Exploring Military Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exploring Military Education - Assignment Example He asserts that military education should equip soldiers to be effective defenders of the USA as well as the effective defenders of the American interest and its partners around the world. This article is credible because it is written by a professor who has deep knowledge of the military education. Professor Joan Johnson-Freese is also the former chair of national Security Affairs at the war college, Newport in the Department of Defense Alfred, M. V., &Nafukho, F. M. (2010). International and Comparative Adult and Continuing Education. In C. E. Kasworm, A. D. Rose, & J. M. Ross-Gordon (Eds.) Handbook Of Adult And Continuing Education (Pp. 93–102). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Bezacie Gerard. (2004). Synergy Between Doctrine, Training And Military Education Military education helps the soldiers to be equipped with the general knowledge since just like any other human activity; war is subject to changes and greatly depends on the choices made during a particular period . Military education also assists the soldiers to solve issues with strict intellectual discipline thus enhancing decision making process as well as equipping and preparing the future commanders in their new roles. This article is credible since it is a publication by the military experts and professionals Kerka, Sandra. (2002). ACVE - Teaching Adults: Is It Different? Eric Publications. Sandra Kerka asserts that adult learning are based on problems and challenges hence emphasizing the need for critical and transformative learning unlike the children’s learning which is dependent and lacks life experience. Adults are likely to be self directive and greatly motivational thus making it possible for soldiers to understand the concepts and importance of the military education. This article is credible because it is peer reviewed and backed by very rich primary resources from professionals such as Drapper, Guffey and Ramp. The article is also published by educational resources inf ormation centre which is a renowned publisher Smit, H., Den Oudendammer, F., Kats, E., & Van Lakerveld, J. (2009). Lifelong Learning on Either Side of the Border: The Effects of Government Policy on Adult Education In The Netherlands And Belgium.European Journal Of Education,  44(2), 257-270. A country’s adult education is dependent on various factors such as historical, cultural and economical and differs in many countries. For instance, in Netherlands, vocational training is emphasized amongst adults just like in Belgium where it is greatly supported too. This article is peer reviewed and scholarly. It is also credible because it has other reliable sources cited in it Maric, L., Krsmanovic, B., Mraovic, T., Gogic, A., Sente, J., & Smajic, M. (2013). The Effectiveness Of Physical Education Of The Military Academy Cadets During A 4-Year Study.  Vojnosanitetski Pregled. Military-Medical and Pharmaceutical Review,  70(1), 16-20. Maric et al studied the main role of physic al education in the cadets’ life and their general personality development by evaluating the effectiveness of physical education. Physical education somewhat develops physical skills but through endurance, strength and speed. This resource is primary since it involves research thus proving its credibility. This study was carried out in the Military academy with a total of 120

Philosophy of Morality by David Hume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Philosophy of Morality by David Hume - Essay Example The present research has identified that according to Hume, we naturally approve of actions and qualities which we find either immediately agreeable or useful. Wit and eloquence are examples of the former; industry and honesty are examples of the latter. Although these sentiments of approbation and blame arise internally; they are by no means primarily self-centered or relative to each individual. Hume avoids these pitfalls by suggesting that human beings possess a general feeling of sympathy. Not to be confused with universal benevolence or generosity, sympathy allows us to share in the happiness and misery of those around us. Hume contends that the "minds of all men are not similar in their feelings and operations, nor can anyone be actuated by any affection, of which all others are not, in some degree, susceptible. As in strings equally wound up, the motion of one communicates itself to the rest; so all the affections readily pass from one person to another, and beget corresponden t movements in every human creature". In his more mature writings, Hume describes this sympathetic impulse as a sentiment of humanity. He points out that the very notion of morals implies some "sentiment common to all mankind, which recommends the same object to general approbation, and makes every man, or most men, agree in the same opinion or decision concerning it. It also implies some sentiment, so universal and comprehensive as to extend to all mankind and render the actions and conduct, even of the persons the most remote, an object of applause or censure, according to as they agree or disagree with that rule of right which is established. Without this ability to appeal to common sentiment, to recognize the fundamental likeness of human beings, man would be nothing but a "fancied monster," indifferent to others and totally incapable of making regular moral judgments. It is this sympathetic impulse, this shared sentiment of humanity that serves as the foundation of all moral co ncord. Although the sentiment of humanity is "kneaded into our frame" and diffused so widely that "no man is absolutely indifferent to the happiness and misery of others", Hume is well aware that human beings do not live in conditions of universal benevolence and amity. His History of England is filled with examples of callousness, cruelty, and moral confusion. However, Hume avoids this apparent contradiction by suggesting that our sentiment of humanity is frighteningly fragile and can be perverted by external factors. Although the most prevalent and powerful of these factors is religion, it would be a serious mistake to conclude that Hume considers all forms of religion morally destructive. While some religions--those described by Hume as superstitious or enthusiastic--tend to undermine the common sentiment of humanity, Hume recognizes that religion is sometimes capable of promoting our recognition of similitude and bolstering the fragile moral sense. It is the latter species of re ligion that Hume recommends for the public establishment.

How Do Critical Perspectives On Crime Differ From Traditional Essay Example for Free

How Do Critical Perspectives On Crime Differ From Traditional Essay Critical perspectives on crime differ from other perspectives in that they focus on ways people and institutions respond to crime and criminals. Critical perspectives are often called social reaction theories. The different theories covered under critical perspectives include Labeling theory, Conflict and radical theory and feminist theory. Labeling theory states that deviance is not the act itself that a person commits; a deviant label will lead us to be more deviant. Labeling theory is one of the most significant perspectives in the study of criminology. Amongst these theories is the labeling theory which is one of the most significant theories studied. Labeling theory adopts a relativist’s definition, by assuming that nothing about a given behavior automatically makes it deviant. While traditional theories accept the accuracy of official labeling such as the arrest and prosecution, Labeling theory challenges the view and says some people’s behavior is more likely to be labeled deviant than others. Conflict and Radical theories take up where labeling theory leaves off. They argue that law is only controlled by the powerful and that they are often preserved by the dominant, unlike traditional theories that promote the law and stress the positive aspects of it. One area inspired by feminist work is often called gender-ratio; it is the study of female rates is so much lower than male’s rates in violent crimes. Within the feminist theories we have victimization, differences in crimes, Gender Differences, Masculinity. A great deal of focus is spotlighted on masculinity of crimes. Researchers argue that in order to reduce crime men must be socialized more and male dominance must be illuminated. It was noted in Chapter 3 that we already do a good job of raising our girls not to be criminals, however how can we implement this into the masculine side of things. Masculinity and crime is the significant focus of the work of gender-ratio issues. The problem according to sociologists is that crime is essentially a male issue and we need to figure out how we get to it being much less of an issue. Most crimes against women are either produced as a crime against a weaker person or a crime because the criminal is the dominant one. It seems to be a double edge sword. Power-Control theory explains the level of female criminality by examining the gender process of families. It highlights the roles played by women and men in perspective to their class. Power Control theory looks at two primary sections, the first is Patriarchal households in which only the father works outside the home and the mother is left at home to care for the children. In this type of household boys learn the masculine roles and girls learn the feministic roles. The other is egalitarian, in which both the matriarch and patriarch works outside the home, therefore the guidance is not there to justify roles which tends to lead to delinquency in both gender children. Although most tests of Power control theory produce mixed results. Feministic theories show us just how unequal women are portrayed in law and society. The main issue with control theory is a mother’s occupational place vs. a father’s occupational place in the family. It focuses on the balance of power and control and how this affects the child’s preferences for risk taking. Criminal law divides murder and non-negligent manslaughter into four subgroups: first degree murder, second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. Some of the patterns described in our book include geographic patterns in which is chronicled with data statistics. It focuses on the different regions and shows the highest statistics in the South, with the Northeast and Midwest being low to mid. According to data the highest weapon used in homicides are handguns at 68 % with knives and blunt objects at 13%. Researchers say that the south is the highest percentage of crime due to the high temperature and crowded urban areas. According to our book (P200) an adequate explanation of homicide and aggravated assault must answer the following questions: Why does the United States have a higher homicide rate than any other industrial nation? This is answered by research that provides data that the United States has more inequality than other nations and thus this pro duces more crime. There is a vast difference between the rich and the poor. The other reason or answer given to this is that in the United States more handguns are owned, and since handguns are the major cause of homicides, this also contributes to the higher rates. Within the United States, why are homicide and aggravated assault rates highest in the urban areas? This is best answered with Social  disorganization, anomie and strain theory help explain why crime in general is higher in urban areas; this includes higher populations, denser areas of habitation, household overcrowding as well as dilapidated living conditions. There is also a chance of higher unemployment rates. Why do men commit almost all homicides and aggravated assaults? The masculinity theories were brought up in chapter 9, but this question is answered as this seems to be shaped in adolescence and the need for boys to grow up stronger and better than women who are looked upon as less dominant. Poverty also interacts with masculinity, the competitiveness in families and social groups. Why do African-Americans and other people of color have high rates of homicides and aggravated assault, both as offenders and victims? This question is explained in similar ways to those above. It has been a question full of hard emotions and personal opinions. It could also be construed as a racist or stereotypical question. Because it is such a touchy subject most researchers go about it in explaining how minorities have criminogenic structural and ecological factors which cause their crime rate to be higher. There is social disorganization stress, the stress of being deprived and discriminated against. Also listed are negative family and school experiences along with the peer pressure from other deviant youths that are common in the urban areas. All of these factors separate may not have much effect, but together it proves to be the perfect combination to put African Americans, especially y oung African Americans at a higher risk for crime. For which two types of violent crime are women’s rates of victimization much higher than men’s victimization rates? At what rates are women victimized for these crimes? Describe cultural myths supporting rape and battering that are discussed in the text Rape/sexual assault and domestic violence/violence committed by intimates are at the top of the list for crimes committed against women more than men. (P220) Our book states that women represented 89% of all sexual assault crimes and 79% of aggravated assaults. Many of the cultural myths are involved in overseas and third world countries which see women as possessions or less than worth compared to a man. In India, as well as Pakistan Dowry deaths which claim the lives of thousands of women are committed daily. These deaths are sanctioned as legal or usually overseen by law enforcement with payment. Dowry deaths are committed against  a bride by either a husband or the husband’s family because the bride’s dowry was not paid as it was supposed to be. Wartime rape and batteries is also high in other countries and often overlooked in the judicial system. Some of the myths involved in these victimizations include women â€Å"like† to be raped or they â€Å"ask† to be raped. Our book uses the opening scene in Gone With the Wind to express one of the many portrayals of women enjoying being sexually assaulted , she is whisked up-stairs against her will, and then is shown with a smile on her face in the morning. The other myth is that women ask to be raped by the way they dress or how they behave. This has been an excuse used by many, even today. The blame does not go on the abuser in these cases but looks at how the woman was behaving prior to the sexual assault. For domestic violence and assaults the women is again said to have â€Å"asked† for the beating by antagonizing the abuser. The woman is blamed for saying or doing something to anger the male and therefore deserved the beating or abuse they received. Women are also blamed because they do not leave the abuser when they have a chance to leave, nor do they press charges when they often have the chance to. Women normally do not leave abusive spouses because they are often the sole providers, women have children and often no money to leave or pay for housing anywhere or legal fees to divorce or put restraining orders on abusers.

Solar Energy What Will Save Our Earth Environmental Sciences Essay

Solar Energy What Will Save Our Earth Environmental Sciences Essay Around the world, everyone seems to have green on their minds. However, this isnt green as in money, this green deals with the green movement. The green movement was started by environmentalists, whose goal it was to make known we are damaging our earth and that we need to make changes to save it. The main focus of the green movement is to create alternative energy sources for the world to use instead of depleting our fossil fuel energy resources. With fossil fuels being non-renewable resources, we all must recognize the energy problem and work towards other options. Eric McLamb, in his online article on energys future today, states non-renewable fossil fuels were  formed from plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago and became buried way underneath the Earths surface where their remains collectively transformed into the combustible materials we use for fuel.  (McLamb, 1) Without our supply of fossil fuels, society would fail to exist as it does today. Our most common fossil fuels today are oil, coal and natural gas, giving us our heat and electricity. Eric McLamb continued on to state,  This means that fossil fuels, along with nuclear energy-a controversial, nonrenewable energy source- are supplying 93% of the worlds energy resources.  (McLamb, 1)   We obtain most of our fossil fuels through a mining process. During the various mining processes, the surrounding environment can be highly damaged. Numerous oil spills have occurring while mining, damaging large areas of our ocean ecosystems. In addition to damaging water, the mining of coal strips enormous pieces of land, destroying our land ecosystems. Our ecosystems are being destroyed, as well as our atmosphere. When burned, fossil fuels release large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide in turn contributes greatly towards our planets global warming epidemic, which then creates other issues. With global warming causing temperatures to rise, ice in places such as Antarctica, is melting causing ocean water to rise and negatively impact its surrounding ecosystems and other bodies of water.  Rising sea levels alone can impede processes ranging from settlement, agriculture and fishing both commercially and recreationally. Air pollution is also a direct r esult of the use of fossil fuels, resulting in smog and the degradation of human health and plant growth. (McLamb, 1)   By the year 2020, world energy consumption is projected to increase by 50% If the global consumption of renewable energy sources remains constant, the worlds available fossil fuel reserves will be consumed in 104 years or in the 22nd century.(McLamb, 1) With our non-renewable resources depleting and our population continually growing, the need for other energy sources will not be decreasing anywhere in the near future. The energy sources being considered today center around natural elements; wind, solar, and water energy sources. All of these sources are efficient, renewable, and healthy for our environment. For the purpose of this essay, I chose to focus strictly on solar energy. More specifically, I chose to focus on the benefits and detriments of solar energy on the U.S environmentally.  I strongly believe that the U.S. needs to make the switch to solar energy and would environmentally benefit from doing so. Solar energy is radiant energy from the sun, which is then harnessed and used to produce electricity. Solar energy began in the 7th century, using glass and the sun to make fire. Through the years the need for solar energy has increased and is used today to heat rooms, heat water, and generate electricity. In order to heat rooms and water, the radiant energy from the suns rays must be captured. It is difficult to capture rays because they are so spread out, the concentrations very dramatically. NEED, The National Energy Education Development Program, shares about how much solar energy that is available depends on  the time of day, the season of the year, and the clearness or cloudiness of the sky.  (Solar, 40) Once the energy is caught, it needs to be transformed into usable energy. The main processes to transform the rays into energy are photovoltaic, solar power towers or by burning biomass. Photovoltaic cells are the most common and efficient way to convert solar energy. An enthusiast, Marissa Schiff, states in her article Why the U.S. Should Rely More Heavily Upon Solar Energy, The photovoltaic effect occurs when sunlight is absorbed by the cells that are similar to computer chips. The solar energy in this instance gets the electrons moving by separating them from their atoms which allows the electrons to move through the material and thus creates electricity.(Schiff, 2) Silicon is the most common material used in photovoltaic cells and they are most efficiently used in rural settings. Another way to convert solar into energy is through solar power towers, also known as central receivers. Schiff continues on to address solar power towers that generate energy from sunlight because they concentrate solar energy onto a tower which has a receiver on the top that converts energy and creates steam.  (Schiff, 2) Solar power towers are ideally for more populated areas, such as large cities. Lastly, a common way to convert the harnessed energy is through the burning of biomass. Schiff states,  the biomass produces usable energy because it contains energy stored from the sun through the process of photosynthesis.  (Schiff, 2) The burning of the biomass releases heat, which in turn can heat up buildings and can be used to create steam to generate electricity. When speaking of solar power, people tend to think of the positive effects it has on our environment. However, there are many detriments when it comes to the existence of many solar power plants. For example, the Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement website states, All utility-scale solar energy facilities require relatively large areas for solar radiation collection when used to generate electricity at a commercial scale, and the large arrays of solar collectors may interfere with natural sunlight, rainfall, and drainage, which could have a variety of effects on plants and animals.  (Solar Energy, 1) The loss of land could damage many animals habitats, as well as stop current land use. For example, the land may currently be used for the grazing of sheep or even an archeological site. Also, most solar power plants would chose to use photovoltaic cell panels to capture the suns rays. These photovoltaic panels, although they have a coating on them, cou ld be damaged and release harmful chemicals into our environment. As the Solar Energy Development PEIS points out, concentrating solar power systems may employ liquids such as oils or molten salts that may be hazardous and present spill risks.  (Solar Energy, 1) In addition to damaging the land, the water sources surrounding the solar power plant may be damaged. Many solar power plants use turbines to generate the electricity after captured by the panels. These turbines use water for cooling purposes. As many solar power plants would be located in arid, hot climates, the water sources would already be limited. If a solar plant was to be built in such a place, there would be an increased strain on the water reserves. Another thought is if the water was contaminated accidently while cooling in the turbine, it could contaminate the entire water supply. Overall solar power plants could possibly cause a lot of damage to our environment. They are massive facilities that would have to be treated much like that of a construction site, with extreme caution. Although there are several possible detriments to our environment, if we choose to convert to solar our environment would be greatly saved. Solar energy, along with all renewable resources, does not pollute our air and is quiet efficient. Solar energy would reduce global warming due to carbon dioxide emissions because it doesnt emit any at all. Solar energy also does not release nitrogen oxide or sulfur dioxide into our atmosphere, which would reduce smog and acid rain. (Schiff, 1) Also, as previously addressed, we must make the switch to solar energy in order to conserve our remaining fossil fuels so that we dont run out within the next 104 years as proposed. Fossil fuels must be mined; solar on the other hand does not. Solar would reduce the waste that occurs through these mining processes that negatively effects our environment, such as dust, drainage and emissions. Finally, the efficiency of fossil fuels for electricity is relatively low. McLamb states,  When you burn these fossil fuels to create electricity, we only convert about 35% of the energy produced into electricity; the other 65% is lost mostly in heat.  (McLamb, 1) As our fossil fuels are steadily depleting we need a reliable energy source with a higher efficiency. Although single solar cells have relatively low efficiency, when millions are combined to create an entire solar power system, the efficiency increases. Since the sun is everlasting, the efficiency isnt as big of a deal as in the case of our fossil fuels. As our fossil fuels continue to deplete, everyone from environmentalists to national oil companies, are recognizing the fact that we must decide on an alternative energy source for our nation.  Ã‚  Through the evidence collected here, it is clear solar energy has its benefits and detriments, but it is understandably the best energy alternative.  Although solar energy does present some detriments to our environment, they are only possibilities, not proven facts.  Ã‚  The fact is that solar energy is dramatically better for our environment than todays fossil fuels.  Ã‚  Initially expensive, yet worthwhile in the long run, environmentally-friendly solar energy is the direction the U.S. should be heading.     Ã‚   MLA Works Cited McLamb, Eric. ecology.com | Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy.  The Ecology Global Network | Ecology News and Information for Residents of Planet Earth. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. . Schiff, Marissa , and Jason Vaupen. Economic Benefits.  Why the U.S. Should Rely More Heavily Upon Solar Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Solar.  Solar at a Glance 2008. The NEED Project, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. . Solar Energy Development Environmental Considerations.  Solar Energy Development PEIS Information Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. .

Exploring Love in Shakespeare’s Sonnets Essay -- Sonnets 24, 31, 46, 4

In Plato’s Symposium, the discussion on the nature of love between Socrates and his companions in the house of Agathon clearly discerns key ideas that Shakespeare uses in the sonnets. Beauty, youth, and love are all topics of discussion in the conversations, and Plato’s ideas show up again and again when the sonnets are explored. In Symposium, Aristophanes gives a detailed description of a time when humans were not in their present physical form (Plato 353). His tale posits that the original form of humankind differed from the present in that â€Å"sexes were not two as they are now, but originally three in number,† to which he adds, â€Å"there was man, woman and the union of the two, having a name corresponding to this double nature,† which is called androgynous (Plato 353). The physical nature of primeval man is discussed: "[Man] was round, his back and sides forming a circle; and he had four hands and four feet, one head with two faces, looking oppo site ways, set on a round neck and precisely alike; also four ears, two privy members, and the remainder to correspond" (Plato 354). Aristophanes goes on to explain that the gods split these beings in two so that primeval man would not be as powerful as them. Eventually, the halves are filled out to create symmetry. Plato says, â€Å"human nature was originally one and we were a whole, and the desire and pursuit of the whole is called love† (Plato 357). Thus, the explanation of heterosexual and homosexual behavior can be delineated from this myth. The drive for love goes beyond the sexual into the spiritual. In Shakespeare’s sonnets, the poet persona battles feelings between a fair youth, who is often characterized as a young male, and the dark lady, who is a sensual female. Throughout th... ... of Plato’s knowledge into one metaphysical string of sonnets dealing with two great organs geared towards the pursuit of beauty and truth, and he has made the arguments therein immortal, timeless, and beautiful, bringing every reader to a better understanding of Platonic love. Works Cited Plato. â€Å"Symposium.† The Works of Plato. Edman, Irwin, ed. New York, NY: Random House. 1956. â€Å"Eye.† Oxford English Dictionary. Second ed. Volume V. 1998. â€Å"Heart.† Oxford English Dictionary. Second ed. Volume VII. 1998. Landry, Hilton. Interpretations in Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.1964. Shakespeare, William. The Complete Sonnets and Poems. Ed. Colin Burrow. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2002. Violi, Unicio J. Shakespeare’s The Sonnets. New York, NY: Monarch Press. 1965.

Death of naturalist Essay -- English Literature

Death of naturalist This poem is a fertile mixture of imagery, sounds and an impression created by nature on people’s mind. Heaney sensualises an outstanding fear of the physical wonders of the world. He vividly describes his childhood experience that precipitates his change as a boy from the receptive and protected innocence of childhood to the fear and uncertainty of adolescence. As he wonders along the pathways of salient discovery, Heaney’s imagination bursts into life. The title of the poem is amusingly ironic – by a naturalist we would normally think of someone with expert scientific knowledge of living things and ecology. The poem ‘Death of a naturalist’ has quite a lot of emotional images because it’s the poet’s memory and he is reminiscing. There are a number of poetic devices to create an image. Firstly, the poet uses the metaphor ‘in the heart of the town land’ to add interest to the poem. He also uses languages like ‘sweltered’ and ‘punishing sun’ to convey to the reader the hot summers day Heaney remembers. Nature is also brought up in the poem by ...

Input And Output Devices Of A Computer Essay

The terms â€Å"input† and â€Å"output† are used both as: verbs to describe the process of entering /displaying the data. nouns referring to the data itself entered into /displayed by the computer. Input Devices Input devices are necessary to convert information or data in to a form which can be understood by the computer. A good input device should provide timely, accurate and useful data to the main memory of the computer for processing. Keyboard Keyboard is the standard input device attached to all computers. The layout of a keyboard is just like the traditional typewriter of the type QWERTY. It also contains some extra command keys and function keys. It contains a total of 101 to 104 keys. You have to press correct combination of keys to input data. The computer can recognize the electrical signals corresponding to the correct key combination and processing is done accordingly. The computer keyboard is used to enter text information into the computer. The keyboard can also be used to type commands directing the computer to perform certain actions. Commands are typically chosen from an on-screen menu using a mouse, but there are often keyboard shortcuts for giving these same commands. keyboards usually have a numeric keypad, a bank of editing keys, and a row of function keys along the top. Laptop computers don’t have room for large keyboards. they include a â€Å"fn† key so that other keys can perform double duty. Most keyboards attach to the PC via a PS/2 connector or USB port. Pointing Devices The graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in use today requires some kind of device for positioning the on-screen cursor. Typical pointing devices are: mouse, trackball, touch pad, trackpoint, graphics tablet, joystick, touch screen. Pointing devices are connected to a PC via a serial ports (old), PS/2 mouse port (newer), or USB port (newest). Mouse A mouse is an input device that is used on personal computer. It rolls on a small ball and has two or three buttons on the top. When rolled across a flat surface the screen censors the mouse moves in the direction of mouse movement. In older mice, a ball in the bottom of the mouse rolls on the surface as it moves. internal rollers sense the ball movement and transmit the information to the computer via the cord of the mouse. The newer optical mouse uses a light and a small optical sensor to detect the motion of the mouse by tracking a tiny image of the desk surface. Optical mice avoid the problem of dirty mouse ball, which causes regular mice to roll unsmooth. A cordless or wireless mouse communicates with the computer via radio waves. such mice need internal batteries. A mouse also includes one or more buttons (and possibly a scroll wheel) to allow users to interact with the GUI. The traditional PC mouse has two buttons, while the traditional Macintosh mouse has one button. On either type of computer you can also use mice with three or more buttons and a small scroll wheel. Touch pad Most laptop computers have a touch pad pointing device.   Moving the on-screen cursor is done by sliding a finger along the surface of the touch pad. The buttons are located below the pad, but most touch pads allow you to perform â€Å"mouse clicks† by tapping on the pad itself. Touch pads have the advantage over mice that they take up much less room to use. They have the advantage over trackballs that there are no moving parts to get dirty and result in jumpy cursor control. Trackpoint Some sub-notebook computers, which lack room for even a touch pad, incorporate a trackpoint. a small rubber projection embedded between the keys of the keyboard. The trackpoint acts like a little joystick that can be used to control the position of the on-screen cursor. Trackball Trackball is sort of like an upside-down mouse, with the ball located on top. A is fingers is used to roll the trackball, and internal rollers sense the motion which is transmitted to the computer. Trackballs have the advantage over mice in that the body of the trackball remains stationary on a desk, so much room is not needed to use the trackball. Early laptop computers often used trackballs. Touch screen Some computers, especially small hand-held PDAs, have touch sensitive display screens. The user can make choices and press button images on the screen. Stylus is often used, which you hold like a pen, to â€Å"write† on the surface of a small touch screen. Graphics tablet A graphics tablet consists of an electronic writing area and a special â€Å"pen† that works with it. A graphics tablet allows artists to create graphical  images with motions and actions similar to using more traditional drawing tools. Joysticks Joysticks and other game controllers can also be connected to a computer as pointing devices. They are generally used for playing games, and not for controlling the on-screen cursor in productivity software. Scanners A scanner is a device that images a printed page or graphics by digitizing it, producing an image made of tiny pixels of different brightness and color values which are represented numerically and sent to the computer. Scanners scan graphics and pages of text which are then run through OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software that identifies the individual letter shapes and creates a text file of the page’s contents. The common optical scanner devices are: Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR), Optical Mark Reader (OMR) , Optical Character Reader (OCR). Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) This is widely used by banks to process large volumes of cheques and drafts. Cheques are put inside the MICR, as they enter the reading unit, the cheques pass through the magnetic field which causes the read head to recognize the character of the cheques. Optical Mark Reader (OMR) This technique is used when students have appeared in objective type tests and they had to mark their answer by darkening a square or circular space by pencil. These answer sheets are directly fed to a computer for grading  where OMR is used. Optical Character Recognition (OCR): This technique unites the direct reading of any printed character. Suppose you have a set of hand written characters on a piece of paper. You put it inside the scanner of the computer. This pattern is compared with a site of patterns stored inside the computer. Whichever pattern is matched is called a character read. Patterns that cannot be identified are rejected. Microphone A microphone is attached to a computer to record sound. The sound is digitized and stored in the computer to later processing and playback. MIDI Devices MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a system designed to transmit information between electronic musical instruments. A MIDI musical keyboard can be attached to a computer and allow a performer to play music that is captured by the computer system as a sequence of notes with the associated timing. Output Devices Visual Display Unit (VDU) The most popular output device is the VDU. The VDU is also called monitor. Monitor is used to display the input data and to receive messages from the computer. It has its own box which is separated from the main computer system and is connected to the computer by a cable. In some systems it is compact with the system unit. It can be color or monochrome. CRT Monitor Traditional output device of a personal computer has been the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor. It contains a large cathode ray tube that uses an electron beam of varying strength to â€Å"paint† a picture onto the color phosphorescent dots on the inside of the screen. CRT monitors are heavy and use more electrical power than flat panel displays. CRT are preferred by some graphic artists for their accurate color rendition, and preferred by some gamers for faster response to rapidly changing graphics. Monitor screen size is measured diagonally across the screen, in inches. Not all of the screen area may be usable for image display, so the viewable area is also specified. The resolution of the monitor is the maximum number of pixels it can display horizontally and vertically (such as 800 x 600, or 1024 x 768, or 1600 x 1200). Most monitors can display several resolutions below its maximum setting. Pixels (Picture Elements) are the small dots that make the image displayed on the screen. The spacing of the screen’s tiny phosphor dots is called the dot pitch (dp), typically .28 or .26 (measured in millimeters). A screen with a smaller dot pitch produces sharper images. Computer must produce a video signal that a monitor can display. This may be handled by circuitry on the motherboard, but is usually handled by a video card in one of the computer’s expansion slots; often the slot is a special one dedicated to video use, such as an AGP slot (Accelerated Graphics Port). Video cards are also called video display adapters, and graphics cards. Many video cards contain separate processors and dedicated video memory for generating complex graphics quickly without burdening the CPU. Flat Panel Monitor A flat panel display usually uses an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen to display output from the computer. The LCD consists of several thin layers that polarize the light passing through them. The polarization of one  layer, containing long thin molecules called liquid crystals, can be controlled electronically at each pixel, blocking varying amounts of the light to make a pixel lighter or darker. Other types of flat panel technology exist (such as plasma displays) but LCDs are most commonly used in computers, especially laptops. Older LCDs had slow response times and low contrast, but active matrix LCD screens have a transparent thin film transistor (TFT) controlling each pixel, so response, contrast, and viewing angle are much improved. Flat panel displays are much lighter and less bulky than CRT monitors. They consume much less power. They are more expensive than CRTs, but the price gap is narrowing. The display size of a flat panel is expressed in inches, and the resolution is the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the display. Terminals Terminal is a very popular interactive output unit. It is divided into two types: hard copy terminals. soft copy terminals. A hard copy terminal provides a printout on paper. A soft copy terminals provides visual copy on monitor. Printer Printer is an important output device used to get a printed copy of the processed text or result on paper. There are different types of printers that are designed for different types of applications; Depending on their speed and approach of printing. printers are classified as: impact. non-impact printers. Impact printers Impact printers use the familiar typewriter approach of hammering a typeface against the paper and inked ribbon. Dot-matrix printers are of this type.   Dot matrix printers use small electromagnetically activated pins in the print head, and an inked ribbon, to produce images by impact. These printers are slow and noisy, and are not commonly used for personal computers anymore they can print multi-layer forms, which neither ink jet nor laser printers can. Non-impact printers Non-impact printers use electro-static chemicals and ink-jet technologies. Laser printers and Ink-jet printers are of this type. This type of printers can produce color printing and elaborate graphics. Ink Jet Printer For hardcopy output, you need some kind of printer attached to the computer. The most common type of printer for home systems is the color ink jet printer. These printers form the image on the page by spraying tiny droplets of ink from the print head. The printer needs several colors of ink (cyan, yellow, magenta, and black) to make color images. Some photo-quality ink jet printers have more colors of ink. Ink jet printers are inexpensive, but the cost of consumables (ink cartridges and special paper) makes them costly to operate in the long run for many purposes. Laser Printer A laser printer produces good quality images by the same technology that photocopiers use. A drum coated with photosensitive material is charged, and then an image is written onto it by a laser (or LEDs) which makes those areas lose the charge. The drum then rolls through toner (tiny plastic particles of pigment) that is attracted to the charged areas of the drum. The toner is then deposited onto the paper, and then fused into the paper with heat. Most laser printers are monochrome, but more expensive laser printers with multiple color toner cartridges can produce color output. Laser printers are faster than ink jet printers. Their speed is rated in pages per minute (ppm). They are more expensive than ink jets, but they are cheaper to run in the long term if you just need good quality black & white pages. Other Printers Multi-function printers are available that not only operate as a computer printer, but also include the hardware needed to be a scanner, photocopier, and FAX machine as well. Sound Output Computers also produce sound output, ranging from simple beeps alerting the user, to impressive game sound effects, to concert quality music. The circuitry to produce sound may be included on the motherboard, but high quality audio output from a PC usually requires a sound card in one of the expansion slots, connected to a set of good quality external speakers or headphones. Multimedia is a term describing computer output that includes sound, text, graphics, movies, and animation. A sound card is an example of a multimedia output device .