Thursday, January 30, 2020
Sustainable energy storage and distribution Essay Example for Free
Sustainable energy storage and distribution Essay Sustainable energy storage and distribution Introduction            Sustainable energy refers to the provision of viable energy development which responds to the present energy demands without compromising the possibility of future generations to meet their energy demands (Robinson Schut, 2014). Some of the technologies which support sustainable energy comprise of the renewable sources of energy like solar energy, hydroelectricity, wind energy, geothermal energy, wave energy, tidal power, bioenergy and various technologies planned to improve the energy efficiency. In the current world, the cost of energy has decreased drastically and continues to decrease due to the continuous use of renewable energy. Most of the modern technologies utilized for sustainable energy are economically competitive (Moseley Garche, 2014). Notably, effective government policies promote the confidence of the investors in sustainable energy while expanding this market. A considerable progress has been made and continues to be pursued in the transition of energy from different fossil fuels into sustainable ecological systems up to a point where different researches support renewable energy. Solutions            As revealed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), hydrogen generated through electrolysis offers the solution to fluctuating renewable energy sources. The hydrogen generated through renewable electrolysis provides the promising solutions in transportation sectors and electric power (Moseley Garche, 2014). As depicted through the study by NREL, renewable electrolysis utilizes electricity generated from renewables to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen. From this process, the hydrogen produced can be used as a medium of energy storage which can store renewable energy until an engine or full cell transforms it to electricity (Robinson Schut, 2014). Additionally, this hydrogen can be combined again with CO2 to generate synthetic gas used in transportation applications and power plants. Moreover, this hydrogen can be generated within the off-peak seasons or during the periods when there is extra renewable energy. Since the h ydrogen is convertible back to electricity at times when there is insufficient renewable power, this assists in the stabilization in utility grid. The excess hydrogen may be used as fuel to run vehicles and other purposes.            Secondly, different nations have embraced various ways of storing energy for future use since the traditional way of using batteries seem to be expensive and not sustainable. Many nations are now using the current energy technology to store energy from renewable resources instead of batteries which can be used for future use. Some of these technologies include pumped hydro storage and flywheels (Moseley Garche, 2014). Flywheels are suitable for low and high power applications since they store energy in motion form through a rotating mass which demand frequent cycling.            In addition, pumped hydro storage of renewable energy is capable for storing energy in water form elevated at a high position. This is achieved through pumping water when the supply of electricity is high and utilizing gravity in the transportation of water down when there is high demand for electricity with low supply. Pumped-storage facilities are very economical because of the differentials in off-peak prices since it offers important services in ancillary grid. The projects initiated using this type of technology has offered energy storage capability and the transmission ancillary grid advantages in Europe and US. Currently, more than 40 projects in pumped-storage are operating in USA providing more than 20GW in the national grid systems (Robinson Schut, 2014). This pumped-storage hydropower provides the solutions in energy balancing, storage capacity, ancillary grid, and stability like the network frequency reserves and control. This is because the plants used in pumped storage can respond to potential changes in electrical load within a few seconds.            Another storage medium which provides the solution to alternating renewable energy sources is the use of compressed air energy storage (CAES). This is similar to the pumped hydro storage through output, storage capacity and application although it utilizes the ambient air instead of water. The use of CAES technology has gained popularity more than pumped hydro because it provides storage in large scale without any geographic restrictions. In the CAES technology, the compressed ambient air is driven into underground caverns or storage tanks. When the need for electricity arises, the air compressed and stored in tanks is expanded to drive motors which eventually generate power (Moseley Garche, 2014). The current advancement in CAES technology has improved its efficiency, the fuel used and storage methods. In addition, CAES possess many advantages compared to other different types of energy storage since the ambient air utilized is free and the technologies and material utilized are abundant and well understood.            Moreover, batteries have been used for long to store energy from many renewable sources. People using the solar energy can use the lead-acid batteries to store energy for future use. Despite the fact that some of these batteries are not durable, the use of rechargeable batteries offers the solutions for power storage in rural areas (Robinson Schut, 2014). The use of lithium-ion batteries have created a recent attention in renewable energy storage since they take longer before recharging and their weight is much less compared to the traditional lead-acid batteries.            Some of the current proposed solutions in the storage of energy include the proposed potential gravity power storage which involves the storage of energy without losses (Moseley Garche, 2014). This project has been in progress since 2013 and experts reveal that if finalized, it will respond to the current problems encountered in sustainable energy solutions. Current policies            The current renewable policies supported by the US government include the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). These two policies were primarily enacted by the US federal government to reduce the demand of the power from fossil fuels like petroleum and coal while decreasing the related carbon emissions. Through these policies, the American nation has reduced the carbon emissions significantly since 2007 up to date. The PTC is an incentive offered by the federal government to offer financial support in the development of renewable energy in America (Robinson Schut, 2014). The companies which produce electricity from geothermal, wind and bioenergy qualify for the federal PTC. These companies are eligible for incentive in the production of renewable energy for ten years since the beginning of their operations.            Together with the state standards in renewable resources, PTC has supported many development projects in wind power. As disclosed by the Department of Energy in USA, these development supported by PTC has resulted in many economic benefits in the production and distribution of electricity. Between 2007 and 2010, the production of wind power in America tripled with an approximate 550 manufacturing companies distributed in 44 states (Robinson Schut, 2014). Consequently, the cost of producing electricity from renewable sources like wind in US has reduced considerably over the last two years.            Moreover, different nations and states have adopted various policies supporting greater investment and other adoption in renewable technologies in renewable energies. Some of these policies include the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) which needs electric utility providers to offer particular percentage. The RPS is a policy which opens the alternatives to increase the production of energy from the renewable sources like biomass, solar, geothermal and wind. In USA, according to the rules of RPS, some companies must generate certain fraction of power from renewable sources of energy which are acknowledged (Moseley Garche, 2014). When these companies produce electricity from the renewable resources, the federal government requires them to supply to other organizations at a certain fee. Despite the fact that the RPS depends majorly on the private sector to produce energy, the federal government offer some financial support in order to incr ease the private investment in renewable use of energy.            Another environmental policy which affects the changes in the storage and transmission of the production of sustainable energy is the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). SEPA assists environmental local agencies to identify any environmental impact that may result from the decisions made by government (Hendrickson, 2012). This act was enacted through the Washington Legislature in the year 1971. Since many projects proposed in the production, storage and storage of renewable resources by the private sector must get approval from the relevant authorizes, SEPA intervenes in the adoption of the proposed solutions in energy storage. Notably, SEPA advises the federal government on any environmental issues that may result in any proposed solutions. Moreover, SEPA also advises the local governments on the construction of different projects proposed in the states, particularly the on renewable energies.            Furthermore, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) enacted in 1970 through the US environmental law offers the procedure or implementation of objectives in the federal agencies. According to the current legislations of NEPA, all the states must provide effective sustainable renewable energy storage facilities that do not affect the future generations. Various states need to regulate the production and regulation of renewable sources of energy (Sukumar, 2014). NEPA assists the private developers in individual states on the objectives formulated to engage in better production of renewable power. NEPA also provides instructions on the impact of different solutions in the production of renewable energy. Since most of the projects in renewable resources are supported by private developers, NEPA offers directions on how to go in different projects. Challenges            Some of the challenges associated with the implementation of the current and previous policies related to the production, storage and transmission of renewable energy include the poor implementation process through poor funding. Many proposals have been formulated to venture in advanced technological production and storage of renewable energy but only a few have been implemented (Hendrickson, 2012). This is because private developers in renewable energy seek funding from the government which takes a lot of time before responding. As depicted through the current report by NEMA, many private developers venturing the renewable energy technologies lack the appropriate muscle to put into practice what they have put into plan (Robinson Schut, 2014). Different nations struggle to attain sustainable energy to meet their demands. However, in these nations, the proposals by different private developers in the associated renewable energies are still pending.            Another challenge is the limited awareness and confidence in the use of renewable technologies. As divulged by NEPA, the public require more information on solar technologies. Better programs are needed to educate builders, designers and other potential users of renewable energy in the industrial, commercial and residential sectors (Hendrickson, 2012). Most consumers lack the basic information in the use of renewable energies like solar and wind. Lack of effective programs to protect the manufacturing and installation of renewable energy has hindered effective implementation of RPS. The governments need to educate their citizens on the current available renewable sources of power that they can purchase and use in their homes. In addition, the change in governments from one reign to another affects the transition in the implementation process aimed at increasing the production of renewable power. This is because, each government that comes into power they want to actualize their manifesto in order to lure support in the next elections. Since 1980, the American private sector has been formulating different approaches to solve the demand for electricity (Hendrickson, 2012). However, lack of transition in the leadership of projects in renewable resources has resulted in many pending projects which are useful in the nation. Therefore, poor transition of leadership from one government to the other has resulted in the delay of many projects which are significant in the improvement of renewable energy production and utilization. NEPA claims that the poor funding process in renewable energy projects is as a result of lack of effective transition from one government to the other.            Furthermore, political influences in many nations affect the implementation process in policies related to renewable energy. Since the policies supporting the production, distribution and utilization of renewable energy must be approved and enacted through parliamentary sittings, some political struggle in terms of personal interest affect their enactment (Sukumar, 2014). Despite the fact that some of these policies affecting renewable energy are beneficial to the entire nation, lack of significant support during the enactment process hinder the significant progress in renewable energy projects. For instance, in America, the political swings from republican government to democratic government affect the approval in projects in renewable sources of energy like nuclear. There is a big struggle in passing of policies in the current government due to political struggle.            The wide spread utilization of renewable energy in USA has also been hindered by the state and federal policies and other market imperfections which subsidize the competing sources of energy (Hendrickson, 2012). Some these policies which affect the implementation of renewable energy projects include the price controls through federal governments in the oil and gas prices. Through these subsidizes, the renewable sources are unable to compete effectively in the market and attain a competitive advantage over other sources of energy due to the cost of production and distribution required (Moseley Garche, 2014). Despite the fact some of the environmental policies support sustainable energy production, the subsidies provided by the federal governments in other sources shy off private investors in this sector. Alternative methods            Through technology, the production and storage of hydrogen has been made easy using the Nano-technology. Some fuels such as gasoline used in renewable energy production lead to carbon footprint and pollution. Experts reveal that hydrogen is a clean source of renewable power when the two problems of easy accessibility and safe storage are solved. A team of scientists in USA have invented the nano-composities from magnesium which are air stable used in the hydrogen storage. The Nano-composites particles are formed through magnesium metal and mixed with other polymers associated with Plexiglas (Moseley Garche, 2014). Notably, the Nano-composite technology form of hydrogen storage is able to absorb and release hydrogen in any conventional temperature without the metal oxidation taking place. As claimed by the DOE of America, the Nano-technology invented recently, is one of the major steps in the storage advancement of hydrogen since it is abl e to overcome the challenges in kinetic and thermodynamic (Sukumar, 2014).            Moreover, the use of technology in different renewable resources has resulted in the invention of better methods in storage and distribution of power. Some of these current technologies include the use of leviathan energy in the wind turbine production, reflective dishes in solar energy, use of cells which are spherical and the utilization of clean energy from algae.            In wind power, new technologies have been developed in the production of energy in areas with low wind and other offshore sections. Experts have developed better designs in blades, mooring systems in ocean and efficient turbines (Hendrickson, 2012). Through these technologies, cheaper wind energy has been produced in different states in America. Most of the American experts reveal that these new technologies will allow better utilization in the existing grid through driving the power grid to minimize transmission impact required to distribute wind power in different cities.            Since the struggle for power in different nations hinders the implementation of different projects in renewable energy, separation of powers would solve the procedures followed in the implementation process (Hendrickson, 2012). Most of the private invented projects in renewable energies are affected by competing political interests in power and therefore, separating the powers involved in the national renewable policies will eventually solve the implementation process.            Furthermore, in order to attract more investment and use of renewable energy, the Energy Commission in America have formulated the solar partnership in new homes which provides incentives to attract people to install solar panels in their new homes. This program encourages new house owners in America to use solar panels due to their efficiency in energy at all times. According to the energy commission in America, the solar partnership in new homes aim at installing more than 400MW of power through solar energy by the end of 2016 (Sukumar, 2014). Through this partnership, people who are building new homes are able to get solar panels at subsided prices which are affordable. Since the solar panels have been built using the current technology, their durability and ability to trap energy from the sun attract more people to buy them.            In other nations like German, the formulation of programs with market incentives like the MAP, aims to lure more people to use renewable sources of power. Through the MAP program, people building new houses are encouraged to obtain a specific share in the amount of energy they consume from renewable energy (Moseley Garche, 2014). Alternatively, those people with old buildings are been provided with financial assistance to renovate their buildings in order to use renewable energy.            Moreover, people with small homes, can apply for large and small solar panels, effective heat pumps and furnaces which are biomass-fired with feed systems which are automatic through the MAP project (Sukumar, 2014). The change in lifestyle from rental houses to personal houses which utilize the modern technologies in the production of renewable energy has also solved the fluctuating power problems in different nations. Many people now prefer to build or buy modern houses through mortgages which have effectively increased the use of renewable energy in homes.            In conclusion, in order to attain sustainable energy in the world, the governments ruling different nations need to understand their roles in supporting of projects in renewable energy. Despite the fact that different private developers have constituted various approaches in tapping and generation of energy, without the financial support required in this project the problem of electricity will continue to increase. Since different government and other non-government policies affect the production and distribution of renewable energy, all the government must evaluate the viability of the projects presented by the private developers in renewable energy. As depicted from this essay, it is evident that through government incentives in the production and purchase of better equipment, there is a recommendable increase in the use of renewable power. References Hendrickson, C. (2012). Sustainable Energy Challenges for Civil Engineering Management. Journal Of Management In Engineering, 28(1), 2-4. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.00000 Moseley, P. T., Garche, J. (2014). Electrochemical Energy Storage for Renewable Sources and Grid Balancing. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Robinson, M., Schut, D. (2014). RAIL AS THE SUSTAINABLE BACKBONE OF THE ENERGY EFFICIENT TRANSPORT CHAIN A WORLD VIEW. OIDA International Journal Of Sustainable Development, 7(4), 19-30. Sukumar, S. (2014). LAW AS A MEDIUM OF CHANGE, TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT USE OF CLEAN ENERGY. OIDA International Journal Of Sustainable Development, 7(3), 45-54. Source document
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Working Women in the Victorian Middle-Class Essay -- Victorian Era
Working Women in the Victorian Middle-Class Charles Dickens’ character Miss Abbey Potterson is â€Å"some sixty and odd†years old, obviously unmarried (Miss), and a business owner (she owns a bar). Despite the fact that Victorian middle-class women were supposed to aspire to idleness, a growing number of women were becoming employed in the 19 th century for a number of reasons. The growing number of â€Å"redundant†(unmarried, like Miss Potterson) and widowed women were rarely in a position to be ladies of leisure (Hudson). Although these women were almost always lower middle-class, they still strived for employment above that of the laboring classes. Evidence of Working Women The census, which began to include occupations in 1841, is the most obvious source (Hudson). However this information is often inaccurate, since the classification of women’s employment was often contradictory and inconsistent. Female work in a family business was sometimes deliberately excluded from the record (Hudson). Trade directories supplement the census information. They suggest that a surprisingly high number of women ran businesses, particularly in millinery and dressmaking, in inn-keeping, provisioning, grocery trades and teaching. Trade directories from the period also reveal examples of women running businesses traditionally associated only with men (like Miss Potterson). This minority indicates the boundaries that were being pushed regarding what was proper and improper for women to do (Hudson). Work Available to Women Female employment in the 1850s, 60s and 70s was the most recorded until after World War II (Hudson). Domestic service of all kinds was the single largest employer of women, textile and clothing occupations were a close secon... ...fied: â€Å"The rampant vice in English society--all men know it, and women too, and both know the others know it--is neither fastness, immodesty, or impropriety of any kind: it is pretence. This it is that makes our society for the most part parvenu society,--burthensome, troublesome, tedious†(Cope). Works Cited Cope, Virginia. The Ladies. Retreived 16 March 2005. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ladies/ladyhome.html â€Å"Employment for Females.†The Ladies. 16 April 1872. pg.35. Retrieved 16 March 2005. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ladies/pressex.html#donkey Hudson, Pat. â€Å"Women’s Work.†BBC History. Published 1 January 2001. Retrieved 15 March 2005. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/society_culture/welfare/womens_work_01.shtml Larsen, Ashley. Victorian Women in the Work Force. Retrieved 16 March 2005. http://jamaica.u.arizona.edu/ic/mcbride/ws200/lars-hold.htm
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Issues in Second Language Learning Essay
People today live in a â€Å"global village†– people correspond with each other from around the globe regularly through the Internet, modern transportation enables a person to travel from Africa to Europe in a matter of hours, products are bought and sold with increasing ease from all over the word, services are provided anytime, anywhere in the world, and real time coverage of major international news events is taken for granted. Thus, it seems that learning second language is a requirement in today’s highly globalised environment. However, second language learning (SLL) is a long and difficult process, and is a big task for anyone. After all, learning a first language is a process that involves much of a young child’s day, and ESL students in universities must work even harder in order to learn and acquire a second language. The learning process can be emotionally difficult for university students to take the step into a new language and culture. Adult learners, perhaps even more than children and adolescents, can be shy and embarrassed around others when trying out beginning language skills. Learners acquire a second language in many different ways. There are many similarities in how a second language is learned, but there are also differences based on individual student characteristics and language background. For example, outgoing students may begin to imitate phrases and expressions very early and try them without worrying about making mistakes. Conversely, other learners may not use their new language for some time. Usually, at the outset, learners may experience cultural shock as they are exposed to a new language, therefore, a whole new culture. This common experience, described as uprooting, is the abrupt transition from a familiar cultural milieu to an alien one. In the beginning of every SLL program, many learners experience a so-called honeymoon period, during which students are enchanted with the alien language without a true understanding of them. As time progresses, it is common for students to become almost hostile toward learning new language. Second language learners often suffer greater rates of anxiety, depression, and psychosomatic complaints. Furthermore, given the stresses SLL students face, a student struggling with language issues may lack the physical, emotional, or financial resources to tend to basic needs. After this stage, the learners are transitioned to so-called improved adjustment. In the last stage, the stage of bilingualism, the learners incorporate the norms of the language and culture that they have acquired and learned into their own lifestyle and their own value set. Cultural Issues Many students of SLL are struggling with learning a new language. These struggles stem above all from linguistic and cultural differences. Often, they experience the â€Å"language shock†phenomenon wherein learners confront anxiety when first entering a community in which they do not speak, or are not proficient in, the dominant language. It is a common occurrence in schools, where, despite their desire to speak the dominant language fluently, students must struggle for months or several years before they understand everything that is being said. This feeling of anxiety is aggravated by the ignorance of others. Consider the following example reported by Li (1999): When a Chinese mother went to pick up her daughter from school, she began to ask her some questions about her day, but in Chinese. The girl became upset with her mother and later explained that her classmates would laugh at her in those situations. Moreover, whenever the teacher in her school inquired as to who had made a particular mistake, one of her classmates would point to her and say, â€Å"The Chinese girl,†when it was usually not so. In addition to the language shock that occurs on entering a new environment, many students experience another kind of struggle. Because of the types of ordeal described above, second language learners have negative associations with speaking their native language. Yet when they go home, that is the language in which their parents communicate. Moreover, their parents insist that they too maintain the use of the native language as a connection to their homeland and heritage. But many second language learners, especially those who immigrated to English-speaking countries, associate proficiency and fluency in English with becoming American and so they want to give up their native language. These learners are caught in a battle: while at home, they are expected by their parents to speak their first language; at school they are pressured to speak the second language. Another important challenge that many second language learners face is understanding the curriculum and pedagogy used in the classroom. Western classrooms are largely Euro-centric and America-centric. Carger (1996) recounts the story of a Mexican American boy, who was a student in a predominantly Latino Catholic middle school in Chicago. While the teachers and administrators never openly stated that they believed their students were inferior, they treated them as if they were. The boy’s homeroom teacher often used a demeaning tone when she spoke to her students. She did not allow them to ask questions, nor did she encourage them to think on their own. Most of her assignments included content to which her students could not relate. For example, one task that the students were asked to complete was to describe the experience of going to the dentist. However, many of the students had never been to a dentist. Pedagogical Issues A major problem confronting learners is the failure of the teachers to appreciate different learning strategies and styles among SLL students. Increased interest in student-centred learning approaches amongst language educators has led to numerous studies investigating individual language learning strategies and their relationship to achievement in learning second/foreign languages. Studies have indicated support for appropriately applied language learning strategies on second/foreign language achievement (e. g. , Griffiths and Parr, 2001). The consensus of the research is that although all learners, regardless of success with language learning, consciously or unconsciously employ a variety of learning strategies; successful language learners engage in more purposeful language learning and use more language-learning strategies than do less successful ones. Overall, findings indicate that both the frequency with which learners apply language learning strategies and the strategies they choose are distinguishing characteristics between more successful and less successful learners. Learning strategies are strategies that contribute to the development of the language system which the learner constructs and which affect learning directly. They are steps taken to facilitate the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information. In addition learning strategies are the special behaviours or thoughts that individuals use to help them learn, comprehend, or retain new information. Furthermore, it can be argued that learning strategies can foster learners’ autonomy in language learning. Strategies can also assist second language learners in promoting their own achievement in language proficiency. Learning strategies, therefore, not only help learners become efficient in learning and using a language, but also contribute to increasing learners’ self-directed learning. Whether as a result of heredity, educational background, situational requirements, age, or other factors, Sudanese learners of the English language understand and process information differently. While one individual prefers a particular learning style over another, such a preference reflects a personal inclination for how to learn in a particular situation. As personalities change, so too may their learning style preferences after exposure to different learning/teaching situations. Early research into language learning strategies was mostly concerned with investigating what language learning strategies learners used, without attempting to address the links between strategy use and success. Recent research has focused on determining the connections between strategy use and language proficiency. Such studies have shown that proficient language learners employed more strategies in language learning than less proficient language learners. Other findings have exposed a relationship between students’ perceptions of their language proficiency and strategy use. Oxford and Nyikos (1989) affirmed that greater strategy use accompanied perceptions of higher proficiency, while Wharton (2000) demonstrated a significant correlation between the two factors, indicating the higher a student’s language proficiency self-rating, the more frequent strategy use was. Long lists of learning strategies have been identified by a number of studies over the past thirty years Oxford (1993) reported that there were at least two dozen different classifications. Generally, these learning strategies fall under four broad categories, i. e. strategies that enable learners to: (1) comprehend, store, retrieve and use information; (2) manage and direct their learning through reflection and planning; (3) control their emotions; and (4) create opportunities to practice the target language with other people. Learning strategy system can be direct or indirect. Basically, direct learning strategies require mental processing of the target language. There are three major groups of direct strategies, each processes the language differently and for different purposes: memory, cognitive, and compensation. Memory learning strategies, also called mnemonics, involve mental processes used in arranging information in order, making associations, and reviewing. Cognitive learning strategies involve the processing of the target language so that meaning becomes clear through processes like reasoning and analyzing. Lastly, compensation learning strategies enable second language learners to make up for gaps in their knowledge and skills, by, for example, guessing meanings and using gestures. On the other hand, indirect strategies support and manage language learning often without involving the target language directly. The metacognitive, affective, and social learning strategies belong to the groups of indirect learning strategies. In essence, metacognitive learning strategies enable second language learners to plan, coordinate, evaluate, and direct their own learning as well as to monitor errors. Affective learning strategies, on the other hand, help learners gain control over their emotions, attitudes, and motivation through self-encouragement, self-reward, and reduction of anxieties. Finally, social learning strategies are ways of involving other people in enhancing learning through questions, cooperation and increased cultural awareness. Another pedagogical issue is that many SLL teachers do not generate environment that will foster learners’ understanding of making the essential mental construction. The current research proposes that students need to construct their own understanding of their learning. Constructivism provides a way of understanding teaching and learning and offers information for developing various ways of teaching, because the challenge in teaching is not to lecture, explain, or otherwise to attempt to transfer knowledge, but to create circumstances and experiences that engage the students and support their own explanation and application of language models needed to make sense of these experiences. The focus of constructivism is not unique to psychology; it also has roots in several areas, such as linguistics. Constructivism is primarily a theory of human development that in recent years has been applied to learning. The learning or meaning-making theory proposes that people create their own meaning and understanding, combining what they already know and believe to be true with new experiences with which they are confronted. The theory views knowledge as temporary, developmental, social and cultural. Lambert et al. (1995) described constructivism as the primary basis of learning where â€Å"individuals bring past experiences and beliefs, as well as their cultural histories and world views, into the process of learning; all of these influence how we interact with and interpret our encounters with new ideas and events†(p.xii). Guided by theories of constructivism, teachers must recognize that: learning is a search for meaning; meaning requires an understanding of the whole as well as its parts; in seeking meaning, they must understand the mental representations that students use to interpret the world and the assumptions they make to strengthen those representations; and the goal of learning is for the SLL student to develop his or her own understanding. Hence the students’ cultural-social and historical contexts are of importance in their learning. Social constructivist concepts have important implications in teaching strategies. Social constructivists believe that reality is constructed through human interactivity. Members of a society together construct the properties of the world. For them, reality does not exist prior to its social invention, thus it cannot be discovered. Also, social constructivism holds that knowledge is also a human product and is socially and culturally constructed, which suggests that individuals establish meaning by interacting with each other and with their environment. Additionally, social constructivism proposes that learning does not occur only within an individual, but is a social process; meaningful learning among SLL students happens when they are involved in social activities. Teachers can design instructional models based on the social constructivist perspective. These models promote collaboration among learners and with practitioners in the society. According to Lave and Wenger (1991) a society’s practical knowledge is positioned in relations among practitioners, their practice and the social organization and political economy of communities of practice. This suggests that learning should involve such knowledge and practice.
Monday, January 6, 2020
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