Teacher preparation is critical to providing successful quality math education Essay Example for Free

Teacher preparation is critical to providing successful quality math education Essay It is possible to make every student a successful student. Here success could mean different things to different students and their teachers. When the full potential of a student is realized in the chosen avocation, one can infer that success is achieved. Teaching and learning happen the best when there is perceived interest in both the teacher and the learner. Nurturing education through better teaching and learning methods can enhance the ability of a teacher for providing quality mathematics education1 (Chism,1998). Because of the inherent anxiety in math education, additional preparation in terms of understanding the psychology of the students is a critical success factor. Many times we find impediments to teaching and learning either because there is no evident interest in the teacher or the learner or both; or there is no proper supporting mechanism/ system to augment the teaching and learning. In the following paragraphs, an outline of various teaching / instructional methodologies for the teachers and learning strategies for the students are outlined for best possible outcomes for both sides of the equation. These are meant for any teaching including mathematics. Based on my own personal experiences of teaching and learning and professional research, I outlined a few of the many methodologies.   Mention is also made of the importance of overall learning environment. Teaching / Instructional Methodologies2 (New Horizons For Learning,2002) a. Action Research Action Research is a very powerful strategy for instructional improvement and provides teachers the necessary skills for solving problems specific to their classrooms and their schools. By using a five step process – question, data collection, data analysis, findings and action plan – teachers can improve their own teaching skills while improving their classroom/school outcomes3 (Reed, 2000) b. Differentiated Instruction Differentiated Instruction takes into account the various ways in which students learn as against Direct Instruction which focuses mainly on memorizing facts and skills. Differentiated Instruction on the other hand focuses on concepts, understanding, readiness and interest. c. Environment for Learning: The definition or perception of Learning Environment from a curriculum and instruction based learning is changing to an environment for successful learning which is based on a variety of emotional, intellectual, visual and spatial stimuli. Schools located in such environs as zoos, museums, culture are redefining the way learning takes place and learning environment is created. d. Accelerated Learning Accelerated learning is based on the original work of ‘Suggestology’4 (Dr. Lozanov, 1978) which included relaxation, visual arts and music for teaching foreign language students. Accelerated learning takes into account various beliefs/theories such as Learning is dual-planned; there is no single stimulus etc. The Core Elements for Accelerated Learning include Physical Environment, Music, Teacher, Positive Atmosphere and a teaching Frame. Teaching Frame in turn includes three phases – Preparation, Active and Passive. e. Teaching for Understanding: This approach seeks to get answers to the three key questions: 1. What does it mean to understand? 2. How do we teach for understanding? 3. How do we assess understanding? Using the concept of ‘throughlines’ a teacher can engage the students continuously and throughout the year on the goals set out for understanding the concepts based on a set of predefined questions. Classroom based Learning Continuum Tool The Northwest Evaluation Association launched a tool   DesCartes: A Continuum of Learning. This tool is designed for teachers and principals to simplify the task of translating assessment data into specific skills and concepts5 (Business Wire, 2004). The tool is used to map mathematics, reading, and language usage skills along a continuum of learning, and connects each skill with test score ranges and state standards for all the states Teachers can use DesCartes information for: †¢ Identification of specific skills and concepts students need †¢ Selection of materials based on the diversity of skill levels within a class, and find appropriate materials for students at the extreme ends of the learning spectrum. †¢ Creation of flexible learning groups based on students performance and †¢ Collaboration with staff to successfully meet the needs of all learners6 (Grasha, 1996). Conclusion Teaching and Learning have become very critical in not only realizing the full potential of the learners but in doing so have become necessary tools to build a productive workforce. Teaching styles6, improvements in technology and expectations of parents, society have contributed to the growth of new methods of teaching, learning and creating new Learning Environments. Hence it is important that we assess the teachers for their ability and aptitude and also assess the learner’s ability and aptitude. A match making of these two would most definitely produce successful teaching and learning outcomes. Many of the methods discussed above would definitely make it is possible for every student to become a successful student and every teacher a successful teacher.

Hamlet Appearance vs Reality Essay Example for Free

Hamlet Appearance vs Reality Essay Appearance vs. reality in Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, is a jaded yet common theme. This play is teeming with characters that play their roles behind a veil of duplicity. They often appear to be one way when they really are something entirely different. Things within the play appear to be true and honest but in reality are polluted with evil. Many of the characters within the play hide behind a mask of dishonesty. Four of the main characters that hid behind this mask are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Polonius, and King Claudius. From behind this mask they give the impression of a person who is sincere and true, in reality they are overwhelmed with lies and evil. One of the most obvious examples of appearance vs. reality in Hamlet is the character of Claudius. Claudius longed to be king, rule the land and crown his queen. He gave no regard to the feelings of the family. He was jealous and ruthless in pursuing his dream†¦ruthless to the point of murder. He pretends to be concerned and upset with the actions of Hamlet and his well being, when in reality he is frightened that Hamlet is aware of his deadly secret. It was as if he cast a spell on the whole kingdom for his own self-fulfilling interest. Our â€Å"innocent† Claudius even summons spies to investigate the origin of Hamlet’s madness†¦not for the good of Hamlet but for himself. He is indeed a jaded character, whose kind aura masks the face of a selfish murderer as he says â€Å"whose whisper o’er the world’s diameter, as levels as the cannon to his blank transports his poisoned shot, may miss our name and hit the woundless air. Oh come away! My soul is full of discord and dismay! †- Claudius, act 4 scene 1, lines 42-46. This quote demonstrates how Claudius seems to be worried about Hamlet and his actions when he is really fearful of him discovering the truth. In addition, the king’s royal associate, Polonius, appears to be a loyal and trustworthy servant to the kingdom throughout the play, willing to take on tasks and burdens requested by their majesties. However, in reality Polonius is an evil, greedy selfish man, who serves not his kingdom but himself. One example of this is how Polonius appears to be happy, concerned and supportive of his son, Laerte’s, journey to France. He seems to be supportive of his son until he sends Reynaldo as an emissary, in order to detect what sort of mischief he stumbles upon in France. In addition, Polonius, again, displays his devious characteristics when he spies on Hamlet and Ophelia in an attempt to analyze Hamlet’s madness. He soon orders Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet, as he brainwashes her with lies about Hamlets motives, when in reality Hamlet is truly in love with Ophelia. Once again, Polonius proves his scheming behavior when he listens in on Hamlet and Gertrude’s conversation while in the bedchamber. Hamlet finally teaches him his lesson when he unexpectedly murders the â€Å"rat. † In reality Polonius is anything but a loving father watching out for his children, he uses everyone to his advantage and for his own purposes; this proves as evidence for his sneaky demeanor. Even two of Hamlet’s childhood friends are victims of the appearance vs. reality theme. They were sent and bribed by the king and queen to try and determine the cause of Hamlet’s insanity. They approach Hamlet as long-lost pals when they are really anything but. They were there not as friends but hired help for Hamlet’s condition. In act 2 scene 2 line 299, Guildenstern quotes â€Å"What should we say my lord? † Completely denying the fact that they were sent for by the king and queen. Hamlet quickly reveals the truth and says, Were you not sent for/ And there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft in color. (Shakespeare 2:2:278) From these words he is demanding an answer from his schoolmates as to their unexplained arrival. At the end he tells them nothing. As the play continues his friends are asked again by the king to go to Hamlet and try again to find the real reason for Hamlet’s behavior. Hamlet insults them at every chance knowing that they are lying to him about their purpose of the visit, ’Tis as easy as lying: govern these ventages with you finger and thumb, give it breath with your mouth (Shakespeare 3:2:348) The twins show their appearance of being Hamlets friends but in truth they have a hidden reason for visiting with Hamlet. Both show that it will be very difficult for Hamlet to uncover the reliability hidden within the lies. Throughout the play, characters help to show the theme, which is appearance verses reality. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Polonius, and the king all appear to be good and honest. As Hamlet finds out, all contain lies and have hidden intentions within them. As each character is presented in the play all appear to be good and honest making it a hard for Hamlet to uncover the hidden truth about the nature of each character. Throughout the play everyone puts up a front so to speak, for different reasons. Hamlet believed that the world was corrupt and deceiving, this led him to become violently ambitious. Claudius was manipulative and cunning, and used his greed to achieve what he desired. Deception is a major theme of the play. Obviously throughout the play there are many discrepancies between appearance vs. reality. It seems everyone is jaded and full of deception or ulterior motives. With such controversial people in the kingdom, it is quite appropriate to state that there truly is something rotten in the state of Denmark.

Scope of Religion in Australia

Scope of Religion in Australia Diversity in Australia Australia is home to increased religious diversity and religious pluralism. Its current religious landscape is shaped through the dramatic effect of immigration, the movements to and from religions or denominations, the exploration of new religious movements and the acknowledgement of no religion. These many reasons have created an increase and decrease of many religious traditions, as well as ethnic and cultural diversity in Australia. Post war immigration is directly linked to the emergence of Australia’s new wave of migration. This helped greatly in reshaping Australia’s religious connections with many religions and denominations in terms of ethnic diversity. Many religions existed elsewhere in the world but only appeared in Australia as migration and refugee patterns changed. When Indigenous Australians were counted in Census forms in 1960, a vast majority were Christian whilst some still had a desire to integrate Aboriginal spirituality and customs into Christian expression. Migrants whom entered after World War 1 were simply those who chose to assimilate and not change the British-European culture. This was because the ‘White Australia Policy’ was in place and it was racially prejudice, religiously intolerant and only accepted whites. However, by World War 2 Australia had to ‘Populate or Perish’, thus they were desperate to increase population for national security reaso ns and economic growth. This ultimately led to a huge population increase, as Australia accepted over 3 million migrants who had arrived from over 60 countries. With Christianity dominating the 19th century, a large majority of the migrants were from South-East Asia, the Middle East and Pacific nations. This however, had not significantly introduced a wide range of religious traditions until the White Australia Policy was abolished. The removal was a sign of recognition and acceptability of religious diversity, this beginning was a door to expanded immigration and rapid growth of religions. From the 2006 Census data on Religions in Australia, there was a changing pattern of religious adherence happening. Buddhism is one the fastest growing religions, making 0.5% of the population in 1986 and 2.1% in 2006. They mainly come from Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Japan and China. Islam is also one of the few religions that are growing at a fast rate, after Christianity and Buddhism, with 1.7%. Most Muslims come from Lebanon, Turkey, Indonesia, Iran and Iraq. Hinduism grew by 0.6% since 1986, making 0.7% of the population and most coming from India and Fiji. Based on today’s numbers and the past decades, Christianity and most of its denominations are still dominating Australia, despite the large percentages of decline in total. A steady rate with the Orthodox Christian tradition had significant numbers in affiliates of Orthodox churches, growing through the Greek, Cyprus and Eastern European migrations. The Roman Catholics have increased to 27% and the Pro testant Christians have gradually dropped to 35%, however the Catholics do outnumber the largest single Protestant group, the Anglicans by 8%. Most Protestants switch denominations to a high degree and a National Church Life survey showed that 29% of respondents had switched denominations in the past 5 years and the majority to Pentecostals, which grew by 16%. Today in Australia, all religions or denominations within them are ethnically and culturally diverse. Anglicans no longer represent the British and Buddhists are not only Chinese and Vietnamese; Christianity clearly exemplifies this idea of diversity. Christianity and its many denominations have followers of different ethnicity and nationalities, which may all believe in the same God but might carry out their practices or way of life differently depending on their culture. Migration, religious conversion and denominational switching are the few forces that shape the Australian religious landscape today. The huge expansion in Australian population has caused increases and decreases in some groups. But most importantly the reasons for these changing patterns are because of the rapid growth of New Age religions and many conversions within religion. New Age religions are a free-flowing spiritual movement with a network of believers and practitioners that have their own similar beliefs and practices that they extend onto a formal religion. Its teachings became popular during the 1970s in response to the failure of Christianity and secular humanism, in providing spiritual and ethical guidance. New Age religions can be referred to as para-religous, as they work alongside a religious tradition sharing their features, developing something new that is merely an extension of what is already introduced. However, they do contrast with many religions such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism in terms of ideas and practices. Rather than the idea of salvation and redemption by God, they focus and pla ce greater emphasis on â€Å"individual fulfilment, perfection of higher states of consciousness†. For example, many Australians or non-Australians voluntarily choose to become a follower of Buddhism or New Age religions that follows its beliefs and practices, because of the attraction to achieving a sense of inner peace. Buddhism isn’t a faith nor a religion but more of a psychology or philosophy of moral code, that doesn’t preach a god or any dogma. â€Å"Buddhism is in large measure an ‘atheistic’ system. We liberate ourselves only through detachment from the world. The fullness of such a detachment is not union with God, but what is called nirvana, a state of perfect indifference with regard to the world. The idea of mixing meditation, aromatherapy, yoga or psychology as a way to escape such limits. The New Age seeks to consume and cross-over traditions such as Buddhism as resources for personal experience and thus Buddhism is a huge influence of New Age attitudes and understandings. This also shows why Buddhism and New Age religions are high on pop ularity and rapidly increasing. People who choose to explore New Age or alternate spiritualities may feel uncomfortable within their own and they haven’t got that spiritual connection and special relationship with God and the religion. There is no doubt people are still seeking for answers to the age-old questions that have not been answered in the religion tradition they are part of, thus seeking for answers in new places. As for those who choose to take up New Age spiritualities, their reasons for conversions to or from may be to search for personal fulfillment, finding that the method of transcendental mediation might be able to heal and raise people. To seek ethical guidelines, by believing that the inner body, mind and soul has the great potential to guide them through life and obstacles. It is them, themselves that they should trust and rely on to become a stronger, better and healthier person. These are the main reasons for religious conversions and to seek for new religious expressions and spirituali ty. It was not until 1933 that the Australian census form clearly stated that the religion question was optional. In 1947, 10.9% of Australians did not state their religion and this remained pretty constant until 1971 when the instructions of ‘if no religion, write none’ was introduced. In the census, 6.7% declared themselves as having no religion and agnostics, atheists, humanists and rationalists consisted within this category. In the 2001 Australian census, 15.5% declared themselves as having no religion whilst 11.7% had not stated it, and within those 15.5%, 17565 were agnostics and 24466 were atheists. The huge increase was due to several personal reasons. People had stated themselves of ‘non-religion’ because they feel there is no need to identify one’s private religion to the government. By not answering the question, it does not mean in any way one’s rejection to religious traditions. How religious one feels is also another impact on these statistical figures. People may be spiritual or have such connections yet they don’t feel they particularly belong to a certain group and for others who are exploring other traditions may find it difficult to classify their religion as well. Other reasons for the growth of ‘no religion’ was because many people no longer accepted an inherited religious identification without a question being asked and answering ‘no religion’ had begun to be more socially acceptable. Materialism also had an effect, as it meant that many had very little interest in religion at all thus most probably ticked the obvious box of simplest words. Through these statistical figures in the Census, it is very hard to define Australia’s religious landscape, but merely what Australians see themselves as. A vast majority, who have defined themselves as belonging to a certain faith, may say they are Christians yet may have completely no religious profession or practice at all. This then expands on the idea of religiosity, where we tend to question how religious or how often should believers do their practices to be considered as a follower. For example, would those whom go to church on Easter Sunday and Christmas be considered less of a Catholic, compared to those whom go every Sunday for mass as well as the important events? Nonetheless, the religious scope in Australia continues to be dynamic and expansive. It has given Australia a richer variety of beliefs and values that may give us a broader understanding of many other cultures, religions and their way of practice. â€Å"It has given people the chance to become the measures of faith able to exercise their right of choice in being part of a religious community because they want to and not that they are†. Today, Australia stands as a multicultural multifaith society having a huge ethnic, cultural and religious diversity, promoting harmony and unity. Bibliography Living Religion textbook Macquarie studies of religion guide http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/5977/newage.html http://www.religioustolerance.org/newage.htm

American Antislavery 1820-1860 :: History African Americans Essays

American Antislavery 1820-1860 missing works cited The antebellum American antislavery movement began in the 1820s and was sustained over 4 decades by organizations, publications, and small acts of resistance that challenged the legally protected and powerful institution of slavery and the more insidious enemy of black equality, racism. Abolitionists were always a radical minority even in the free states of the North, and the movement was never comprised of a single group of people with unified motivations, goals, and methods. Rather, the movement was fraught with ambiguity over who its leaders would be, how they would go about fighting the institution of slavery, and what the future would be like for black Americans. Some of the persisting goals of antislavery activism were legal emancipation, aid to runaway slaves through vigilance groups and the Underground Railroad, civil rights for freed blacks in the north, and education, suffrage, and economic advancement for African-Americans. Perhaps the most unifying ideal of the anti-slavery movement was that the racial basis for American slavery could be undermined by promoting Christian values, education and economic progress among free blacks to show that they were capable of succeeding as individuals in an integrated American society. Richard Allen, leader of the A.M.E. church, stated the case for black progress as an answer to the justifications of slaveholders: â€Å"if we are lazy and idol, the enemies of freedom plead it as a cause why we ought not to be free.† In addition to the connection between abolition and economic and social progress, most abolitionists worked for the assurance of civil rights and legal protection for free blacks, who lived in an anomalous condition of â€Å"freedom† without citizenship and with constant threat of discrimination, violence, and abduction to be sold into slavery. There were some bitter conflicts over specific strategies. Though Garrison and most blacks favored immediate abolition, many whites continued to prefer or express willingness to settle for gradual emancipation. Violent resistance was at first rejected by many, again under the influence of Garrison, but David Walker’s appeal that violence should be used against slavery became more popular as blacks and abolitionists searched for an effective means of self-defense against mobs and pursuit of civil rights. Whether or not individuals worked within the political framework of the constitution to effect change again depended on allegiance to Garrison, and in general the early antislavery activists preferred moral arguments while later leaders were more willing to use political means.

Susan B. Anthony Essay -- Biography

Susan B. Anthony On February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts, a woman by the name of Susan Brownell Anthony was born to parents Daniel and Lucy (Read) Anthony. She was the second born of a strongly rooted Quaker family of eight (Hist.Bio.-1). Because they lived in a Quaker neighborhood, Susan was not heavily exposed to slavery. The family made anti-slavery talks an almost daily conversation over the dinner table. She also saw men and women on the same level (Stoddard 36). â€Å"A hard working father, who was not only a cotton manufacturer, but a Quaker Abolitionist also, prevented his children from what he called childish things such as toys, games and music. He felt that they would distract his children from reaching their peak of performance. â€Å"With a strong household influence like her father, Anthony became a very bright student. She knew how to read and write at the very tender age of three. She was put in a home school type school setting at the age of six because her teacher refused to teach her how to do long division. Because the school was run by a very strong-willed group of women, Anthony received a new image of womanhood by being taught not only arithmetic and grammar, but also manners and self-worth. Upon leaving this school, Susan B Anthony attended a boarding school in Philadelphia where she remained until two years before her father’s business was lost (Boynick 47). At the age of fifteen, Susan B. Anthony began teaching (Holland). At the age of nineteen she had already taught at the boarding school which she had attended, been a governess at in the home of a merchant in Fort Edward, New York, then helped her family move to Rochester. Once her family got settled she began doing work around the house. At the house, her father had daily conversations about the current issues of the day. She would shuffle back and forth between the kitchen and dining room to participate in these discussions which she so passionately loved. She was then appointed principal over the girls’ department Canajoharie Academy and would maintain at that stature until she reached the age of thirty (Holland). It was at her school where principal Anthony became exposed to the Daughters of temperance. This group of women went right along with Susan B. Anthony’s Quaker moral standards. They fought for prohibition. They fought to prevent abus... ...ing rights for women. Little did she know, that fourteen years after her death at the age of eighty-six, the nineteenth amendment would be passed. This amendment, also known as the â€Å"Anthony amendment†, gave women the right to vote. Susan Brownell Anthony has left many marks in the present day world we live in. If it were not for her, many minorities would not have the benefits that they have right now. If she had not lived the life she lived, women might still be fighting for the rights they have now. If it were not for her, we would have never had her printed on the silver dollar. The world would not be as good of a place. Works Cited Boynick, David K. Women Who Led the Way: Eight Pioneers for Equal Rights. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. 1959. Dorr, Rheta Louise. Susan B. Anthony, the Woman Who Changed the Mind of a Nation. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1928. Holland, Patricia G. â€Å"Anthony, Susan B(rownell)†. Encarta 97 Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1994. Stoddard, Hope. Famous American Women. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. 1970. â€Å"Untitled†. Online. Internet. www.history.rochester.edu/class/sba/bio.html.

Essay --

Executive Summary Mountville is a small town in Pennsylvania with a population of 3000. Located on Highway 30, the town is 20 miles East of the county of York and 10 miles West of the county of Lancaster. Interstate highway 30 connects York County and Lancaster County that both have universities and a cumulative population of almost 1,000,000 residents. The highway is the main road through town and is used daily by thousands of commuters between the two cities. These commuters sustain a number of roadside businesses on Highway 30 that sell many different commodities. There is currently one gas station at the location. The nearest gas stations directly off of the highway otherwise closest are each at more than a 5 mile distance. NOVA Food and Gas Center will offer these commuters gas, groceries, and a deli. On the way to work, a commuter could stop for gas and get some choice coffee. On the way home, the same commuter could stop again to pick up something for dinner, such as a sub or burger. The aim of this plan is to be a guide for this start-up business. Researching and defining our markets, strategies, mission and financials will provide insight and prepare the owner to successfully run NOVA. 1.1 Objectives To capture an increasing share of the commuter traffic passing through Mountville. To offer our customers superior products, at an affordable price. To provide customer service that is second to none. 1.2 Mission The mission of NOVA is to offer commuters on Highway 30 competitive gas prices and great food. The company will make a healthy profit for its owners and provide a rewarding work environment for its employees. 1.3 Keys to Success Good quality products at competitive prices. Excellent customer service that will pro... ... the sales forecast for three years. Management Summary Tegpartap Singh, owner of NOVA Food and Gas Center, is a young man who wishes to start his own gas station. Tegpartap has had lots of exposure to gas station management, as many of his family members and family friends are owners of various gas stations. 6.1 Personnel Plan The NOVA Food and Gas Center will have a staff of five: Manager Store/deli staff (2) Gas attendants (2) Financial Plan The following is the financial plan for NOVA Food and Gas Center. 7.1 Break-even Analysis The monthly break-even point is approximately $49,500. 7.2 Projected Profit and Loss The following table and charts highlight the projected profit and loss for three years. 7.3 Projected Cash Flow 7.4 Projected Balance Sheet The following table and chart highlight the projected balance sheet for three years.

Genetically modified (GM) foods Essay

What does a tomato, soybean, and McDonald’s French fry have in common? They are all some of the most commonly genetically modified foods sold on the market today. By using the genetic information from one organism, and inserting or modifying it into another organism, scientists can make food crops stay fresher, grow bigger, and have the crops create their own pesticides. Nevertheless, the technology to modify genes has surpassed its practicality. Genetically modified foods need to be removed from everyday agriculture because of the threat they pose to human health, the environment, and the impact on global economy. Genetically modified (GM) foods could produce new toxic substances, and/or allergens. A gene from the Brazil nut was inserted into the DNA of a soybean plant to increase the nutritional value of the soybean. However, this particular gene in the GM soybean also produced an allergen (a substance that causes allergic reactions in people). Fortunately, the plant was not put into production (McHughen 119). Another example is of a GM tomato called â€Å"FLAVR SAVR†. The tomato is larger, tastier, and stays fresher longer than commercial tomatoes on the market. Combining conventional tomato genes with the genes of an arctic trout produces the â€Å"FLAVR SAVR†. Nevertheless, questions such as â€Å"Will people with sea food allergies be able to consume the tomato?† and â€Å"Will the trout genes in the tomato enable new bacteria growth, and thereby make the tomato hazardous to eat?† have still not been answered. This causes the â€Å"FLAVR SAVR† to be a potential hazard to human health (McHughen 14, 112). Since technology is new with regards to genetics, there is no real way of knowing whether genetically modified foods would take a negative impact on the body. An incident that occurred in 1989 concerning the nutritional supplement L- Tryptophan is one way of testing the long-term effects of a GM food (Background on L-tryptophan and 5-hydroxy L-tryptophan and the eosinophilia myalgia syndrome, U.S. Food and Drug Administration). The manufacturer had apparently altered its manufacturing process to speed up production, and had not realized the toxic side effects. However, it caused a potentially fatal illness called Eosinophilia Myolgia Syndrome in which 37 people died and 1500 more were permanently disabled (Background on L-tryptophan and 5-hydroxy L-tryptophan and the eosinophilia myalgia syndrome, U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Therefore, it was taken off the market shortly after the reports of widespread illness among consumers of the supplement. Another two examples of diseases that have been created by GM crops are glufosinate (Hart 21), which causes birth defects in mammals, and glyphosate (Hart 88), which is now linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Therefore, it is evident that the general public is the guinea pig for GM food, and today’s drugs may not be able to combat the diseases that may arise from eating the food. Superbugs are created when genes transfer from one species to another, and if an antibiotic-resistant or pesticide-resistant gene were to transfer from an organism into a disease creating bacteria, then an antibiotic-resistant or pesticide-resistant bug would be created (Miller 83). This applies to bacteria and viruses that are symbiotically related. Gene modification is indirectly making life resistant to diseases, and these bacteria and viruses will adapt to the new form of life and create new disorders. Furthermore, GM crops may make the â€Å"normal† biological pest spray obsolete. This is because pests will soon develop resistance to the spray because of the widespread planting of GM crops. Nevertheless, superbug pesticides have not yet been manufactured, nor have superbug antibiotics been created (Miller 92). Consequently, the health risks for humans through superbug infections or by eating GM food is very serious, and the consequences that may come about have the potent ial to be life threatening. Genetic engineering of food crops has the potential to affect the biodiversity of a region in effectively two ways. First, wild populations of weed may be replaced by GM crop/weed, due to the GM crop spreading outside the crop field and interacting with natural weed and slowly becoming GM weed. Since GM crops are produced to be resistant to pesticides and herbicides, there is the possibility that they could invade wild grasslands and other places and prosper because of these special characteristics. If this happened, the native grasses would be unable to compete and biodiversity would be lost in these regions. Also, many genetically engineered crops contain anti-viral genes and there is the potential that these genes could combine to form new and dangerous strains of viruses, which could destroy specific crops. Although, to date, there is no direct evidence of these occurring naturally, the potential is clearly increasing (UK Agricultural Biodiversity Coalition. What is happening to Agricultural Biodiversity?). The second way in which the biodiversity of a region is potentially affected is by the decreasing crop varieties that are being planted. This is a problem already existing in agriculture today, and results in a loss of genetic variety within crop cultures. Farmers being forced to use only patented seeds are an example of a potential decrease in biodiversity. If traditional seed varieties are used, farmers will be at a financial disadvantage due to better tasting, better looking crops produced by farmers using GM seeds. In the U.S., and some other countries, laws have been passed and are currently in effect stating that the use of non-patented seeds is prohibited. This will restrict the crops to a few species, leaving them more at risk to new pests that may form (UK Agricultural Biodiversity Coalition. What are the underlying causes of the Losses of Agricultural Biodiversity?). The European community is by far the most anti-GM, so to speak, when it comes to the retail of GM food in their supermarkets (Tackling Food Safety Concerns over GMO’s, Consumer attitudes and decision-making with regard to genetically modified food products). Regulations are being imposed on the European Parliament, individual European nations, and some stores themselves have all imposed restrictions on GM foods. Manufacturers must label all foods that might have genetically altered ingredients. This includes food with genetically manufactured organisms, food with an intentionally modified molecular structure, and food that has been isolated for microorganisms, fungi, and algae. Furthermore, the genetically altered food must not mislead the consumer, present any danger to the consumer, or differ from the food that it is intended to replace so that the altered food is a nutritional disadvantage to the consumer (Tackling Food Safety Concerns over GMO’s, Development of meth ods to identify foods produced by means of genetic engineering). This legislation has now created trade barriers for food coming into Europe – some imported food is genetically modified and creates a risk to the people’s health and safety. Nevertheless, because some supermarkets in Europe have decided to be non-GM only, this has created a competitive disadvantage for the â€Å"half†-GM supermarkets. This response to consumer pressure is also having an effect on some companies or countries that cannot meet the legislative needs, and are obliged to lose markets and/or market shares (Tackling Food Safety Concerns over GMO’s, European network safety assessment of genetically modified food crops). If the world finally agrees to the consumption of GM food, European countries will be the last to â€Å"give-in† to the more lenient regulations. If one is to ask a North American if the product he or she is eating contains GM food, he or she will most likely show a blank stare. This is because regulation of GM food in North America is relatively relaxed when compared to Europe (Borger, second paragraph). Since the manufacturer is not required to label their products, the consumer is oblivious to buying GM food at the supermarket. Agriculture and technology are both being heavily invested in the United States. Profit is an important driving force for the developed world, and agricultural exports make up a large portion of exports from the United States (Borger, third paragraph). Since the demand for food is always increasing, the demand to produce more food at a faster rate requires the need for better biotechnology to be put into practice. And because of the lax laws in effect for the United States, and Canada, North Americans are â€Å"in the dark† with regards to what they are eating during their meals. North Americans are not educated about the risks of GM food, nor are they aware of where to find information regarding how much GM food is in their groceries (Borger, 12th paragraph). This poses a serious threat to the potential health of North Americans, as they are nothing but â€Å"lab rats† waiting for their first abnormal â€Å"twitch†. Human health can be seen as the greatest factor when considering the manufacturing of GM food. This is because of the few diseases and viruses that have been discovered which formed through the use of GM food. Also, the potential for new diseases and/or viruses through the use of GM food is increasing, and people are not aware of the risks. Antibiotics or pesticides have not yet been created to combat the superbug, and this is a concern for humans, as it will infect people, and crops altogether. There is a potential for the biodiversity to decrease because of gene transfers from one species to another, creating more powerful crops, which may take over the natural populations of weeds and grasslands. An additional way for the biodiversity to decrease is by farmers planting only a single variety of crop, thus wiping out the varied species needed to keep the diversity within crop fields. Europeans are the most aware of GM food, and are taking the necessary precautions and legislative actions to protect themselves against the use of GM food. However, North Americans are the least aware of GM food, and their government has not yet educated their citizens on the risks of GM food. There are too many risks involved in the use of GM food, and its removal from the agricultural and biotechnological industries will benefit human health, the environment, and global economy.