A Life Lesson from My Grandma Essay Example for Free

A Life Lesson from My Grandma Essay The tears rolled down profusely as I held the telephone receiver in my hand. My aunt was still on the other end, demanding that I immediately rush over to Grandma Mary’s house. At this instant, my gut instinct responded by tightening up indicating that something was definitely wrong. And it was only then; memories of her youthful days flashed across my mind, reminding me of her mantra, â€Å"You must never allow anyone to steal your joy†. And it appeared as if she was standing right beside me, but I knew it was just a fragment of my imagination. I confirmed there and then to myself, I recognized now that I had lost someone, but I would have something with me for life, the value of unconditional love my grandma often displayed amongst her family and her neighbors by extension, and she would always reiterate how much she wanted it to live on. Granny Mary was like a female Goliath. Blessed with a dark chocolate skin tone, moles and wrinkles canvassed her face which we often referred to as the storylines of her life. But the positivity she gave off could connect a grounded wire on a cold winter night. How she did it, she alone knew. I remember her making ends meet, and providing food for her family after two failed marriages. As the other half of her twin, Uncle John would pay his sister to do his laundry, cook his food and maintain the downstairs of the home which he occupied. And yes, pretty amazing how this money brought up six kids and assisted my sister and I as the two first grandchildren in the family. Not only did she raise her grand kids, but the entire neighborhood’s children were taken care of by â€Å"Aunty Mary† also, a name she would always be remembered by. I can still recall how many days the neighbor’s kids will come without food or clothes, but when they left, their tummies were filled, and late evening shower already taken. We would all surround granny as she read a bible story and explained the role of each person mentioned in the  bible. It was as if her joy was ensuring that all children were always happy and knew the value of love. And yes, this stood out most, because to this day, I share the same sentiments when dealing with my daughter and my niece, or all children I interact with on a daily basis. To this day, I could count the number of times I saw a toothy smile on her almost daunting face, after that late December afternoon when the hospital called to say my Uncle Brian passed away after being involved in a motor vehicular accident on the Solomon Hochoy Highway. She continued to emphasize that we were totally in control of our own happiness, and we should live life to the fullest always displaying love and making sure all is well with our soul as we never know when the good Lord will call us home. I remembered her kneeling to pray with her every night before we go to bed. She embedded that prayer was the answer to every problem you can ever encounter in this life and happiness is within one’s self. Grandma Mary would often have us assist her when she picked peas or fed the chickens in the backyard. We watched the chickens developed from baby chicks to mealtime. And yes, we’d joke about it when it was time to catch them to have grandma prepare some great soul f ood for us. In April 2012, I was able to display the said qualities Grandma Mary embedded in us. I gave birth to a still born baby boy, and all I saw after giving birth, was my grand-mother’s face. How she’d often say God is ever to wise to make a mistake, and God sees what we don’t. Although I didn’t want to hear that at that time of grief, I clearly remembered dreaming her one night, giving me confirmation that all would be well, and continue to love and have faith in God. And as I thought about her the morning after I was discharged from the hospital, I made hot cocoa, and the aroma took me back to twenty years ago when my grandmother was alive. We’d wake up to the aroma of hot cocoa and her favorite Jim Reeve would be blasting through the house, â€Å"If heaven’s not my home, then Lord what will I do?† And it was as if she strengthened me to look forward and not regret. I remembered her mantra, and I did not allow the death of my son to steal my joy. I still had my daughter to brighten up my days, and prayers assisted me in trusting and believing that God had better plans for me. As an individual, I can associate part of my grandmother’s journey to that of mine. No mother comes on this earth with the intentions of having to bury their own child, but all in all, life has to go on. And not just go on, but I am in control of my own joy. The qualities she left us with have continued to reign throughout my family, and every time I sit to tell a story about Grandma Mary, I can safely associate her with love, faith and God. The aroma of hot cocoa today brings a smile on my face, and each time I hear a Jim Reeve play, I’ll see her wrinkled face. There is no greater joy in having a loved one live on although they are no longer with us in body. I am one hundred percent guaranteed she is indeed happy with the positive value we continue to display. And the deep voice ringing through my head, â€Å"You must never allow anyone to steal your joy†.

Using Technology for Research and Learning in the Field of Education Es

Using Technology for Research and Learning in the Field of Education In the last decade technology has expanded greatly. Now, we can order movie tickets, make reservations, and even listen to music without ever leaving the comfort of our own homes. But technology tools are not only used for entertainment purposes. These tools also help us learn and explore new things. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of technology tools as they apply to learning and research within education. Tools for Teaching and Learning The computer is a very important tool used in education. â€Å"During the past three decades, computers have become the most talked about, written about, and ubiquitous machines ever to be imposed upon mankind.†( Rockart, 1995, p. 55). The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) is said to be the first computer. It was a â€Å"huge machine having thousands of vacuum tubes and consuming vast amounts of electrical power.† ( Merrill, 1996, p.54). By the early 1970’s, the regular computer was invented. Around the same time, something called the Internet emerged. The Internet is a worldwide network. It connects LAN’s, WAN’s, and other regional networks from all over the world together into one global network. Recently, the Internet has become very popular. It was predicted in 1996 that by the year 2000, most universities and many homes would have Internet connections. (Merrill, 1996). This prediction was correct. By linking a computer to t he Internet, one can gain access to a wide variety of additional resources and services. One can send e-mail, access electronic boards, and obtain a huge amount of information from different databases. Using e-mail greatly benefits students. With access t... ...ing. Retrieved October 8, 2001 from: http://ccaat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/teachdemo/teachdemo.html. Questia launches student research and paper-writing service. (2001). Information Today, 18, 34. Retrieved October 7, 2001 from Academic Search Premier Rockart, J. F., & Morton, M. S. (1995). Computers and the Learning Process in Higher Education. Berkeley, CA: McGraw- Hill. Scott, E. (2001). Using the internet, online services, and CD-ROMS for writing research and term papers. Book Report, 19, 80. Retrieved October 7, 2001 from Academic Search Premier. Schank, R.C., & Cleary, C. (1995). Engines for Education. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. Wilkes, D. (2001). Turning Math into a Positive Experience via Tech Tools. Media & Methods, 37, 185-204. Retrieved September 29, 2001 from Academic Search Premier.

Metabolism and Word Niacin

When you hear the word Niacin, what does it mean to you? What about Vitamin B3? You may have seen them on the back of cereal boxes, energy drinks or even in your daily multivitamin. Well they are in fact one in the same. However vitamin B3 comes in two different forms, nicotinic acid or Niacin and nicotinamide, while nicotinamide is a vitamin it does not have the same practical uses as Niacin. ,,,, Today I am going to tell you a little about the history, biological uses, sources and the consequences of an overdose or deficiency in Niacin. As a Biology major I think it is vital to stress the importance of getting the suggested daily dose of Niacin. But first let’s discuss the history of Niacin. ,,,,, According to vitamin-basics. com, the structure of Niacin was first described by the Austrian chemist, Hugo Weidel in 1873 at the Vienna University of Technology, while studying the reaction of nicotine with nitric acid. Although the product of this reaction, Niacin, was already known Weidel was the first to person to isolate large enough quantities to determine the properties of the material. ,,,, In 1937 a Norwegian emigrant living in Wisconsin by the name of Conrad Elvehjem, extracted and identified a molecule found in the liver as a new vitamin now called niacin. He referred to this vitamin as the â€Å"pellagra-preventing factor†. His isolation of this vitamin directly lead to the cure of pellagra, a disease I will discuss a little later. Now because of nicotinic acid’s new found importance it was though appropriate to come up with a new name. ,,,,, The name, as shown here, comes from combining specific letters in nicotinic acid and vitamin.Muscular System: Muscle Metabolism Now that we've covered some history, I'd like to take a look at some of the uses of Niacin. ,,,,, Niacin along with other B vitamins help our bodies metabolize fats and protein, as well as maintain healthy skin, eyes, hair and liver. They also help the nervous system function properly. ,,,,, Niacin is the precursor to NAD+/NADH and NADP+/NADPH which are essential electron carriers involved in several metabolic pathways including glycolysis and the Citric acid cycle. ,,,,, As you may remember from your high school biology courses, glycolysis, the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain are responsible for creating ATP which is our body’s main energy source. Niacin also plays an important role in DNA repair as well as steroidal hormone production from the adrenal glands. ,,,,,, As a prescription, Niacin is prescribed in quantities ranging from 500mg to 5000mg. Niacin is most commonly used to treat high cholesterol and it does so by lowering your LDL or â€Å"bad† cholesterol and increasing your HDL or â€Å"good† cholesterol. Because Niacin reduces your LDL and increases your HDL it also helps prevent atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries when coupled with other medication. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Niacin is also being tested for the possible treatment and/or prevention of diabetes types one and two as well as for osteoarthritis and Alzheimer’s disease. High doses of Niacin can have its drawbacks so it is crucial to speak to your doctor if at all interested in exploring these avenues of treatment. Now that we have an idea as to what Niacin can do, you may be asking: what are some common sources of Niacin? ,,,,, Well, Niacin can be found in a wide variety of foods including: liver, chicken, fish, milk, eggs, nuts, whole grain products and mushrooms among others. But food is not the only source of Niacin. ,,,,, Many multivitamins have Niacin including centrum, which contains 100 percent of the suggest daily value or 20mg. ,,,,, But, probably the most common source of Niacin amongst today’s youth is energy drinks, including red bull and 5 hour energy. In fact 5 hour energy has between 30 to 40mg of Niacin, which is way more than the average person requires. ,,,,, The suggest daily value of Niacin as per the united states department of agriculture is as follows: children 6 to 8 mg per day, for adult males 16mg per day, adult females 14 mg per day, pregnant women 18 mg per day and breastfeeding women 17 mg per day. Now that we know how much Niacin we should be getting daily, let’s look at what happens when we get too much or not enough. ,,,,,, Niacin flush is a distinct redness of the skin caused by the overconsumption of Niacin. This skin flush is often accompanied by itching, dry skin and skin rashes including eczema. Niacin flush typically lasts 15 to 30 minutes as Niacin is water soluble and is thus easily removed from the body through urine. However, not everyone who overdoes on Niacin will experience these symptoms at all. Niacin flush can be minimized or avoided completely by taking 300mg of aspirin, approximately one tablet, half an hour before taking Niacin, taking one tablet of ibuprofen per day or by taking the Niacin with a meal. ,,,,,, On the other hand a chronic lack of Niacin can result in Pellagra. The most common reasons for this Niacin deficiency are dietary or the result of another disorder, such as Hartnup’s disease which is a hereditary disease that affects the intestines and kidneys, making it difficult for the body to break down and absorb tryptophan, the amino acid required for Niacin synthesis. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid meaning it must be ingested; it cannot be produced within the body. Pellagra is a disease that was first described in Spain in 1937. Characteristically the victims of Pellagra suffer from what is known as â€Å"the four Ds† which are: diarrhea, dermatitis or skin lesions, dementia and death. As previously mentioned the isolation of nicotinic acid in 1937 lead to the eradication of Pellagra in the following years in the form of oral niacin supplements. There are still some future applications of Niacin in the medical field that have not been fully explored. In the past several minutes you have listened to me talk about the history, some sources of Niacin, how we as people use Niacin on a daily bases as well as the consequences of a Niacin overdose or deficiency. I really hope you learned something new from all of this and maybe the next time you see your doctor you can discuss how Niacin can best help you.

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