moron.† He swung the stave Meredith had given him – Samantha's stave – determinedly in one hand. â€Å"It's not your fault,† Bonnie said. â€Å"You couldn't have known your frat – or whatever – was evil, could you?† If anyone had spotted them as they crossed the campus, Elena was sure they would have been an alarming sight: she and Bonnie were clutching the large, sharp hunting knives Meredith had given them only half concealed under their jackets. Matt was holding the stave, and Meredith had her own stave in one hand. But it was past midnight, and the path they were fol owing was deserted. Only Damon wasn't carrying a weapon, and he clearly was a weapon. His human fa?ade seemed to have lifted, and his angry expression could have been carved out of stone, except for the glimpse of sharp white teeth between his lips and the seemingly bottomless darkness of his eyes. When they reached the closed library, Damon didn't pause, forcing its metal doors open with the grinding sound of splitting metal. Elena glanced around nervously. The last thing they needed was campus security showing up. But the paths near the library were dark and empty. They al fol owed Damon down to the basement and into the hal ways of administrative offices. Final y, he stopped outside the door marked Research Office where he and Elena had once met Matt. â€Å"This is the entrance?† he asked Matt and, at his nod, efficiently broke the lock on the door. â€Å"You're al staying up here. Just Meredith and I are going down.† He looked at Meredith. â€Å"Want to kil some vampires, hunter? Let's fulfil your destiny, shal we?† Meredith slashed her stave in the air, and a slow smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. â€Å"I'm ready,† she said at last. â€Å"I'm coming, too,† Elena said, keeping her voice steady. â€Å"I'm not waiting up here while Stefan's in danger.† Damon drew a breath, and she thought he was going to argue with her, but instead he sighed. â€Å"Al right, princess,† he said, his voice gentler than it had been since Matt told them what had happened to Stefan. â€Å"But you do what I – or Meredith – tel you.† â€Å"I'm not waiting up here,† Matt said stubbornly. â€Å"This is my fault.† Damon turned on him, his mouth twisting into a sneer. â€Å"Yes, it is your fault. And you told us Ethan can control you. I don't want to get your knife in my back while we're fighting your enemies.† Matt dropped his head, defeated. â€Å"Okay,† he said. â€Å"Go down two flights of stairs, and you'l see the doors to the room they're in.† Damon nodded sharply and pul ed up the trapdoor. Meredith fol owed him down the stairs, but Matt caught Elena's arm as she headed after them. â€Å"Please,† he said quickly. â€Å"If any of the pledges stil seem rational, even if they're vampires, try to get them out. Maybe we can help them. My friend Chloe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In the grim lines of his face, his pale blue eyes were frightened. â€Å"I'l try,† Elena said, and squeezed his hand. She exchanged a glance with Bonnie, then fol owed Meredith through the trapdoor. When they reached the entrance to the Vitale Society's chamber, Meredith and Damon pressed their backs against the elaborately carved wooden doors. Watching, Elena could see a similarity for the first time between them. Now that they were facing a battle, Meredith and Damon were both wearing eager smiles. One †¦ two †¦ came Damon's silent count †¦ three. They pushed together. The double doors flew inward, and the chains that had held them closed went flying. Damon stalked in, stil smiling a vicious gleaming smile, Meredith erect and alert behind him, her stave poised. Dark figures rushed at them, but Elena was looking past them, searching for Stefan. Then her eyes found him, and al the breath rushed out of her. He was hurt. Tied firmly to a chair, he raised a pale face to greet her, his leaf-green eyes agonized. From his arm, dark red blood dripped steadily, pooling on the floor beneath his chair. Elena went a little mad. Charging across the room toward Stefan, she was only half aware of one of the hooded figures leaping at her, and of Damon catching it in midstride, casual y snapping its neck and letting the body fal to the floor. Absently, she registered the smack of wood against flesh as Meredith caught another attacker with her stave so that it fel in convulsions as the concentrated essence of vervain from the stave's spikes hit its bloodstream. And then she was crouching next to Stefan, and, for a moment at least, nothing else mattered. He was shaking slightly, just the faintest tremors, and she stroked his hand, careful of the wound on his forearm. Raised red ridges ran around his wrists below the rope, spots of blood on their surface. â€Å"Vervain on the ropes,† he muttered. â€Å"I'm okay, just hurry.† And then, â€Å"Elena?† Below the pain in his voice, a dawning note of joy. She hoped he could read al the love she felt in her eyes as she met his gaze. â€Å"I'm here, Stefan. I'm so sorry.† She took out the knife Meredith had given her and began to saw at the ropes that held him, careful not to cut him, trying not to pul the ropes any tighter. He winced in pain, and then the ropes around his wrists snapped. â€Å"Your poor arm,† she said, and felt in her pockets for something to staunch the blood, final y just pul ing off her jacket and holding it against the cut. Stefan took the jacket from her. â€Å"You'l have to cut through the rest of the ropes, too,† he said, his voice strained. â€Å"I can't touch them because of the vervain.† She nodded and went to work on the ropes holding his legs. â€Å"I love you,† she told him, concentrating on her work, not looking up. â€Å"I love you so much. I hurt you, and I never wanted to. Never, Stefan. Please believe me.† She finished cutting through the ropes around his knee s and ankles and chanced a glance up at Stefan's face. Tears, she realized, were running down her own face, and she wiped them away. The thud of another body hitting the floor and a screech of rage came from behind them. But Stefan's eyes held hers unwaveringly. â€Å"Elena, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he sighed. â€Å"I love you more than anything in the world,† he said simply. â€Å"You know that. No conditions.† She took a long, shuddering breath and wiped the tears away again. She had to be able to see, had to keep her hands from shaking. The ropes around his torso were looped and twisted together. She pul ed at them, finding where there was enough give to start cutting, and Stefan hissed in pain. â€Å"Sorry, sorry,† she said hurriedly, and began to slice through the rope as rapidly as she dared. â€Å"Stefan,† she began again, â€Å"the kiss with Damon – Well, I can't lie and say I don't feel anything for him – but the kiss wasn't anything I'd planned on. I didn't even mean to be with him that night, it just happened. And when you saw us, that kiss, he'd just saved my life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She was stumbling over her words now, and she let them trail off. â€Å"I don't have any real excuses, Stefan,† she said flatly. â€Å"I just want you to forgive me. I don't think I can live without you.† The last of the ropes parted, and she eased them from around him before she looked up, frightened and hopeful. Stefan was gazing at her, his sculpted lips turning up in a half smile. â€Å"Elena,† he said and pul ed her to him in a brief, tender kiss. Then he pushed her to the wal . â€Å"Stay out of this, please,† he said, and limped toward the fight, stil weak from the vervain, but reaching to pul a vampire away from Meredith and sinking his own fangs into its neck. Not that she needed his help. Meredith was amazing. When had she gotten so good? Elena had seen her fight before, of course, and she'd been strong and quick, but now the tal girl was as graceful as a dancer and as deadly as an assassin. She was fighting three vampires, who circled her angrily. Spinning and kicking, moving almost as fast as the monsters she was fighting, despite the fact that their speed was supernatural, she knocked one off his feet, sending him flying, and, in a smooth fol ow-up blow, bashed another in the face, leaving the vampire staggering backward with his hands up, half blinded. There were bodies littered across the floor, evidence of Meredith's skil and Damon's vicious rage. As Elena watched, Stefan tossed down the drained body of the vampire he had been fighting and looked around. Only Ethan and the three vampires surrounding Meredith remained on their feet. Damon had Ethan on the run, backing nervously away as Damon stalked toward him, peppering him with sharp open-handed blows. â€Å"†¦ my brother,† she heard Damon muttering. â€Å"Insolent pup. You think you know anything, child, you think you want power?† With a sudden, violent movement, he grabbed Ethan's arm and jerked. Elena could hear the bone snap. Stefan passed Elena, heading toward Meredith again, and paused for a moment. â€Å"Ethan was laying a trap for Damon,† he told her dryly. â€Å"I don't know why I was worried. Clearly, he didn't know what he was trying to catch.† Elena nodded again, suppressing a grin. The idea of any brand-new vampire getting the better of Damon, with al his experience and cunning, seemed ridiculous. Then the tide of the battle suddenly turned. One of the vampires Meredith was fighting dodged her blow and, half bent over, flung itself at her, knocking the slender girl into the air. There was an endless moment where Meredith looked like she was flying, arms akimbo, and then she slammed headfirst into the heavy altarlike table at the front of the room. The table wobbled and fel over with a heavy thud. Meredith lay stil , her eyes closed, unconscious. Elena ran to her and knelt down, cradling her head in her lap. The three vampires Meredith had been fighting were worse for the wear. One had blood steadily streaming down his face, another was limping, and the last was doubled over as if something had been injured inside her, but they could stil move fast. In an instant, they had surrounded Stefan. As Damon growled and turned, shifting his stance to help his brother, Ethan saw his chance and launched himself at Damon. Faster than Elena's eye could fol ow, his teeth were gouging at Damon's throat, bright spurts of blood flying up. He had a knife in one hand and was trying to cut at Damon at the same time as he bit. With a cry of pain and shock, Damon clawed at Ethan, trying to fling him away. Elena picked up her knife again and rushed toward them. But two of the remaining vampires were on Damon in a split second, pul ing his arms back. One caught Damon's midnight dark hair in his hand, yanking the older vampire's head back to expose his throat more ful y to Ethan's teeth. Off balance, Damon staggered backward and for a moment caught Elena's eye, his face soft with dismay. Terrified, Elena grabbed at the back of one of the vampires, and it threw her to the floor without even looking at her. Stefan, meanwhile, was caught in a struggle with another vampire, desperate to get to his brother. Damon was a better and a more experienced warrior than any of the vampires attacking him. But if they pushed their momentary advantage, used their superior numbers, they might bring him down before he could recover. She clutched her knife tighter and jumped to her feet again, knowing in her heart that she'd be too late to save him but that she needed to try. A snarling blur shot past her, and Stefan, free of his adversary, slammed into Ethan, throwing him across the room, sending his knife flying. Without pausing, he ripped one of the other vampires from Damon's arm and snapped his neck. By the time the body hit the floor, Damon had neatly dispatched the other one. The brothers, both panting, exchanged a long look that seemed to carry a lot of unspoken communication. Damon wiped a smear of crimson blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. Suddenly an arm was around Elena's throat, and the knife was wrenched out of her hand. She was being dragged upward. Something sharp was poking her in the tender hol ow at the bottom of her neck. â€Å"I can kil her before you could even get over here,† Ethan's voice said, too loud by her ear. Elena flailed an arm backward, trying to grab at his hair or face, and he kicked viciously at her legs, knocking her off-balance, and pul ed her closer. â€Å"I could snap her neck with one arm. I could stab her with her own knife and let her bleed out. It would be fun.† He was holding her knife, Elena realized, pressed against her throat. His other arm hung loose, and curiously bent. Damon had broken it, Elena remembered. Stefan and Damon froze and then very slowly turned toward Elena and Ethan, both their faces shuttered and wary. Then Damon's broke into a rictus of rage. â€Å"Let her go,† he snarled. â€Å"We'd kil you the second she hit the ground.† Ethan laughed, a remarkably genuine laugh for someone in a life-or-death standoff. â€Å"She'l stil be dead, though, so I think it might be worth it. You're not planning to let me leave here anyway, are you?† He turned to Stefan, his voice mocking. â€Å"You know, I heard all about the Salvatore brothers from some of Klaus's other descendants. They said you were aristocratic and beautiful and terribly hot tempered. That Stefan was moral, and that Damon was remorseless. But they also said that you were both fools for love, always for love. It's your fatal flaw. So, yeah, I think my chances are a lot better when I've got your girlfriend in my power. Whose girlfriend is she, actual y? I can't tel .† Elena flinched. â€Å"Wait a second, Ethan.† Stefan held out his hands placatingly. â€Å"Hold on. If you agree not to bring back Klaus and let Elena go safely, we'l give you whatever you want. Get out of town, and we won't come after you. You'l be safe. If you know about us, you know we'l keep our word.† Behind him, Damon nodded reluctantly, his eyes on Elena's face. Ethan laughed again. â€Å"I don't think you have anything I want anymore, Stefan,† he said. â€Å"The rest of the Vitale Society, including our newest initiates, wil be coming back soon, and I think they'l tip the scales back in my favor.† He tightened his arm around Elena's throat. â€Å"We've kil ed so many students on this campus. Surely one more won't be missed.† Damon hissed in rage and started forward, but Ethan cal ed out, â€Å"Stop right there, or – â€Å" Suddenly, he jerked, and Elena felt a sharp, stinging pain in her throat. She squeaked in horror and grabbed at her own neck. But it was only a scratch from the knife. As Stefan and Damon stood helpless and furious, Ethan's arm loosened from around her throat. He made a hideous gurgling noise. Elena yanked away as soon as his grip weakened. Blood was running in long thick rivulets from Ethan's torso, and his mouth opened in shock as he clutched at himself and slowly fel forward, a round hole in his chest fil ing with blood. Behind him, Meredith stood, hair flying, her usual y cool gray eyes burning like dark coals in her face. Her stave was coated in Ethan's blood. â€Å"I got him in the heart,† she said, her voice fierce. â€Å"Thank you,† Elena murmured politely. She was feeling†¦ real y †¦ very peculiar, and it wasn't until she was actual y starting to fal that she thought, Oh no, I think I'm going to faint. Blurrily, she saw both Damon and Stefan rushing forward to catch her, and when she came to a moment later, she was held tightly in two pairs of arms. â€Å"I'm okay,† she said. â€Å"It was just †¦ for a second, I was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She felt one pair of arms pul her closer for a moment, and then they released her, shifting her weight over to the other set. When she looked up, Stefan was clutching her tightly to him. Damon stood a few feet away, his face unreadable. â€Å"I knew you'd come to save me,† Stefan said, holding Elena but looking at Damon. Damon's lips twitched into a tiny, reluctant smile. â€Å"Of course I did, you idiot,† he said gruffly. â€Å"I'm your brother.† They looked at each other for a long moment, and then Damon's eyes flicked to Elena, stil in Stefan's arms, and away. â€Å"Let's put out the torches and go,† he said briskly. â€Å"We've stil got about fourteen vampires to find.†

Ideas for Term Papers at a Glance

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