History of the Cherokee Indians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of the Cherokee Indians - Essay Example Unlike other Native American tribes, Cherokees built cabins out of woods rather than living in teepees. Their language derives from the language of another Native American ethnic group, namely, the Iroquois. This language was so strikingly different from the languages of other Native American tribes that it made some linguists assume the very name of Cherokee means "people who speak another language". Cherokees have always been a highly spiritual tribe with unique traditions and values. An owl and cougar could be called a cultural archetype of the Cherokee Indians. Cherokees treat these animals with particular respect as they believe an owl and cougar were the only creatures that had been staying awake for seven days during which the world was created and, hence, saw how humans were made. Today Cherokee Indians are divided into many subtribes but under the official federal classification they fall into the following acknowledged categories: the Cherokee Nation, the Keetoowah Band (reside in Oklahoma), the Cherokee tribes and the Eastern Band of Cherokees residing in North Carolina (Hodge).Before the USA appeared on map, the Cherokee Indians used to live on the territory of the present-day Georgia, parts of Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina (Stewart 9). Originally, Cherokee tribes lived in the Midwest of the lands that later formed the USA near the Great Lakes, but with the passage of time they drifted closer to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, which, in turn, they were forced to leave either.

Human Computer Interaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Human Computer Interaction - Essay Example HCI has evolved as a concept that facilitates taking into consideration the different needs of the users. The users can effectively interact with the computer systems through a platform that is known to be HCI. However the importance of HCI is widespread and encompasses wide array of elements. The first improvement of the concept is that it helps to gain market share. In general context individuals always prefer to use only those items that have higher usability. For instance it can be supported by an example of Google, this search engine is world famous and has largest market share across the globe (Deustsch, 2013).The reason behind this is the search engine has higher efficiency and can be easily used by individuals. HCI is even important as it helps to improve productivity. For instance such an interaction helps employees working in a firm to perform better and faster. The Intranet facilities help in increasing the overall efficiency of employees (Pulz, 2013).The importance of HCI can also be witnessed in the form of lowering support costs. If a product cannot be used properly then enormous calls are made by customers to customer service department. However the higher usability rate due to HCI helps in reducing these forms of cost that is associated with support services. HCI even helps in reducing the development costs as it avoid such features that are complex and cannot be used easily by the users. Speech recognition is considered to be an effective tool for HCI or Human Computer Interaction. Speech recognition is one of the fields of computer science that is associated with designing such a structure which helps in recognizing words that are spoken. It is such an application that enables a computer to clearly identify those words that are spoken by a person either through a telephone or microphone (Brodkin, 2012).Speech recognition can also be classified as a process that converts acoustic signal coming from a telephone or microphone to a group of

The Importance Of Maintaining Individuality Over Communality Politics Essay

The Importance Of Maintaining Individuality Over Communality Politics Essay Maintaining your individuality is more important than being part of a group because group identities and the groups differences tend to be the basis for decisions a person might make as a citizen. Groups who focus on a specific ideology have distinctive arguments and address a particular audience. Most of the members of liberation ideologies, such as black liberation, womens liberation, gay liberation, native peoples liberation, animal liberation and liberation theology focus on ones self interest taking on too narrow a view rather than promoting the viewpoint that is for the greater good. People in these groups would make their decisions regarding who might best lead the country or what laws should be enacted or voted down based on a candidates gender, religious beliefs, race or sexual preference, and not as a citizen thinking of the best scenario for the majority. These groups make their decisions because on their groups self-interests and exclude the individual viewpoint. If these specific groups want equality, then they should think as individual citizens because in the United States, citizens are equal before the law. As stated in our text book pg. 252, our courts of justice and other institutions should be blind to race, ethnicity, and other forms of group identification. No one should be given special treatment because of his or her race or ancestry or ethnic affiliation. The self interest characteristic of special groups is also seen in the fascist and Nazism ideologies. Both of these groups are against individualism and class divisions. They were only in favor of one nation or one supreme race, in other words, one group. Hitler believed that his Nazi philosophy about the German people (the supreme group) was more important then the 6 million Jews who did nothing to him, yet he had them killed. The fascists belief of everything for the good of the nation state, a single leader and single party can be seen in the modern day Moammar Gadhafi regime in Libya. The Gadhafi regime was not beneficial to the whole nation because there were inequalities among the citizens of Libya who have now revolted and are striving for democracy and individual freedoms. I feel that democracy is built on the assumption that things are beneficial to the community as a whole, and coming to a consensus is possible, but it fails if the special group is only looking out for #1 a nd doesnt care about anything else. So if each individual would take on the liberal ideology viewpoint which is to believe that the individual is the best judge of what is in his or her interest, so each person ought to be free to live as he or she wants so long as they do not choose to interfere with others freedom to live as they want to live. The ideology of liberalism promotes individual liberty by attempting to guarantee equal opportunity to all people within a tolerant society. With the opportunity of equality, an equal footing, the discrimination based on race, religion, or gender would be removed and people would have the ability to achieve their own success, if they adopt a liberal viewpoint. So why then would it be necessary to join a group to achieve the same opportunities as you could have maintaining your individuality? 3. Fascism is a political ideology which exalts a nation above the individual and is headed by a single leader of a centralized government which thru regimented force suppresses any opposition and controls the state economy and social conditions. Fascism is a good form of government because the nation is more powerful and sustainable through generations who are bound together by their common traditions and their commitment to build a better life. Fascism which is founded on the citizens duty and an individuals self sacrifice possibly even death is able to achieve the true value of a man as a member of his family, social group and nation, because the individual has no significance outside of their nation. Fascism enforces discipline and uses authority to mold mens characters and faith. Fascism affirms traditional values such as family values, religious faith, patriotism, social structure, honor, and traditional hard work. Fascism is an ideology of order and obedience where people fall in line with the single leadership, and do not question or criticize the State which makes sure the country runs smoothly, through the use of state spending and regulation of corporations. A fascist government institutes public works programs to build bridges, canals and roads, hospitals and schools all for the good of the nation state. A fascist government is organized on the theory that government should be run by representatives of the various centers of power in the state, such as Mussolinis policy of corporativism. What fascism is all about in an economic sense is the protection and regulation of capitalism through private ownership as the means of production for the nation. Fascism uses the power of the nation to protect and to stabilize the economy by bringing the major capitalists into a system of cooperation with each other so that economic conflict is reduced and through their cooperation stability is achieved. An example would be for a ruling council to be developed and include industrial leaders, union representatives, religious leaders, and military personnel. Having these leaders of power incorporated into the government, achieves a rapid consensus on matters more rapidly when a country needs to organize for a war or disaster relief. The nation can also become self-sufficient if the government has control over production and their profits. Fascism controls companies from manufacturing their products in foreign countries for a lower cost and then selling that product in their own country for a higher price and making a profit. Also keeping manufacturing jobs at home will provide employment to the nations people, reducing welfare and creating a strong economy. Under fascism, ownership of businesses is left in private hands, but the government regulates all businesses confiscating much of their profits and using them as the government decides, such as new roads, hospitals and schools, all for the good of the nation-state. The fascist system will also subsidize and regulate agriculture in order to achieve national self sufficiency. Another advantage of a fascist government is in the fight against terrorism. The nation controls the military under one leader and when needed, it is easy to have the leader decide that the military will control and operate everything and everyone that enters the country. Also crime in the nation can be greatly reduced, because the military can be used to patrol the streets and enforce obedience. True freedom for fascists is in serving the state and doing ones part to promote the states power and glory. One way of doing this is to create self sufficiency of the nation thru a strong military. To create a strong military, the nation promotes science, mathematics, and engineering in schools in order to develop better scientists who will be employed to build better weapons for the military. These corporations are given funding from the State. Consequently, the State will produce the most advanced technologies in the world, having the most advanced weapons and acting as a boom to the economy by providing a large number of jobs, making people happy and bolstering the support for their leader. Because the State plays an important role in the economy, the State protects and promotes industries which are vital to State interests. Also because a fascist government controls the economy, unemployment is reduced and social welfare programs can be instituted such as social health insurance . So to create a great Fascist state, it is simple; believe, obey and fight, against the enemies of the nation and this will bring glory to ones people as a leading power in the world. 5. As a conservative, I feel our rights come from God and not the government. So consequently, government should be limited as to what it does to solve a nations problems and the real emphasis should be placed on the individual to solve the problems through traditional American values, personal responsibility, individual liberty and free markets. So with that premise in place, I would like to explore some of the following issues from a conservative ideological perspective vs. a liberal ideological perspective. Liberals believe a woman has the right to decide what happens to her own body, including aborting a pregnancy. Liberals also believe that the government has the duty to protect human rights. I, as a conservative, believe human life begins at conception and that abortion is murder of a human being. An unborn baby is a living human being and has separate rights from those of their mother, thus the government should not use taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, as desired by liberals because that would not be protecting the human rights of the unborn, very hypocritical of liberals. Along those same lines, liberals want to legalize euthanasia. Neither abortion nor euthanasia should be legalized as it is immoral and unethical to deliberately end the life of a terminally ill person or an unborn human being. Taking an innocent life or that of a dying individual is murder, a capital offense in the United States, is punishable by death. Dont the liberals get it? Where is the moral code that is necessary to sustain a free society? If, liberals can justify using lethal force ending an innocent unborn life or a helpless elderly citizen. This does not seem to coincide with true Liberalism. Liberals support blanket amnesty for those who enter the United States illegally and want the undocumented immigrants to have the right to educational and health benefits that citizens receive. As a conservative, I dont want to stop people who immigrate to our country for a better life and benefits, because life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are God-given rights for every individual however, they should do so legally, otherwise they are placing an huge economic hardship on the United States by receiving benefits that legal citizens receive such as financial aid, welfare, and Medicaid because they are not of legal status. It is unfair to provide these services to illegal undocumented immigrants and make the true citizens support them through unfair taxation for these governmental programs. The United States borders should be secured and the immigration laws should be enforced for our countrys protection, security and economic survival. Liberals, in the best interest to citizens, want the government to regulate the economy as a protection against big business. However, having competition and a free market system creates the largest opportunity for a higher standard of living for everyone. When governments encourage individual efforts for entrepreneurial success and not oppose personal wealth, there is more economic growth, more jobs and a higher standard of living for all citizens then when government tries to regulate the economic system. Putting numerous controls in place to artificially direct the economy can create serious problems. Along these same lines, liberals think because people are getting wealthier, they should be taxed more to enable the government to help and care for the poor and needy using tax dollars from the rich to create jobs and welfare programs. However, the traditional American value of hard work allows the economy to grow and prosper, leaving the money in the hands of the people and by lowe ring taxes and a smaller government allows Americans to save more, invest and spend their money to help those that they want to aid and not at the direction of the government. Government programs to the needy should be opportunities to make them become self-reliant encouraging work and independence rather then encourage laziness and continued dependence on government funding. Liberals dont see terrorism as a great threat to the United States and feel the best way to deal with terrorism is good diplomacy and that using military force against terrorists only causes hatred and more terrorism. However, as can be seen by the radical Islamism ideology being anti-liberal and anti-individual and rejecting individual rights and rights against the larger society as in the U.S. Bill of Rights, as stated in our text book, pg. 291, seems to be a very strong division between the militant Islamists goal of establishing Islamic states that govern according to Islamic law and the destruction of Israel and an existing peaceful Western world. It seems that to ensure individual liberties, a strong military force to provide security for society and intelligence-gathering methods are the best way to defeat terrorism in the United States and around the world. I dont believe you can bargain with tyrants or terrorists. The conservative ideological perspective is best because it stands up for what is right, and exhibits the principles that have made America great such as the love of God, love of family, the work ethic, patriotism, and individual freedom. 6. According to Thomas Hobbes in his major work the Leviathan, the state of nature is a condition of perfect freedom in which no one had any authority over them and all individuals are equal-no one is born to hold a higher rank or status than anyone else -and have a natural right to do as they wish as per our text book on pg. 52. If this was how mankind existed before government, I believe life in this state of nature would be every man for himself and against each other, the survival of the fittest. Man would live but not the life as we know it; it would be very animalistic and primeval. Man would resolve disputes through violence and war would run rampart around the world. Disease would be prevalent, and technology would be non existent. Man is competitive and contentious, so he would be an enemy to every other man, there would be no industry, no culture, no knowledge, and no society and man would live in continual fear and danger of constant death. Because of the violence and uncertainty of life in the state of nature it would motivate people to form tribal leaders or governments. People would realize the need for peace and stability consequently they would seek a ruler or leader to govern them and in return the governing body would provide the peace and stability the people wanted as long as the laws of the government were abided, the people would then be free to pursue happiness without fear. Government is needed to provide stability and order, and protect the rights and liberties of the people. The purpose of government is to provide enough protection of life, liberty and property that individuals could enjoy these rights. Government creates order out of chaos, and punishes bad behavior but encourages moral behavior and tradition. Also governments provide needs for the community when these needs cannot be met by individuals. A government can play a major role in economic security by managing and regulating a countrys economy and stabilizing it for the benefit of its citizens. A government defines laws which establish equality and justice in a society. The government of a nation can provide basic health and education services for its citizens. Thus, government is like an umbrella that shields the citizens of a nation, while binding them together and helping them live in harmony. Governments are established with intent to increase the peoples potential for survival.

Racism in the Film Remember the Titans Essay -- Movie Film Football Ra

In the movie "Remember the Titans" there are many lessons that every person should learn in their life. One of the most important lessons is that of racism. In this day and age some people believe that racism is over because there are no longer any slaves, some people believe that there is still racism but that it is ok. I believe that those people would benefit a great deal from seeing this movie. I know that there is still racism, I also know that it is not ok. There is a scene in this movie where the coach takes the team on a long run in the middle of the night. They end up at the break of dawn at a cemetery. The coach tells the young men of the battle that was fought on that ground. He told of the blood shed on those grounds that turned the whole area red. This can help many people that want to make a difference in this world. They had to stand up for their new knowledge to people that they love and trust. The people in this story go through a great transformation from hating each other to being as close as brothers but I do not feel that the end result is the most important part. These boys had very difficult decisions to make. I think that all these young men were raised to be racists to varying degrees. This graveyard moment was a very clear message that could not be misunderstood. They learned tolerance for those of their loved ones that couldn?t or wouldn?t learn as quickly as they did. If we are to ever overcome the misguided beliefs we gain from our parents we need a very good explanation of why we should believe another way. Without this I do not think that the team would have ever come together because they had been raised to hate each other their whole life. The learned the importance of friendship and what i... ...n effort to get along. Their friendship was so secure and they were so pleased that they had learnt to overcome the racial issues and spent the time to get to know each other. They both still acted as if they were better than each other and they weren?t going to attempt to change this, even when they were playing football together. If something went wrong they would blame each other, or disagree, and always end up fighting and usually about different things, like who was better and right. By observing the friendship emerging between Gerry and Julius other people began to realize that having friends of a different race was not wrong. This also made Gerry and Julius?s friendship grow even stronger as they made a huge impact on the community. They started to understand each other and created a bond that was so strong that their appearance didn?t seem to matter anymore. Racism in the Film Remember the Titans Essay -- Movie Film Football Ra In the movie "Remember the Titans" there are many lessons that every person should learn in their life. One of the most important lessons is that of racism. In this day and age some people believe that racism is over because there are no longer any slaves, some people believe that there is still racism but that it is ok. I believe that those people would benefit a great deal from seeing this movie. I know that there is still racism, I also know that it is not ok. There is a scene in this movie where the coach takes the team on a long run in the middle of the night. They end up at the break of dawn at a cemetery. The coach tells the young men of the battle that was fought on that ground. He told of the blood shed on those grounds that turned the whole area red. This can help many people that want to make a difference in this world. They had to stand up for their new knowledge to people that they love and trust. The people in this story go through a great transformation from hating each other to being as close as brothers but I do not feel that the end result is the most important part. These boys had very difficult decisions to make. I think that all these young men were raised to be racists to varying degrees. This graveyard moment was a very clear message that could not be misunderstood. They learned tolerance for those of their loved ones that couldn?t or wouldn?t learn as quickly as they did. If we are to ever overcome the misguided beliefs we gain from our parents we need a very good explanation of why we should believe another way. Without this I do not think that the team would have ever come together because they had been raised to hate each other their whole life. The learned the importance of friendship and what i... ...n effort to get along. Their friendship was so secure and they were so pleased that they had learnt to overcome the racial issues and spent the time to get to know each other. They both still acted as if they were better than each other and they weren?t going to attempt to change this, even when they were playing football together. If something went wrong they would blame each other, or disagree, and always end up fighting and usually about different things, like who was better and right. By observing the friendship emerging between Gerry and Julius other people began to realize that having friends of a different race was not wrong. This also made Gerry and Julius?s friendship grow even stronger as they made a huge impact on the community. They started to understand each other and created a bond that was so strong that their appearance didn?t seem to matter anymore.

A Microfinance MIS

Mifos is an internet based management information system designed for microfinance. The system is user friendly and flexible for the company and it’s client information. Mifos is a unique system that provides tools which allows the user to research client’s information. This information used for this system would research information such as payments, client personal information for their accounts, reports and much more. The system helps the user navigate to different accounts and provides details of an individual client. There are several tabs the user can navigate to with the system. The first tab is the home tab which allows the user to search for the client’s information by name or groups. The second tab is clients and accounts tab to give full detail of the client’s information. In this tab the user can assist the client with opening accounts, closing and reviewing the client’s information and questions the client may have. The third tab is the report tab; this tab is used to process operational and financial reports. The last tab is the Administrative tab which is only used by a designated office administrator to create new system users and find office products. These tabs are provided to make sure information can be accessed and the side tabs are in place help the user navigate through the system without problems. The Mifos system is for IT skilled users and designed for financing purposes only.

A Weak Fiscal Lever

Economic management is The basic aim of any government in the world and its main policy objectives includes management of low and stable inflation, reduction in unemployment, maintain economic growth and to secure a favorable balance of payments.Fiscal lever is one of the main policy tools available to government to tackle economic downturn. According to Dornbusch, Fischer, and Startz, fiscal policy is the policy of the government with regard to the level of government purchases, the level of transfers, and the tax structures (Dornbusch, Fischer, and Startz 199).With all its significance, Fiscal lever should be very strong for stabilization of economy.High sensitivity of investment to interest rates and misunderstanding of policy makers to anticipate the need of particular crisis makes a fiscal policy weak and ineffective.A weak fiscal lever is the recipe to create inflation and retard private investment by higher interest rates that leads to arrest growth and development because low er investment means, the capital stock is also lower that leads to lower future incomes. Â  That is the condition of total breakdown of the structure of any economic system.A weak fiscal lever also creates social unrest by manipulation of resource allocation in the hands of government to fulfill their political priorities. It is well evident fact that if civil society will be dissatisfied by the policies the process of growth can not be carried out rather the crisis management can not be achieved. In other words weak fiscal lever can not help economy to get out of recession with all its traditional tools.Work CitedDornbush, Fisher, and Startz. Macroeconomics: McGraw-Hill, Singapore. 1999. Print

Critical analysis of Shameless Research Paper Example

Critical analysis of Shameless Research Paper Example Critical analysis of Shameless Paper Critical analysis of Shameless Paper The effective review of the channel 4 drama series Shameless, ‘The low down dirty lack of shame’ written by Tom Jennings. (Variant, No 19, pp. 11-12) articulates interesting arguments surrounding the class and representation of the characters and their progressing storylines. This is shown with comparisons between reality, and exaggerated storylines. I feel that the author’s purpose for this text is to enlighten and persuade the reader, about how different classes live. He does this with logical reasoning and orderly presented material. In my opinion, the framework of the review is largely fixated upon the way; the drama is presented to the audience. The main question that is being answered is whether or not the drama shows a true portrayal of working class. The writer answers this for the reader by segmenting the information under clear and understandable headings. These do not only relate to true life situations but also to shameless. An example is ‘family affairs’. This enables the reader to make the connection with the words and meanings. Jennings then goes on to inform about the morals of programmes that represent working class, and the refusal to take into consideration the troubles that occur in reality, for example political issues. Jennings also informs the reader of the hype that is created and surrounds programmes that are being forced into narrow social classes by the media. As a reader I can see this text clearly through living in the British culture, that is becoming increasingly obsessed with separating individuals into classes that my not represent their personality in the correct way. From reading the review, I gained the opinion that shameless entertains audiences in separate ways. Working class viewers will evoke a connection through the limited similarities it shares with reality, and also feel romanticised with the sense of fun that is perceived from the comical drama. It also appeals to middle class audiences through fascination of how different classes live, with the element of symbolic repertoire. To conclude, the text has both strengths and weaknesses. The material separates the text into clear categories, for easier reader consumption. However, there are weaknesses. One of these being the lack of factual evidence to back up the arguments put forward. His style is largely focused upon his personal opinion. To improve upon this, he could support his points with more fact, or others opinions. This would heighten the trust between the writer and the reader. The author targets the audience of the text to be the older viewers of shameless; I can see this through the use of language and media terminology, which the younger reader would find challenging to understand. The text would be appropriate as a learning resource which could be used for the study of representation and class. Since the text is largely about social classes and how media represents these through the characters and not directly about the series shameless. It would not be useful for writing about the actual programme, but more about what it represents.

Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns By Mark Nichol How do you decide which form of a pronoun to use, as in the choices of the wording in â€Å"John is as fast as him† and â€Å"John is as fast as he†? Knowing the varieties of pronouns will help you choose the correct form. A subject pronoun is one used as the subject of a sentence, as in â€Å"He is right† or â€Å"I am amazed.† (Subject pronouns include I, you, he, she, it, we, and they.) Subject pronouns may also rename the subject, following a copular verb (one that is a form of â€Å"to be†): â€Å"It is I who left the chair there.† A subject pronoun should also be used for such sentences as â€Å"It might have been she,† though an object pronoun is used in its place almost invariably in casual speech and often in writing. Object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, and them), by contrast, are used to identify the object of a sentence, as in â€Å"Mary gave it to her† and â€Å"The tourists went to see them.† (Notice that you and it can serve as both subject and object pronouns.) Object nouns are used with all the three types of objects: â€Å"The Smiths invited us† (direct object), â€Å"The Smiths gave us our dish back† (indirect object), and â€Å"The Smiths gave a party for us† (object of a preposition). Should a sentence read, â€Å"I am older than her† or â€Å"I am older than she†? In a statement of comparison that uses as or than and does not end with a copular verb, temporarily add one to test the correct type of pronoun: â€Å"I am older than her is† does not sound right, but â€Å"I am older than she is† does, so the correct word in this sentence is she. (Therefore, the correct sentence in the pair of examples in the first paragraph of this post in formal writing, at least is â€Å"John is as fast as he.†) Note, however, that what appears to be a sentence with an incorrect form of a pronoun can be correct when it means something else. For example, â€Å"She fell asleep before him† could mean that the woman fell asleep in front of someone, not earlier than someone, in which case the statement is correct. What if the sentence refers to more than one person? Several factors come into play. The pronoun in â€Å"Joe and I were invited to the party† is correct because I is part of the subject (â€Å"Joe and I†). But â€Å"John went to the party with Joe and I† is not, because â€Å"Joe and I† is now the object, and the correct personal pronoun for an object is me: â€Å"John went to the party with Joe and me.† (Test for the correct form of the pronoun by removing the other person from the object: â€Å"John went to the party with me,† not â€Å"John went to the party with I,† is correct, so â€Å"John went to the party with Joe and me† is correct.) But an exception is made when the reference to Joe and the writer is preceded by a copular, or linking, verb (a form of â€Å"to be†), as in â€Å"The last people at the party were Joe and I.† In this sentence, â€Å"Joe and I† are predicate nominatives, meaning that they rename or describe the subject: â€Å"Joe and I† equals â€Å"the last people at the party.† A pronoun in a predicate nominative takes the subjective, not objective, case: â€Å"The last people at the party were Joe and I† is correct. It may seem wrong, but that’s because the rule is ignored in most spoken English and in much written English as well, so we’re accustomed to hearing and reading the error. It should be observed, however at least in formal English. (Some comments on this post refer to a previous version of this discussion.) Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs) signal possession or relationship and, unlike nouns in possessive form, never include apostrophes. They take the same form whether in the subjective position or the objective position: â€Å"That is hers. Yours is here.† Reflexive pronouns (myself, himself, herself, itself, themselves, ourselves, yourself, and yourselves) refer to something already mentioned (â€Å"The machine appeared to start by itself†) or implied (Suit yourselves†). â€Å"The directions applied only to myself† is wrong because the person indicated by myself is not explicitly or implicitly referred to. (The correct wording is â€Å"The directions applied only to me.†) However, â€Å"I followed the directions myself† is correct because myself refers to the subject I. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples)"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?Treatment of Words That Include â€Å"Self†

Breakfast Club

The five main characters are named Andrew Clark; Brian Johnson; Claire Standish; John Bender; and Allison Reynolds. These characters wrestle with self-acceptance; longs for parental approval; and fight against peer pressure. The objective of these students are to write an essay of no less than one thousand words about who they think they are. This is given to them by their principal/ warden for the day, Richard â€Å"Dick† Vernon, played by Paul Xavier Gleason. He tries to keep them in their separate cliques by telling them to remain quiet and stating that any monkey business is ill-advised. He starts out by saying â€Å"It is now 7:06. You have exactly 8 hours and 54 minutes to think about WHY you are here to ponder the error of your ways. You will not talk you will now move from these seats. † Andrew Clark, played by Emilio Estevez, is an athlete, a jock, and a â€Å"sporto. † He is currently on the high school wrestling team. His dad is always pushing him to do better since he doesn’t want his son to be a loser because that’s not â€Å"acceptable† in his family. Andrew learns to accept the pressure and his wrestling life, although he doesn’t want to be in it. He also learns to accept the fact that taping Larry Lester’s butt cheeks was very wrong and the fact that his dad was okay with it and wanted him to do worse to Larry was also wrong. Brian Johnson, played by Anthony Michael Hall, is a â€Å"brainiac†, a geek, and a â€Å"neo-maxie zoom deebie (a dork). † Brian is always looking for acceptance from the popular crowd and could never get it. He learns the most important thing is to accept himself. His reason for being in detention was he brought a gun to school to attempt suicide. Claire Standish, played by Molly Ringwald, is a princess, a prom queen, and â€Å"miss popularity. She struggles throughout the movie to accept that she is unhappy. She also realizes she is trying to be something she’s not so she would be considered â€Å"popular. † Claire discovers that she is not alone. She learns that everyone needs to mask their feelings to become what people expect them to be and eventually learns to ac cept herself. At home, her mother tries to keep Claire from having fun. John Bender, played by Judd Nelson, is a criminal, a rebel, a punk, and a rebellious bad boy. He starts out as a tough guy who no one really knows well. He shows no respect towards anyone especially teachers and school property. Eventually, he shows acceptance for himself and his classmates and changes his attitude when they share things about themselves. Throughout the movie, he makes fun of Claire but by the end of the movie he shows compassion for her. To show he changed, he stops being rude to Claire and begins to accept everyone else. John becomes more comfortable in his own skin as well as with the other people around him. Allison Reynolds, played by Ally Sheedy, is a basket case, a loner, and a weirdo. She has always felt like an outcast, she is also the most socially isolated and says she has no friends. Throughout the movie, she discovers the unhappiness in her home life is not her fault. At home, Allison is a victim of child neglect from her workaholic parents, and as a result carries a large bag with her to school every day in case she feels like running away. She is the least hesitant to talk openly about her home life and is not afraid of being different. She is also a compulsive liar. She also learns to accept herself and her classmates. Allison claims she is in detention due to the fact she had nothing better to do. I feel I can best identify myself with the character Claire Standish. One thing we have in common is the fact that we believe in relationships where there is one guy and one girl. In the movie, you find out that Claire doesn’t fool around with just any guy and sex isn’t just about physical pleasure for her. Another thing we have in common is the roles our parents play in our lives. Our parents tend to discipline us for the wrong things we do. The third thing we have in common is we both have a sense of security. Because these characters are from different random groups, none of them are from the same background and are all odd. Although they seem different, they find out they are very similar. They learn to overcome their difference and sort of become friends. They leave detention having a sense of who they are and how they want to remain. In the end, Brian wrote the essay stating they know what they did was wrong and they think Mr. Vernon is crazy for making them write an essay telling him who they think they are because he sees them as he wants to see them.

Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence Research Paper

Are alternative energy sources the answer to ending human dependence on oil - Research Paper Example People who argue that alternative sources cannot end human dependence on oil show skepticism towards alternative energy sources. They argue that no significant breakthrough is yet to come, and therefore it might not be possible for the world to end its dependence on oil. Both schools of thoughts have different arguments for their point of view. In this paper we will explore arguments given by both the sides in great detail, and will try to conclude whether alternative sources of energy can, in fact, end human dependence on oil or not. Alternative Energy Sources Can end Human Dependence on Oil In this section we will present arguments given in favor of the alternative sources of energy. Firstly, this school of thought highlights the dangers of pollution, which is a consequence of our dependence on oil. Alternative sources of energy should be appreciated because they can significantly reduce pollution that is a direct consequence of oil. Using oil as a source of energy is extremely har mful for the society and therefore alternative sources of energy should be explored. Natural oil also creates problems for the environment and makes life difficult for the people in general. Many skin and lung diseases are common in people who live in highly polluted regions. This is all because of human dependence on oil. The impact of dependence on oil is extremely harmful for the sustainable world. Many oil companies are busy extracting oil reserves that are beneath the seas and oceans. This causes problems for the sea life and is detrimental for underwater animals. Sea pollution also affects human economy as fishing is a source of income for a large number of people all over the world. This is another dangerous consequence of increasing dependence on oil. All these points are made by people who support alternative sources of energy in order to make the world realize about the dangers of use of oil. They believe that people in general have long been fixated with the idea of using oil as energy without realizing its dangers. It is therefore vital, according to this school of thought, to make people understand dangers of oil use. There is a lacking of belief that alternative sources of energy can replace oil, and this is why alternative sources of energy are not popular today. Dangers of oil are presented as argument in favor of alternative sources of energy. Another argument made by supporters of alternative sources of energy is that there is already technology available that can reduce human dependence on oil. They argue that in fact today we can use alternative sources of energy to reduce human dependence on oil because the technology is already available. For example solar energy, electrical energy, wind energy, and bio fuels are good alternative of oil , and all of them can play a role in decreasing pollution, associated with use of oil, significantly. All the above mentioned sources of energy are renewable sources and technological advancement is consta ntly lowering the cost these sources making it feasible (Turk & Bensel, 2011). This is quite an argument given by people who favor the use of alternative sources of energy. They argue that technology is already available and its feasibility is also improving every day, and this is why alternative sources of energy can play a significant role in reducing human dependence

Text Analysis essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Text Analysis - Essay Example The paper adopts the thesis Steve jobs speech appeals more to college students than his academic background. Steve Jobs is one of most celebrated inventor, businessperson, philanthropist and personality (Wilson 56). Steve is as one of the cofounders of Apple Company and computerized animation (Pixar animation). However, analyzing Steve Jobs at an academically it a different story. The quagmire of the speech at one of the most respected academic institutions is the fact he openly refers to his academic life standing at the podium. Steve’s speech is well crafted and depicts all the three elements that are necessary to capture the audience attention. Steve Jobs effectively uses irony to introduce the fact that he has never graduated by uttering the words â€Å"†¦This is the closest I have ever got to college graduation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (The Apple History Channel). Steve speech audience is composed of mostly young graduands from Stanford University. Steve Jobs understands well the level of education of his audience and goes directly to the main points in his speech. The environment and atmosphere that the audience offer Steve Jobs encourages him to continue with the speech. The audience is patient and responds well to Steve Jobs humor and emotional words. The composure of the audience implies they are eager to listen and learn new concepts. The audience responds well to Steve humour and applause him when he is for the first time. Steve Jobs uses tonal variation and posting from time to time giving audience time to comprehend his points. The audience respond during the pauses reveals they are attentive and listening to the speech keenly. There is very little murmuring during the speech, the audience in this case are a matured lot and respect the speaker Steve Jobs. The audience is more rejuvenated and fired up to face life at the end of the spe ech. Steve Jobs success overshadows the fact that he has never graduated from college and effectively

Business and Consumer Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business and Consumer Society - Essay Example When the consumer buys and consumes more, he has wealth and satisfied, than producing more of what he cannot fully utilized. It is advantageous to create more employment, give skills and knowledge to consumers to be independent. This will create more producers and universal employment. Building projects on consumer’s choices reduce the expected targets, therefore, investing on the production of skilled and knowledgeable consumers leads to more production and sustainability (Bauman 203). When there is adequate disposal of consumer choices, the consumer will have more variety of products. The same to the producers, when they have a variety of products targeting all range of consumers, the producers will have a wide range of consumers who utilize their produce. For example, when a food processing company produces a variety of food products, like margarine, peanut, cooking fat, and honey, it targets a wide range of consumers. The consumers who do not use honey may opt for peanut. It is difficult to plan for the consumer products that one has not yet acquired. When one plans, for what has not acquired, he may run short on the targeted budget. So it is advisable to create consumer products that target all the wide range of consumers’ needs. ... Though it is a good business, there was no immediate market for the produce. The firm ended up closing down because there was no market for the animal feeds. The firm ran at an enormous loss. Therefore, before putting up a business, take time to study the market and the favorable conditions for business. Demand for consumer products plays a leading role in the consumer products. Sufficient markets for the products reduce the wastage of consumer products. Demand for consumer products helps in the acquisition, the distribution and the use of these consumer goods. With sufficient demand of the consumer goods, there will be the adequate equitable of the consumer goods. This will make the producers produce be utilized by the consumers (Bauman 219). Creating demand for products enables the sustainability and specialization in the economy. The producers will have their market where they sell their products and consumers will get the products they need (Bauman 67). The producers should creat e market for the products they are producing for the already existing market they have created. This will enhance equitable in the products produced, and development in the resources produced. Resources is fully utilized when the demand for the finished products is available, reducing the wastage of finished goods and services. All the targeted consumers will receive the products of their choice. This leads to specialization enhancing development of other sectors in the economy. Therefore, it is advisable take time and knows ones demand and the markets. When the market has been known, selling and buying of consumer products will be easily and successful. This will enhance full

The doctrine of Parliamentary privilege has no place in a modern Essay

The doctrine of Parliamentary privilege has no place in a modern democratic society. Discuss - Essay Example To understand the magnitude of the doctrine in the modern political establishment, parliamentary privilege can be illustrated to be synonymous with parliamentary system. Even if debate for its review and in extreme debates its abolition persist, it is an issue that cannot be abandoned just in the heat of the arguments. The following discourse explores the possibilities of abandoning the doctrine based on some of its principles, in light of their appropriateness in a modern democracy. Parliamentary privilege and it purpose Parliamentary privilege according to legal experts is the immunity accorded some legislators whereby the legislators enjoy legal protection against criminal or civil liability in the course of performing their legislative duties (BBC2 para 7)1. Essentially, the privilege makes it possible also for parliament to debate or question issues that could interfere with court ongoing judicial proceedings in a case, expose state secrets, undermine national security, scour fo reign relations, and slander individuals – whether parliamentarians or not. The concept of parliamentary privilege has its roots in the Westminster system and is widely applied across the world. The privilege emerged as a direct result of the contentions that hundreds of years ago existed between the courts the Crown, and the House of Commons2 (Attorney General’s Department para 4). Some of the countries that apply the privilege to parliament other than Britain include Australia, the United Sates of America, Canada, and Kenya, in Africa. In the UK for example, such privileges allow members of the two Houses (House of Commons and House of Lords) to freely deliberate in their participation in parliament without fearing legal action based on claims of contravening the Official Secrets Act, contempt of court or slander. This privilege also assures parliamentarian that they are immune from civil arrests in matters undertaken within the precincts of parliament, in this case the Palace of Westminister3 according to the BBC1 (para 2). However this is conditional in that the members of parliament only enjoy this privilege if their statements are uttered as part of parliamentary proceeding. One such event that reinforces the application of parliamentary privilege in the United Kingdom is with respect to the Zircon affair as it threatened to reveal national secrets. Protection of the parliament against any form of interference while handling legislative obligations is by far a genuine reason for the existence of such freedom as accorded to parliamentarians (Limon 34). However, abuse of the privileges appears to be inseparable from the process of their enjoyment. The purpose of the privilege accorded to parliament rests within the context of legislative duties but other contingent intricacies of interpretation have always made efforts futile to identify balance the genuine purposes. Parliament has failed to implement the appropriate balance and checks that w ould facilitate the relevant procedures to be applied in determining parliamentary privilege usage as genuine or not. Democratic institutions need such control as would be necessary for their independence on one hand while their abuse is clearly identified and dealt with amicably on the other hand. Arguments against Parliamentary Privilege The basic rule that parliamentary privilege is intended to achieve is resolve issues bearing a matter that is of public interest

The Benefits of Nuclear Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Benefits of Nuclear Power - Essay Example The Nuclear Power was the most significant innovation of the Twentieth Century and could potentially affect the Twenty First Century as much as any other innovation. Nuclear energy is commonly understood to the most practical alternative to electric generating power plants that burn coal for fuel. Nuclear powered plants, as a substitute for coal-burning plants, could play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The biggest test mankind faces in the Twenty First Century is reversing the cataclysmic effects of global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions and to combat the misperceptions of nuclear generated power from the extensive criticism it has been subjected to during the past three decades. If the world’s countries and people are serious about ending the burning of fossil fuels and stop the acceleration of global climate change, alternative fuels such as bio-fuel and renewable energy such as solar and wind power must be rapidly employed on a large scale. However, these types of energy alone are not sufficient to replace oil and coal as the most prevalent power sources therefore the levels of CO2 emissions will continue to rise. Scientists have caution that if far-reaching radical steps are not employed now, the consequences of global climate change will quickly become irreversible and the earth’s temperature will continue to increase despite future attempts to diminish these dangerous emissions. Consequently, nuclear power plants should be built as soon as possible to replace coal burning facilities. â€Å"Nuclear energy is a clean, safe, reliable and competitive energy source. It is the only source of energy that can replace a significant part of the fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) which massively pollute the atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect† (Comby, 2006). Nuclear plants are the only alternative to coal that would be able to provide all the electricity power needs for both residential and businesses and residential customers. Nuclear power is the only feasible energy alternative that could replace the enormous energy needs of the world’s people and, if implemented with a sense of urgency, could be constructed in time to save the earth from the most horrific consequences. Environmentalists who are against nuclear electric plants should appreciate that this is the best way to avoid the ominous affects of irreversible global climate change. Their anxiety principally concerns nuclear waste disposal. â€Å"Nuclear waste is to be deposited in deep geological storage sites; it does not enter the biosphere. Its impact on the ecosystems is minimal. An intelligent combination of energy conservation, and renewable energies for local low-intensity applications, and nuclear energy for base-load electricity production, is the only viable way for the future† (Comby, 2006). Some detractors of nuclear power point to the possible deaths resulting from nuclear accidents. To date, o nly the nuclear power plant melt-down at Chernobyl caused deaths. No deaths are associated with the recent plant damage in Japan. Compare nuclear power plants safety record to that of coal mines. Chernobyl was unique. That type of accident could not occur in any other plant because all the currently operating reactors in the world are located inside a containment structure (Chernobyl was not). The 1979 Three Mile Island reactor core meltdown, which was the result of a failure in its core cooling system, emitted a lot of radiation but the reactor was housed in a containment structure which kept the radiation from being released into the air. There were no deaths or injuries. (Miller, 2004) Nuclear power is safer and more dependable than ever before. We cannot allow the

Discourse Analysis on Zoos are internment camps for animals and should Essay

Discourse Analysis on Zoos are internment camps for animals and should be shut down - Essay Example The arguments that the author uses are mainly factual, which shows a reliance on logos in terms of rhetorical appeal. In the introduction there are some historical details about the origin of zoos in ancient history, and this situates the topic as a phenomenon which human beings have experienced over many centuries. A particularly offensive kind of zoo with human exhibits is cited and this example is an appeal to pathos, because the reader cannot fail to feel pity for the human beings who were treated in this offensive way. The first main argument concerns the rights of animals. An extended analogy is made between animals in zoo and human beings who are not able to think for themselves. This refers to young children, some very old people, and individuals who suffer from illnesses or conditions that prevent them from using full rational faculties. In human law, these individuals who cannot think for themselves have the same rights as other human beings. The author relies on scholarly literature to show that the same rights should be available to animals, who are similar to this category of non-rational human beings. Some evidence is drawn from PETA, which is an animal rights organization, and although it is useful in pointing out the worst examples of zoo mismanagement, it is a rather biased source. There is a lack of information on examples of remedial work or good care in zoos, for example in rehabilitating animals that have been rescued from poachers or from scientific experiment labs and this is a weakness in the essay. The reader feels somehow tricked if one side of an argument is pressed too strongly, and the other side is treated with less thoroughness, and with extreme examples. Anecdotal evidence about tigers dying of malnutrition in China represents a special case, and it is not very reasonable to cite this as a typical practice in zoos across the world. The author could have made the essay better by acknowledging that in a very few cases, there may be an argument for letting people view animals, in return for paying an entrance fee that helps to support these animals when they are no t well enough to return to the wild. The second argument against zoos is the harm that is done to animals, and the behavioural symptoms that animals show when they are badly treated in zoos. This is a logical, factual account that supports the main argument. The counter argument, that zoos help endangered species, is cited to demolish any views that the reader might hold in favor of retaining zoos. This is the weakest part of the essay, because further research would have shown that some species have been brought back from extinction through programs organized by zoos. The author uses a calm and reasonable tone throughout the essay, even though the subject is quite an emotional one, and many people have strong feelings about it. The persuasion mode is direct, starting with the assertion that zoos should be shut down, and citing a number of reasons why this is the case. One important rhetorical device that is used is the key metaphor expressed in the title: â€Å"zoos are internment camps†. This metaphor is very clever because it forces the reader to think of zoos from the point of view of the animals in them. It makes the reader think of animals as prisoners, which is a sort of personification, and the

The Benefits of Nuclear Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Benefits of Nuclear Power - Essay Example The Nuclear Power was the most significant innovation of the Twentieth Century and could potentially affect the Twenty First Century as much as any other innovation. Nuclear energy is commonly understood to the most practical alternative to electric generating power plants that burn coal for fuel. Nuclear powered plants, as a substitute for coal-burning plants, could play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The biggest test mankind faces in the Twenty First Century is reversing the cataclysmic effects of global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions and to combat the misperceptions of nuclear generated power from the extensive criticism it has been subjected to during the past three decades. If the world’s countries and people are serious about ending the burning of fossil fuels and stop the acceleration of global climate change, alternative fuels such as bio-fuel and renewable energy such as solar and wind power must be rapidly employed on a large scale. However, these types of energy alone are not sufficient to replace oil and coal as the most prevalent power sources therefore the levels of CO2 emissions will continue to rise. Scientists have caution that if far-reaching radical steps are not employed now, the consequences of global climate change will quickly become irreversible and the earth’s temperature will continue to increase despite future attempts to diminish these dangerous emissions. Consequently, nuclear power plants should be built as soon as possible to replace coal burning facilities. â€Å"Nuclear energy is a clean, safe, reliable and competitive energy source. It is the only source of energy that can replace a significant part of the fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) which massively pollute the atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect† (Comby, 2006). Nuclear plants are the only alternative to coal that would be able to provide all the electricity power needs for both residential and businesses and residential customers. Nuclear power is the only feasible energy alternative that could replace the enormous energy needs of the world’s people and, if implemented with a sense of urgency, could be constructed in time to save the earth from the most horrific consequences. Environmentalists who are against nuclear electric plants should appreciate that this is the best way to avoid the ominous affects of irreversible global climate change. Their anxiety principally concerns nuclear waste disposal. â€Å"Nuclear waste is to be deposited in deep geological storage sites; it does not enter the biosphere. Its impact on the ecosystems is minimal. An intelligent combination of energy conservation, and renewable energies for local low-intensity applications, and nuclear energy for base-load electricity production, is the only viable way for the future† (Comby, 2006). Some detractors of nuclear power point to the possible deaths resulting from nuclear accidents. To date, o nly the nuclear power plant melt-down at Chernobyl caused deaths. No deaths are associated with the recent plant damage in Japan. Compare nuclear power plants safety record to that of coal mines. Chernobyl was unique. That type of accident could not occur in any other plant because all the currently operating reactors in the world are located inside a containment structure (Chernobyl was not). The 1979 Three Mile Island reactor core meltdown, which was the result of a failure in its core cooling system, emitted a lot of radiation but the reactor was housed in a containment structure which kept the radiation from being released into the air. There were no deaths or injuries. (Miller, 2004) Nuclear power is safer and more dependable than ever before. We cannot allow the

The Kite Runner - Deep Thoughts Essay Example for Free

The Kite Runner Deep Thoughts Essay Guilt is an emotional experience when a person believes or realizes that they have done an unethical action. Many people regard guilt as an unnecessary, even harmful, emotion. Contrary to popular opinion, guilt can be a good emotion. Without guilt, individuals might lack the motivation to act morally. Guilt plays a major role in The Kite Runner, Amir attempts to redeem himself by his feelings of guilt. One of the positive attributes of guilt is that guilt teaches us not to make the same mistake twice. Making mistakes is part of being human, but it is the guilt we feel which prevents us from repeating our mistakes. If a student plagiarizes, then they would feel guilty. Guilt tells the student that this behavior is wrong because we have broken the trust of the teacher. Regardless of whether or not the student gets caught, the guilt prevents him or her from plagiarizing again. In The Kite Runner, Amir often treats Hassan as if he was only a servant rather than a friend. Despite this mistreatment, Hassan remains loyal to Amir and his family throughout the novel. Eventually, this combination makes Amir feel awfully guilty. Amir does not want to repeat his mistake with how he treats Hassan’s son, Sohrab. He said to Soharb,â€Å"Assef hurt your father in a really bad way, and I couldn’t save your father the way your father saved me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. I won’t hurt you, I promise (pg. 344).† Amir has implies to Sohrab that he had done an action sinful to Hassan. Guilt has changed the characteristics of Amir from a selfish person to a more caring human being. Another honorable characteristic of guilt is that it motivates us human beings to complete a task. Guilt is a motivator because we are motivated to act in order to make ourselves feel better about our transgression. If a student does not complete their homework, they would feel guilty because it is our duty and obligation to complete what we are intended to accomplish. With a low guilt score, we would not be driven to do anything because nothing is actually necessary or our responsiblity to be done. Amir, in The Kite Runner, is motivated by guilt to save Sohrab, who is an orphan in the war-zone Kabul. Without the motivation of guilt, Amir would not act on the rescue because it is not his duty plus it is possible for others to complete the burden for him. â€Å"There is a way to be good again. A way to end the cycle. With a boy. An orphan. Hassan’s son. Somewhere in Kabul.(pg. 245)† Clearly, Amir feels guilt of the action he has done to Hassan. Because of the guilt, Amir would want to redeem himself after doing a sinful deed. Rescuing Sohrab was â€Å"the way to be good again.† Although the feeling of guilt is a virtuous nature, too much of guilt would be paralyzing to an individual. Just like every other emotion, too much reaction leads to a psychological malady. Too much of guilt creates distorted thinking, the inability to perform tasks and other physical diseases. General Taheri, from The Kite Runner, meets this description perfectly. General Taheri was a high-ranked general back in Afghanistan. After the Soviet War of Afghanistan started, he fled from home to America. This action has build up the guilt within him because he had turned down on his country when the country needed him the most. â€Å"The general believes that Afghanistan would be freed. So every day, he donned his gray suit, wound his pocket watch, and waited (pg.191)† The believed excess guilt causes the general to escape reality. General Taheri goes to the flee market every day just so it seems like home, he does not have a job so he only receives welfare from the government, and he has headaches monthly and locks himself in his room. These all mostly symptoms of excess guilt. Guilt is rather a good characteristic than a harmful one, even though, there is a limit to positive guilt. The novel, The Kite Runner, has demonstrated to us various ways on how guilt could be a righteous nature. â€Å"A way to be good again†, the most well known quote from the novel is create by the guilt that has brought to all of us. The novel lacks its significance without the essence of guilt. Reference: Hosseini, Khaled. Chapter 13. The Kite Runner. Riverhead Mass-market International Edition ed. New York: Riverhead, 2007. 191. Print. Hosseini, Khaled. Chapter 18. The Kite Runner. Riverhead Mass-market International Edition ed. New York: Riverhead, 2007. 245. Print. Hosseini, Khaled. Chapter 24. The Kite Runner. Riverhead Mass-market International Edition ed. New York: Riverhead, 2007. 344. Print.

Policies for Primary School Teachers

Policies for Primary School Teachers Introduction This essay discusses the question, â€Å"What do you consider to be an effective primary teacher?†. With reference to recent research, government initiatives and your own experience, the essay explores this question, based on my own educational principles and the ways in which these will underpin your professional practice in the future. The essay begins by reviewing the Government policies and initiatives that are relevant to the research question, discussing, in particular, the document Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003) and the subsequent Primary Strategy framework for primary education. The essay then moves on to discuss the aims of these policies and initiatives and the implications these have had for schools and teachers. The assessment framework is discussed, and how this impacts on teacher effectiveness is also noted. The essay then moves on to looking at the qualities of effective teachers, and effective teaching in a primary setting, and concludes that some of the facets of Government policies and initiatives – such as continual assessments run counter to my ethos of effective teaching and actually serve as little other than distractions from pure teaching time, through all the administration such assessments bring and the amount of time this takes away fro m lesson planning, for example. In terms of Government policy towards primary education, in 2003, the Government launched the policy document Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003) which set out a vision for the future of primary education built, formally, on the striving for higher standards through the formulation of a rich and varied curriculum which is aimed at developing children in a number of ways. As explained by the DfCSF (2008), the key to making this vision a reality lies in the need to empower primary school children to take control of their own learning, to be innovative and to develop their own character. The DfCSF (2008) also noted that the aims of the policy Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003) should also be achieved through schools being able to set their own targets, based on challenging but realistic targets for the progress of each individual child, with LEA targets being set after this. In addition, the policy document Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003) encourages schools to network to learn from each other and to develop good practice, in partnership with parents in order to help children as far as possible and to forge links between schools and communities (DfCSF, 2008). The policy document Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003) was intended as an enabler, with leadership in schools being strengthened in terms of professional development of teachers towards the whole curriculum, and in terms of helping schools themselves design broad curriculum that links different areas of the curriculum and which thus provides children with as wide as possible a range of learning experiences (DfCSF, 2008). The policy document Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003) argues that the best primary schools are those that offer a broad and rich curriculum, and that, based on this it is fundamental that schools develop their own distinctive character through taking ownership of the curriculum, by being creative and innovative, using tests, targets and tables to help every child to develop his or her potential (DfES, 2003). Essentially, the policy document Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003) urged the promotion of excellence in primary teaching through building on the success of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, using the new Primary Strategies to extend this success in to other areas of the curriculum, including in foreign languages, sport and creativity, amongst other areas, measuring the success of this curriculum through assessments (DfES, 2003). There are many ways in which assessment activities can take place in the classroom, including monitoring normal classwork activities, using specific assessment tests designed by the teacher, designating assessment tasks as part of normal classwork, providing assessment tasks as part of homework assignments, and others, which are the domain of higher educational levels than the foundation stage, such as the use of standardized National Curriculum tests and/or formal examinations (Kyriacou, 1999; p.107). Kyriacou (1999; p.107-109) details each of these assessment protocols, showing, for example, how, although monitoring classroom activity is a part of the normal routine of a teacher, the monitoring, when it becomes investigative and active can become a form of assessment (Kyriacou, 1999; p.107; Kyriacou, 1997). In this way, the monitoring can inform teaching practice, through leading to suggestions for improvements in how learning is delivered, based on observations of areas in which t he children are failing to learn as quickly or as thoroughly compared to other areas, for example. In this way, monitoring and assessment can be a route through which teaching can be improved and teachers can become more effective. In terms of how the assessment is actually made (i.e., the actual process of assessment), evidence is collected through an ongoing process, via the teachers knowledge of the child, information from other contributors who are in regular contact with the child, anecdotes about significant moments in the child’s development, and focused assessments, based on observation where observation is understood to mean â€Å"the practice of watching and listening to a child as they engage in an activity and demonstrate specific knowledge, skills and understanding† (NAA, 2007). As pointed out by Kyriacou (1999; p.106), it is imperative that an adequate record of the child’s achievements, and their assessment, is kept, and that portfolios of children’s work are kept in order to exemplify the standards that are being sought, and so that teachers can use these records as a benchmark to build upon, through which improvements to teaching practice can be made and teacher effe ctiveness be improved. Teachers thus need to be competent in many areas in order to ensure that the assessment process goes smoothly for all concerned and that the assessment process is something that can be useful for teachers, in terms of improving teaching practices. The need for teachers to be competent in the assessment of children is reflected in the fact that the DfEE (2000) list of standards for teachers lists the ability to assess and record each pupils progress systematically as a competency (Kyriacou, 1999; p.106). In addition, it is fundamental that assessment judgements are agreed amongst all concerned, so that all those involved can make the best, fullest, use of the information. The Primary Strategies outlined in the policy document Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003) thus built on the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to lead to the development of the Primary Curriculum, with the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies being embedded in the Primary Strategy (under the framework of the Primary Framework for literacy and mathematics that was launched in October 2006) (DfCSF, 2008). This new framework builds on the learning that has taken place since the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies were launched in 2003, providing new structures and new impetus to the vision embodied in the policy document Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003), extending, as it does, the support given only to literacy and to numeracy to other subjects (DfCSF, 2008). The overall ethos of the new Primary Strategy framework is that excellent education is an education that is tailored to child ren’s specific needs, allowing them to engage with the educational process and giving them the start they need to be able to succeed in the context of secondary education (DfCSF, 2008). In terms of the future education of primary children, and how assessments at the primary level affect children’s future educational development, it is well documented that the level of educational attainment of a child (as assessed through Key Stage 1 assessments) cannot – alone – be used as an indicator of how well a particular teacher or school has performed; it is the relative progress that needs to be considered in terms of making an assessment of how children’s future educational prospects are affected by the assessment process (Kyriacou, 1999; p. 106). Ways to do this include taking baseline measurements of achievement and comparing these with achievement following a certain time period of education, or taking value-added measurements (Kyriacou, 1999; p.106). In terms of tracking how children progress beyond the primary level, the relationship between Key Stage 1 assessments and attainment in terms of National Curriculum levels needs to be explored (AAIA, 2007). As discussed by AAIA (2007), however, Key Stage 1 attainments cannot be directly related to National Curriculum levels and any such attempts would result in spurious information (NAA, 2006). It is clear, however, that the higher the child’s assessment at Key Stage 1, the more likely it is that the child would attain high levels following the National Curriculum tests (AAIA, 2007). Cohen et al. (2004) provides information on how to plan and organise classes, and shows how the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has set out principles for early years education (QCA, 1999; 2000; 2001), on the basis that, â€Å"effective education requires both a relevant curriculum and practitioners who understand and are able to implement the curriculum requirements†¦building on what children already know and can do, encouraging a positive attitude and a disposition to learn and to protect against early failure†. As the QCA (1999, 2000, 2001) point out, early years education should be carefully structured, providing different starting points, depending on what the child can already do, should have relevant and appropriate content, matching the different levels of children’s needs and should provide planned and purposeful activities which provide opportunities for teaching both indoors and outdoors, with teachers who are able to observe and respond app ropriately to the children under their care. This is on the basis that â€Å"parents are children’s first and most enduring educators† (QCA, 2000, p.9), and that teachers provide a series of stepping stones through foundation stages, through Early Learning Goals, through primary level, which articulates with the National Curriculum which all children from age five are legally bound to follow (Cohen et al., 2004; Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 2000). Cohen et al. (2004) show how key aspects of effective learning at the primary level are active, integrated, socially constructive, cognitively constructive and linguistically rich learning, beginning where the individual learner is at themselves, in terms of their learning process, so that the individual child is the agent of their learning, empowering the children to enable their own learning by casting learning as problem-solving (Morrison, 2000; Cohen et al., 2004). As Morrison (2000; p.122) states, â€Å"the intention (of learning) is to extend play, to empower students and to enable them to take responsibility for their own, active and autonomous, learning and to develop in all aspects of their learning†. This is conducted, generally, through four key elements: classroom arrangements (with such things as centres of interest), daily schedules of plan-do-review sessions, key curricular and learning experiences and content and assessments through observation, recording and s haring, using authentic assessment and portfolios (Cohen et al., 2004). By following such suggestions for enabling learning at the primary level, continuity and progression are ensured. Continuity is generally defined, and understood, as ensuring that the overall aims, values and beliefs that give direction to, and put boundaries around, the scheme of work are consistent, regardless of who is teaching or answering later questions (Fabian and Dunlop, 2002). Progression is defined, and understood, generally, as the process through which the schools planned activities gradually extend pupils’ thinking, their exploration of values and attitudes, enrich language, knowledge and strategies through increasingly demanding inputs and challenging explorations, matched to pupils chronological age, readiness and circumstance (Fabian and Dunlop, 2002). Through ensuring continuity and progression, children can be enabled to achieve the goals they want to achieve, within the frameworks that are set them. My personal teaching ethos This section takes one or two of my principles to explain how I intend to be an effective primary teacher, using examples from your my school experiences. In essence, I concur with Cohen et al. (2004) that, â€Å"effective education requires both a relevant curriculum and practitioners who understand and are able to implement the curriculum requirements†¦building on what children already know and can do, encouraging a positive attitude and a disposition to learn and to protect against early failure† and I agree with the overall stated ethos of the new Primary Strategy framework is that excellent education is an education that is tailored to children’s specific needs, allowing them to engage with the educational process and giving them the start they need to be able to succeed in the context of secondary education (DfCSF, 2008). Taylor and Hayes (2001) provide a discussion as to how education should be delivered, leading me to arrive at several conclusions as to how I should organize my time as a teacher in order to provide the most effective teaching possible to my pupils. I agree with the aims of the Primary Strategy as set out in the policy document, Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003), which encourages schools and teachers to network to learn from each other and to develop good practice, in partnership with parents in order to help children as far as possible and to forge links between schools and communities (DfCSF, 2008). The dictates of the assessment processes and the Curriculum mean I have to teach within these boundaries, but this does not mean that lessons have to be rigid and that assessments and tests and Curriculum have to be frightening terms to primary age pupils. One of my responsibilities as an effective teacher is to prepare students, as well as possible, for the assessments and to teach the Curriculum in such a manner that the children’s sense of wonder is upheld (see Allen and Ainley, 2007) and that children’s awareness of themselves as part of a whole and as spiritual beings is also encouraged (Eaude, 2005). My aim as a primary teacher is to foster a sense of enjoyment in the learning process and, through this, to foster a love of learning that will continue well beyond the primary level, encouraging success at the secondary level and forging a lifelong love of learning in each individual pupil, based on a sense of wonder at the world, its contents and its processes. I, personally, agree with Cohen et al. (2004), who show how key aspects of effective learning at the primary level are active, integrated, socially constructive, cognitively constructive and linguistically rich learning, beginning where the individual learner is at themselves, in terms of their learning process, so that the individual child is the agent of their learning, empowering the children to enable their own learning by casting learning as problem-solving (Morrison, 2000; Cohen et al., 2004). It is my aim as a teacher, wishing to be an effective teacher, to foster the empowerment of children, through developing a sense of the wonder of learning and empowering the children to direct their own learning, within the context of the Curriculum, so that children feel they are capable of learning and are capable of achieving the standards they set themselves. The Success of New Labour’s Policy Towards Primary Education Tymms (2004) look at how successful the changes to primary education have been, following the introduction of the Numeracy and Literacy Strategies and finds that, whilst the introduction of these Strategies contributed to a rise in standards, independent tests of children’s attainment have shown that this rise in standards is not as widespread nor as high as claimed and that, as such, an independent body should be set up to monitor standards over time, with the purpose of testing how Government planning for education is actually being received on the ground, as it were. A recent Oftsted report (Ofsted, 2003) also shows that some of the aims of the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategy were not achieved (with weak subject knowledge being a common failure of schools), suggesting the Government’s approach to primary education needs to be looked at further. Allen and Ainley (2007) back this suggestion, through their analysis of education in the UK, presented in their book Education make you fick, innit? Allen and Ainley argue that as institutionalized learning has become more common-place in the Uk, through schools and work-based training programmes, possibilities have been foreclosed for emancipating minds, something that is increasingly being applied to primary level education, through the introduction of the Primary Strategy, for example, and the assessment-based curriculum this embodies, which, argue Allen and Ainley (2007) forces teachers to concentrate more on training children in the Curriculum for the purpose of attaining high scores on the assessments than on actually instilling a sense of wonder in learning. Allen and Ainley (2007) argue that this process is killing the sense of wonder in children, and that, even for primary school children, education, the process of going to school, has become little more than a daily grind, rather than a joyous process the children are happy to undertake because they enjoy the process and because the process can bring them knowledge and enjoyment. This essay has discussed the question, â€Å"What do you consider to be an effective primary teacher?†. With reference to recent research, government initiatives and your own experience, the essay has explored this question, based on my own educational principles and the ways in which these will underpin your professional practice in the future. The essay began by reviewing the Government policies and initiatives that are relevant to the research question, discussing, in particular, the document Excellence and Enjoyment – A Strategy for Primary Schools (DfES, 2003) and the subsequent Primary Strategy framework for primary education. The essay then moved on to discuss the aims of these policies and initiatives and the implications these have had for schools and teachers. The assessment framework was then discussed, and how this impacts on teacher effectiveness was also noted. The essay then moved on to looking at the qualities of effective teachers, and effective teachin g in a primary setting, and concluded that some of the facets of Government policies and initiatives – such as continual assessments run counter to my ethos of effective teaching and actually serve as little other than distractions from pure teaching time, through all the administration such assessments bring and the amount of time this takes away from lesson planning, for example. The main conclusion to the essay is that effective teaching at the primary level should serve to instill a sense of the wonder of learning and should open children’s minds to the possibilities that learning, and the learning process, encompasses. I converge with Allen and Ainley (2007) that the current trend towards assessments, more assessments and yet more assessments is not healthy for children, because it causes stress and can initiate a sense of failure in children who do not achieve high scores on these assessments and also because managing these assessments takes time away from teaching, through all the administration that the tests generate. The argument that these tests do little than to confirm that the education policies the Government is espousing are correct seems valid, and it is, as has been seen, in any case questionable that the standards suggested by the Government, in the Primary Strategy are actually leading to rises in standards (see Tymms, 2004). That the overall stated ethos of the new Primary Strategy framework is that an excellent education is an education that is tailored to children’s specific needs, allowing them to engage with the educational process and giving them the start they need to be able to succeed in the context of secondary education (DfCSF, 2008) is thus a good basis to begin, as an effective teacher, but, in order to avoid boredom in the education process, and psychological problems, due to the huge amount of testing and assessment primary children are subject to, effective teaching not only needs to teach the Curriculum and prepare children for the battery of tests and assessments they will be subjected to, but also needs to foster the empowerment of children, through developing a sense of the wonder of learning and empowering the children to direct their own learning, within the context of the Curriculum, so that children feel they are capable of learning and are capable of achieving the standards they set themselves. Effective teachers are thus not only bound by the dictates of Government policy and teaching research which suggests how teachers should teach, but they are, in my opinion, also bound by a responsibility to children, to instill in children a sense of the wonder of learning. In my opinion, and something I will endeavour to achieve in my teaching practice, this sense of wonder can be best achieved through empowering children to realise their potential and to realise they can achieve their goals, through fostering a love of learning. These qualities not only make for an effective teacher but also an inspiring teacher, who will inspire their pupils to want to learn. References AAIA (2007). Assessing children’s attainments in the foundation stage: guidance produced by the AAIA. Available from http://www.aaia.org.uk/PDF/FAQs%20-%20assessing%20childrens%20attainment%20in%20the%20foundation%20stage.pdf [Accessed on 29th February 2008]. Alexander, R. (2004). Still no pedagogy? Principle, pragmatism and compliance in primary education. Cambridge J. of Education 34(1), pp.7-33. Allen, M Ainley P (2007). Education make you fick, innit? Tufnell Press, Reading. Brown, M. et al. (1998). Is the National Numeracy strategy research-based? Brit. J. Educ. Studies 46, pp.362-385. Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2004). A guide to teaching practice. Routledge Falmer. DfCSF (2008). The National Strategies: Primary. Available from http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/about/ [Accessed on 29th February 2008]. DfEE (1998). Teachers: meeting the challenge of change. London: DfEE. DfEE (2000). Curriculum guidance for K1 stage. Available from http://www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs/resources/downloads/5585_cg_foundation_stage.pdf [Accessed 29th February 2008]. DfES (2003). Excellence and enjoyment: a strategy for primary schools. London: DfES. DfES (2004). Department for Education and Skills: five year strategy for children and learners. London: DfES. Eaude, T (2006). Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Learning Matters, Reading. Fabian, H. and Dunlop, A-W. (2002). Transitions in the early years: debating continuity and progression for children in early education. Routledge Falmer. Higgins, S. et al. (2002). Thinking through primary teaching. Chris Kington Publishing, Cambridge. Kyriacou, C. (1997). Effective teaching in schools. Nelson Thornes Ltd. Kyriacou, C. (1999). Essential teaching skills. Nelson Thornes Ltd. Kyriacou, C. (2005). The impact of daily maths lessons in England on pupil confidence and competence in early mathematics: a systematic review. Brit J Educ Studies 53(2), pp.168-186. Morrison, G.S. (2000). Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education. Prentice Hall. NAA (National Assessment Agency) (2007). Additional guidance on completing foundation stage profile assessments. Available from http://www.naa.org.uk/downloads/FSP_factsheet-_2007_Guidance_LA_Completing_Foundation_v042.pdf [Accessed 29th February 2008]. Ofsted (2003). The national literacy and numeracy strategies and the primary curriculum. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2000). Report on early years learning. London: Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. Pollard, A (2002). Readings for Reflective Teaching Continuum. QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) (1999). Early learning goals. London: QCA. QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) (2000). Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. . London: QCA. QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) (2001). Planning for learning in the foundation stage. . London: QCA. Siraj-Blatchford, I, Sylva, K, Taggart, B, Melhuish, E., Sammons, P, Elliot, K. The EPPE Project [1997-2003] Available from http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachers/ issue34/secondary/features/steppingup www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/ ks1-2citizenship/cit1/2 [Accessed on 29th February 2008]. Springate, D (2004). Democracy in Schools: Some European perspectives. Springate, D (2006). Empowering Children Through their own Research. Taylor, W. and Hayes, D (2004). The RoutledgeFalmer Guide to Key Debates in Education. RoutledgeFalmer. Tymms, P. (2004). Are standards rising in English primary schools? Brit Educ Res J 30(4), pp.477-494. Webb, R. et al. (2004). A comparative analysis of primary teacher professionalism in England and Finland. Comp Educ 40(1), pp.83-107. Webb, R. and Vulliamy, G. (2006). The impact of New Labour’s education policy on teadhers and teaching at Key Stage 2. FORUM 48(2), pp.145-158. Wilce, H (2007). Nurture Groups: Can they prevent bad behaviour in the classroom?

Ten Mistakes Parents Make in Choosing a Boot Camp :: essays research papers

The past twenty years has seen a major change in residential programs for self-destructive and struggling teens. In the past virtually every residential intervention available was funded and controlled by governmental agencies, including decisions as to who would be enrolled. What has changed is that we now have a rapidly growing network of private residential schools and programs focused on allowing parents more choices. Usually this involves parents paying the tuition, or at least making arrangements for payment through their insurance policy or other resources. This is having the effect of empowering parents, giving them many more effective resources to which to turn when their struggling child is making self-destructive decisions. These new options enable parents to intervene before a tragedy develops. With that new ability and responsibility, comes the opportunity for parents to make their own mistakes. Listed below are ten of the most common mistakes I have seen parents make during my sixteen years working with parents of struggling teens. I present this with the hope that parents who are beginning to search for residential schools and programs will rethink their initial assumptions to avoid self-defeating choices. 1.) "We want a place close to home." Just as the needs of struggling teens vary widely, so do the strengths and weaknesses of residential schools and programs. Restricting one's search to a limited geographical area increases the chances of excluding the most appropriate places that have the best chances for being successful with your child. In effect, this is settling for second best, which increases the chances of a placement not working. 2.) "We want something affordable." The most expensive residential school or program is the one that doesn't work. A quality school or program that has the structure to keep on top of manipulative and contrary teens and still be effective in changing attitudes is going to be expensive, whether the parent or the taxpayers pay the bill. Most low cost schools or programs are inexpensive because they are undercapitalized, cut corners financially, have a poorly thought out program, hire too few people and or hire minimum wage staff. It is very risky to entrust your child to one of these places. An exception to this is the quality school or program, usually Christian oriented, that has a large endowment or a successful fund raising program, or is able to attract good staff because they consider themselves on a mission.

History Of The Social Security Program :: American History

In 1935, after bank failures and a stock market crash had wiped out the savings of millions of Americans, the nation turned to their president to guarantee the elderly a decent income. In those days, only a handful of workers had access to pensions from their employers or through State governmental pension programs. Over half of America's elderly lacked sufficient income to be self-supporting. The Social Security Act was enacted at the urging of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to create a social insurance program that ensures workers would have a source of income after they retired. In the decades that have followed, Social Security has become one of the federal government's most popular and essential programs. Despite all our efforts to encourage savings and investment, the private retirement picture has not changed much in recent decades. Even today, barely half of all workers have access to retirement plans at work, and millions reach retirement age without enough private savings to provide an adequate living in retirement. Social Security is still the foundation for most seniors' retirement. Without this critical safety-net program, over half of all older Americans would fall into poverty. Social Security does exactly what it was designed to do. It gives retired people a secure, basic income for as long as they live. At the end of 2005, more than 48 million people were receiving Social Security benefits: 33 million retired workers and their dependents, 7 million survivors of deceased workers, and 8 million disabled workers and their families. Over time, the Democratic Party has implemented changes to the Social Security program in order to adjust to changing times. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson proposed and later signed the legislation to create Medicare. The Medicare program was added to provide universal, affordable health care benefits to retirees. Medicare is the largest health insurance program in the United States. At the end of 1966, Medicare served approximately 3.9 million individuals. As of 2003, it serves about 41 million people. There are 5.6 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in managed care programs. Medicare is an entitlement program similar to Social Security and is not based on financial need. Medicare benefits are available to all American citizens over the age of 65 because they or their spouses have paid Social Security taxes through their working years. Since Medicare is a federal program, the rules for eligibility remain constant throughout the nation and coverage remains continuous regardless of where an individual receives treatment in the United States.