Abstract
This paper discusses constructivist educational theory and its practical application to benefit "at risk" students through strategies exemplified by the Advancement through Individual Determination (AVID) program.

From the Paper
"The purpose of this paper is to discuss constructivist educational theory and its practical application to benefit at risk students through strategies exemplified by the AVID program. The theory of social constructivism focuses on the socio-cultural context in which knowledge is constructed and places emphasis on the value of interaction allowing individual learners to restructure their own concepts in the process. Learning is considered as an individual process of knowledge construction which is supported by contact or interaction within either the traditional classroom..."

Tags:constructivist theory and education, Vygotsky, AVID, at risk students, educational paradigm, participatory educational theories and programs.

Abstract
This paper discusses whether current socio-political conditions in the United States are conducive to making progress in the area of multicultural advancement, and concludes that Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore is more likely to be supportive of multiculturalism than Republican George W. Bush.

Abstract
This paper analyzes the advancements spurred by the growth and increasing availability of the Internet. The writer discusses the manners in which these technological advancements have improved American life. The writer notes that globalization has sparked a revolution in information and communication technology, resulting in an information age that boasts the arrival of new levels of global interconnectedness. Further, the writer points out that the Internet has also positively changed the way companies do business, both in the e-commerce world and in the manufacturing sectors. The writer concludes that new advancements are being discovered every day, and the future of the Internet and worldwide access to it appears bright.


Outline:
Introduction
Educational Advancements and Research on the Internet
e-Commerce & e-Business
Computer-assisted Manufacturing
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The Internet has had the most profound affect on education and research capabilities, almost to a point previously thought unimaginable. Students are now able to attend courses online, and take tests online in real-time. A vast amount of research information is also available through the Internet, making research tasks easier and more organized. This has improved the way of life for American students because although higher education tends to be a part of student's lives, in many cases college attendance is not the core activity in their lives. For these students, college must compete with employment and family obligations. Distance learning and increasingly sophisticated technology, such as online courses, have changed the possibilities for engaging in higher education and the nature of the educational experience. The traditional four or five year full-time program at a residential college is no longer the most frequent course of obtaining a college education. Recent research also indicates that the sources of influence on students' learning are as varied and interconnected as are the ways in which students learn. Current research indicates that students' out-of-class experiences promote critical thinking skills independent of their classroom experiences."

Tags:improvements, opportunities, growth, computer

Abstract
This paper considers the impact that the rapid advancement of technology is likely to have on daily life in the next ten or twenty years. The prediction here is that technology will advance fastest in expert applications, as the motivation and willingness to challenge boundaries is very high here. However, mass applications will also be more broadly accepted in the future.

From the Paper
"If one had asked the typical person in 1985 whether computers would play an important and pervasive role in all aspects of daily life by 2005, it is unlikely that such a person would have foreseen the degree to which computers would be involved in everything from entertainment to career preparation to business management to health care. The lesson that might be drawn from this is that only a fool would predict the future of technology's advance. Nevertheless, in the very act of predicting, we find an element of goal-setting that is critical in formulating the direction that technology might take."

Tags:technology, prediction, advancement

Abstract
This paper discusses how there is no stopping the current and continuous trend of professional women's entry into the workplace and up the corporate ladder. It looks at how gender stereotypes continue to exist and conflict with the need of the times to modify these stereotypes. The paper contends that, with half of the total workforce in the hands of women and women achievers, companies must resort to gender desegregation and realize the objectives of the Civil Right Acts of 1964, which have yet to be implemented in earnest. The paper also argues that women, as well as men, who unconsciously perpetuate gender stereotypes themselves at work as well as outside of the workplace, should come to terms with the issue.

Outline:
Introduction
Review of Literature
Findings and Analysis
Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper
"That invisible barrier, called the glass ceiling and which limited female achievers' bid for career advancement, was not their creation (Goodson as qtd in USA Today 2000). Yet women with similar or comparable education and experience or achievement still earn less than men in work organizations. A missing link or the absent ingredient, between performance and a just payoff, was identified as women's own ability to comfortably and consistently draw the attention they deserve to the contributions they made or gave. Findings of a study conducted on 322 male and female executives showed that women were less comfortable in promoting themselves than men. "

Tags:glass, ceiling, gender, stereotypes

Abstract
The paper discusses the United States' serious nursing crisis and predictions that this trend will only get worse in the future, showing that the changing demographics of an aging population are largely to blame. The paper also shows that nursing shortages are greater in areas requiring higher levels of education, such as Masters or Doctorate Degrees and that not enough nurses are pursuing educational paths to fill this need. Congress has offered tuition reimbursement and grant programs to help fund higher education and Nursing Associations are working to create faster tracks to a careers in nursing. Other methods discussed are media campaigns which have highlighted the advantages of nursing. This research examines the factors that influence a nurse's decision to pursue higher education and gives insight as to how to eliminate some of the barriers that prevent them from entering into higher education.

Table of Contents:
Literature Review
Scope of the Nursing Shortage
What is Being Done?
Have these Measures Been Effective?
Motivating Factors for Nurses to Pursue Continuing Education
The Traditional Career Path
Distance Learning and the Nursing shortage
What this Research Hopes to Answer
Methodology
Data Collection
Subject Selection Criteria
Data Analysis
Assumptions
Limitations
Biases
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Distance learning offers many advantages over traditional programs. The first advantage is cost. As distance learning facilities do not have the high costs of maintaining all of those classrooms as in a traditional setting, they have lower over head costs and can offer their services at a much lower rate. Convenience is the biggest advantage. Many nursing students start families and must begin working as soon as they obtain their license. They often have many job and family responsibilities that would prevent them from having a career and going to school, without sacrificing family or professional life. Distance learning allows them to work at home, many times at their own pace, and still enjoy the benefits of family and professional life."

Tags:AACN, Labor, Statistics, FNHP, TriCouncil, Distance, Learning

Abstract
This paper examines the issue of the "dumbing down" of the American people by means of technological "progress." The paper states that American society is becoming overly obsessed with technological advances and entertainment media with a goal of making life better. However, the opposite is occurring: The reduction of the effort needed to succeed is causing a downgrade in human intelligence and the drive to learn. The paper questions whether this can be blamed on machinery created with the original intention of making life easier, or by our educational system which encourages this relinquishing of academic and leisurely thought. The paper concludes that, in order to counter this trend, several changes in attitude must be made. First, the paper suggests that the misplaced belief that all changes in technology are an improvement must be diminished. Second, the paper stresses the fact that mass media should be seen merely as a form of entertainment. Most importantly, the paper advocates improving our knowledge and understanding of the world around us.

From the Paper
"Furthermore, the educational system is deteriorating and busy parents with full time jobs no longer have time to tutor their children in the methods of the old world, with one on one interaction. These days it seems much more convenient to place the child in front of the television set watching shows presumed to be educational, such as "Sesame Street" or "Blue's Clues", while the mother or father do other, seemingly less important things. It is true that the above mentioned shows are much better for the young mind then violent or explicit shows, which are also sprouting up on every channel, but this method of teaching only forces them to depend more heavily on television for education and entertainment. It is, for the children, just another form of passive learning, another topic that Bradbury tackles in Fahrenheit 451. In the beginning of the novel, Clarisse describes the current educational system as completely unsocial. As she says, "they just run the answers at you, bing, bing, bing, and us sitting there for four or more hours of film teacher." Moreover, at a later part of the story, Mildred and her friends are discussing how to care for children and Mrs. Bowles makes a rather disturbing statement. She says "I put up with them when they come home three days a month; it's not bad at all. You heave them into the 'parlor' and turn the switch..." These references to television in this work of fiction are fairly worrying, as it is no longer such a fictional theory. This form of education is becoming more and more feasible for the near future. Parents already just "heave their kids in the parlor and flip the switch" so who's to say that schools will not soon also take on these apathetic teaching methods. Rather than teach young ones to amuse themselves in ways that will benefit them, the kids of today are taught that television is the source of all significance, and with the short attention spans of today, even television shows must be careful not to be overly verbose. A child must be taught that activities such as reading, which expands the mind and inspires thought, and playing with other children, to teach them valuable social skills, are far more important than vegetating in front of a box with moving pictures."

Tags:internet, ignorance, superstition, moral, intelligence

Abstract
The paper shows how hair science is a direct result of commercial interest in the industry, and its important role in economics and the social world, which has fostered its profound development over the last century. The hair care industry is a multi-million dollar business with serious economic, technological, social, and fashion attributes. Hair styles have changed dramatically, serving as part of the socio-cultural process of identity construction, gender relations, and political expression. Likewise, they have been as influenced by the social constructions they nurture. The paper examines the last half of the century which has witnessed the most development in hair science, with technical advancement evident in the at-home focus of many products, the introduction of chemical understandings to hair care, and the infrastructural focus on speed and results that has characterized the digital revolution.

Outline:
Introduction
Social and Anthropological Changes
Fashion Follows Societal Norms and Recognition
Beauty at the Turn of the Century
The Great Depression
At Home Styling: Science and Industry in the Middle of the Century
Industrial Growth Spurs Technological Advancement
Market Responds to Social and Consumer Forces
Works Cited

From the Paper
"At the dawn of the century, the start of the 1900s ushered out the very end of the Victorian era. Known most for its political and revolutionary socio-cultural transformations, the Victorian era was also one of excess, superficial concentration, and popular culture. Hair was an integral part of the culture. "While women's hair, particularly when it is golden, has always been a Western preoccupation, for the Victorians it became an obsession." This infatuation with hair was neither a passing fad nor just an aesthetic attention, but it was a mechanism of societal imagery, assertion of gender norms, and the greater product of cultural symbols."

Tags:excess, culture, societal, imagery, golden, hair, cosmetology, corinthian, hairstyle, hat, straight, iron, curling, perming, styling, bob, hair, care

Abstract
This paper explores the mix of merit and seniority for advancement in business today.

Abstract
This paper provides an overview of where Mexican American stands today. The writer goes back in time to illustrate what their lives were like years ago and then brings us to the present and compares their status now to that of yesteryear.