I'm at Pratt Institute at my campus at a seminar about blogs and wiki's. Just saying hello and hope everyone is well.
Kyle
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Monday, June 9, 2008
Neighborhood Project Checklist
Project Due: Wed. June 11th
❑ 6-10 PHOTOS taken by you
❑ MAP OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
❑ 1 INTERVIEW
❑ ESSAY / VIDEO with 4 sections:
❑ WORKS CITED PAGE
❑ 4 SOURCES minimum (including interview)
NOTE: must include other sources besides just interviews
EXTRA CREDIT!!
• Powerpoint
• More than one interview
• A typed transcript of the interview
❑ 6-10 PHOTOS taken by you
❑ MAP OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
❑ 1 INTERVIEW
❑ ESSAY / VIDEO with 4 sections:
- History
- Demographics
- Economy/Business Community
- Your Choice (i.e. a place, person, event, or issue that has impacted the community)
❑ 4 SOURCES minimum (including interview)
NOTE: must include other sources besides just interviews
EXTRA CREDIT!!
• Powerpoint
• More than one interview
• A typed transcript of the interview
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Works Cited Guides
If you're having trouble remembering (and/or lost the various sheets I handed out this year) how to do a works cited page... check out these sites for clear instructions & examples:
Note: These sites basically contain the same information. I prefer the University of Arizona site (shout out to Andy Hoffman!!), which is very clearly laid out. However, the C.W. Post site has a pretty nice color-coded scheme, if you're into that sort of thing.
Note: These sites basically contain the same information. I prefer the University of Arizona site (shout out to Andy Hoffman!!), which is very clearly laid out. However, the C.W. Post site has a pretty nice color-coded scheme, if you're into that sort of thing.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
How to Cite an Interview in MLA Format
1. For a works cited entry, format as follows:
NOTE: For a telephone interview, write “Telephone interview” in place of “Personal interview.”
Lastname, Firstname. Type of interview. Day Month Year. Ex: Hawking, Stephen W. Personal interview. 6 June 1990. |
NOTE: For a telephone interview, write “Telephone interview” in place of “Personal interview.”
2. For an in-text citation, format as follows:
(Lastname)
Ex: Black holes emit radiation (Hawking). |
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Neighborhood Project
Due Date: Wednesday June 11th
OVERVIEW: This assignment asks you to research any neighborhood in New York. You will be trying to find out as much as you can about the social, political, economic, and geographic character of the neighborhood.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
ESSAY/DOCUMENTARY FORMAT:
I. INTRO
II. BODY
III. CONCLUSION
IV. WORKS CITED (at least 4 sources including the interview)
NOTE: The essay must have proper citations any time you state a fact that you learned from another source. For example:
OVERVIEW: This assignment asks you to research any neighborhood in New York. You will be trying to find out as much as you can about the social, political, economic, and geographic character of the neighborhood.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
- 1 interview with a resident, business owner, or politician from the neighborhood (extra credit if you interview more than one person)
- 1 list of interview questions (must be turned in before you conduct the interview)
- 6-10 photographs of the neighborhood
- 1 essay or documentary film on the neighborhood (see below for directions)
ESSAY/DOCUMENTARY FORMAT:
I. INTRO
II. BODY
a. History of the neighborhood: name, boundaries, landmarks, map
b. Demographics: ethnic, religious, and economic character/statistics
c. Business/Industry in the neighborhood
PLUS ONE of the FOLLOWING:
• Government, community, and charity organizations
• Political character of neighborhood
• Public space: parks, schools, transportation
III. CONCLUSION
IV. WORKS CITED (at least 4 sources including the interview)
NOTE: The essay must have proper citations any time you state a fact that you learned from another source. For example:
In 1846, the Hamilton Avenue Ferry opened in order to ship goods from the Red Hook docks and factories back to Manhattan (Lockwood 216).
RESEARCH TIPS
IN PERSON:
- Walk around the neighborhood as if you’re seeing it for the first time. What do you notice?
- Ask a librarian for help at the New York Historical Society, the Brooklyn Historical Society, or Queens Historical Society
- Ask a librarian for help at your local branch of the public library
- Visit the Brooklyn Collection at the Brooklyn Public Library
- For info on Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island, visit the Long Island Division of the Queens Public Library
ONLINE:
- NYC.gov Neighborhood Maps and Profiles
- NYC.gov Community Health Profiles
- NYC.gov My Neighborhood Statistics
- Search the New York Daily News
- Search the New York Times
- Search the New York Post
- Do not use Wikipedia.org as source in your paper, but feel free to use it to get links to other sites/sources by looking at the “References” or "Notes" section at the bottom of the page
Monday, May 5, 2008
The State of Health Care in the United States
As we enter the twenty-first century, it is easy to argue that Americans have access to the best health care in the world. Technological advances, the vast majority of which are developed in the United States, make diagnosis and treatment more effective. Life expectancies have increased, and people’s lives are healthier in their later years. More and more communities now have access to sophisticated medical technology.
However, there are some disturbing trends in American health care that taint this rosy picture. Health care costs, overall, are increasing. U.S. health expenditure grew 14.6 percent in 2002 alone. That rate is expected to repeat itself over the next several years. Outpatient care and prescription drugs have led the way in cost increases, but the increased use of new technologies also contributes. Another important cause of rising costs is the aging of the American population. Older people require more – and more expensive – health care.
Higher costs of health care lead to higher insurance premiums. As a result, more employers are unwilling or unable to offer health insurance to their employees. The number of employees covered by health insurance dropped 4 percent between 2000–2004 to 60 percent. And those still offered insurance through their employment are paying higher premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. Employee-paid premiums rose about 60 percent between 2000–2004, and are expected to continue to rise more than 12 percent per year for the foreseeable future.
Fifteen percent of Americans, 43.6 million people, do not have health insurance and must either pay medical expenses themselves or rely on the health care system to absorb their costs. In turn, those who cannot pay raise costs for those who are insured. Those uninsured also are less likely to seek care and, as a result, are sicker and, thus, more costly when they do get treatment.
How did the American health care system get where it is today?
In 2000, 69 percent of all health insurance coverage for those under 65 was provided through employment-based programs. An employment-based program is a benefit provided to workers allowing them to obtain health insurance at no cost or reduced cost from an insurance company that has contracted with the employer. These programs generally offer lower premiums than individuals could find independently since the insurer offers group rates, thus spreading the risk.
Employment-based health insurance programs began in the early 1900s. Companies saw the programs as a means to provide non-wage benefits to employees and to improve the health and productivity of their workforce. During World War II, when the National War Labor Board enacted a wage freeze, employers expanded employment-based health insurance coverage as a way to attract and retain workers during the labor shortage of wartime.
In the 1950s post-war era, the number of employment-based programs continued to grow. In 1954, employer contributions to health plans were excluded from taxation by the federal government. Further, it was enacted that workers’ health benefits were not subject to federal income or Social Security taxes, thus giving workers a tax-free benefit, preferably, in many cases, to a wage increase.
These decisions established the provision of health care coverage in the United States to be a private good. A private good is a good that is produced and consumed by individuals through interaction in the marketplace. This path differed from most other industrialized countries that chose to treat health care as a public good, one that is produced by government to provide all citizens with some form of government-based health care program.
The private provision of health care insurance in the U.S. was modified during the Great Society era, in 1965, with the passage of Medicare and Medicaid legislation. These programs established the provision of some health care insurance as a public good. Medicare is government-provided health insurance for Americans over 65 years old, regardless of income, and Medicaid provides health care coverage for low-income Americans. In 2000, 14 percent of all health insurance coverage in the U.S. was provided by federal and state governments.
What effect has the current U.S. health care system had on the health care market?
The reliance on private insurance to pay for health care has led to a disconnect between buyers and sellers in the market for health care. Insurance companies act as a third party in the market, in the sense that consumers (patients) do not directly pay the cost of health care to the suppliers (doctors and hospitals).
Consumers who pay relatively small and capped costs have little incentive to seek lower prices for health care. If insurance covers the visit and the patient pays only a $20 or so co-pay, why would the patient care what the total bill is? Many argue this leads to overconsumption of health care services. Because Americans demand so many goods and services, they drive up health care costs.
Suppliers who are paid by insurance companies often have an incentive to provide more health care than is necessary. If insurance covers a test and protects a doctor or hospital from malpractice lawsuits, why would a doctor or hospital care what the total bill is? It can be argued that this mindset leads to over-supply and helps to drive up the cost of health care. The case can then be made that Americans consume and supply too much health care for the insured, thus driving up costs. On the other side of the coin, there are millions who have no or limited access to health care, which also drives up costs.
Consider a final note. Inefficiency in the current system drives up costs, as suppliers of health care attempt to deal with a large number of insurance companies, each of which has its own rules, regulations, and paperwork. An advantage is that the large number of health insurance companies offers the consumer choices. The downside is that the vast number of vendors creates unnecessary costs.
How can the United States reform the current health care system?
The answer to this question depends on whether you see health care as a private or public good. Most experts agree that not all Americans will be able to have access to all the health care they want. How then should society decide? Should the decision be based on the provision of health care as a private good in the market, tempered by the laws of supply and demand? Or, should health care be a public good, provided to all by government?
State of Health Care Q’s: Answer the following questions in complete sentences
1. What are three aspects of the health care costs have increased most in recent years?
2. What is employment-based insurance and how did it come about?
3. What is happening to employment-based insurance today?
4. What is the difference between a private good and a public good?
5. In what ways have consumers driven up the cost of health care?
6. In what ways have producers driven up the cost of health care?
7. What role has inefficiency played in driving up the cost of health care?
However, there are some disturbing trends in American health care that taint this rosy picture. Health care costs, overall, are increasing. U.S. health expenditure grew 14.6 percent in 2002 alone. That rate is expected to repeat itself over the next several years. Outpatient care and prescription drugs have led the way in cost increases, but the increased use of new technologies also contributes. Another important cause of rising costs is the aging of the American population. Older people require more – and more expensive – health care.
Higher costs of health care lead to higher insurance premiums. As a result, more employers are unwilling or unable to offer health insurance to their employees. The number of employees covered by health insurance dropped 4 percent between 2000–2004 to 60 percent. And those still offered insurance through their employment are paying higher premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. Employee-paid premiums rose about 60 percent between 2000–2004, and are expected to continue to rise more than 12 percent per year for the foreseeable future.
Fifteen percent of Americans, 43.6 million people, do not have health insurance and must either pay medical expenses themselves or rely on the health care system to absorb their costs. In turn, those who cannot pay raise costs for those who are insured. Those uninsured also are less likely to seek care and, as a result, are sicker and, thus, more costly when they do get treatment.
How did the American health care system get where it is today?
In 2000, 69 percent of all health insurance coverage for those under 65 was provided through employment-based programs. An employment-based program is a benefit provided to workers allowing them to obtain health insurance at no cost or reduced cost from an insurance company that has contracted with the employer. These programs generally offer lower premiums than individuals could find independently since the insurer offers group rates, thus spreading the risk.
Employment-based health insurance programs began in the early 1900s. Companies saw the programs as a means to provide non-wage benefits to employees and to improve the health and productivity of their workforce. During World War II, when the National War Labor Board enacted a wage freeze, employers expanded employment-based health insurance coverage as a way to attract and retain workers during the labor shortage of wartime.
In the 1950s post-war era, the number of employment-based programs continued to grow. In 1954, employer contributions to health plans were excluded from taxation by the federal government. Further, it was enacted that workers’ health benefits were not subject to federal income or Social Security taxes, thus giving workers a tax-free benefit, preferably, in many cases, to a wage increase.
These decisions established the provision of health care coverage in the United States to be a private good. A private good is a good that is produced and consumed by individuals through interaction in the marketplace. This path differed from most other industrialized countries that chose to treat health care as a public good, one that is produced by government to provide all citizens with some form of government-based health care program.
The private provision of health care insurance in the U.S. was modified during the Great Society era, in 1965, with the passage of Medicare and Medicaid legislation. These programs established the provision of some health care insurance as a public good. Medicare is government-provided health insurance for Americans over 65 years old, regardless of income, and Medicaid provides health care coverage for low-income Americans. In 2000, 14 percent of all health insurance coverage in the U.S. was provided by federal and state governments.
What effect has the current U.S. health care system had on the health care market?
The reliance on private insurance to pay for health care has led to a disconnect between buyers and sellers in the market for health care. Insurance companies act as a third party in the market, in the sense that consumers (patients) do not directly pay the cost of health care to the suppliers (doctors and hospitals).
Consumers who pay relatively small and capped costs have little incentive to seek lower prices for health care. If insurance covers the visit and the patient pays only a $20 or so co-pay, why would the patient care what the total bill is? Many argue this leads to overconsumption of health care services. Because Americans demand so many goods and services, they drive up health care costs.
Suppliers who are paid by insurance companies often have an incentive to provide more health care than is necessary. If insurance covers a test and protects a doctor or hospital from malpractice lawsuits, why would a doctor or hospital care what the total bill is? It can be argued that this mindset leads to over-supply and helps to drive up the cost of health care. The case can then be made that Americans consume and supply too much health care for the insured, thus driving up costs. On the other side of the coin, there are millions who have no or limited access to health care, which also drives up costs.
Consider a final note. Inefficiency in the current system drives up costs, as suppliers of health care attempt to deal with a large number of insurance companies, each of which has its own rules, regulations, and paperwork. An advantage is that the large number of health insurance companies offers the consumer choices. The downside is that the vast number of vendors creates unnecessary costs.
How can the United States reform the current health care system?
The answer to this question depends on whether you see health care as a private or public good. Most experts agree that not all Americans will be able to have access to all the health care they want. How then should society decide? Should the decision be based on the provision of health care as a private good in the market, tempered by the laws of supply and demand? Or, should health care be a public good, provided to all by government?
State of Health Care Q’s: Answer the following questions in complete sentences
1. What are three aspects of the health care costs have increased most in recent years?
2. What is employment-based insurance and how did it come about?
3. What is happening to employment-based insurance today?
4. What is the difference between a private good and a public good?
5. In what ways have consumers driven up the cost of health care?
6. In what ways have producers driven up the cost of health care?
7. What role has inefficiency played in driving up the cost of health care?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Stock Market Game
Log in to your team's account at http://www.stockmarketgame.org
Make sure everything is entered in uppercase letters.
Once you login, you can change your password if you want. Just click the link on the bottom of the screen.
You should then begin your company research on at least 3 companies, using the worksheet given out in class. You can click the link at the top of the screen which says investor research in order to begin.
You can also use the following links to complete your research:
http://finance.google.com/finance?hl=en&tab=we
http://www.thestreet.com/
http://finance.yahoo.com/
http://www.hoovers.com/free/
Make sure everything is entered in uppercase letters.
Once you login, you can change your password if you want. Just click the link on the bottom of the screen.
You should then begin your company research on at least 3 companies, using the worksheet given out in class. You can click the link at the top of the screen which says investor research in order to begin.
You can also use the following links to complete your research:
http://finance.google.com/finance?hl=en&tab=we
http://www.thestreet.com/
http://finance.yahoo.com/
http://www.hoovers.com/free/
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