f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\13.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Survey question Do you fell that to reside in the U.S. you should know how to speak basic English or be enrolled in a English language class? Hypothesis I feel that most people will think that people should be able to speak our language to reside here. Maybe 90% saying you should and 10% saying you should not have to. Results Americans that felt yes they should speak the language 59 out of 71 Other nationalities that felt that they should speak the language 27 out of 29 Americans that felt they should not have to speak the language 12 out of 71 other nationalities that felt they should not have to speak the language 2 out of 29 By doing this survey I have learned that most people feel that foreigners should learn to speak the English language in order to reside here. There were also a lot of people that feel if you live in the U.S. you should be required to speak the language in public. A lot of people seem to take offense to foreigners that speak other languages in public. The few people that said no, commented with "it's their own stupidity if they don't". My hypothesis was fairly close I thought that 90% would say yes but only 86% said yes. As a final note I feel that this may be a good item to possible survey many more people and summit it to congress. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\A Cloned Chop .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Cloning opens many doors of opportunities in the agricultural aspect of the United States of America. It has already been a major factor in saving the lives of many humans. I feel the society as a whole can not and should not degrade this scientifical finding. I feel that human cloning should not be done and that this subject raises too many ethical questions. I would like to focus on an agricultural aspect if I may. People raised hell when animal parts were put into humans to save lives and today it is an accepted part of medicinal science. I feel that cloning in an agricultural and medicinal aspect will become the same as transplanted animal parts. It will go through much debate, but ten years from now it will be accepted scientifically, socially, and morally. In an article in Newsweek called A Cloned Chop, Anyone? They take a somewhat neutral, but also somewhat negative viewpoint of cloning in an agricultural and medicinal sense. They admit some good aspects of this genetic engineering, but they still seem pessimistic of the future of cloning in animals excluding humans. The first thing the article states is the Wall Street opportunities for the biotech field. Instead of phone calls from eager investors only phone calls from reporters were coming in asking about this market. I feel that now would be a great time to invest in biotechnical companies specializing in agricultural and medicinal cloning. This article says nothing about the great potentials of long term investment. Long term investment especially in the medicinal field is incredibly profitable. Just as in other controversial investing opportunities I feel that investors will find they could have made a lot of money if they invested in this area. Ten to fifteen years from now this agricultural cloning will be a commonly routine thing and price wars will begin for the products produced by them which means many great investment opportunities will be available. But one must remember that Wall Street is extremely short term investing so this is a good explanation for not many investors being interested in this because it is still many years before tangible and profitable products are made from cloning. The article goes on to say the Scottish scientists have a lot of good ideas, but they seem to be only a sci-fi adventure. Once again I disagree. Scottish scientists are trying to help the human race, not be lucrative mad scientists looking for another way to manipulate the human race. The following are some things that have already been done with genetic engineering and they are helpful to us, the human race. They plan on genetically engineering cows that produce altered milk formulas for premature infants. This is great I do not know how anyone can go against this because if their infant's life were on the line they would do everything in their power to save their child's life. Also they are genetically engineering animal organs to be more similar to those of humans. So just like we have been trying to do we can take organs from animals and successfully transplant them into humans. Again this will save many lives of people with terminal diseases that can be saved by organ transplant. Cloning is referred in the genetics area as transgenics. Some companies have been altering genes of animals with genes of humans to produce proteins needed to fight cancer and other diseases. Cloning may further enhance this procedure witch will help catalyst this treatment easily past the human testing stage into curing these horrible diseases. One company has already bred cows that may produce milk containing a protein essential for infants who can not nurse. Again I see no down side to this product and cloning will help speed this research along so we can save lives. The article next talks about some positives. It tells how sheep with proteins necessary for saving human lives can be breed more efficiently with cloning. Right now only one or two out of every ten sheep produce the proteins needed. However with cloning these "good" sheep can be cloned. Then they breed with other clones to make a whole generation of sheep with the desired protein. One company in the biotech field PPL is hoping to genetically engineer animals that will produce a tissue glue for use in surgery and a drug for cystic fibrosis. Finally the article states at the end that does anyone want to eat a cloned chop. Well the major restaurant chains did not seem interested. But first off only one sheep has been produced. I am sure they are not going to butcher the only clone to see how it tastes. I do not feel people should disclaim cloned meat. If an extremely good beef generation was produced they could be cloned. This would give excellent beef all year round and year after year. Of course cloning should not over take natural breeding, because through natural breeding we find more and better varieties of livestock. I am sure that the meat would be very tasty and palatable. The same goes true for grains, corn, and other plants. A superior seed may be available for worldwide use through cloning. Overall there are many possible positive benefits of cloning in an agricultural and medicinal aspects. As of now no one has the authority or right to belittle cloning. Besides there is not even scientific evidence to support any refutations to go against any cases about cloning that may appear in a court of law. We must be patient as a world community to see what develops of this subject. But it is years away from hitting the market; all we can do is hope and wait that someday cloning will better the human race and ourselves. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\A meaningjull Ghost story.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The short story "A Haunted House" is story with meaning, by portraying to us the treasure of life. When two ghosts are searching through their old house, looking for their "Treasure", the treasure or meaning is revealed to us. The joy and love shared between two people is the treasure, the treasure of life. By using irony and stream of consciousness Virginia Woolf is able to reveal the meaning of the story. Virginia Woolf uses a style called the "Stream of Consciousness", revealing the lives of her characters by revealing their thoughts and associations. We learn about the ghosts past by seeing what they thoughts and associated with there pasts. For example when they were discussing death she put " "Here we slept," she said. And he adds, "Kisses without number." "Waking in the morning_" "Silver between the trees." "Upstairs-" "In the garden-" "When summer came-" "In the winter snowtime-" "( A Haunted House Pg. 321). This quote shows us what places and actions the ghosts associate with there joy and love. Using stream of consciousness gives us a better feeling of what the characters are going through, which in turn gives us a better understanding of the meaning. We also see the use of irony, using a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or normal meaning. The irony is that the story is titled "A Haunted House" which made us think that the house was an evil place. The house ends up being where every thing good happens. The ghosts did not haunt the people , instead they make them realize the treasure they have. By seeing how much the ghosts valued finding their treasure it makes the people take a harder look at what their treasure is, the love and joy they share. It is very evident when she says " Now they found it, one would be certain, stopping the pencil on the margin. And then, tired of reading, one might rise and see for one self"(A Haunted House Pg. 321). The irony draws use in by making us think that we are about read a trivial ghost story, but instead, gives us a deeper and more meaningful interpretation of ones life. By Virginia Woolf's use of, streaming consciousness and irony she is rather dramatically able to portray her thoughts on the meaning of "A Haunted House". That the joy and love shared between two people is the treasure of life. A Meaningful Ghost Story Trevor Wood Mr. Thompson English OA1 2 Feb. 1997 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\a modest essay.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A Modest Essay . ESSAY: IN ORDER FOR THE ADMISSIONS STAFF OF OUR COLLEGE TO GET TO KNOW YOU, THE APPLICANT, BETTER, WE ASK THAT YOU ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: ARE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE HAD, OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU HAVE REALIZED, THAT HAVE HELPED TO DEFINE YOU AS A PERSON? I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row. I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru. Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I'm bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang gliding. On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge. I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don't perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. Last summer I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration. I bat .400. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me. I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair. While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me. I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. Years ago I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prizewinning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis. But I have not yet gone to college. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\A Murders Journey Through works of Dostoyevsky and Poe.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Some people believe that most murderers have a mental illness which causes them to commit their crime. This belief is strongly disagreed with by the authors Edgar Allan Poe and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Crime and Punishment, "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Black Cat",and "The Cask of Amontillado" are very similar in this contradiction. Each murderer takes a specific journey that has been illustrated in each case. The psychological make-up of each murderer shows that he is a normal person up to the point at which something compels him to commit this horrible crime, and after that his conscience usually leads to his own downfall. Before the murder has been committed the character is a regular human being. In most cases the characters that end up carrying through with this crime are above average people. Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment is "... quite an extraordinarily handsome young man..." (Crime and Punishment, pg.21) Raskolnikov is a very gifted university student, with a very good talent for figuring people out. Raskolinikov takes great pride and care for his family. On receiving a letter from his mother ...he quickly raised the letter to his lips and kissed it; then he spent a long time poring over the handwriting on the envelope, over the small, slanting handwriting, so familiar and dear to him, of his mother who had once taught him to read and write. (Crime and Punishment, pg.47) Raskolnikov's mother, who taught him how to read and write did this job quite well. This resulted in a very gifted and brilliant university student. This point is illustrated throughout the novel from the planning and carrying out of the murder, to interactions with the police. The narrator from the short story "The Black Cat" describes his "tenderness of heart was even so conspicuous as to make me the jest of his companions." ("The Black Cat", pg.390) He is quite a regular human being who is "...especially fond of animals..." ("The Black Cat", pg.390) The narrator also has a great wife whom he describes as being quite similar to himself, which shows that he must be quite normal if a good woman chooses to marry him. Much alike is the narrator from the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart". Again this character is full of love. The victim of his crime had done no wrong and for that the narrator "...loved the old man." ("The Tell-Tale Heart", pg.384) The narrator shows the same brilliance in planning the crime that Raskolnikov exhibits. People with great intelligence, great lives, possessions and friends must be normal people. This seems to hold true in the short story "The Cask of Amontillado". The narrator is a man with great wealth. He has many friends which would signify that he is quite a normal character. He lives in a nice house with servants and fine wine. This all seems to show that his mind is intact, if he obtains and keeps these symbols of success. It seems as if each and every character discussed is quite a normal human being. In most cases the wealth, knowledge, or love of others is far above average than most other human beings. The normal psychological make-up of a murderer has to change before the crime is committed. Something must happen in the character's life that causes them to alter their reasoning ability into something that maybe considered as insanity. It is seen quite clear that the loving character from "The Black Cat" "experienced a radical alteration for the worse." ("The Black Cat", pg.391) The turning point in his mind was explained by the narrator. "But my disease grew upon me - for what disease is like Alcohol!" ("The Black Cat, pg.392) This problem with alcohol is clearly the point at which the reasoning of the character changes. In Raskolnikov's case this change is also quite clear. For an above average university student it would be devastating to see education slip through his fingers beyond control. "He was crushed by poverty, but even straitened circumstances had ceased to worry him lately." (Crime and Punishment, pg.19) The poverty causes Raskolnikov to leave university. Upon leaving university he is left alone with his thoughts. "At that moment he was fully aware that his thoughts were at times confused and that he was very weak: for two days now he had had hardly anything to eat." (Crime and Punishment, pg.20) Poverty is clearly what changes Raskolnikov's psyche. The narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" has a bizarre reason for this change to occur. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture - a pale blue eye with a film over it. ("The Tell-Tale Heart", pg.384) This figurative meaning of the old man's eye can be interpreted in the broad view that the narrator dislikes the old man's personality. The narrators change stems from the selfishness and uncaring of the old man. The narrator of "The Cask of Amontillado" takes a change that occurs for the plain reason of revenge. it is evident that the character has passed a certain point at which his thoughts have changed as to compel him to carry through with this crime. In each work the murder has been committed it certainly takes a great psychological effect on each character. The narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" experiences this as he is conversing with the police. "The ringing became more distinct: - it continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness - until, at length , I found that the noise was not within my ears." ("The Tell-Tale Heart", pg.389) It is shown that the narrator's conscience is ringing and it is driving him insane. He gets more insane as time passes "It grew louder - louder - louder!" ("The Tell-Tale Heart, pg.389) This seems to be how his mind alters and is being punished for this alteration for the worse. The sound imagery is also used within the story "The Black Cat". After the first murder of his cat, the narrator's feeling of guilt grows with every passing day. "...I longed to destroy it with one blow, I was yet withheld from doing so, partly by a memory of my former crime." ("The Black Cat", pg.396) It seems as if his conscience of his former crime is restricting him from choices he once might have made. The narrator's feeling of guilt is eased by the discovery of a new cat. This turns out to be too much for him to take. As the narrator is trying to kill the second cat, his wife gets in the way and he kills her instead of the cat. After this happens his guilt is very unnoticeable. A cry is heard as the police are searching hi house and eventually reach the tomb in which his wife is hidden. It was "Quickly swelling into one long , loud, and continuous scream... a wailing shriek, half horror and half triumph..." ("The Black Cat", pg.400) Again this scream signifies the triumph of the conscience or of good over the evil deed that the character has attempted to conceal. The novel Crime and Punishment deals with this same idea of the role that guilt plays in the downfall of a murder. Raskolnikov begins his dealings with his conscience very soon after the crime. Raskolnikov leaves clues around "...because all his mental faculties were weakened and shaken - his mind was clouded." (Crime and Punishment, pg.109) This cloud of judgment causes Raskolnikov to attempt to avoid his conscience. He explains "What is it? Am I still delirious or is it all real? I think it's real?... oh I remember now I must run." (Crime and Punishment, pg.146) Raskolnikov continues to sway back and forth between admitting his guilt, and trying to escape it. It is shown through several events that Raskolnikov's crime has led him to the solitude of delirium and it gradually eats him away inside. The realization is finally made that he is not the extraordinary man that he thought he was. He states, I am a louse', he added, grinding his teeth, "because I myself am perhaps worse and nastier than the louse I killed, and I knew beforehand that I would say that after killing her!" (Crime and Punishment, pg.292) As the Raskolnikov's deterioration continues, he finally comes to the realization that his conscience cannot deal with this any longer. "It was I who killed the old woman money-lender and her sister Lisaveta with a hatchet and robbed them." (Crime and Punishment, pg.542) The confession given at to end his ordeal is a direct relation to his conscience. This is much like "The Tell-Tale Heart" in which the narrator also confesses, ""Villians!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed - tear up the planks! - here, here! - it is the beating of his hideous heart!" ("The Tell-Tale Heart", pg.389) It is not stated that the narrator admits his guilt but is certainly is symbolized by the scream. This also leads to the downfall of this character, much like the others. It is truly obvious that each characters conscience leads them to insanity which in turn leads to their own downfall. A murderer's journey includes several distinct stages. These stages: being a normal human being, taking a turning point to cause the murder, and dealing with his conscience are all followed in each and every case of study. The character that has committed the murder travels through this process. This journey is a process that is happening in everyday society, and is clearly illustrated through each piece of literature. Bibliography Dostoevsky, Fyodor Milchailovich. Crime and Punishment. Markham: Penguin Classics, 1983. Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Black Cat". Great Short Works of Edgar-Allan Poe. G. R. Thompson. New York. Perennial Library, 1970. 390-401. Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Cask of Amontillado". Great Short Works of Edgar-Allan Poe. G. R. Thompson. New York. Perennial Library, 1970. 496-503. Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Tell-Tale Heart". Great Short Works of Edgar-Allan Poe. G. R. Thompson. New York. Perennial Library, 1970. 384-390. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Abortion should not be legalized.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ABORTION SHOULD NOT BE LEGALIZED Abortion is the worst thing a woman can do against human dignity. It is a crime against life. No woman has the right to kill a new living being. Many countries ban abortion and many institutions fight against it. Abortion is immoral and it should not be legalized. Abortion is also a threat to the mother's health. A woman can suffer an infection or internal bleeding. She could also become sterilized, the permanent inhability to bear a child. Abortion not only kills the baby but may kill the mother too. During an abortion, despite the use of local anesthesia, 97% of the women report severe pain, and if a more powerful drug is used she could suffer dangerous side effects. Many complications are common after an abortion, like inflammation of the reproductive organs. As well, there is strong evidence that abortion increases the risk of breast cancer. Women that abort increase their chances of getting breast cancer by 50%, and teenagers with no previous pregnancies that abort after the 8th week increase their probability by 800%. Unicef states that 250,000 women die every year because of legal and illegal abortions: 75,000 of them die of self-inflicted abortions; 75,000 die of convulsions; and the other 100,000 die of blood poisoning caused by an infection of the uterus. Therefore, if abortion is legalized there will be not only more fetal murders but also more mothers will die. None of the methods women use to abort are completly safe. One of the most common methods used is Suction Aspiration. The doctor uses a special tool to suck the baby into a collection bottle. Great care must be taken to prevent the uterus from being damaged, which would cause hemorrhage. A woman with hemorrhage will need a blood transfusion that could cause her AIDS. Also infection may easily occur if fetal tissue is left behind in the uterus. Another method used for babies as old as twenty four weeks, is the Dilation and Evacuation. Sharp jaws are used to grasp different parts of the unborn baby which are then torn away. The skull of the baby must be crushed to facilitate the procedure. Another technique used by a lot of pregnant women is the RU486. The RU486 are pills used to abort the undesired child. These pills have very dangerous side effects. They could cause severe bleeding, nausea, vomiting, pain, and even death. In France a woman died because of this drug while others suffered life threatning heart attacks. Also RU486 can cause severe malformations in later pregnancies. Therefore the baby is not the only one that is endangered. The baby's mother not only has to deal with physical consequences, but also psychological problems that could last for a lifetime. Women that abort usually suffer severe traumas. Once, a woman was rapped by five men. She didn't want to have the child, but her pain and embarrasment were so great that she couldn't abort until the last month. She is still in psychological treatment. Psychologist Wanda Franz states, "Women feel worthless because they failed at the most natural of human activities, the role of being a mother." Women report horrible nightmares of children calling them from a trash can full of body parts and blood. Surgical abortions aren't as traumatic as chemical abortions. Women having chemical abortions often see the complete tiny bodies of their babies and are even able to distinguish the developing hands and eyes. So traumatic is this for some future mothers that it is recommended that women that are not prepared for this, do not take the drug. Researchers call these phychological problems the Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS). Women that suffer from PAS experience drug and alcohol abuse, personal relationship problems, repeated abortions, and even suicide. Of all the women that abort, 56% feel guilty and suffer PAS. In the United States there are over 3000 Pregnancy Crisis Centers which help women that are facing unplanned pregnancies. They make the future mothers realize that her baby deserves to have the chance of living. They tell them that if they can't support the baby then she could give it up for adoption but not kill him. Do women have the right to steal the life of a new living being? Killing a person is illegal, so why should a fetal murder be legal? You have to ask yourself these questions and realize that when a woman aborts, she is acting like any other murderer. Researchers have discovered that life begins at the moment of conception in the mother's uterus, therefore abortion ends a human life and should be punishable by law. As well, nine short months of pregnancy is a small cost for a life without physical and health problems, think about it. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\acid rain.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INTRODUCTION: Acid rain is a great problem in our world. It causes fish and plants to die in our waters. As well it causes harm to our own race as well, because we eat these fish, drink this water and eat these plants. It is a problem that we must all face together and try to get rid of. However acid rain on it's own is not the biggest problem. It cause many other problems such as aluminum poisoning. Acid Rain is deadly. WHAT IS ACID RAIN? Acid rain is all the rain, snow, mist etc that falls from the sky onto our planet that contains an unnatural acidic. It is not to be confused with uncontaminated rain that falls, for that rain is naturally slightly acidic. It is caused by today's industry. When products are manufactured many chemicals are used to create it. However because of the difficulty and cost of properly disposing of these products they are often emitted into the atmosphere with little or no treatment. The term was first considered to be important about 20 years ago when scientists in Sweden and Norway first believed that acidic rain may be causing great ecological damage to the planet. The problem was that by the time that the scientist found the problem it was already very large. Detecting an acid lake is often quite difficult. A lake does not become acid over night. It happens over a period of many years, some times decades. The changes are usually to gradual for them to be noticed early. At the beginning of the 20th century most rivers/lakes like the river Tovdal in Norway had not yet begun to die. However by 1926 local inspectors were noticing that many of the lakes were beginning to show signs of death. Fish were found dead along the banks of many rivers. As the winters ice began to melt off more and more hundreds upon hundreds more dead fish (trout in particular) were being found. It was at this time that scientist began to search for the reason. As the scientists continued to work they found many piles of dead fish, up to 5000 in one pile, further up the river. Divers were sent in to examine the bottom of the rivers. What they found were many more dead fish. Many live and dead specimens were taken back to labs across Norway. When the live specimens were examined they were found to have very little sodium in their blood. This is typical a typical symptom of acid poisoning. The acid had entered the gills of the fish and poisoned them so that they were unable to extract salt from the water to maintain their bodies sodium levels. Many scientist said that this acid poising was due to the fact that it was just after the winter and that all the snow and ice was running down into the streams and lakes. They believed that the snow had been exposed to many natural phenomena that gave the snow it's high acid content. Other scientists were not sure that this theory was correct because at the time that the snow was added to the lakes and streams the Ph levels would change from around 5.2 to 4.6. They believed that such a high jump could not be attributed to natural causes. They believed that it was due to air pollution. They were right. Since the beginning of the Industrial revolution in England pollution had been affecting all the trees,soil and rivers in Europe and North America. However until recently the loses of fish was contained to the southern parts of Europe. Because of the constant onslaught of acid rain lakes and rivers began to lose their ability to counter act their affects. Much of the alkaline elements; such as calcium and limestone; in the soil had been washed away. It is these lakes that we must be worried about for they will soon become extinct. A fact that may please fishermen is that in lakes/rivers they tend to catch older and larger fish. This may please them in the short run however they will soon have to change lakes for the fish supply will die quickly in these lakes. The problem is that acid causes difficulties the fish's reproductive system. Often fish born in acid lakes do not survive for they are born with birth defects such as twisted and deformed spinal columns. This is a sign that they are unable to extract enough calcium from the water to fully develop their bone. These young soon die. With no competition the older,stronger can grow easily. However there food is contaminated as well by the acid in the water. Soon they have not enough food for themselves and turn to cannibalism. With only an older population left there is no one left to regenerate themselves. Soon the lake dies. By the late 1970s many Norwegian scientists began to suspect that it was not only the acid in the water that was causing the deaths. They had proved that most fish could survive in a stream that had up to a 1 unit difference in PH. After many experiments and research they found that their missing link was aluminum. Aluminum is one of the most common metals on earth. It is stored in a combined form with other elements in the earth. When it is combined it cannot dissolve into the water and harm the fish and plants. However the acid from acid rain can easily dissolve the bond between these elements. The Aluminum is then dissolved into a more soluble state by the acid. Other metals such as Copper (Cu), iron (Fe) etc can cause such effects upon the fish as well however it is the aluminum that is the most common. For example: CuO + H2SO4 ----------> CuSO4 + H2O In this form it is easily absorbed into the water. When it comes in contact with fish it causes irritation to the gills. In response the fish creates a film of mucus in the gills to stop this irritation until the irritant is gone. However the aluminum does not go always and the fish continues to build up more and more mucus to counteract it. Eventually there is so much mucus that it clogs the gills. When this happens the fish can no longer breath. It dies and then sinks to the bottom of the lake. Scientists now see acid, aluminum and shortages of calcium as the three determining factors in the extinction of fish. As well there is the problem of chlorine. In many parts of the world it is commonly found in the soil. If it enters the fish's environment it can be deadly. It affects many of the fish's organisms and causes it to die. As well it interferes in the photosynthesis process in plants. NaOH + HCl ----> NaCl + H2O The carbon in the water can become very dangerous for fish and plants in the water if the following reaction happens: CaCO3 + 2HCl ---> CaCl2 + H2CO3 then H2CO3 ---> H2O + CO2 The salt created by this reaction can kill. It interferes directly with the fish's nervous system. Acid lakes are deceivingly beautiful. The are crystal clear and have a luscious carpet of green algae on the bottom. The reason that these lakes are so clear is because many of the decomposers are dead. They cannot break down that material such as leaves and dead animals. These materials eventually sink to the bottom instead of going through the natural process of decomposition. In acid lakes decomposition is very slow. "The whole metabolism of the lake is slowed down." During this same period of time the Canadian department of fisheries spent eight years dumping sulfuric acid (H2SO4) into an Ontario lake to see the effects of the decrease in the PH over a number of years. At the PH of 5.9 the first organisms began to disappear. They were shrimps. They started out at a population of about seven million, but at the pH of 5.9 they were totally wiped out. Within a year the minnow died because it could no longer reproduce it's self. At this time the pH was of 5.8. New trout were failing to be produced because many smaller organisms that served as food to it had been wiped out earlier. With not enough food the older fish did not have the energy to reproduce. Upon reaching the pH of 5.1 it was noted that the trout became cannibals. It is believed this is due to the fact that the minnow was nearly extinct. At a pH of 5.6 the external skeletons of crayfish softened and they were soon infected with parasites, and there eggs were destroyed by fungi. When the pH went down to 5.1 they were almost gone. By the end of the experiment none of the major species had survived the trials of the acid. The next experiment conducted by the scientists was to try and bring the lake back to life. They cut in half the amount of acid that they dumped to simulate a large scale cleanup. Soon again the cuckers and minnows began to reproduce again. The lake eventually did come back; to a certain extent; back to life. THE NEW THEORY: A scientist in Norway had a problem believing that it was the acid rain on it's own that was affecting the lakes in such a deadly way. This scientist was Dr Rosenqvist. "Why is it that during heavy rain, the swollen rivers can be up to fifteen times more acid than the rain? It cannot be the rain alone that is doing it, can it?" Many scientist shunned him for this however they could not come up with a better answer. Soon the scientists were forced to accept this theory. Sulfuric acid is composed of two parts, know as ions. The hydrogen ion is what make a substance acid. The other ion is sulphate. When there are more hydrogen ions then a substance is acid. It is this sulphate ion that we are interested in. When the rain causes rivers to overboard onto the banks the river water passes through the soil. Since the industrial revolution in britain there has been an increasing amount of sulphur in the soil. In the river there is not enough sulphur for the acid to react in great quantities. However in the soil there is a great collection of sulphur to aid the reaction. When it joins the water the pH becomes much lower. This is the most deadly effect of acid rain on our water!!! The water itself does not contain enough sulphur to kill off it's population of fish and plants. But with the sulphur in the soil it does. CONCLUSION: Acid rain is a big problem. It causes the death of our lakes, our rivers, our wild life and most importantly us. As well it causes other problems that are very serious as well such as the release of aluminium and lead into our water supplies. We are suffering because of it. In Scotland there are many birth defects being attributed to it. We must cut down the releases of chemicals that cause it. But it will take time, even if we were to stop today we would have the problem for years to come because of the build up in the soil. Let's hope we can do something. BIBLIOGRAPHY Penguin Publishing House, 1987 , Pearce Fred Acid Rain. What is it and what is it doing to us? New York Publishers, 1989, William Stone Acid Rain. Fiend or Foe? Lucent books, Inc. 1990, Steward Gail Acid Rain. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Adolescent Case Study.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ADOLESCENT CASE STUDY I. Identification A. Kathy Johnson is a 14 year old female, a freshman at Parkway High School, and resides at 789 Parkview Way, Bossier City, LA 70000. II. History of Family A. The subject lives with her biological mother and stepfather. The child's biological father resides in Bossier City as well, but he has not maintained a relationship with the child since he divorced her mother in 1981. The child also has a brother who lives out of state and has no relationship or contact with him either. B. The subject comes from an upper middle class family. Her stepfather is a high school graduate and owns his own construction business. Her mother is a homemaker and quit school during her sophomore year. C. The subject and her family live in Southern Gardens, a small subdivision in Bossier City. The family, for the most part, keeps to themselves and does not have any close, personal associations. The few associates they have are business colleagues and people from their church groups. D. The stepfather is a relatively healthy male, approximately 6'1" tall, dark brown hair, brown eyes, weighs around 200 pounds and has no known physical illness. The mother is 5'4" tall, blonde hair, brown eyes and has noticeable symptoms of depression and a significant drinking problem. Presently she is in good overall physical health. E. Most of the family's interest revolves around the subject's athletic activities such as baseball and church related activities such as Sunday services and youth centered groups. F. The family attends a full gospel, nondenominational church on a regular basis. Their political views are primarily democratic. G. The family is of Italian descent and somewhat antisocial. They rarely see anyone on a personal basis and have no close personal friends. III. History of the Case A. The subject is approximately 5'5" tall, long dark brown hair, brown eyes and is somewhat overweight, weighing in at 165 pounds. However, she is very athletic and is routinely involved in softball and basketball. She plays softball during the summer for her church league and has won numerous trophies. During the school year, she also plays basketball for her church basketball team. She diligently attends every practice and never misses a game in either sport. Although her physician states that she is in good general health, she regularly complains of stomach pain and lethargy. B. Due to the subject's physical complaints, her school attendance is relatively poor; however, her grades are above average in the A to B range. In the past, her attendance in school was better, but her grades were not as high. They usually remained in the B to C range. C. The subject receives an allowance of $25 per week for doing household chores such as cleaning her room, vacuuming, and cooking dinner. Most often, she spends her allowance on name brand clothing and shoes. Fitting in with the "Preppy" crowd seems to be very important to her, hence the expenditures on only name brand clothing, shoes, etc. D. Although she wants to fit in, she seems to lack the social skills required in order to get along with her peers. She tends to be somewhat aggressive which often results in confrontations and arguments with peers her own age. Therefore, she only has one close friend and is not part of any clique or group. According to her, the other adolescents describe her as being overbearing and bossy, so ultimately she stays to herself and does not get along well with her peers. E. The subject's recreational habits consist of playing softball and basketball and attending youth oriented activities at church such as youth camp and bible studies. She is a very outgoing and aggressive teenager who often tends to try and force her opinions on her peers. Which in turn, has the opposite effect and more often causes her peers to become distant and antisocial with her. F. Her personal philosophy and ideology is based mainly on her religious beliefs. She believes in the teachings of the bible and that there is one God who controls and oversees the world in which she lives. Therefore, she is against premarital sex, drug and alcohol use, and abortion. When asked her political views, for example who she would vote for, her reply was "Bill Clinton, simply because he is a democrat." She seems to be heavily influenced by her families political views, in that, she doesn't know much about politics, but she would vote for a democrat because her family belongs to the Democratic Party. IV. Summary After interviewing and observing the subject, my findings relative to her current status are the following: Her stepfather is physically and verbally abusive toward her mother often forcing the subject to call the police. Her mother appears to suffer from prolonged bouts of depression and ongoing alcohol use. Therefore, the subject is required to more or less handle the everyday household obligations such as cooking and cleaning. She also has a deep resentment for her stepfather and feels the need to protect and take care of her mother. In my opinion, the subject is suffering from physical and emotional neglect from her parents resulting in depression, low self esteem, aggressive tendencies, and bouts of hypochondria. V. Recommendations My recommendations would be to remove the subject from the abusive situation by placing her in a temporary foster home and to require her parents to undergo a full psychiatric evaluation. She should remain in the foster home until her mother undergoes and successfully completes an alcohol rehabilitation program and receives counseling for the physical and emotional abuse which she has endured. The stepfather should be required to stay away from the subject and her mother until he undergoes counseling and no longer exhibits signs of aggressive and abusive behavior. Other recommendations for the subject would be to prescribe antidepressants combined with group support with other adolescents suffering similar situations and problems. Her aggressive tendencies and low self esteem need to be addressed by placing her in a loving and emotionally stable and supportive household where she would be allowed to experience some freedom from the emotional burden of having to run a household virtually by herself. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Aids.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PREFACE In an extensive article in the Summer-Autumn 1990 issue of "Top Secret", Prof J. Segal and Dr. L. Segal outline their theory that AIDS is a man-made disease, originating at Pentagon bacteriological warfare labs at Fort Detrick, Maryland. "Top Secret" is the international edition of the German magazine Geheim and is considered by many to be a sister publication to the American Covert Action Information Bulletin (CAIB). In fact, Top Secret carries the Naming Names column, which CAIB is prevented from doing by the American government, and which names CIA agents in different locations in the world. The article, named "AIDS: US-Made Monster" and subtitled "AIDS - its Nature and its Origins," is lengthy, has a lot of professional terminology and is dotted with footnotes. AIDS FACTS "The fatal weakening of the immune system which has given AIDS its name (Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome)," write the Segals, "has been traced back to a destruction or a functional failure of the T4-lymphocytes, also called 'helper cells`, which play a regulatory role in the production of antibodies in the immune system." In the course of the illness, the number of functional T4- cells is reduced greatly so that new anti-bodies cannot be produced and the defenceless patient remains exposed to a range of infections that under other circumstances would have been harmless. Most AIDS patients die from opportunistic infections rather than from the AIDS virus itself. The initial infection is characterized by diarrhea, erysipelas and intermittent fever. An apparent recovery follows after 2-3 weeks, and in many cases the patient remains without symptoms and functions normally for years. Occasionally a swelling of the lymph glands, which does not affect the patient's well-being, can be observed. After several years, the pre-AIDS stage, known as ARC (Aids- Related Complex) sets in. This stage includes disorders in the digestive tract, kidneys and lungs. In most cases it develops into full-blown AIDS in about a year, at which point opportunistic illnesses occur. Parallel to this syndrome, disorders in various organ systems occur, the most severe in the brain, the symptoms of which range from motoric disorders to severe dementia and death. This set of symptoms, say the Segals, is identical in every detail with the Visna sickness which occurs in sheep, mainly in Iceland. (Visna means tiredness in Icelandic). However, the visna virus is not pathogenic for human beings. The Segals note that despite the fact that AIDS is transmitted only through sexual intercourse, blood transfusions and non- sterile hypodermic needles, the infection has spread dramatically. During the first few years after its discovery, the number of AIDS patients doubled every six months, and is still doubling every 12 months now though numerous measures have been taken against it. Based on these figures, it is estimated that in the US, which had 120,000 cases of AIDS at the end of 1988, 900,000 people will have AIDS or will have died of it by the end of 1991. It is also estimated that the number of people infected is at least ten times the number of those suffering from an acute case of AIDS. That in the year 1995 there will be between 10-14 million cases of AIDS and an additional 100 million people infected, 80 percent of them in the US, while a possible vaccination will not be available before 1995 by the most optimistic estimates. Even when such vaccination becomes available, it will not help those already infected. These and following figures have been reached at by several different mainstream sources, such as the US Surgeon General and the Chief of the medical services of the US Army. "AIDS does not merely bring certain dangers with it; it is clearly a programmed catastrophe for the human race, whose magnitude is comparable only with that of a nuclear war", say the Segals. " They later explain what they mean by "programmed," showing that the virus was produced by humans, namely Dr. Robert Gallo of the Bethesda Cancer Research Center in Maryland. When proceeding to prove their claims, the Segals are careful to note that: "We have given preference to the investigative results of highly renowned laboratories, whose objective contents cannot be doubted. We must emphasize, in this connection, that we do not know of any findings that have been published in professional journals that contradict our hypotheses." DISCOVERING AIDS The first KNOWN cases of AIDS occurred in New York in 1979. The first DESCRIBED cases were in California in 1979. The virus was isolated in Paris in May 1983, taken from a French homosexual who had returned home ill from a trip to the East Coast of the US. One year later, Robert Gallo and his co-workers at the Bethesda Cancer Research Center published their discovery of the same virus, which is cytotoxic. ( i.e poisonous to cells ) Shortly after publishing his discovery, Gallo stated to newspapers that the virus had developed by a natural process from the Human Adult Leukemia virus, HTLV-1, which he had previously discovered. However, this claim was not published in professional publications, and soon after, Alizon and Montagnier, two researchers of the Pasteur Institute in Paris published charts of HTLV-1 and HIV, showing that the viruses had basically different structures. They also declared categorically that they knew of no natural process by which one of these two forms could have evolved into the other. According to the professional "science" magazine, the fall 1984 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), was almost entirely devoted to the question of: to what extent new pathogenic agents could be produced via human manipulation of genes. According to the Segals, AIDS was practically the sole topic of discussion. THE AIDS VIRUS The Segals discuss the findings of Gonda et al, who compared the HIV, visna and other closely-related viruses and found that the visna virus is the most similar to HIV. The two were, in fact, 60% identical in 1986. According to findings of the Hahn group, the mutation rate of the HIV virus was about a million times higher than that of similar viruses, and that on the average a 10% alteration took place every two years. That would mean that in 1984, the difference between HIV and visna would have been only 30%, in 1982- 20%, 10% in 1980 and zero in 1978. "This means," say the Segals, "that at this time visna viruses changed into HIV, receiving at the same time the ability to become parasites in human T4-cells and the high genetic instability that is not known in other retroviruses. This is also consistent with the fact that the first cases of AIDS appeared about one year later, in the spring of 1979." "In his comparison of the genomes of visna and HIV," add the Segals, "Coffin hit upon a remarkable feature. The env (envelope) area of the HIV genome, which encodes the envelope proteins which help the virus to attach itself to the host cell, is about 300 nucleotides longer than the same area in visna. This behaviour suggests that an additional piece has been inserted into the genomes of the visna virus, a piece that alters the envelope proteins and enables them to bind themselves to the T4-receptors. BUT THIS SECTION BEHAVES LIKE A BIOLOGICALLY ALIEN BODY, which does not match the rest of the system biochemically. The above mentioned work by Gonda et al shows that the HIV virus has a section of about 300 nucleotides, which does not exist in the visna virus. That length corresponds with what Coffin described. That section is particularly unstable, which indicates that it is an alien object. According to the Segals, it "originates in an HTLV-1 genome, (discovered by Gallo-ED) for the likelihood of an accidental occurrence in HIV of a genome sequence 60% identical with a section of the HTLV-1 that is 300 nucleotides in length is zero." Since the visna virus is incapable of attaching itself to human T4 receptors, it must have been the transfer of the HTLV-1 genome section which gave visna the capability to do so. In other words, the addition of HTLV-1 to visna made the HIV virus. In addition, the high mutation rate of the HIV genome has been explained by another scientific team, Chandra et al, by the fact that it is "a combination of two genome parts which are alien to each other BY ARTIFICIAL MEANS rather than by a natural process of evolution, because this process would have immediately eliminated, through natural selection, systems that are so replete with disorders." "These are the facts of the case," say the Segals. "HIV is essentially a visna virus which carries an additional protein monomer of HTLV-1 that has an epitope capable of bonding with T4 receptors. Neither Alizon and Montagnier nor any other biologist know of any natural mechanism that would make it possible for the epitope to be transferred from HTLV-1 to the visna virus. For this reason we can come to only one conclusion: that this gene combination arose by artificial means, through gene manipulation." THE CONSTRUCTION OF HIV "The construction of a recombinant virus by means of gene manipulation is extraordinarily expensive, and it requires a large number of highly qualified personnel, complicated equipment and expensive high security laboratories. Moreover, the product would have no commercial value. Who, then," ask the Segals, "would have provided the resources for a type of research that was aimed solely at the production of a new disease that would be deadly to human beings?" The English sociologist Allistair Hay (as well as Paxman et al in "A Higher Form of Killing"-ED), published a document whose authenticity has been confirmed by the US Congress, showing that a representative of the Pentagon requested in 1969 additional funding for biological warfare research. The intention was to create, within the next ten years, a new virus that would not be susceptible to the immune system, so that the afflicted patient would not be able to develop any defense against it. Ten years later, in the spring of 1979, the first cases of AIDS appeared in New York. "Thus began a phase of frantic experimentation," say the Segals. One group was working on trying to cause animal pathogens to adapt themselves to life in human beings. This was done under the cover of searching for a cure for cancer. The race was won by Gallo, who described his findings in 1975. A year later, Gallo described gene manipulations he was conducting. In 1980 he published his discovery of HTLV. In the fall of 1977, a P4 (highest security category of laboratory, in which human pathogens are subjected to genetic manipulations) laboratory was officially opened in building 550 of Fort Detrick, MD, the Pentagon's main biological warfare research center. "In an article in 'Der Spiegel`, Prof. Mollings point out that this type of gene manipulation was still extremely difficult in 1977. One would have had to have a genius as great as Robert Gallo for this purpose, note the Segals." Lo and behold. In a supposed compliance with the international accord banning the research, production and storage of biological weapons, part of Fort Detrick was "demilitarized" and the virus section renamed the "Frederick Cancer Research Facility". It was put under the direction of the Cancer Research Institute in neighbouring Bethesda, whose director was no other than Robert Gallo. This happened in 1975, the year Gallo discovered HTLV. Explaining how the virus escaped, the Segals note that in the US, biological agents are traditionally tested on prisoners who are incarcerated for long periods, and who are promised freedom if they survive the test. However, the initial HIV infection symptoms are mild and followed by a seemingly healthy patient. "Those who conducted the research must have concluded that the new virus was...not so virulent that it could be considered for military use, and the test patients, who had seemingly recovered, were given their freedom. Most of the patients were professional criminals and New York City, which is relatively close, offered them a suitable milieu. Moreover, the patients were exclusively men, many of them having a history of homosexuality and drug abuse, as is often the case in American prisons. It is understandable why AIDS broke out precisely in 1979, precisely among men and among drug users, and precisely in New York City," assert the Segals. They go on to explain that whereas in cases of infection by means of sexual contact, incubation periods are two years and more, while in cases of massive infection via blood transfusions, as must have been the case with prisoners, incubation periods are shorter than a year. "Thus, if the new virus was ready at the beginning of 1978 and if the experiments began without too much delay, then the first cases of full-blown AIDS in 1979 were exactly the resultthat could have been expected." In the next three lengthy chapters, the Segals examine other theories, "legends" as they call them, of the origins of AIDS. Dissecting each claim, they show that they have no scientific standing, providing also the findings of other scientists. They also bring up the arguments of scientists and popular writers who have been at the task of discounting them as "conspiracy theorists" and show these writers' shortcomings. Interested readers will have to read the original article to follow those debates. I will only quote two more paragraphs: "We often heard the argument that experiments with human volunteers are part of a barbaric past, and that they would be impossible in the US today... We wish to present one single document whose authenticity is beyond doubt. An investigative commission of the US House of Representatives presented in October 1986 a final report concerning the Manhattan Project. According to this document, between 1945 and 1975 at least 695 American citizens were exposed to dangerous doses of radioactivity. Some of them were prisoners who had volunteered, but they also included residents of old-age homes, inmates of insane asylums, handicapped people in nursing homes, and even normal patients in public hospitals; most of them were subjected to these experiments without their permission. Thus the 'barbaric past` is not really a thing of the past." "It is remarkable that most of these experiments were carried out in university institutes and federal hospitals, all of which are named in the report. Nonetheless, these facts remained secret until 1984, and even then a Congressional committee that was equipped with all the necessary authorization needed two years in order to bring these facts to life. We are often asked how the work on the AIDS virus could have been kept secret. Now, experiments performed on a few dozen prisoners in a laboratory that is subject to military security can be far more easily kept secret than could be the Manhattan Project." f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Alexamder Pope.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The differences between eighteenth-century literature and romantic poems, with respect to history is constituted here. This is seen through the influential works of John Keats and Alexander Pope. These works are acknowledged as, "The Rape of Lock" and "The Eve of St. Agnes." Alexander Pope takes his readers on a hatred filled epic. A robust piece of literature and love induced psychoses in, "The Rape of Lock." On the other hand, "The Eve of St. Agnes" told a tale of life, love, death, and eternal fate in heaven. These two brilliant writers have given two magnificent poems. Pope exhibits many characteristics of a narcissistic human being. His independence in life shows through his writings in fiction. Which inevitably portray his deeper feelings of life. Popes' efforts here are of outstanding quality. However, his poem did fail to convince Arabella to résumé her engagement to Lord Petre. Most of Pope's efforts here were written with time. Now, Keats has romantically serenaded his reader with descriptive lust and desire, which can be compared with popes' efforts by the difference in eighteenth century literature and romantic poems, their descriptive natures and ideas they portray to the reader through their writing. Pope has written an eighteenth-century poem which he calls, "An Hero-Comical Poem." This poem has exalted an over all sense of worthlessness for common rules. The mentioning of Achilles and the ever-popular Aeneas, are symbols of Pope's Gothic style. Pope speaks (almost) G-D like throughout, "The Rape of Lock." Contrary to Keats, who is more down-to-earth with his sense of realism in his writings. In the beginning of Keats romantic premise to life in St. Agnes, all is cold. The opening sequence brings a sense of realism to this bitter cold scene. Cold owls, rabbit's, and numb fingers on a holy, "Beads man." The Beads man symbolizes the sense of age and spirit. Much of this poem is a test of Keats inner soul or spirit. He has lead himself to St. Agnes for his own personal account of life in a time long gone. Keats' romantic style has brought visionary raw emotion to the aching hearts of all his readers. Then, both poems go separate ways in their tales of body and spirit. Taking account of all differences in these two works, has brought out a sense of unknown extasy. Pope displays morality with his own twists on fate and man kind's inability to rationalize right decision making in life. He complicates this with, "Moral superiority" and his visions of old styles blended with his attitude for recognition. Pope has indulged the reader in consistent religious order, and awkward justice for mankind. However, when viewing Keats poem stanza by stanza, much is revealed. Keats' tale starts as a direct eagerness for future considerations. His image of love and old age creates a stifled knot in the stomach of the reader. Enthusiastic resistance is overcome by Keats smooth flow, and harmonizing beauty in heaven. Angels and death are brought together like osmosis. His ability to start off in a cold bitter atmosphere of regret, and then sway the reader's emotion to a peaceful loving atmosphere is in itself astonishing. Desire brings Keats to the heightened point of emotional gratification within, "The Eve of St. Agnes." St. Agnes is such a peaceful age-old memory for Keats. He presents strength when pain is being inflicted. His early images of purgatory, show Keats in a bind of human emotion and regret for past sins. However, Pope does this as well throughout, "The Rape of Lock." Although, Pope is less likely to find a happy medium in his tale of tolerance. He does manage to relinquish all his desires for the sake of his own inner strength. This strength is portrayed more intensely through his soul. Memories are key to the anguish of the poem. In all of Keats mediocre issues come love and honor. The entire tenth stanza is caused by the emotions involved with love. However, this must leave some readers at a loss. Keats doesn't seem to really care whether anybody understands him. Keats only concern is to repent and achieve harmony in life with his body and soul. Each of these two poets has signified their lack of realism with a substantial concern for age-old myth, and undeniable love. The portrayal of love in each poem has brought most of the emotional satisfaction from the reader. Hence, having observed these two magnificent artists for their personal adherence to the reader, it is necessary to delve into the emotional collaboration of imagery and its effect on the mind, body, and soul of the two sides involved in each reading. Imagery can sustain many possible contradictions on the writer's intentions. For instance, Keats hides his characters(Porphro and Madeline) in order to present a more lustful in-depth love. Safety is a key to Keats' prolific attitude on the secrecy of a woman's virginity. A wholesome outlook is always in the future, it would seem. However, this outlook is never reached throughout the poem. In comparison with Pope, Keats has distinguished himself in his writing. Pope relies on old myths and obscure legends in order to achieve his outcome of clarity. Each writer has their own hero of the day. In each writer's mind is the idea that one can be g-d through their own scripture. Each must be excused for not always being able to know what is still real and what is fiction in life. Their expensive minds have brought their own personal truth to light. Can they hear the crying of their love sick pasts? In classic style, Pope has brought dreams to reality. While Keats has more realistically attended to his personal experiences. In addition to women, love, g-d, sex, soul, mind, and body, Keats and Pope have taken different outlooks on many similar issues. Keats has given the reader a more intense feeling of desire and lust, then Pope. However, when myth and love collide Alexander Pope has answered with his tale of g-d's, angels and afterlife. As an empirical narcissistic person, I have romanticized about the romances Keats has described. His inner thoughts are more clear, then those of Pope. Additionally, Pope is more morbid and in a way sour about his shortcomings in life. Which are expressed significantly in many of Pope's images. For instance, "poetic eyes" is used by Pope on line 124. This image can be expressed as a better way for the reader to see that life imitates art! Now, viewing both works in detail has brought out an arousal of insecurity and misunderstood quality. However, each has distinguished its own identity by its style. Referring back to the comparison of Pope and Keats styles can be quite an enhancement upon the cerebral context in each poem. Pope has strictly concerned himself with literary merit, and ghostly apparitions of old tales that haunt all writers of the possibility for brilliance. Keats however, has staked his claim as a romantic idealist of love and thought. Mind, body and soul are key factors in both of these works. Heaven is portrayed as a savior to man, and an unforsaken goal for others. Spirituality reigns deep within the hearts of both Keats and Pope. Consequence is not an issue, but the ability to repent through words of wisdom is. This is what keeps Keats and Pope sane(As well as many other writers, including myself). With wisdom comes age, and with desire comes lust. Therefore, romantic poets need to be preserved for their tremendous ability to stretch the common ability to comprehend all of life's trials and tribulations as seen here in all its glory! f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\All About Eve.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ All About Eve English 30 Spring "97" In the film All About Eve, (directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and released in 1950), Eve Harrison (Anne Baxter) was a young woman with evil running through her veins. She wanted to be "somebody" and chose to get there through Margo Channing (Betty Davis) who was a famous stage star. Eve would do whatever it took to get where she wanted to be, including hurt the ones that trusted her and took her in as a "lost lamb". Though Eve was already evil within and throughout, the people around her made it even easier to acomplish her goals. Margo was one of the most popular stage actresses and put herself high on a pedastel, and looked at someone like Eve as being below her, a poor soul that could be of no threat to anyone, especially Margo Channing. Eve played the meek and shy girl that idolized Margo. She claimed to attend all the preformaces of the play that week due to the fact that she adored Margo and she would have nowhere else to go anyway. Doing this allowed Eve to get her foot in the door. If it wasn't for Margo's conceitedness, Eve would have had to work a little bit harder to get this. Margo took her into her home. Margo's secretary-aid, Birdie (Thelma Ritter), was the first to sense something was strange about Eve, but her position made it not her place to speak her mind. Eve knew this and also knew it would be easy to take control of her position because of this. It would only seem to Margo that she enjoyed doing things for her. Eve charmed Bill Simpson (Gary Merrill), director and Margo's lover, with her feminine qualities that Margo lacked. Eve just seemed to be overly interested in everything Bill had to say about the theater. She used to keep him admiring her and at the same time, drove Margo crazy with jealousy to tear their relationship apart. Little did she realize, Bill had no romantic feelings towards Eve at all, so she blew her cover when she made a pass at him. Karen Richards (Celeste Holm), Margo's best friend, was the one that found and introduced Eve to Margo. She was the type of person that would anything for anyone, sort of niave and trusted Eve from day one. Karen was amazed by Eve's devotion towards her idol. After getting into Margo's home, she used Karen's kindness to subtly suggest that she would love to replace Margo's pregnant understudy. Once again she got her way. After Eve's first reading, she completely won over Karen's husband, Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe), a playwright. Eve gave him his dream: to have an actress play the part of a character with the same age, eliminating the "comprimises" that he normally had to work through with Margo (Margo was much older). Eve was fabulous (from studying Margo "like a blueprint") . Margo threw a jealousy fit because everyone raved so about her preformance.Now this brought Lloyd to the conclusion that Margo was well overdue for a boot. Karen's kindness comes back again when Karen sets it up so Margo would miss her show so Eve can have her big moment...thinking that she was doing good for all concerned. After the play was when things began to fall apart. She received great reviews for the preformance and set up an interview with Addison De Witt (George Sanders), well known for degrating people in his column. She knew she could say whatever she wanted and blame it on De Witt, claiming he changed her words around, and noone would have trouble believing it. She pleaded for Lloyd's forgiveness, stating that she could not face Margo or the others. During this vindication, she once again worked her magic giving him the idea that she would be perfect for his new play, which was created for Margo. She got him to believe, like everyone else, that he came up with the idea instead of her. Already tired of Margo's pushyness and temper tantrums, aside from the fact that Eve was the perfect age, it wasn't tough for Lloyd to think she was best. But, he told her, Karen had to agree. By this time most have figured out her evil ways so she knew she had to get outright nasty to get this part. She blackmailed Karen announcing that De Witt said she best agree to her getting the part or De Witt wouldlet everyone know that she was responsible for Margo missing the show so Eve could replace her. De Witt knew nothing of this but it was easy for Karen to believe due to his past history. In the end Eve got everything right back at her. De Witt checked out her past and discovered all of her dirty little secrets and said now she belonged to him or he would spill his guts. In overall, Eve was able to play out her evil ways because the people around her allowed her to. Each of their personalities made it possible for her to suceed in getting what she wanted. Margo's conceitedness and insecurities, along with Karen being too trusting. Addison De Witt's popular past history and Lloyd's blindness due to the thought of his plays being acted out exactly how he wrote them also made it easier. Had Birdie been higher in her position, Eve wouldn't have gotten as far as she did, not with them anyway. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Alzheimers disease.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Where has Yesterday Gone" Memory loss, like old age is a condition which mankind has always reluctantly recognized and always - with resignation. Memory loses are sometimes trivial and meaningless and go unrecognized. However, when these loses are so great that a person does not know who or where they are the concerns are quite grave. Although it is realize that Alzheimer's disease destroys the brain memory function, many do not realize precisely how the memory is destroyed once one is aware of the process, it becomes faster to work forward to alleviate the destruction. "Without memory there is no knowledge to recreate or reproduce past perceptions, emotions, thoughts and actions that are so vital to live a full and functioning life. Memory is the key that unlocks doors that keep us functioning, not only mentally but physically (Corrick 32)." "Memory loss is not a sign of decay (Freedman 10)." As we get older, there is some mild impairment in our recollection of recent events, such as forgetting why one went into a room or misplacing a person's eye glasses, which even young are guilty of doing. As reported by Larry Squire, "forgetting is quite normal and usually develops in the third decade of life, and by one estimate 85 percent of the healthy elderly - those over 65-suffer some memory impairment (59)." According to Dr. Seligmann, "forgetting is the process through which information in memory becomes inaccessible, either because it is stored but is not at that time retrievable (51)." This is one of the most important factors in forgetting. Memory loss is rapid at first and then gradually levels off. There are many types of "dismembering" enemies that hamper ones recall and retrieval system. "Forgetting may be increased by interference from proactive inhibition, that is material learned beforehand, like trying to remember a soup recipe (51)." In remembering stories or events there is a tendency for distortions to occur. Cutler explains that studies made by Elizabeth Loftus reveal, "what you learn today may actually distort your memory of what happened to you yesterday. . . (62)." People tend to remember the events that they regard as the most important. They attempt to reconstruct the event, usually what knowledge they have, with the result being what would have been expected rather than what actually happened. Dr. Siegfried reports that "Neural decay is another enemy to the memory. Sensory receptors, such as visual, auditory and smell, provide you with sharply etched neural impressions or the world around you. But this pattern of neural firing is quickly destroyed in one of two ways; the receptor neurons adapt to the input (10- 11)." The brain can register only one item at a time. If two events are occurring at the same time the storage of the information will depend on the importance of information to the individual. "Neural decay is perhaps the simplest types of forgetting (Seligmann 51)." As explained by Dick Gilling, "the short-term memory 'holds' items until a person decides how important they are and if they need to be transferred to the long-term memory for permanent storage (15)." According to the experience, the brain has made a mental index card for each category experience. "These index categories are used when someone wants to retrieve an item from memory storage banks. Sometimes these 'mental index cards' get catalogued in the wrong way, that is misfiled, or even lost (14)." When someone has learned too many things at once, cataloging errors frequently occur (Hamdy 93). For example, if a person is introduced to a dozen unfamiliar people at a party, mistakes will be made trying to attach the right names to proper faces. If a person were to meet one new individual a day for a dozen days, the chances will be greater of getting the file cards filed out correctly. "Misfiling also occurs, and people have trouble locating items in their memory banks. The more similar two items are, the more likely it is that one of them will be filed in the place supposedly reserved for the other (Gilling 14)." All the changes of aging that occur in the brain should not interfere with everyday living, "as there is ample organ function left to go on to ripe old age as long as there is no disease to accelerate the aging process (Gold 12)." We lose some brain cells as we age, but "there are millions of healthy ones left for our intellectual endeavors. . . However, a disease such as Alzheimer's can take away a person's memory, leaving them with no past, present, or future of any type (Gold 12- 13)." A person becomes nothing but an empty body with no mind inside. Until recently, explains James A. Corrick, "it was accepted that with the aging process along with senility. Some people will revert back to childhood and remembering things well and thinking clearly will no longer happen. What we call senile dementia is really Alzheimer's disease (26)." It can strike people in their middle forties. Alzheimer's disease is incurable and irreversible for now, but neuroscientists are hoping to develop a vaccine against the disease. "Everyone would be vaccinated at birth. . . (27)," and as neurosurgeon Dr. J. Eric Holmes notes, "almost nobody would suffer a decline in intellect and personality as they got older. We would all be bright as a tack as we got to be eighty or ninety. . . (28)." The only thing that would kill us is if our system gave out. Dr. Siegfried states that Dr. Lewis Thomas, the former Dean of the Yale School of Medicine and now Chancellor of Memorial Kettering Center, has described Alzheimer's disease as the "disease of the century: . . .the worst of all diseases, not just for what it does to the victim, but for its devastating effects on families and friends (13). It begins with the loss of learned skills progresses inexorably to a total shutting down of the mind. "It is, unmercifully, not lethal. Patients go on and on living, essentially brainless but otherwise healthy, into advanced age, unless luckily enough to be saved by pneumonia (14)." There are three important changes that occur in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. "These changes include senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and granulovaculoar degeneration (Frank 15)." Lawrence Galton describes "senile plaques as a development in the nerves of the brain. This is actually a scar, a mark resulting from degeneration, rather than a cause of it. Senile plaques are multiple small islands of dead materials containing specific compounds,. . . (8)." Their origin is unknown. These plaques consists of a chronic infection. "It has been estimated that 80 percent of patients over the age of sixty- five have senile plaques (9)." However, "Alzheimer's brains have a very heavy concentrated amount of senile plaques in the hippocampus are of the brain where the normal does not (10)." Another change that takes place in the brain is the abnormal neurofibrillary tangles in the nerve cells. A normal nerve cell looks like a small plant with branches, stem and many roots. "As aging occurs, the roots, which are called dendrites, begin to shorten and lose some of their structure. Eventually, the ends of the roots of these dendrites begin to accumulate into a sort of halio that resembles a small starfish (Cutler 14)." They become thick and intertwined. Although plaques and tangles appear in normal brains and gradually increase with the age Alzheimer's patient seems to have highly concentrated amount in the. . . "hippocampus portion of the brain, that the seat of memory, the short- term memory (Cutler 24). The third characteristic that changes in the brain of the Alzheimer's patient is the "granulovaculor degeneration (Gilling 13)." According to Gold, certain changes inside the cells themselves are taking place. The interior of the cell is undergoing changes and become crowed with fluid filled "vacuoles" as well as granular material. An increased concentration of granulovaculoar degeneration is also found in the hippocampus area of the brain (82). The changes in the brain found in Alzheimer's patients are concentrated in the hippocampus are which also appears to be the "primary anatomic locus of short- term memory (Gilling 14)." Short- term memory loss may, however, be the earliest sign of a more catastrophic event occurring in the brain, especially if forgetfulness is severe and progressive (14). According to Dr. Siegfried, "The following seven stages are adopted from the scale measuring Alzheimer's disease that was developed by Drs. Barry Reisberg, Steven H. Ferris, Mony J. de Leon, and Thomas Crook (22)." Stage one is "a state of clinical normality (24)." The second stage is the "forgetfulness stage (24)." This phase is common and usually occurs over the age of forty- five. One might forget names of well known friends, however, this does not create a serious handicap for a person working ability. Sometimes the patient is not aware of what is happening. "In stage three, a mild cognitive decline or an early conditional state happens (24)." In this stage a person's ability to remember someone's name after being introduced to them is hampered, also, a person begins to misplace items and concentration declines." In this stage, denial symptoms, as well as anxieties, occur. If a person was tested at this stage it would be impossible to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, especially if someone was sixty years or older (26)." However, the testing would conclude that there may be evidence of memory deficiency. "During the fourth stage, there is an increased cognitive decline ( Cohen 32)." Abnormalities are definitely found during testing. For example, there might be an inability to continue serial subtraction, to travel, handle personal finances, and an overwhelming decrease in knowledge of current and recent events. However, a person will be able to recognize familiar faces and friends, and there will be no disorientation about where the person is. "In this stage denial is very strong and complex tasks. . . (32)," which were easy to perform in the past cannot be done at all. "In stage five the patient cannot survive without some assistance (32)." People cannot recall their phone numbers or their addresses. In some cases a person cannot, recall family members' names or names of schools they attended. There may also be some confusion as to what day, time or season it is. However, major facts are still retained. Usually, a patient will know their spouse and sometimes their children and still attend to their personal needs. "There might be some difficulty in choosing clothes and shoes (32)." "In stage six there is severe cognitive decline. . . (32)." Assistance for daily activities is required. The patient may not remember their spouse's name and has complete unawareness of recent events and experiences. Past knowledge will be vague in this stage. Night and day become confusing and the patient may become incontinent. "Amazingly, the patient does remember their own name and simple daily cleaning activities may take place (Siegfried 28)." Unfortunately, at this stage delusional and sometimes violent behavior along with anxiety symptoms and agitation occur due to the inability to carry on a thought pattern. Stage seven, the most severe stage, the patient may lose their speech and walking ability. Assistance with feeding is required and bladder control is lost. "The brain is totally separated from the body. . . (Siegfried 29)." "The patient may survive for a long time in this stage, but will eventually die from either respiratory arrest or some other organ failure (Siegfried 30)." Any one of the stages may continue on for years. There is no certain time limit on any of the stages, making a hardship on the family unbearable. It is not known if a person will stay in one stage or progress to another. This thief of the mind robs a person of their mind little by little, leaving them with no dignity or identity. A person with no memory can create or reproduce items that make a full and functioning life as we know it. I was fortunate enough to have the privilege an experience of interviewing a good friend of my mom's, Mary, whose mother is a victim of Alzheimer's disease. She shared with me, some very private and emotional feelings that her mother, sister, and she experienced and are still experiencing while confronting Alzheimer's disease. Mary was able to explain, from her point of view, what it was like caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease. Mary began by stating, her mother was a fifty- four year old, mother of two daughters that was losing her mind by the handfuls. It took just six months time for her mother to go from a vital, radiant and full functioning person to someone recognizable only in physical form. The first signs that developed were forgetting phone numbers and unledgable handwriting. Missing appointments occurred regularly and items began to get misplaced. Mary's mother would be gone all day and then not remember where she had gone. The three and four day disappearances were the convincing data needed to realize something was wrong with her mother. Her and her sister took their mother to the best neurologist in the state. She was diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease. The doctor told Mary and her sister that in order to understand their mother's behavior, each of them would have to imagine a woman contemplating losing her mind. The mind will not tolerate this conclusion, and the result is denial, the question, the constant question, which are an appeal for some confirming sign that she is not losing her mind. She cannot retain the answers, and she cannot remember that she had just asked a question. Basically, Dr. Ruben told the two daughters that their mother was losing her short- term memory. Mary's mother continued to change everyday for the worse. She had to have full time nursing care. The daughters would visit their mother every day, hoping to spark some kind of response from their mother, however, Mary's mother just sat and stared at the window. Finally a good friend of the family talked the daughters into putting their mother in a home, where people could take care of their mother and give her some stimulation, which she needed desperately. It was the hardest and most painful decision the girls had to ever make, but deep down they knew it was the best decision for all concerned. This horrible disease had robbed their mother of her self identity and is suffering from the humiliation of having her dignity wrenched from her. As our conversation came to a close, I asked Mary if she knew of Dr. Kevorkian and of his work with the suicide machine. Mary was well aware of Dr. Kevorkian and his work. She was in full agreement that he did the right thing by helping Jane Adkins end her life before Alzheimer's did. With tears in her eyes, Mary stated, I know if my mother would have had the choice like Jane Adkins did to end her life with dignity, she would have taken the choice (Personal Interview)." The treatment for Alzheimer's disease is unknown. Through the efforts of researchers, worldwide, some of the mysteries of this disease have begun to unfold. At times tranquilizers can lessen agitation, anxiety, and reduce incidence of undesirable behavior. "It is a degenerative disease of the brain (Parke- Davis 6)." "Deficiency of cortical acetylcholine is believed to account for clinical manifestation of mild to moderate dementia (Cognex 3)." Cognex is the only drug of choice presently used for treatment of Alzheimer's patients. "Cognex presumably acts by elevating acetylcholine concentration in cerebral cortex by slowing the degradation which is released by enact chelinergic neurons (Cognex 3)." Approximately "5,600 patients were on clinical trails about 17% were improved with memories. . ." and " 40% stayed the same no change and about 20% had been "withdrawn" with adverse reaction (Cognex 4)." In conclusion, when is memory loss, whether it is great or small, it takes away the ability to recreate or reproduce to some extent our emotions, past experiences, thoughts and actions that we take for granted. It gives us far more then we give it. The mind needs knowledge to keep us functioning and in return will perform amazing feats for us. Although the cause of Alzheimer's diseases unknown care, research is ongoing, worldwide. "There is no evidence that Cognex alters the course of the underlying demeaning process (Cognex 3)." f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\American Education system VS Asian education system.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ American Education system versus Asian Education System Today the American education system is no longer the best in the world. With declining test scores and poor academic achievement, people have questioned whether our current educational system is working for us? On the other side of the Pacific, the situation is totally different. Students of Asian countries achieve higher academic achievements, and they rank at the top on math and science tests. If their educational system is better than the U.S system, should we adopt their educational system or not? America the land of opportunity, which is famous for its democratic society and unique culture. People in America like to be free, to do whatever they want to do without any restrictions. This belief is reflected in the American educational system. In American schools, teachers and students are at the same social level. Students are encouraged to exchange their own opinions with the teacher. From an early age, students in the American educational system have been taught that they have the ability to achieve whatever they want to be, but rarely have been told how they can achieve their goal. This is because in America there are so many ways to achieve one's dream. Because of this belief in natural born ability in the land of opportunity, students receive very little pressure in school, so whatever they do in school is totally based on their personal beliefs. If a student wants to be successful he or she can study very hard and get in to a very good college. On the other hand if a student doesn't have any self control and just wants to get school over with, it is OK too, because nobody cares. The advantage of this kind of educational system is that , it really developes student's individual thinking skills, they are encouraged to try out different options to achieve their goal. For example Bill Gates, who dropped out of college, started his own company, now he is one of the richest man in the world. That bad thing about this system is that not that many students don't have the responsibility to get good grades or become successful many believe that even if you don't have a good education you can still get a good paying job. That's why many students in school are doing poorly on their school work. In Asian countries, the cultures and social standards are totally different from the U.S. In those countries most of their values are based on Confucius which heavily stresses education and group values. One's social status is based on their education level. Starting from elementary school, students have been taught that if you want to be successful in life you must have a good education, any other way is considers inappropriate. In the Asian school systems, educators rank students by their scores. So, if your rank is high you are a good student and you will have a good chance to get into a good school. If your rank is low then you are a bad student it is a sign of your are going to be a looser. Nobody cares if you are talented or not. Under these pressures, students compete hard with other students. They study five hours a day just trying to gain more points on a test so they can get into a higher rank. In school, teachers try to stuff more knowledge into students so their class can be better than other class in the School. Schools set stricter rules so their students can be better than the students in other schools. Through these efforts of setting high standards it's no surprise that Asian students rank at the top of academic achievement. The advantage of this kind of system is that the school systems can provide the society year after year with high quality personnel with the same academic standard, although most of those students are that creative, because they are not allowed to do much free thinking in school. Free thinking is considered a waste of time. In reality, a person must be very creative on a job otherwise he or she will be replaced by someone in no time. Because the American educational system allows and encourages free thinking in school, U.S is still the #1 in innovation and scientific research. If the U.S adopts the Asian educational system it's probaly going to be in confilict with the constitution on the issue of freedom of speech. Because of this, I think the current educational system is well suited for America. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\american literature .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Controversy Paper II Huckleberry Finn sets each reader back in a time when we as humans where inhuman. All the faults of the world was just beginning to show through and some of the right was being shifted to the side. Just as in Huck Finn, we are reminded of the race relations that we all still face. Mark Twain does his best to show the reader the love for one another and the as people and the compassion we all have hidden inside of us. Ralph Ellison said, "The Negro looks at the white man and finds it difficult to believe that the "grays"-a Negro term for white people- can be so absurdly self-deluded over the true interrelatedness of blackness and whiteness". What are we too think of when we hear this? In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain brings out the obvious interrelatedness that we all share with each other. This book is in the hands of many intelligent readers and it should not be underestimated by the power that it may hold. Although, it must hold to its meaning, we can not allow it to steer us to the wrong's of the world today. Shelly Fishkin suggests Mark Twain has "obscured" the African American roots when writing Huck Finn. Jim, as suggested by Fishkin, has been plagued with a dialect that should not be represented by the African American race during that time. The question is raised by Fishkin as to if Huck Finn was black? This in turn would take away from the whole basic outcome of the moral lesson that we are all so desperately wanting to hear about. I found it almost appalling to see how one author could so easily turn the goodness of a young white boy and basically call it a lie in the eyes of Mark Twain. It is up to us as the reader to close our eyes and open our minds to the whole heartedness of a man kind. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\An Extended Abstract Defintion of Power.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Power is many things. It is the ability to control people in their sayings and/or actions. It is the ability to get whatever you want. Power is a necessary component in any society, otherwise all pandemonium would break loose; leaders must be established. But, when taken to an extreme, power is not good, and pandemonium will break loose. As Lord Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." A good example of this is Adolph Hitler in Nazi Germany. He believed he could not be stopped and that rules did not apply to him. By being given absolute power, he corrupted the government. No attempt was made to stop this by the Germans, because of the control he had. People were either scared to stop this, or were brainwashed into believing it. Finally the U.S. had to step in and try to stop Hitler, and World War II broke out. But power is not all bad though. As was stated earlier, it is necessary in any group of people, and there will be struggle to achieve it--be it a country, a business, or a sports team. Athletics is a good example of where there is a constant power struggle. In every league, every player wants control. They want what they think should happen (during games), to happen. Recently, in the NBA, Dennis Rodman took this struggle to an extreme. In disagreement with an official's call, Rodman head-butted the official, and through a temper-tantrum on his way off the court. Quite obviously, this is bad. Every player in the league agrees to the rules set by the NBA from the beginning. The rules are made to keep control, and the officials have power to enforce these rules. If there were no regulations, players would be doing whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. If Rodman's antics would have taken place somewhere other than a basketball court he probably would be in trouble with the law. If he were to argue with a police officer, for example, the same way he did with the referee, he probably would be put in jail or at very least heavily fined. Well, the NBA is not going to put anyone in jail for this, but they did fine him and suspend him for a couple of games. Basically Rodman is as bad as any street bully who picks on or beats up little kids. Only he does it on a basketball court, so generally it is considered "part of the game." In nine out of ten cases, a fine is levied, and all is forgotten. There will always be people, like Rodman, trying to have power over a situation when they can't. Any criminal is trying to do exactly that. They are trying to make their own rules. When caught for this, they're punished; they are punished by people who have power. Power is obtained in a couple ways. You can earn it and it can be given to you. But power isn't necessarily a trait a person has until they know somebody who does. For example, if a person was good friends with someone who is in a position of power, say their boss, and disliked a co-worker of theirs, they possibly could get something bad to happen to the co-worker, like more work or longer hours. Power wasn't had in a situation like this until someone known had it. While power is something that can be good or bad, liked or disliked, one thing is for sure: it is constantly being put to use to control people. And when there is no power, there is no organization and everything is bedlam. So every person is in one way or another involved with power. Some have it, but all must abide by it or reap the repercussions. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\An unforgattable Experience.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Narrative Essay on An Unforgettable Experience During the December festive season almost every shopping and business complex is a hive of activity. The last few days before Christmas are exceptionally busy days. Many last minute shoppers scurry along from shop to shop in a last bid to complete their shopping. unfortunately mum and I were also completing our shopping at Margate on the last Saturday before christmas. Hundreds of people were in the complex. Parking was at a premium. Fortunately we went early and got a parking. We went about to complete our shopping. Shortly after midday we had just entered a jewellery shop when all of a sudden there was a tremendous explosion. My first thoughts were that it was an earthquake. My hair was standing on ends. I turned around and to my horror there were several people lying down with blood around them. Slives of glass were strewn everywhere. Babies were howling. People were running in all directions. The place was in a devastating condition. The police were on the scene within minutes. There cordoned off the area. The paramedics arrived soon after and attended to the injured. We were lucky that we were not injured. After some two hours the police managed to bring the scene under control. Those severely injured were transported to hospital. The explosion occurred as a result of a bomb being placed in one of the stores. The police questioned us and from that we were allowed to go home. This was an unforgettable experience although we were not involved in injury. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Animal Farm.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ANIMAL FARM Napoleon and his new friends sat down while taking a sip of their beers, we all thought to ourselves; what have we done? The rebellion has done nothing for us except make us friends with our initial enemies, the humans. Something is very wrong here. We started off with the hopes and dreams of a new generation of animal domination, but what is left is defeat and depression. The only one enjoying himself was Napoleon, talking about his, "business deals." Napoleon, now joined by squealer, have been looking fairly suspicious. We heard him say, "The chickens will go for no less than five pounds a piece." We all just assumed that we might be getting some new friends from the neighboring farms. The next day we get up to go back to work. The strenuous towing and pulling has been much worse since boxer was gone. He was such a hard worker. The animals have had to do twice the work. Napoleon, as usual sits in his office doing his "paper work." Rumors have been circulating that the cat has seen Napoleon sleeping at his desk, then after waking, moving to drink his rum. Something must have to be done. That night, when Napoleon was asleep, all the animals were told to meet at the "Old Major Orchard" at midnight. Sure enough, the animals arrived. They had an inquisitive across the hay dark empty field, they all sat down I started to address them. "Comrades, we are here tonight to discuss the well-being of all the animals on Animal Farm. As you may well Know, Napoleon has been seen doing things that we would all adore too be doing while we work. These thing include: sleeping, drinking and eating , while we are forced to fulfill our hunger with hay and pellets made from our own species! Comrades, this cannot continue. Myself, giving much thought about the situation, have decided to organize a rebellion." We will fight and have our freedom!"It was decided that there was to be a rebellion against the pigs, especially Napoleon . The speech had inspired many of the weaker animals into rebelling with full force. As the former ruler slowly and lazily walked with squealer the other pigs for their food the animals were roaring to go. CHARGE! The rebellion had started. The next few weeks were difficult. It was springtime in the valley and all the animals were having babies. The young ones were taught with all the previous teachings and the old had a chance to regain their strength. The only commandment that were left were "All animals are equal", the most important one of all. As was the leader of the rebellion, I thought I should be the leader of the farm. As the weeks went by all our lives became more joyful, our lives changed for the better, and we kept one of the commandments "Animals are equal." f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\ArgumentativeEducational Reform.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Argumentative Since the early 1980's, the issue of America's faltering public school system has become a serious concern. The crisis in K-12 education is one of the biggest challenges facing the nation. There is a great deal of evidence to show this problem. The pathetically low results of American students through international test scores is one obvious fault. Another is the failure of many students to demonstrate their knowledge of basic skills and literacy. It is surprising that such a long time has passed without any sufficient effort put forth to correct the problem. Even more surprising, is the fact that some deny that such a problem exists. The failure of the nation to adequately educate the students of America has an endless list of negative effects. With the lack of proper education, generations of kids are growing up without the basic, essential knowledge to be able to compete in the workplace. As a result of this, the U.S. stands a chance in losing its superpower reign of the world. Therefore, it is not only a social concern, but also a major economical issue. Another alarming concern is the high rate of student dropouts. Now, instead of all students receiving a poor education, some are not getting one at all. The main cause for this is the students'lack of interest in school. So much of the teaching that goes on today is based on rote and memorization. Not all learning can be exciting, and sometimes memorizing things is necessary. Although teachers should find other ways of getting the information to the students. When students are taught like this, they get bored and tired of school, and this is why they dropout. Obvoiusly, if they drop out of school, they probably aren't going to earn there degree. However, if more kids do earn their high school degrees, the country would have less unemployment. More people in the workplace then leads to a stronger and more stable economy. If our society could find a way to keep more kids in school, our country would prosper, and the educational system on a whole, would be much better. Inner-city inequality produces a great deal of problems in all aspects of life. One way it shows up continuously is in education. Although many people realize this problem, nothing is being done to improve it. Statistics show that wealthy school districts offer much better opportunities for their students. This increases the gap in the social status of America by educating the wealthy and leaving the others with the low paying jobs. This could quite possibly wipe out the entire middle class, leaving a huge gap between the upper and lower classes. While we accept inequality as a problem, we have not yet acted upon it seriously enough. Until some serious action is taken, and poorer schools are offered better oppourtunities, the education in America has no chance at becoming better. Of course with such a highly diverse population, all people are not going to agree with each other. Those people that do not acknowledge the nation's educational program to be defective must have their own reasons for believing what they do. They might bring up the fact that the educational system has been good enough to make the nation the most powerful country in the world. Therefore, why change something that has produced such excellent results? What they fail to realize, though, is that the other first world countries are constantly trying to catch up with the U.S. So we must take precautions, constantly improve the education, and not take our power for granted. Everything we live for was not just handed to us. Our forefathers worked extremely hard to put us where we are today. The world is always evolving and advancing technologically. Therefore, our generations of America must also work hard to keep up with the advances. Unfortunately, we have slipped behind in the area of education. Although we will not find a simple solution to our faulty educational system, something has to be done. What better place to start then accepting the fact that it is the biggest challenge facing the nation today? f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\arrested topless.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Argumentative Essay In the summer of 1996 Gwen Jacobs enjoyed a topless summer stroll during which she was seen by a local O.P.P officer, was apprehended and subsequently charged with indecent exposure. Gwen Jacobs pleaded not guilty in court and won the right to go topless in Ontario. This incident brought up an excellent question: should women be allowed to go topless on public beaches and in other public areas? The answer is strictly no, women should not be allowed to go topless anywhere outside of their own home. One of the many reasons why I believe that women should not be allowed to go topless is with respect to the safety of women. Men and boys have, in recent years, been using short, tight, skirts and shirts as an excuse for rape or date rape. Men have said that the girl was wearing a tight shirt and short skirt and it was obvious that she was easy and wanted the attention. This statement leads me to my next point. The average human being upon first contact with a stranger bases his initial impression of that person solely on the person's appearance. This is only natural as the only thing that we know about this stranger is what we see of them the first time we meet. We all are aware of the sayings "Preppy","Jockish","Skater","Sluty" etc. This final saying, "Sluty" is interpreted by 90 percent of North Americans as a tight skirt and tight tank top which happens to be the usual ensemble of a prostitute. This first impression of a girl in nothing but a skirt and a bare chest will no doubt elevate to the new version of a "Slut" and a girl that wants it. My second point is, what kind of questions will a mother be asked by her son when he sees a half nude woman walking down the street. The first question that this child will ask is why do these women have no shirt on and you do? Your reply will be well ahhh go talk to your father. This dilemma will no doubt be brought about as these and other questions about the sexual nature of the body will be put forth by young children. Questions that you as a parent do not feel should be answered truthfully to such a young child. My third point begins thousands of years ago when man first walked on the earth. When man first walked he hunted and his wife(clothless) cleaned the game and took care of the young. As centuries have progressed women have stepped forth into a new era of equal rights. We've seen the first women doctors, astronauts, business owners and many other firsts in numerous professions. Women have made giant leaps when it comes to respect from men in their professional field. This respect which women have been fighting for over the past century, is on the verge of collapse. Women seem to be taking this new law allowing them to go topless to an extreme. Walking their dogs, walking on the beach and strolling through public places with no tops on. This display of nudity, in the average person's eyes, whether they admit to it or not, will cause men to look down again on women. If, for example, the first woman astronaut (Sally Ride) were to start going topless in public places it would be plastered on the front page of every newspaper. This in turn would lead to her fellow colleagues looking down on her. This would be a giant step backwards in respect to equal rights for women. Following the changes to this law allowing women to go topless our cities will slowly begin to diverge into places that encourage nudity and places that do not encourage nudity. Our economy will begin to collapse, as store owners appalled by this nudity will be forced to close their stores and move, if this nudity is surrounding them. This also applies to stores that want to have workers that want to go topless, they will be forced to relocate to places of nudity. As this begins to happen slowly our cities will become two sided and our economy's stability will collapse beneath our feet. An excellent example of this situation is taking place in Quebec. A law in Quebec states that a women may work in nothing less than lingerie. So a Quebec barber shop run by a well endowed women decided to charge an extra ten dollars per haircut and she'd remove her shirt so they could watch her cut their hair in just a bra. She also charged an extra fifteen to remove her bottoms so she had only her underwear on. This new business skyrocketed and now there is currently 15 of these hair dressers presently in Quebec. The neighborhoods surrounding these barbershops are appalled by what is going on and many people have relocated there families away from this nudity. In conclusion to the question: should women be allowed to go topless in public places? It has been clearly shown that women should not be allowed to go topless anywhere outside of their own home. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\baal.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ben Stout Acting I Todd McNerney 11-14-96 Baal Of Desire On Thursday, November 7, I saw a performance of Baal, written by Bertolt Brecht and directed by Evan Parry. The play was not an emotional play, but an intellectual play. It caused the viewer to think about the existentialist nature of Brecht¹s writing and the underlying meaning of the play. Although I have studied existentialism and followed the play intently, I still could not fully understand what Brecht was trying to say through Baal. My interpretation is that Baal represents man and his desires and what those desires can lead to. At the beginning of the play, Baal is in good spirits and loved by all. He has doors open to him; he is asked to publish his poetry and sing his songs at a bar. Through the play, his life gradually becomes worse because he drinks too much and has many girlfriends. People start to dislike him and he loses his apartment. Then more and more people start to dislike him and he moves from job to job and location to location with nothing but Ekart to see him through. But then he realizes that he is finally in love - with Ekart, but she doesn¹t love him and makes it obvious by having other men and women in her life. So, Baal kills her since he can¹t have her for his own. By the end, Baal has nothing but himself to blame for his condition. His drinking problem and his problem of seducing every woman he meets drives him to his death, and causes everyone to repudiate him. The acting ranged from not-so-great to very good. The only problem was that since not all the actor¹s names were used, it was difficult to figure out who was who in most cases. Baal, played by Robert Seay, was in the very good part of the spectrum. The amount of lined he had to memorize was great and he didn¹t stumble on them once. His emotion was clear throughout the play and his focus was obvious. The way he played drunk was great; his hair and shirt were disheveled, but he wasn¹t stumbling all over the place and slurring his words. He acted just like a drunk person trying his hardest to pretend to be sober. When he spoke you understood what he was feeling and saying because he spoke clearly, slowly and loudly which helps, but he also understood what he was saying, which helped the audience understand what he was feeling. At the end, when he was dying, the audience understood that he was dying alone, with nobody to help him through and that his life had held no meaning. The audience knew this because of his actions and because of the tone of his voice. Ekart was also very good. In the beginning, when she was trying to persuade Baal to sleep with her, she was seductive and conniving. She tempted him to leave the woman who he made leave her husband for, but Baal resisted. Her tone of voice was what I found to be her greatest asset because it told so much about her. Her tone of voice made her objectives clear. Whenever she spoke, I found what she wanted to be clear. Her movement was comfortable onstage which made it easier to watch her. It was easier because since she was comfortable, I wanted to follow what she was doing at all times. When she was with Baal, she acted indifferent, and when she wasn¹t with Baal, it was obvious that she didn¹t care for him as much as he did for her because she was not faithful to him. In the end, she acted the same way Baal did at the beginning. And the way she did it was with precision, she indulged in whatever she did, just like Baal. I felt that Ekart¹s acting was very good because she was understandable and easy to follow. The girls who shared words in sentences were also very good. The way they followed each other and the way they made their voices to sound the same was what pleased me the most. There were no uncomfortable silences in between what each girl said, which meant that they were very well prepared. If they weren¹t as prepared, they wouldn¹t have been able to follow each other as well. Their preparation was also quite clear because there were no uncomfortable spaces in between what each girl said. They did not have much physical acting to do, but the way they used their voices and the way they followed each other so well impressed me. The acting in Baal was good; the acting ranged from the priest, who wasn¹t all that great to Baal, Ekart and the chorus girls who were great. I found Baal to be interesting and realize the acting was difficult to take on, but it was obvious who prepared the best for the play. Those who were prepared were good, but those who weren¹t either didn¹t have a good performance or didn¹t warm up until late in the play. Overall, I felt the acting and the play were both successful. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\bad or good.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Bad or good We live in a world in which our primary food is the information. We perceive the outside world through images, and each image has an echo in our brain, generating feelings, attitudes and sometimes questions. Although we belong to the same specie, thousands of differences or similarities divide and classify us. Each of us perceives in his own way the information he receives. For some of us, something could be beautiful, for others the same thing could be ugly. Behind these two words, beautiful and ugly, we can see another words or, better said, concepts: good and bad. But what do good and bad mean? Do they really exist? On one hand, good and bad are two words that express our opinion in terms of perceived images. We give the images values, which can be, as I already said, good or bad. On the other hand, being so many types of human beings, it is normal to be different kinds of perception and interpretation of information. Therefore, having many people who can interpret things in different ways, it is difficult for somebody to say what is good or bad, and in the same time to have his opinion shared by everyone. Trying to classify, we might come up with a result that might be true or not, depending on the point of view. In other words everything is relative. Paradoxically, when we start thinking we, we discover that we actually know almost nothing, or that there are many things left, to be known. On the other hand, the more we know, the more we want to know. This desire of knowing more and more might be expressed through questions. One big difference that separates the human beings from animals is that people ask themselves, why do we exist? and animals do not. If animals asked themselves this question, in that moment they would become human beings. If someone find an answer to this question, many things would be simplified. Our secret of life would not be a secret anymore. However, answering this question is difficult, maybe impossible. What we can do is to wait and think. Time will answer us. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Balance of Values and Academic Freedom of Inquiry.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear Mr. R. Kirby Godsey, In the process of life we face many challenges and many crossroads. We have many choices and many decisions to make. In making these decisions we must keep in mind the moral values our parents have taught us since we were born. Those Christian values should guide our lives and the choices we make. These same values should also guide at school as well. In our pursuit of knowledge, we should keep these values in mind. In our never-ending road of learning, we are granted with many academic freedoms. We have the freedom to question and try to learn new ideas. We also have the freedom to disagree with the material presented to us. We can disagree and voice our opinions, but in an orderly fashion. In exercising those freedoms, we should do so with maturity and responsibility. As students, we are responsible for learning all the content of any course we study. We are free to take exception to the views or information presented to us, and we are free to reserve judgment about matters of opinions. Sometimes, in our quest for knowledge, there becomes a conflict between our beliefs we are accustomed to and the material presented to us. When there is a difference, we should not ignore the idea or block it out. We should feel free to learn and question new ideas. Just because we learn something doesn't mean we have to accept it. We should leave ourselves open to new ideas. When we do this we become very well rounded individuals. An example of this is the issue involving the debate between evolution and creationism. As Christians, we naturally believe in creationism, but we shouldn't stop learning about evolution because we don't believe in it. This makes us very close minded. We shouldn't stop learning about a subject just because we don't believe in it. One of our freedoms is the academic freedom of inquiry. This means we have freedom to question. We have the freedom to learn. We can still search for more answers, and we can learn different theories and still keep our beliefs. The trick in doing this is to balance all of this. We must be able to keep our beliefs and new ideas presented separated. We must be able to draw a line between what you learn and what you believe. In doing this we become open minded individuals. I believe if we can balance our values and our academic freedom of inquiry we have reached a whole new level of learning. Not many people can do this. It is hard to want to learn material presented to us that you don't particularly care for or believe in. When we learn to do this we are open to a whole new world of possibilities. I feel I have learned how to keep my morals and beliefs, while continuing my search for new ideas and information. I feel I have learned to balance these. I have found the line between the two , and I know when too far is too far. Since Mercer is a place where I can feel free to open myself to new doors and express my beliefs, I feel I would blend into the Mercer environment very well. I am open to new ideas and want to learn. I want to get the best education I can get and Mercer is the place where I can get it. I am willing to learn as much as I can, whether it is spiritually, academically, or intellectually. Sincerely, XXXXXXXXX cc f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Becoming a Doctor.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Doctor A doctor is someone who can help someone else in need. There are many types of doctors, ranging from general pediatricians to specialists. They are respected people and are looked to when something is wrong. Everyone needs a doctor at some point, so doctors are very much in demand. I am interested in this career because I like to help people. Also, it pays well so I can live off the salary. Another reason is because many of my relatives are doctors, nurses, or dentists. Even though school and training are very hard, it pays off in the end, when someone can make a difference in someone's life. I am not sure if I would like to be a pediatrician, or a specialist. Specialists probably earn more money, but do not do as much, and are required to learn more. I do not think I will want to be a surgeon, because cutting people open and taking things out does not seem very appealing. To become a doctor, one must endure a lot of training and education. In college, one must study courses to prepare for medicine, such as biology, chemistry, and some advanced mathematics. It generally takes seven to eight years to finish his education. The first four years, one would take pre-med. classes. Then it's on to medical school, where for four years one learns about the area of medicine one chooses. After medical school, about one year of internship is needed. Then he becomes a resident and practice medicine under supervision of a senior doctor. All together, it is about 11 years before one actually become an independent doctor. Doctors will always be needed. Because of this, and because of the population growth, doctors will always be in demand and the profession will continue to grow. This way, a doctor will be unemployed less, and will be more secure, financially. A doctor can earn from $60,000 to $700,000. Pediatricians and doctors at free clinics earn the least, although they are probably the most needed. There are many doctors that want to help children, so they become pediatricians, even if they earn a little less than others. Specialists earn a little more, from $90,000 to $200,000. These specialists range from neurologists, dermatologists, and urologists to cardiologists. Of course, the ones that are in need will earn more. The doctors that earn the most are surgeons. Doctors that perform tonsillectomies will earn less than plastic surgeons, and plastic surgeons will earn less than cardiovascular surgeons and neurosurgeons. Anesthesiologists, who give the patients shots during surgery, earn around $250,000 a year. The fields that require more patients, nerve, and perfection earn the most money. Doctors are needed all over the world. That's why they want to build a hospital on an airplane. Everyone gets sick, so a doctor could go anywhere and probably get a job. Of course, large cities will have more hospitals, and need more doctors. However, if someone lives in a small town, and he is the only doctor, then he will have people turn to him whenever anyone in town gets sick. Many companies will employ a doctor. Kaiser Permanente is a hospital chain nearby. Community hospitals will employ doctors. Universities, such as UCLA or UCI, also have hospitals where a doctor can work. One can also go into practice by himself, although it is more risky. Doctors can pretty much work anywhere. Bibliography 1. Medical Education. Microsoft Encarta '95. 2. Hoffman, Stephen. Under the Ether Dome. Schribner, 1986. 3. Konner, Melvin. Becoming a Doctor. Viking, 1987. 4. Rothstein, William G. American Medical Schools and the Practice of Medicine: A History. Oxford, 1987. 5. http://www.atlcom.net/%7Ekyle/hack.html 6. http://www.bcn.net/~jac136/enter.html f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\being the one who cares.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Being The One Who Cares In order to be a good teacher I feel that one needs to be open and understanding of different events that might take place in the classroom. Students today are not treated the same as they were during the beginning of education and we have a variety of students which attend our public schools. There are girls, blacks, whites, Hispanic, and Native Americans and a number of other different races participating in our classroom studies. This is a wonderful accomplishment in our society. The variety of backgrounds which are found in the classrooms gives our young students a better understanding of different races and nationalities. However, with growth there are always problems. Because there are students from different backgrounds, we must cater to all their needs. There may be students in our classroom with completely different religious beliefs or no beliefs at all. Teachers must understand each student and their personal beliefs to make their learning environment comfortable. Every aspect of our society has changed, we live in a more promiscuous society. Our children are having children. We as teachers must educate our student to the deadly effects of unprotected sex. I feel as teachers earn tenure, they are more likely to effect the students in a more personably manner. Having a stable and open classroom, I feel the students will learn more and be a respected citizen in our society. In this project I will discuss, prayer in the classroom, AIDS and tenure. Prayer in school is a controversial issue that must be considered and dealt with as quickly as possible. All people should feel free to worship and have loyalties to whichever religion they choose. If no religion is chosen, then the feelings of the person should be considered as will. Everyone has an opinion on this subject, but everyones opinion should not become an issue. Rather, the opinion should be offered in order to be accepted or rejected by the individual. I feel that a time should be set aside during the day to allow for mediation or introspection. This time could be used by the students for thinking, prayer, meditation or for private reflection. Therefore, those who choose to participate can do so privately. Since it is a quiet time, no religion is stressed, so whichever seems to be more important to the student, the student has the option to choose. An alternative to quiet time is to rotate prayers among all religious faiths with equal time being provided for all groups and religions represented. The schedule may be rotated daily or weekly between such choices as Christian, Jewish, and Catholic. No shame should be placed on the students because of their personal beliefs, and adults must never censure, or in any way make light of a students belief. Also, no student should be forced into or required to participate; all children should be allowed to either join in, or to sit quietly during this time. Like most things, this can be used as a positive tool for teaching respect for others. I feel this issue should be decided by individual school systems and not mandated by the courts. However, if the school does choose to have a religious moment, all religions should be represented. This issue is a very private one, and no one should be judged by his or her feelings. Also, no student should ever be made to feel less than acceptable for their personal belief. Teachers should keep in mind that not all children share the same beliefs, therefore, if one or more students choose not to participate in the prayer or quiet time, alternatives should be offered to them. Reading may help the others to be quiet while those who choose to participate do so. If a child chooses not to participate, it should not become an issue between the student and the class or the student and the teacher. No student should ever be held up to ridicule. The teacher should try to make all of the students feel as comfortable as possible whether they participate or not. If the subject is handled properly, this may help contributed to a better understanding of the difference among people. By teaching students that people are different at an early age, it may alleviate some the hostilities between them as adults. Also, this will teach students tolerance to views that are different than their own. Students learn from what they see, if they see and share prayer with their friends and classmates they will seem less separate. The students may prove to be more willing to accept the difference between themselves and others. With this, a breakdown of prejudices may occur. Prejudice is developed from fear of the unknown. Because some are different than ourselves, we may feel that they are somehow less than we are. Students should be taught at an early age that there are differences in and among people the unknown becomes less feared. By giving children the chance to share their most personal beliefs without fear of ridicule, they will become more tolerant and educated about the many different views shared by those around them. Teaching is not always done from a book. Students learn from teachers and the teachers should also learn from students. We should always be open to new experiences and willing to learn from them. If the teacher is not familiar with the student's beliefs, he or she should take the time to learn about the religion from the student. If the students learn acceptance of difference as children, they will be more acceptable as adults. This issue may be difficult for all to accept, and even if one child feels uncomfortable with it - it should not be forced upon them. I feel that if religion was in our classroom, then the subject of sex would not be a difficult subject to talk about. In today's society children are faced with many problems, and an important issue that should be included in any educational program is sex education. Children should be taught early what sex is about and how to be safe when involved in a sexual relationship. It is very unrealistic to believe that children will not have sex. Since it is almost impossible to convince them that it is dangerous, it is imperative that they know exactly what can happen if they choose to have sex. Young people have a tendency to see themselves as immortal. they must understand that yes I can get AIDS; yes I can die, and there is still no cure for the AIDS virus. AIDS is a topic that everyone has heard about, but young people may not be fully aware of how it is transmitted and how it can be avoided. By teaching this in our schools, we can at least be sure that each student knows the danger. Aids education should be included in a sex education class, and the curriculum should include educating the children about the many different sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Herpes and other incurable sexually transmitted diseases. Students need to be taught that if the choose to have sex they should protect themselves. Pregnancy is not the only issue that should be considered although the subject should be thoroughly discussed. AIDS is now the most pressing social concern to be taught to students. While informing students about the dangers of unprotected sex, condom usage should be discussed. If the children still feel that sex is acceptable for them personally, condom usage should be stressed. If they are aware that the transmission of AIDS may be stopped by proper use of a condom, students may choose to use them. It should also be noted that there is a chance that a condom will fail. Condoms should be termed safer sex and the only true safe sex is abstinence. Even so, condoms should be made available to the students. Although some feel that the distribution of condoms in the schools will increase sexual activity, I feel that this will only protect those who have already made the decision to be sexually active. In order to encourage condom usage, teenagers should be taught the proper way to use them. By distributing condoms and showing proper usage, young people will become familiar with them. This will help them to feel more comfortable and be more willing to use a condom. Condom machines should also be installed in both boys and girls restroom. The students are then able to purchase condoms privately. This will also encourage condom use because the student will not have to feel intimidated about buying condoms in public places. As long as condoms are easily assessable and teenagers know how to use them, we may be able to slow the epidemic of AIDS. Sex education and AIDS awareness go hand in hand. By developing educational programs to teach safe sex, they will be able to make an educated decision on whether or not sex is right for them. Although we do not like to think that young people are sexually active and in danger of contracting diseases, it is irresponsible to believe that if we do not talk to them about it they will not do it. Children are curious an feel that it cannot happen to them, and peer pressure often causes young people to act without proper considerations. Teenagers will experiment therefore we must prepare them to make responsible decisions. Their decisions could make a life changing difference in their lives. Education is the best method we have to inform them of the many factors involved in casual sex. It has been found that students are more likely to trust a teacher who has been in their schools for many years. They might remember their older brothers and sisters talking about a particular teacher. A student may feel more comfortable talking with a teacher regarding a academic problem as well as a personal problem; especially if they feel the teacher knows a little about their lives without revealing a lot of information. A teacher may help the student make a wise division regarding school or a boyfriend or girlfriend. This leads us to the issue of tenure. Tenure is a status granted to teachers after a probationary period. This is sort of job security, which prevents a teacher from being dismissed from work except for legally specified causes and through due process procedures. Tenure is given to a teacher after a three year probation. The teachers are given three one year contracts that may or may not be renewed after each of the three years. If you do not receive a dismissal letter before the forth year, you will automatically receive tenure. During any of the probation years you can be dismissed for any reason. After you receive tenure you can only be dismissed for one or two reasons. If you are proven incompetent after receiving tenure you can be dismissed, and the only other reason is on the basis of moral turpitude. Tenure goes with the job, if the job has been abolished there is no tenure. For example: A physical education teacher that is tenured can loose their tenure if physical education is abolished. As in all things, tenure has a negative side to it. Teachers may be tenure status but may not have the qualifications to hold the positions any longer. Many teachers who achieve the tenure status might feel they no longer need to continue to broaden their knowledge or stay current with the changes in education. This can foster a lax attitude, and lifetime tenure may induce laziness, stifle incentives or contribute to a lack of performance in the classroom. Although this does not apply to the majority of teachers; an attitude such as this will deprive the students of the learning they deserve. If the administration feels that a particular teacher should be dismissed due to the lack of knowledge or the teaching abilities, tenure can also be used to delay or block efforts to force the issue. Tenure cannot and does not guarantee excellence. A teacher is either dedicated to the profession or is simply getting a pay check and three months off during the summer. This is a critical point, and students will be deprived of a good education if the teacher has this attitude. Tenure will not guarantee a teacher's interest in his or her students. All teachers should take pride in the knowledge that every student is interested to his or her care that they are going to provide the best entrusting that they are capable of giving. This means the teachers need to take the time to get to know every student in their class. Tenure cannot prevent abuse of either the system or of the student. It is abuse of the system when the teacher hides behind tenure. Abuse of the students occurs when he or she does not receive the very best education the can receive. Tenure is intended to show regard for scholarly achievement. It is in large part a quest for security in ones profession. It is meant to be protection against injustice of any kind, and it should not be used as a shield for incompetence or lack of commitment. Tenure should be treated as a privilege and an honor. Dedicated persons in the teaching profession will surely agree with this. The merit pay system is an alternative to tenure. Merit pay is a better system of rewarding a dedicated teacher or instructor. In this system the teachers are given a pay raise based on their work, not based on the number of years they have taught. This system will weed out the people who use teaching just as a job. I feel that if teachers are paid by the merit system our children will be better educated. Our teachers will value their position and impose themselves on the children's education. It is a proven fact, the more you reward a person the higher the results will be. We need to reward our teachers for the job well done and in turn our students will reward us with their job well done. Whether in the classroom or after graduation in their chosen profession. Education is the greatest gift of all. I think it would be a wonderful feeling to find out that the students which I have taught remembered me for the excellent job I have done. I feel that the student teacher relationship is an important relationship. If the student respects the teacher they will receive the best education possible. If the communication is lost, some students may stray from the classroom activities and loose the sense of the nature of a good student. If the teacher is a veteran teacher then the students are more likely to come to them regarding any problem. It may be a problem with their studies, a problem with another teacher, or even a domestic problem. Whatever it may be, we as teachers should act In Loco Parentis. I can relate to the problems in today's classroom. I feel its important for respected teachers to earn tenure, not only for themselves but for the students as well. Familiar teachers become the students friends, and topics such as sex, AIDS, teenage pregnancy and religion might not be so difficult to discuss. We need personal discussion in our classroom. What goes on inside the classroom directly affect what will happen inside the classroom. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Beowulf.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ John Meister 9\21\96 BEOWULF The early English epic Beowulf is filled with a marvelous hero , ghastly villains , far off lands , and deeds of great valor. These are some of the reasons why Beowulf is a great example of an early English epic. Beowulf is an epic because it has action that consists of deeds of great valor , the setting of Beowulf is in vast scope covering great lands and far off places , and the hero of the story , Beowulf , is of imposing stature of international and international importance. One reason that Beowulf is an epic is because the action consists of deeds of great valor. Beowulf told a story of when he killed nine sea-beasts with his sword. He also said," I returned from a fight when I destroyed five a family of giants ," which proves the great strength that Beowulf had. When Beowulf talked about going to fight Grendel , he denied himself the use of a sword because he wanted a fair hand-to-hand fight with Grendel. When one of Hroathgars' coast guards set eyes upon Beowulf he said ,"I have never set eyes on a more noble man , you are no mere retainer." Although the action in Beowulf consists of great deeds , the setting of the story is vast scope covering great lands and far off places. Beowulf said that his father was favored far and wide because he was a very noble lord. "The swift current , the surging water carried me to the far off Land of the Lapps ," said Beowulf as he told a story to one of Hroathgars' retainers. When Beowulf talked of where Grendel lived he said ,"These two live in a little known country with wolf-slopes , windswept headlands where a mountain stream plunges." The protagonist of Beowulf , Beowulf , is a figure of national and international importance with great historical and legendary significance. "Then he who feared no man , the proud leader of the Geats," said the author about Beowulf before he went to seek Grendel. Another example the narrator uses to show the importance of Beowulf is ,"Truly , the leader of the Geats fervently trusted in his own strength and in Gods grace." Once more the narrator said this of Beowulf ,"One of the Hygelacs thanes , Beowulf by name , renounced among the Geats for his great bravery." Since Beowulf contains action that consists of deeds of great valor , the scope is in vast setting covering great lands and far off places. Also the hero of the story is a figure of imposing stature of national and international importance , we can conclude that Beowulf is a great example of an early English epic. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\blood in macbeth.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Macbeth Essay I am going to prove that in the play Macbeth, a symbol of blood is portrayed often(and with different meanings), and that it is a symbol that is developed until it is the dominating theme of the play towards the end of it. To begin with, I found the word "blood", or different forms of it forty-two times (ironically, the word fear is used forty-two times), with several other passages dealing with the symbol. Perhaps the best way to show how the symbol of blood changes throughout the play, is to follow the character changes in Macbeth. First he is a brave honoured soldier, but as the play progresses, he becomes a treacherous person who has become identified with death and bloodshed and shows his guilt in different forms. The first reference of blood is one of honour, and occurs when Duncan sees the injured sergeant and says "What bloody man is that?". This is symbolic of the brave fighter who been injured in a valiant battle for his country. In the next passage, in which the sergeant says "Which smok'd with bloody execution", he is referring to Macbeth's braveness in which his sword is covered in the hot blood of the enemy. After these few references to honour, the symbol of blood now changes to show a theme of treachery and treason. Lady Macbeth starts this off when she asks the spirits to "make thick my blood,". What she is saying by this, is that she wants to make herself insensitive and remorseless for the deeds which she is about to commit. Lady Macbeth knows that the evidence of blood is a treacherous symbol, and knows it will deflect the guilt from her and Macbeth to the servants when she says "smear the sleepy grooms with blood.", and "If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt." When Banquo states "and question this most bloody piece of work," and Ross says "is't known who did this more than bloody deed?", they are both inquiring as to who performed the treacherous acts upon Duncan. When Macbeth is speaking about Malcolm and Donalbain, he refers to them as "bloody cousins" A final way, and perhaps the most vivid use of the symbol blood, is of the theme of guilt. First Macbeth hints at his guilt when he says "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?", meaning that he wondered if he would ever be able to forget the dastardly deed that he had committed. Then the ghost of Banquo, all gory, and bloody comes to haunt Macbeth at the banquet. The sight of apparitions represents his guilt for the murder of Banquo which he planned. Macbeth shows a bit of his guilt when he says "It is the bloody business which informs thus," he could not get the courage to say murder after he had killed Duncan, so he says this instead. Lady Macbeth shows the most vivid example of guilt using the symbol of blood in the scene in which she walks in her sleep. She says "Out damned spot! Out I say! One: two: why then 'tis time to do't: hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it when none can call out power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?". This speech represents the fact that she cannot wipe the blood stains of Duncan off of her hands. It is ironic, that she says this, because right after the murder, when Macbeth was feeling guilty, she said "A little water clears us of this deed." When the doctor of the castle finds out about this sleepwalking, he tells Macbeth "As she is troubled with thick-coming fantasies,". What this means, is that Lady Macbeth is having fantasies or dreams that deal with blood. Macbeth knows in his mind that she is having troubles with her guilt, but does not say anything about it. Just before the ending of the play, Macbeth has Macduff at his mercy, and lets him go, because of his guilt. He shows that he is guilty, when he says "But get thee back, my soul is too much charg'd with blood of thine already.". Of which, Macduff replies, "I have no words, my voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain than terms can give thee out." After the death of Macbeth at the hands of Macduff, the symbolic theme of blood swings back to what it was at the beginning of the play. It is the symbol of honour to Malcolm this time. The death of Macbeth is honoured feat that Macduff is congratulated for. So as we have seen meaning of the symbol of blood change from honour to treachery, and then to guilt, after this, it returns to the symbolic meaning of honour once again after the villain that changed the meaning from honour to tyranny is killed. Due to these many changes, it has been proved that the symbol of blood has many different meanings which can be attributed to it throughout the course of this play. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Boarding Schools.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For most people boarding schools conjure up thoughts of young men in navy blue blazers with white shirts and a tie going to a beautiful school with ivy covered walls and the game of polo being played in the distance. Oh, and don't forget thoughts of parents with fat wallets and a family trust fund. This is what Gordon Vink, the director of admissions at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, calls the "Holden Caufield-Catcher in the Rye syndrome"(Parker 111), a book about the troubles a boy faces at his prep boarding school. To an extent the image holds true. Prep schools offer collegiate type atmospheres, have strict rules, and often teach generations of students from the same families. The simplest definition of a boarding school is a place that parents pay for a stodent to live and go to school. The school's teachers, coaches, and administrators live in dormitories with boarders and act as their family enforcing the strict rules, making disciplinary decisions, and overseeing behavior and academic performance. Boarding schools can be one or all of the following: academic boot camp, a place for parents to put kids they don't want around or don't have the time for, a haven from deteriorating public schools, a necessary credential for children of the rich and famous, or a training ground for tomorrow's leaders. These schools range from small unknown institutions which will accept anyone, to the elite schools, which are very selective and are a pipeline to Ivy-league schools and success. Boarding schools are superior to public day schools. Proponents of boarding prep schools claim the schools offer unparalled discipline, a stronger curriculum, exellent facilities, a way to get in to better colleges, a superior learning environment, staggering extra-curricular options, and allow students to attain a higher level of performance. Opponents argue that the astronomical cost, anywhere from $8000 to $25,000 per year for the most elite, is too expensive. They also claim the rules are too extreme and suffocating, and that students experience an abundance of stress. The biggest argument against boarding schools is cost. With an average cost of $8000 to $25,000 (Topolnicki 100), many parents ask: Are private boarding schools worth the expense? The extra attention and frills don't come cheap. "It's like buying stock or a new house," says private school consultant Georgia Irvin. "It's a major investment." (Parker 111) But many boarding schools have been working hard to increase their financial aid and to structure new methods of payment. Pricey prep schools are more likely to give scholarships. Sixteen percent of students who attend get financial aid, which averages $5,400 a year. ( Topolnicki 101) Boarders also must consider what they are getting - tuition and all living expenses. "Just think about how much food a typical teenager eats," Susan Laittus says. She pays $21,000 a year for her child to go to boarding school. She feels no price is too high when thinking of her children's future. That $21,000 also gives her child access to a private beach, surfing classes, and a recreation room with an ocean view. One alternative to get a similar education is to move to an advantaged public school system, but then there are high property taxes to pay and the average home costs between $125,000 to $500,000 in such affluent neighborhoods. (Topplnicki 100) If the costs can be overcome, then a private boarding school is worth every penny. Another problem is the system of rules the schools use. Boarding schools generally plan every hour in the student's day. From wake up to lights out, every hour in the student's life is set. At Exeter Boarding School in New Hampshire, classes start before 8:00 AM and often don't wind up until 6:00 PM. (Morgan 103) Jenny Cantrell's first discovery at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania was the school rule book. Jenny had to be at dinner from 6:20 PM until 6:50 PM, then have study time from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM. After 10:45 PM she was expected to be in her room. On weekends she has to sign in at her dorm between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM to report where she would be until her 11:00 PM curfew. You can't just leave to see a movie if you are tired of doing schoolwork. This loss of personal freedom often leads to severe stress. (Cookson 33) In his study of American private schools, Peter W. Cookson reports that teachers talk of "corks popping" and "freak outs". Leonard Baird found that "Nearly half of the students were bothered very much by pressures of their highly regulated environment." He could not state the exact number of prep school students who need or seek counseling to deal with this stress. But he does know the schools consider it an important problem, shown by their elaborate counseling systems. Unfortunately, offering counseling in itself is not enough for many students. Boys in particular seem to fear asking for psychological help. Boys are supposed to present themselves as in control. If a boy shows he is in trouble, what would his faculty or college counselors think? The penalties for breaking the rules are as strict as the rules themselves. Expulsion, probation, and disciplinary restrictions are common punishments. At these schools one infraction, especially a serious one such as drug use, is enough to get you kicked out. Many parents, however, feel the structured life promotes self discipline and independence. A disciplined way of life is just what Dale Stinger and his wife want for their 13 year old son. "We like the regimented schedule which is more than what the public school can give him. (Liu F10) However, with all the rules, kids are still pretty much on their own. They have to take responsibility for their actions, and as a result there is a certain maturity in boarders. "Personally, now I can deal with any person or situation that comes along," says 17 year old Laura King. All these rules are part of the sacrifice prep students are expected to make in preparation for the privileged positions they will hold in society. In exchange for their loss of freedom, prep students earn a right to membership in the privileged "higher group" and come to believe that they deserve certain privileges because of the high personal price they paid. The present pain for future gain thought holds true. Prep school graduates are disproportionately influential in business, banking, and law. Seventeen percent of the rare group of people who are board members of two or more major corporations graduated from one of thirteen elite prep schools. (Cookson 31) Cookson claims, "Their influence on contemporary American culture is widespread." Part of these people's success can be attributed to an environment that is conducive to learning. Most parents equate small classes with 15 or so children, each being given individual attention by the teacher, with quality education. The average boarding school class is 9-17 students. (Topolnicki 100) Because students live at school, teachers are more readily available to give help after class hours. Private schools also don't have to compete with the public school's open door policy. Private schools not only have the ability to select students, but also to remove troublemakers who get in. Public schools administrators must face a mountain of paperwork and bureaucracy to remove unruly students even temporarily. As a result of their power, private schools report only the occasional fist fight or act of vandalism. By being able to select students, private boarding schools only have students who want to be there. Elite boarding schools only accept on average fifteen percent of applicants. (Morgan 103) To get in an applicant must take the SSAT, write essays, submit recommendations from teachers, visit the school for a personal interview, and pay a $30.00 application fee. As can be seen, only well motivated students can manage to get in. Those that do get in tend to stimulate each other to succeed. The competitive atmosphere is an advantage that public schools lack. The facilities that a private school has to offer can only be matched by very advantaged public schools such as Beverly Hills High. Most prep schools have campuses complete with playing fields, art studios, and well stocked libraries, not to mention the beautifully manicured campuses and living quarters. One elite school had an indoor swimming pool, a greenhouse, facilities for every sport imaginable, and a cable television studio. Boarding schools have long emphasized the extras. Garrison Forrest School near Baltimore has the nation's only all-girls' high school polo team. (Parker 111) Although very few private schools can round up enough of their busy students to have more than a few sports, they often have many unique clubs that can be joined. Private Orangewood Adventist Academy in Garden Grove, California plays only four sports - football, baseball, basketball, and volleyball. However, the school does have clubs for hikers, scuba divers, and rock climbers - all activities that don't require a crowd. (Topolnicki 100) The most important reason that boarding schools are superior to public schools is that students there perform better than students at public schools. Prep schools boasted the highest SAT scores, ranging from 1000 to 1300. (Topolnicki 99) The prep schools, which by their name are in the business of preparing students for college, send virtually every student to selective colleges. Although prep schools are not teaching as diverse a group as public schools, their students clearly outperform average and disadvantaged public schools who average SAT scores of 790 to 986 and 757 to 948 respectively. (Topolnicki 99) Prep schools offer more challenging courses than public schools do. Advance Placement (AP) courses, such as calculus and computer science, which count for college credit, are usually some of the most challenging classes a student can take. Of the 29 AP courses recognized by colleges, prep schools typically offer 10 to 15 compared with 0 to 5 for average public schools. (Topolnicki 100) In conclusion, private boarding schools are far superior to public schools even with the high cost, rules, and stress. They offer a better learning environment, disciplined life style, better curriculum and activities, and immaculate facilities. They can also choose which students will attend their school. Public schools lack a student body brimming with eager children. In her book The Classrooms of Miss Ellen Frankfort, Confessions of a Private School Teacher, Miss Frankfort said that unless there is an advantaged public school in her community, she will send her children to a private boarding school. She feels that this kind of school would do a better of educating her children and give them a "more enlightened world perspective". She likes the smaller classes and ability for the schools to bypass the "bureaucratic machinery". She appreciates that people are paid to worry for you - it's their job. Parents are assured that there is a commitment to the student and his or her future, which, if the school has anything to do with it, should be bright. Work Cited Cookson, Peter. "The Price of Privilege". Psychology Today (March 1986): 31-35. Rpt. in SCHOOL. vol. 3. Ed. Eleanor Goldstein. Boca Raton, FL: Social Issues Resources Series Inc., 1993. Art. 44. Frankfort, Ellen. The Classrooms of Miss Ellen Frankfort, Confessions of a Private School Teacher. New Jersey: Prentiss-Hall Inc., 1970. Liu, Caitlin. "Boarding Schools: Higher Education at a Higher Cost". The San Diego Union-Tribune 9 August 1994: F10. Morgan, Leslie. "Boarding Schools". Seventeen October 1991: 102-105. Parker, Amy. "Away At School". Washingtonian. November 1992: 111-112. Topolnicki, Denise M. "Why Private Schools Are Rarely Worth the Money". Money (October 1994): 98-101. Rpt. in SCHOOL. vol. 5. Ed. Eleanor Goldstein. Boca Raton, FL: Social Issues Resources Series Inc., 1993. Art. 17. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Book Report for The Chronicles of Narnia more information la.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Digory and Polly were good friends. They both lived in England for all of their lives. One day they were playing when Polly wanted to show Digory her secret place. It was up in her attic. She hid many things there. She hid fruits and snacks to eat and a lot of other stuff to. Digory noticed a door across the attic. Back then the houses were connected together and they thought that if they would cross the rafters and open the door they could sneak into a house and the next and so on. The reason for all of this was that one of the houses down a ways was abandon. So they started off, one rafter at a time. They had to remain extremely silent for if someone would here them they would think it was a robber. They opened the door and began the next house. After a while they came to the one that they thought was abandoned, but after they opened the door and saw all the books they knew that they were wrong. They were in the forbidden study. That was uncle Andrews private room. It seemed as if no one was in the room, so they decided to look around. Polly noticed that there were several different types of rings on the table. Suddenly Digory saw someone stand up from the chair, it was uncle Andrew. He told Polly not to touch the rings, but it was to late. She disappeared into the air. Digory was confused. He wondered what the rings did. Did Polly just disappear or did she go to some distant land? Uncle Andrew explained how that one ring would take you to this land and that the other one would bring you back. Uncle Andrew was not sure that it worked yet because the only things that entered before were guinea pigs. Digory put two rings in each pocket with gloves(so he would not disappear). Two were for Polly and two for him. He put the disappear ring and felt funny as he went speedy to the new land. It felt as if he was swimming. He swam upward to see where the water went. He came out of the water and saw a beautiful forest. He noticed guinea pigs and far away a girl leaning against a tree. They noticed that there were many other puddles of water like the ones they came out of all over the woods. They were going to explore the other puddles, but wanted to make sure they could get back first. They went over onto puddle, but it was shallow. They realized that they did not put the home rings on. So they put them on at the same time and felt the water rushing along them. Digory shouted switch and they put the home rings in their pocket and switched. When they got up they remembered that they all were so identical that if they would go down another one they would get lost. That is when they decided to mark their spot. Then they found a puddle to leap into. They put their rings on and began their journey. This time it was different, so many abandoned buildings and things like that. They decided to go into one of them and went into one of the rooms. There were statues of people. There must have been at least a dozen of them. On the table there was a bell and it said ring if you dare. So of course Digory wanted to ring it, but Polly was somewhat afraid too. Digory did it anyway. The room shook and rattled the noise was unbearable. It felt as if the whole building was going to collapse. Suddenly it all stopped, the statues had come to life. One of the women was the queen. Her name was Jadias. She was very tall and beautiful, she could get pretty darn greedy. Her powers were amazing. She could open a gate with a tap of her finger. She showed us the lands that she had conquered. She wanted to see our because she had never been there before. They did not want her to rule our earth because she would make everyone her slaves and treat them like dirt. They tried to ditch her when we went back to the woods, but she had hung on to Polly and tagged along. Digory had never new that a person could be touching the one with the ring. Jadias acted as if she was die when she entered the forest. They did not bother seeing if she was lying or not they just kept on going. Whoosh, was the noise they had heard as they headed home. This time Jadias had grabbed on to Digory. It was to late, there was nothing that they could do. As they entered the study they saw Uncle Andrew. Jadias treated him as a slave. She said that if Uncle Andrew would sit down he would feel as if he is on fire and if he would lie down he would freeze. Jadias did not realize that her powers did not work. She ordered Uncle Andrew to transport them to the leader of this great place. So, he called a cab. While she was ordering people around Polly had to go home and face the consequences. Her mom and dad were so confused of why she was so wet. She told them that she went to a park of which they never have seen with Digory and were jumping in puddles and fountains. They grounded her and told her not to play with Digory anymore. Meanwhile back at Digory's house Uncle Andrew was in his room dressing up and drinking alcoholic drinks. Shortly after that they left. Now it was up to Digory to think of a plan. He thought up an idea. It was to simply put on the ring when she would enter the house. This meant that he would have to wait by the window watching and watching until she would arrive. It seemed like forever, but finally arrived. Things got pretty bad, the police were there and everything. Just so you know the cabs in England back then were horse drawn. The horse was going wild and everything. Digory headed outside to get Jadias. That is when he saw Polly. She helped him get Jadias. The first time she kicked away and then it worked, well kind of. Well, all the people that came along were the cabby, strawberry his horse, Jadias, uncle, Digory, and Polly. We came out of the puddle and the queen was mad. Uncle Andrew told Digory to use the ring and the queen realized that the ring did the magic. That was when Digory protected his pockets. While the horse was drinking water the all (including Jadias)grabbed on to it and Digory used the ring and they entered the land. At first it was pitch black, but after a while they could see that there was a lion singing there. Jadias seemed to have disappeared. Strawberry was the first to start to follow the lion. They started to see that there were other animals and that they were listening to the lion. They saw a piece of a lamp grow into a beautiful tree. Thoughts like that brought hope of his ill mother life. The lion did not know that Uncle Andrew was the same as the others and thought he was a tree. They buried his feet in the ground and the elephants poured water over him hoping that he would grow. The lion wanted the cabby to be the king of the land and his wife to be the queen. So Digory fetched his wife and they made a crown out of a gold tree (probably Uncle Andrew's ring). It was perfect. The lion told Digory that he needed to go on a journey to get an apple off of some tree that was very far away. He would have to over mountains and everything. The lion pointed at the horse. He asked it if she would like to be able to fly. The horse replied yes! Lion said then your new name will be Fledge. Digory you will ride on him. Digory brought Polly along on the journey. They flew for about a day so far and decided to take a rest. They woke up to a giant toffee tree which had fallen out of Polly's pocket. The fruit tasted kind of like toffee but not quite as good. From where they were Digory could see the garden of which the tree was in. Unfortunately it was over a big wall which Digory climbed over. He decided to get two apples. After he picked the apples he saw a bird in the tree. Then not far from him he saw the witch. She was eating an apple from the tree. She was telling Digory about the wonders of the apple. She told him that one bite would let you live forever. Digory was not so sure. He took off running toward Polly and Fledge. He shouted get ready to leave. Just before Digory got on the witch said do not let the lion have immortal life when you can. At that time Digory was not sure what he was doing was right. They took off to Narnia which is the land of where the lion lives. The lion told them to throw it towards the mud. Digory did and it grew into a beautiful tree. The lion told him how the tree would protect them from the witch. Digory mentioned that she ate an apple. Then the lion thought for a while and said she will spend the rest of her days practicing her magic and will leave us alone. Digory, Polly, and Uncle Andrew went home. Digory still had one apple left from the tree that he planted in Narnia and he gave it to his poor old mom. The next day Digory heard the doctor saying that it was a miracle. Digory planted the core in the back yard. It grew very big, but the apples did not have any powers at all. When Digory was older and the tree was knocked down he had it made into a table or something that had magical powers. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Brave new World.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Brave New World-- "The Perfect World" Aldous Huxley's Brave New World presents a portrait of a society which is superficially a perfect world. At first inspection, it seems perfect in many ways: it is carefree, problem free and depression free. All aspects of the population are controlled: number, social class, and intellectual ability are all carefully regulated. Even history is controlled and rewritten to meet the needs of the party. Stability must be maintained at all costs. In the new world which Huxley creates, if there is even a hint of anger, the wonder drug Soma is prescribed to remedy the problem. A colleague, noticing your depression, would chime in with the chant, "one cubic centimetre of soma cures ten gloomy." This slogan is taught to everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Unhappiness, intellectual curiosity, disagreement, suffering - none of these feelings is allowed in the world which Huxley creates. At the first sign of unhappiness, Soma is prescribed. Emotions of all types are strictly controlled to provide stability and predictability within the population. Another of the panaceas for social ills is the belief that everyone would enjoy his or her work because he or she was "made" or trained for it when young. Consequently, from birth, everyone in Brave New World is slotted to belong to a specific social and intellectual strata. In conjunction with this idea, all births are completely planned and monitored. There are different classes of people with different intelligence and different "career plans." The social order was divided into the most highly educated, the Alpha+, and then in descending intelligence, the following divisions: Alpha, Beta, Beta -, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon, which is the last group comprised of those citizens of the lowest intelligence who are necessary to perform society's most menial jobs. Another of the problems with the society which Huxley depicts is that the people do not have individuality. They are all conditioned by subliminal messages and artificial stimuli to respond the same way. Although all people are meant to respond identically without thinking, a few are made 'imperfectly' and, as a result, do have personalities. These people violate the principles of technology and artificial personalities and consequently have to be sent away so as not to "contaminate" others. To maintain order in Brave New World, the Resident Controller must have complete authority over more than just the present; he must also have influence over the past. In order to be able to achieve this, he must be able to rewrite history. This gives rise to one of the most famous quotation from Brave New World, "All history is bunk." The ability to rewrite or "edit" history is not so far distant from our current technological society. A simple stroke of the computer keyboard can make a global change in information disseminated on a network or to thousands of electronic bulletin board subscribers. Being able to distinguish the true from the false is becoming increasingly difficult. Brave New World focuses constantly on the question of whether technology requires a sacrifice of human individuality. In this novel the reader is keenly aware of the dangers that homogeneity poses to the quality of life. People may enjoy life with technological advances, but if they are required to forfeit individual personalities or interpretations about life, Huxley makes us see that life will become meaningless. In comparison to 1984, Brave New World makes the technology less obvious to the members of the society themselves. The characters in Brave New World participate willingly in their manipulation by the government. They happily take the wonder drug Soma, "the wonder drug." In contrast, in 1984 the people seem to sense they are being controlled by Big Brother, but here the domination is imposed on them by the government. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Breakdown of an educated person.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ An educated person is a well rounded person. To be educated is to knowledgeable in many areas. Diversity is essential in the sense that many different things inspire thought, which then derive permanent conclusions from these experiences. Anyone who has the audacity to call themselves educated needs to have a firm grasp of many different areas. These categories span through Science, Technology, Language, Art, Feelings and Values. All of these are building blocks that help make up an educated person, but just as important, these are the same qualities that form an individual. One of the most important concepts that a person learns from Science is a fundamental thinking process. This process starts with curiosity, asking the question," Why does that work?" It then moves on to theorizing or guessing. Next, this person takes his or her theory and puts it to the test by conducting various experiments. Finally this individual will draw a final conclusion from those findings. Science also helps a person look at things objectively, which means there is no feelings influencing experiments that can lead to fraudulent conclusions. This can be a double edged sword however, because in many instances when a scientist is emotionally removed from the experiments performed, the question, "Should I?", is never asked. For instance under the reign of Hitler many cruel medical experiments were preformed. In The Medical Experiments by William Shirer the author states,"Prisoners were placed in high pressure chambers and subjected to high-altitude tests until they ceased breathing. They were injected with lethal doses of typhus and jaundice. They were subjected to 'freezing' experiments in icy water or exposed naked in the snow outdoors until they froze to death." This also deals with the subject of values and will be discussed detail later. Probably the most positive way to utilize Science would be to take it to the next level, Technology. This is were an educated person takes what laws and theories he learns in science and integrates them into everyday life, finding ways to make life easier and arguably better. I say arguably because many educated people are against technological advancement. These philosophers say that technologies are being probed without understanding and therefore they are being abused. These philosophers feel that this will be the chief downfall of humankind. Mary E. Clark showed her opposition in her article Science and Values, in which she states,"When such knowledge is used to manipulate Nature we call it 'technology', and over the past century this manipulative capacity has grown to the point where we can now annihilate ourselves as a species." Another important aspect of being an educated person is a firm grasp of the use of Language. This person needs to develop the gift of relating his thoughts and feelings into a clear and interesting way. Many people try to use large words and awkward vocabulary to sound educated, but a true educated person can relate an idea in a way that any person could understand. In his article Simplicity, William Zinsser advocates this idea when he makes points like, "We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon."and,"The person snoozing in a chair, holding a magazine or book, is a person who was being given too much unnecessary trouble by the writer." To be an educated person is a person that not only can relate ideas to someone else, he can also understand other peoples ideas and feelings and can use them to draw over all conclusions to answer the questions at hand. In addition an educated person must be in touch with inner feelings, this person must know thyself, and must value the importance of feelings and life itself. Robertson Davies in his article about people with emotional atrophy called The Deadliest of Sins, says this about these people, "They seldom make mistakes, because they never put themselves in a position where they are not complete masters of the situation....they have died to joy and pain and thus feeling." One can not be educated without experiencing the joys and pains of life, this would leave nothing to learn from. One aspect of being considered educated that is imperative is the ability to communicate, or in some situations, vent his or her feelings in a positive matter. This demonstrates pure knowledge of ones own spirit. One of the best ways to do this is through an artistic medium. This is the main reason why so many artists are referred to as ingenious. These people not only display feelings constructively, they do it in such an interestingly radical way that they invoke emotional responses from their admirers. Art has the ability to express feelings better than any words from any language. Susanne K. Langer in her article The Cultural Importance of Art states,"There is, however, an important part of reality that is quite inaccessible to the formative influence of language: that is the realm of so-called "inner experience," the life of feeling and emotion. All of these attributes lose power without an individual set of values to focus this energy. Adolf Hitler influenced millions by being a masterful orator. Hitler also was very innovative in science and many other areas. However do to his grossly warped sense of personal values he was labelled by leaders and peers as a madman. It is very difficult for any person to be a master of all of these categories, but to be truly educated, there needs to be at least a small concentration of everything in that individual's background. For the one reason that it is so difficult to posses all of these traits, it is also that same reason that makes all of the truly educated people of our past stand out in history as heros and leaders. This is also the biggest reason that so many people admire them and strive to be like them. Do You Have What it Takes? A breakdown of the educated person by Thomas Burkhardt f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Breast Implants.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ One of the first uses of silicone in a medical implant came in the form of lifesaving tubes implanted into young children to funnel excess fluid from the brain into the chest cavity, where the fluid could be safely metabolized and excreted. Since these "shunts" were first used, in the late 1950s, silicone in various forms has come to be an important part of many implants. "It is used in tracheotomy tubes, in artificial lenses for the eye, in artificial heart valves and in facial implants for birth defects or re-constructive surgery after cancer" (Ames 1). The most widely used implementation of silicone is through breast re-constructive surgery through elective surgery of an individual, or re-constructive surgery to replace breasts due to women recovering from mastectomies from breast cancer or miscellaneous types of accidents. The early history and use of implants showed no ill effects of the use of paraffin or silicone. Because of this newly developed surgical process and relatively little use of FDA guidelines there was no comprehensive testing done to ensure the utmost safety of a silicone recipient. By this time the millions of women throughout the world who already had Dow's silicone prosthesis implanted into their breasts had no idea of the dramatic health risks. Because of these potential health risks, women should avoid the use of breast implants. In 1976, Congress gave the FDA authority to regulate breast implants. By this time breast implants had been in use for a significant amount of time and were considered "grandfathered." This means that they were allowed to remain on the market, even though they have not gone through stringent testing. The FDA felt there was no evidence to substantiate that the implants were harmful. Furthermore Congress also gave the FDA the power to go back and require manufactures to provide proof that the implants were indeed safe and effective, if it was felt that there was a reason to do so. (Bruning 7) "In 1977, Richard Mithoff, a Houston attorney, wins the first lawsuit for a Cleveland woman who claims that her ruptured implants and subsequent operations had caused pain and suffering. She receives a $170,000 settlement from Dow Corning. This case received little publicity" (Frontline 1). Since this case received little attention women from all walks of life still continued to seek out cosmetic surgery. In 1982 the "FDA proposed to classify silicone breast implants into a Class III category that would require manufacturers to prove their safety in order to keep them on the market" (Frontline 2). It wasn't until 1990 that heavy media exposure began to unveil the possible links between silicone breast implants and various types of toxic disorders. Connie Chung of Face to Face of this same year confronted Dow Corning executives who vehemently denied any link to toxic disease from their silicone implants (Frontline 2). For better or worse, we live in a society that puts great emphasis on appearance. This preference apparently knows no boundaries. In the 1940's, "Japanese prostitutes had their breasts injected with substances such as paraffin, sponges and non-medical grade silicone to enlarge their breasts, believing that American servicemen favor women with large breasts" (Frontline 1) this is the case today as-well. During the 1960's breast implants made a boom as women discover that there rolls in the job market can be increased by the way they look. With the help of the sexual revolution women also found it pleasing to create a better them through breast enlargement. Not only was there a desire for women to seek this type of elective surgery, but prosthetic medical use for breast implants was increasing dramatically from women suffering from breast cancer. Many women have conflicting images of their breasts. On the one hand, breasts are symbols of beauty, sexuality, and nurturing; on the other, they are troublesome organs that are increasingly likely to threaten women's lives. In the United States the likelihood that a woman will be found to have breast cancer has slowly and inexorably mounted since the 1930s, when some systematic data collection began. The increase in diagnoses, already a cause for concern, accelerated in the 1980s, growing by a rate of four percent a year. This year, according to the American Cancer Society, some 184,300 women will discover that they have the disease; another 44,300 will die of it. Of the women in whom cancer is diagnosed, 9,200 will not yet be forty--nearly twice the number of women under forty who were found to have breast cancer in 1970. "The disease is now the leading cause of death for American women aged forty to fifty-five, and causes women to lose more years of productive life than any other disease. Numbers like these are why breast cancer is often called an epidemic" (Plotkin 2). Silicone as a synthetic plastic was first developed in the 1930's. It contains silicone, a natural material, combined with carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that have been polymerized, a process in which molecules are combined to form more complex molecules. Silicone can be processed into three forms: a gel, a solid like compound known as elestomer, and a fluid. Early breast implants were made of polyurethane foam, paraffin, steel, and grafts of human tissue. These were not successful and when the first breast implant became available in the 1960's through Dow Corning, they were held as a breakthrough. Although an improvement, the first silicone implants had problems as well. Gradually the product improved. "With the advent of silicone gel, implants felt softer and looked more natural" (Bruning 6). With the development of the silicone implant there came about several alternatives besides silicone. These alternatives include gel-filled implants (the most frequent type used), saline-filled implants, and double lumen implants. Some have outer shells that are textured or coated. Since extensive research had been conducted on the development of synthetic implants and cosmetic surgery clinics have become increasingly popular and economically affordable, women have sought out these clinics in droves. This enabled women to feel more confident about themselves and gave them a feeling of higher employability. For example, we see many women in the movie and television industry who have opted for a more well developed breast. These women such as Pamela Anderson Lee, La Toya Jackson, Helen Hunt, Lonnie Anderson and Dollie Parton just to name a few, have had very successful careers not only because of their acting or singing abilities, but because of a better endowed body. On a recent episode of the WB program Judge Judy that aired on November 12, 1996, the former actress known as Roz Kelley of Happy Days fame was contesting a decision of a law suit about her breast implants which she claims has caused Rheumatic disease. Ms. Kelley claimed that her fame was based solely on her appearance and that is the only reason why she decided to get the surgery. A witness for the defendant was the actress Rhonda Shear of USA's Up All Night contended that although her implants had helped her career, it was not why she elected to have the surgery. The surgery was done out of personal choice and her statement for the defense was that "all women who have cosmetic surgery, make a conscious choice in doing so." There was no coercion involved. Not only in Hollywood do we see this type personal enhancement performed, but in magazines, modeling, and in the exotic entertainment industry also. Why is there such a dramatic emphasis on these women who decide to increase their bust line? That question remains known only to the individual who elects to have the surgery. Because this type of surgery has become so popular, many women in today's society have elected to have breast augmentation solely for cosmetic purposes. "When the ASPRS (American Society of Plastic and Re-constructive Surgeons) survey asked women why they chose to have breast augmentation, the three most common reasons given were: The desire for a more proportionate build (93%), a more appealing appearance (83%), and a boost in self confidence (76%)" (Bruning 27). The ideal woman started to become taller and thinner. Men desired slim hips and large breasts. This image screams at us day and night on TV, at the movies, in magazines and newspapers, and at the health clubs. Women have fallen into the epitome of "buy this product and you will belong to the club of the attractive and well endowed" (Bruning 27). In September of 1991 the FDA after receiving numerous complaints issued a public report stating that silicone breast implants would not be deemed safe or harmful until further studies could be conducted. This statement outraged many women who had already began to feel the effects of their implants. "Implants, both ruptured and intact, have been charged with causing a tremendous array of diseases. These range from memory loss to difficulty swallowing to joint pain to decreased sex drive to "skin tightening" to autoimmune diseases and even to cancer. Some have referred to this broad constellation of symptoms as "silicone gel syndrome" (Doyle 1). The first public hint of serious problems did not surface until 1977, when an investigative story of breast enlargement was published by Ms. Magazine contained a revealing article the headline "A 60% Complication Rate for an Operation You Don't Need" (Bryne 81-82). After a shocking discovery from investigating Dow Corning's internal memo's, thousands of these memo's revealed lack of long term testing, complaints from doctors, and leakage of silicone from the implants. The most outrageous incident discovered was complaints from surgeons of implants rupturing in the operating room, as they tried to install them into women's breasts (Byrne 98). Pathology reports indicate considerable silicone reaction to the extruded material can cause severe foreign body reaction in susceptible individuals. A letter written to Dow Corning from Charles A. Vinnick a predominant cosmetic surgeon in California wrote: " I am loathe to publish my series of cases as I feel that it may open Pandora's box. I do feel, however, that rapid dissemination of this information is very necessary to protect your comapny and my colleagues" (Bryne 98). Vinnick complained to Dow about an incident when he removed a pair of silicone implants, the gel in a ruptured implant was terribly runny while the gel inside the other implant was of ideal cohesion. This difference led him and some others to believe that when silicone gel came into contact with tissue fluids and fat the gel's consistency changed. Several studies were done on various ani f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\bruce dawe and judith wright.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [ver] 4 [sty] [files] [charset] 82 ANSI (Windows, IBM CP 1252) [revisions] 0 [prn] Star LC24-200 Colour [port] LPT1: [lang] 18 [fldnames] Field1 Field2 Field3 Field4 Field5 Field6 Field7 Field8 [desc] J.W. and B.D. both write poetry with universal themes. Coose one poem by each poet. Explain what theme / s each poem. . 843958877 6 835655593 74 3 0 0 0 0 1 [fopts] 0 1 0 0 [lnopts] 2 Body Text 1 [docopts] 5 2 [GramStyle] Formal Writing [tag] Body Text 2 [fnt] TimesNewRoman 240 0 49152 [algn] 1 1 0 0 0 [spc] 33 273 1 0 0 1 100 [brk] 4 [line] 8 0 1 0 1 1 1 10 10 1 [spec] 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 [nfmt] 280 1 2 . , $ Body Text 0 0 [tag] Body Single 3 [fnt] TimesNewRoman 240 0 49152 [algn] 1 1 0 0 0 [spc] 33 273 1 0 0 1 100 [brk] 4 [line] 8 0 1 0 1 1 1 10 10 1 [spec] 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 [nfmt] 280 1 2 . , $ Body Single 0 0 [tag] Bullet 4 [fnt] TimesNewRoman 240 0 49152 [algn] 1 1 0 288 288 [spc] 33 273 1 0 0 1 100 [brk] 4 [line] 8 0 1 0 1 1 1 10 10 1 [spec] 0 0 <*0> 360 1 1 0 0 0 0 [nfmt] 272 1 2 . , $ Bullet 0 0 [tag] Bullet 1 5 [fnt] TimesNewRoman 240 0 49152 [algn] 1 1 288 288 288 [spc] 33 273 1 0 0 1 100 [brk] 4 [line] 8 0 1 0 1 1 1 10 10 1 [spec] 0 0 <*5> 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 [nfmt] 280 1 2 . , $ Bullet 1 0 0 [tag] Number List 6 [fnt] TimesNewRoman 240 0 49152 [algn] 1 1 360 360 360 [spc] 33 273 1 0 0 1 100 [brk] 4 [line] 8 0 1 0 1 1 1 10 10 1 [spec] 0 0 <*:>. 360 1 1 0 0 0 0 [nfmt] 272 1 2 . , $ Number List 0 0 [tag] Subhead 7 [fnt] TimesNewRoman 240 0 49152 [algn] 1 1 0 0 0 [spc] 33 273 1 72 72 1 100 [brk] 4 [line] 8 0 1 0 1 1 1 10 10 1 [spec] 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 [nfmt] 272 1 2 . , $ Subhead 0 0 [tag] Title 8 [fnt] Arial MT 360 0 16385 [algn] 4 1 0 0 0 [spc] 33 446 1 144 72 1 100 [brk] 16 [line] 8 0 1 0 1 1 1 10 10 1 [spec] 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 [nfmt] 272 1 2 . , $ Title 0 0 [tag] Header 9 [fnt] TimesNewRoman 240 0 49152 [algn] 1 1 0 0 0 [spc] 33 273 1 0 0 1 100 [brk] 4 [line] 8 0 1 0 1 1 1 10 10 1 [spec] 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 [nfmt] 280 1 2 . , $ Header 0 0 [tag] Footer 11 [fnt] TimesNewRoman 240 0 49152 [algn] 1 1 0 0 0 [spc] 33 273 1 0 0 1 100 [brk] 4 [line] 8 0 1 0 1 1 1 10 10 1 [spec] 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 [nfmt] 280 1 2 . , $ Footer 0 0 [lay] Standard 519 [rght] 15876 11907 2 1134 850 2 850 1134 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 1134 10773 12 1 720 1 1440 1 2160 1 2880 1 3600 1 4320 1 5040 1 5760 1 6480 1 7200 1 7920 1 8640 [hrght] [lyfrm] 1 11200 0 0 11907 850 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 [frmlay] 850 11907 1 1440 0 1 283 1440 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1440 10467 2 2 4680 3 9360 [txt] > [frght] [lyfrm] 1 13248 0 15026 11907 15876 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 [frmlay] 15876 11907 1 1440 154 1 15098 1440 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1440 10467 2 2 4680 3 9360 [txt] <+A><-"> > [elay] [l1] 0 [pg] 3 8 406 96 0 2 0 0 65535 185 Standard 65535 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 65535 0 0 65535 0 0 0 0 0 14 400 133 0 2 0 0 65535 423 Standard 65535 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 65535 0 0 65535 0 0 0 0 0 15 580 198 1025 2 0 0 65535 65535 Standard 65535 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 65535 0 0 65535 0 0 0 0 0 [edoc] <+@><:s><:S+-1><:#576,9639><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><:f,2Times New Roman,><+">Judith Wright and Bruce Dawe both write poetry with universal themes. Choose one poem by each poet and explain what theme / s each poem conveys<:f><:f,2Times New Roman,> and how these themes are conveyed <:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>.<:f><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"><-"> <+@><:s><:S+-1><:#288,9639><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>============================================================<-"> <+@><:s><:S+-1><:#3168,9639><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0><+"> Australian poets Judith Wright and Bruce Dawe write poems <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>presenting their <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>perspective of live. Their poems are subjective and convey universal theme which men and women can understand<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> and relate to. In Wright's poem, <+#>Remittance Man<-#>, the universality of the poem is brought out through the events which occur, and the themes which are conveyed. The themes of <+#>Remittance Man<-#> include the <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>lives of individual nomads, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>cycle of life<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>and contrasting of the old world to the new world. These universal themes are conveyed through the tone and poetic techniques Wright has incorporated<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> in the poem. Similarly<-"> <:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> in Dawe's poem, <+#>Drifters<-#>, the universality is brought out through the subject and the themes<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> of the poem. The themes of <+#>Drifters<-#> are <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>the <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>lives of nomadic families,<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> cycle of life, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>and no permanent place<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>. These universal themes are also conveyed similar to that of <+#>Remittance Man<-#>, through the persona and the imagery contrasts Dawe has used through the poem.<-"><:f> <+@><:S+-1><:#2592,9639><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> In the poem <+#>Remittance Man<-#>, the theme of lives of individual<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> nomads is conveyed<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> through the <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>spendthrift, and the tone of the poem. Similarly in the poem, <+#>Drifters<-#>, the theme of lives of nomadic families is conveyed through the family and Dawe's<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> attitude towards the subject. It is recognised from <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>the tone of the poem, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>that both poets are sympathetic towards nomads. Wright displays a sympathetic<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> tone in <+#>Remittance Man<-#>, as it is clear from the last stanza of the poem, "closed its magnificence . . . polished by diligent ants". This line has a lot of emotions incorporated within, and from her selection of words, she is able to produce<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> a glimmer<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> of hope<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> for the remittance man in his after life. <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>Wright has <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>metaphorically implied<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> his sins are cleansed, when<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> the ants are carefully poli shing his bones,<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> and he will finally rest in peace. <+@><:S+-1><:#2016,9639><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> Similarly<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> in <+#>Drifters<-#>, Dawe has also displayed a glimmer<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> of hope in the last line of the poem. Dawe has placed it in the last line <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>implying <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>not to give up, because there is always hope of finding a permanent<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> place to live at.<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> This line is very significant in the poem, as it brings out the hope of every time the family moves to a new place. <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>The tone at the beginning<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> of the poem is futile and conceited show the family <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>are<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> upset <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>when they have to move from a place they have adapted and enjoyed.<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> As the poem ends hopeful for every new place, and conceited for every time they have to move, the poem is a cycle, which inturn brings forward the theme cycle of life.<-"><:f><-#><-#><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0><-#> <+@><:s><:S+-1><:#2880,9639><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> The theme cycle of life is evident in both poems, <+#>Remittance Man<-#> and <+#>Drifters<-#>. In <+#>Remittance Man<-#>, the spendthrift lives an individual life, and has easily forgotten<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> his past and "took to the life" he presently lived in Australia. He was a wa nderer and did what ever pleased himself as there was no constraint in his life as he did in England which is visually impacted, in the structure of the poem, where <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>the first stanza is relatively short, as he had lived a constrained life in England and his memories of England<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> are diminishing<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>. In contrast to stanza 2, there are more lines as it shows the spendthrift has lived most of his life in Australia, and that he has assimilated<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> to the bush life. His days are also long and boring, as illustrated in the long stanza 2. H<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>is death occurs in stanza 3, and the stanza is relatively the same length as stanza 1 which inturn produces an insight of the cycle of life, the spendthrift has. <+@><:s><:S+-1><:#1440,9639><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> In contrast, <+#>Drifters<-#> starts with a pretentious tone which is evident with the kids response<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> of "Truly?". It is clear that it is not a real emotion<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> experienced because the kids are "wildly excited for no reason". The repetitiveness<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> of the word "And. ." also give an insight of a repetitive<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> miserable life. This repetitio n<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> conveys across the idea of a cycle, which is conveying the theme of the cycle of life.<-"><:f> <+@><:s><:S+-1><:#2592,9639><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> Similar<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> to <+#>Remittance Man<-#>, the sentences in <+#>Drifters<-#>, are also quite long and some are even broken. <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>These sentences represent the lives of nomads, which can be identified in both poems, <+#>Remittance Man<-#> and <+#>Drifters<-#>. The long sentences are symbolic to the long tiring days of hard futile work. The end of sentences being broken, show the complex and miserable lives that nomads live. The broken lines represent that even when nom ads rest or sleep after working hard, their dreams are also broken or interrupted. As there is one continuous stanza in Drifters, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>one line continuing after another<:f><-#><-#><-#><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0><-#> shows that their lives are continuous<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>, miserable, and repetitive, which inturn conveys th e theme of cycle of life. It is therefore clear that the theme of cycle of life conveyed is universal as these emotions experienced by the nomads can be felt and experience by all Mankind. <+@><:s><:S+-1><:#1440,9639><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> Dawe and Wright have conveyed the themes <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>of the lives of nomads<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> and cycle of life through the structure<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> of the poem, which is a visual stimulus<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> and has more impact. The themes are <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>also conveyed through the tone<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>, and through the language of their writing<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>, such as the selecti on of words used in the poem, the sentence length, symbolic of long hard days, and repetitive<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> elements to allow the poem itself to represent a cycle which indirectly reflects of the cycle of life.<-"> <+@><:s><:S+-1><:#3168,9639><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> The theme of <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>contrasting of the old world to the new world<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> in Remittance Man, is similar<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> to the theme in Drifters, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>no permanent place<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>. These themes are universal<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> because<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> their activity<-"> <:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> involves moving from place, which all men and women can relate to. The theme is conveyed <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>through poetic techniques, such as the use of imagery and sound words. In <+#>Remittance Man<-#>, the spendthrift<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> has been sent to Australia from England, his new home contrasted to England is more open, unlike England, where the spendthrift had lived an asphyxiating life in England. This is evident in the image of "Blue blowing smoke of twigs from the noon fire". As blue smoke represents a cold image, the image produced is negative, and the cold contrasted to the noon fire, is definitely<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> clear that the spendthrift had lived a deluded life. His family gave him warmth, "noon fire", but when he committed one mistake, his family were cold, and discarded and disinherited him. Contrasting the old world, England, with the new world, Australia is described s ymbolically as, <+@><:S+-1><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>" red blowing dust of roads where the teams go slow". This imagery shows the slow nature and easy pace of the lifestyle<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> in Australia. In the spendthrift's perspective, his permanent expedition to Australia, had enhanced his life<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>, and Australia was a much more calmer country, as illustrated in the "slow dust", which conveys a slow, soothing image. As much as the spendthrift suffers from wanderi ng alone, and the sympathy it creates and the memories of his past, these emotions and reminiscence<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> play a vital role of creating a vivid and universal event, which reflects the <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>theme contrast of the old world to the new world<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>being universal.<-"><:f> <+@><:S+-1><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> In <+#>Drifters<-#>, imagery is used to convey of the futile, and misery<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> in moving. Dawe has used the significance of nature to represent his contrast and symbolism of the family. The tomatoes being green are not even allowed time to ripe, and have to be picked from its vine, the home of the tomato. The tomatoes and the vines are a contrast between nature and humans, in that the family have to move from their home, before anything ha s been achieved. Sometimes, the frustration<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> of "no permanent place" can bee seen as the moving to a new place is so fast, that even items from previous transportation<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> have n ot been unpacked yet, "bottling - set she never unpacked".<:f><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0><-#> Another imagery contrast Dawe has used involved nature once again, the berries. When the family first arrived at their new home, the berries were bright, a ver y bright and glamorous<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> image. The alliteration used by Dawe, "<+#>b<-#>right with <+#>b<-#>erries", produces a tone of enlightening, hope, and happiness. Happiness<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>, Bitterness, and misery<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> are emotions experienced by all Mankind and is why the theme of cyc le of life is universal.<-"><:f> <+@><:s><:S+-1><:#1440,9639><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> It is therefore clear in the theme of contrast of the old world to the new world, and the<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> theme of no permanent place, are similar and are both universal themes. The<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> emotions and events experienced through moving is futile, restless, uneasy, and moving <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>meant the transfer<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> to a place where new friends would have to be made, or otherwise, a life of individualism<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> would have to be lived , just as the life<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> of the spendthrift had lived.<-"><:f><-#> <+@><:s><:S+-1><:#3168,9639><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> In the poems <+#>Remittance Man<-#>, and <-"><+"><+#>Drifters<-#><-"><+">, it can be evident that the themes it conveys are universal. The most vital aspect of universality in the themes<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>, is the emotions<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> which Mank ind can relate to. The important aspect of conveying universal themes, is that the poems are more understandable<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> and more easily related to, creating vividness in the emotions and setting of the poems. The <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>themes are conveyed through the language<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>, the tone incorporated in the poem, the imagery and sound each poets have used with in their poems. These poetic techniques enhance and recreate a vivid event, and convey the themes across. The universal themes, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>the <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>lives of individual nomads, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>cycle of life<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>and contrasting of the old world to the new world in Remittance Man, and <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>the <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>lives of nomadic families,<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> cycle of life, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>and no permanent place<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> in Drifters, are successfully conveyed through the poetic techniques each poet has used, the structure<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>, and the language<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> which they have chosen to write in. <+@><:S+-1><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> A rhetorical question to ask one self is that <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>in<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> <+#>Remittance Man<-#>, <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>the spendthrift was sent to Australia to close an embarrassing<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> chapter<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> in the <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>family's history,<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> but isn't it ironic that discarding a family member out of the family tree to protect the family's reputation also an embarrassing event, which in turn onl y adds<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> a second <-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0>embarrassing<-"><:f><+"><:f240,2Times New Roman,0,0,0> chapter to the family's history?<-"><:f> > [Embedded] 00021517 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Call of the Wild.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kerry JAy April 1, 1997 Call of the Wild Jack London. 104 pages, fiction book. The Call of the Wild has a very interesting plot. It is centered around a St. Bernard and Scotch Shepherd mix, named Buck. At home, which was a large house in the sun, he ruled over all dogs. Buck was Judge Miller's inseparable companion, until a man named Manuel, who was the one of the gardener's helpers, committed a treacherous act. Manuel, to cover his Chinese lottery gambling debts, stole Buck from his sound sleep and brought him to a flag station called College Park. There, the exchanging of money took place. It was simple. Manuel needed money to pay off his gambling debts, and Buck was a prime candidate. Buck was loaded onto an express car to Seattle. When he got there, he was bought by two men named Perrault and Francois. He was loaded onto a ship called the Narwhal and taken to the Yukon, where he was to be trained as a sled dog. There were other sled dogs that Buck came to know well, each with their own unique personality. After only a short time of training, Buck was a sled dog, traveling with the team of huskies and mix breeds from Dyea Beach, to the town of Dawson. After several trips with Perrault and Francois, Buck was traded to a gold seeking family. They knew nothing, or hardly nothing, about managing a sled team. There trip began with a very bad start. The family had loaded up their wagon with too much unneeded baggage, and it was top heavy. As the dogs began to pull away and pull around a curve, the baggage tipped over along with the sled and thus the unnecessary baggage was discarded, and the trip was barely completed because of harsh weather, wrong supplies, and poor management skills of the dog handlers. All except a man that went by the name of John Thornton, perhaps the only sane one in the group. After one of the men repeatedly beat on a dog, Thornton became enraged. He threatened to kill the man. A few minutes later, the rest of the family that left Thornton behind fell through some cracked ice and drowned. That left Buck and Thornton to fend for themselves. The time of this book is in the great gold rush era in the Yukon and Alaska. The rest of the book concludes what happens to Buck and John Thornton and some of the great and strange times they have together. I enjoyed this book because it tells about the goods and bads of wilderness life. It doesn't just lean to one side. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Canadas educational system.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ School is the best place for people to be educated. Everyone has to go through this stage in order to be knowledgeable, so they can be useful in society and solve any problems they encounter. Not only they are educated for themselves but also for their countries. Different countries have different systems on how to teach students. Canada's educational system is a perfect and ideal way to ensure that students will live successful lives. Canadian high school students study both compulsory and elective courses together. They pursue academic studies based on the achievement of credits. In the meantime, they take prerequisite courses that are related to their university studies. Hence, they know the basic fundamentals before getting in the universities. After completion of required number of credits, the universities take their averages and determine if they are qualified for the studies in universities that they choose. Even the students' averages are low, they can still go to universities that don't require high averages. Therefore, many students can easily study in this highest level of education. However, all courses are mandatory in Taiwan. High school students study the same courses together no matter what they plan to take in the universities, and thus it is hard for them to know what they are interested in. After graduation from high school, students have to write a major exam on all kinds of courses to achieve a score, which determines if they are satisfied for their chosen studies in the universities. Each year, there is a lot of failure students from getting in the universities and they just quit and go for the jobs. Human rights are very emphasized in Canada. Canada never has any corporal punishment in any levels of education. At school, teachers do not use any violence to punish students. They only warn impolite students verbally. Because in Canada, teachers have no rights to punish their students physically, and there not have been complaints about students get hurt in the school. But in Taiwan, corporal punishment at school is so common that almost no students have ever been exempted. From grade one through senior high school, the corporal punishment exists, and teachers are allowed to carry out the process of it. Students get punished if they do not achieve as what the teachers say to be "standard mark" on the assignments, tests or exams. There are reports about teachers that go beyond the proper limit by hurting the students badly, or sexually harassing them. Teachers are charged and go to courts. This is ironic that teachers are thought to be the most admired people in this country. Students in Canada study in a way of comfort. They do not have much pressure from anyone. Parents do not force their children to do over the limitation on the children's academic studies. In addition, school assignments are not much everyday, but they are very important and useful to finish. Upon completion of homework, students have leisure time; they like to have fun by watching movies or going out for outdoor activities on weekends to relax themselves. However, school is a very competitive place in Taiwan. It can be described as a match between students. After school, most students take private tutoring to supplement regular schooling in order to get into higher level of education, for example, universities. Moreover, after they come back it is already late in the night. Then, studying until two or three o'clock, is something quite usual, and they only have a couple of hours to sleep because school starts early the next day. There has been news about students that could not stand such heavy works, and so they chose to quit it by committing suicide. In conclusion, Canada and Taiwan have a lot of unlikeness on their academic studies. Those three differences mentioned above are which can be pointed out. But most importantly, Canada is a wonderful and relaxed place to study. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Carl Orffs philosophies in Music Education.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Carl Orff's philosophies in Musci Education While Carl Orff is a very seminal composer of the 20th century, his greatest success and influence has been in the field of Music Education. Born on July 10th in Munich, Germany in 1895, Orff refused to speak about his past almost as if he were ashamed of it. What we do know, however, is that Orff came from a Bavarian family who was very active in the German military. His father's regiment band would often play through some of the young Orff's first attempts at composing. Although Orff was adamant about the secrecy of his past, Moser's Musik Lexicon says that he studied in the Munich Academy of Music until 1914. Orff then served in the military in the first world war. After the war, he held various positions in the Mannheim and Darmstadt opera houses then returned home to Munich to further study music. In 1925, and for the rest of his life, Orff was the head of a department and co-founder of the Guenther School for gymnastics, music, and dance in Munich where he worked with musical beginners. This is where he developed his Music Education theories. In 1937, Orff's Carmina Burana premiered in Frankfurt, Germany. Needless to say, it was a great success. With the success of Carmina Burana, Orff orphaned all of his previous works except for Catulli Carmina and the En trata which were rewritten to be acceptable by Orff. One of Orff's most admired composers was Monteverdi. In fact, much of Orff's work was based on ancient material. Orff said: I am often asked why I nearly always select old material, fairy tales and legends for my stage works. I do not look upon them as old, but rather as valid material. The time element disappears, and only the spiritual power remains. My entire interest is in the expression of spiritual realities. I write for the theater in order to convey a spiritual attitude.1 What Orff is trying to say here is that he does not use "old" material, but material that is good enough to be used again. If one eliminates the fact that this material was written many years ago, then there is nothing to stop that material from being any less legitimate in recent times. Orff's work in Music Education has been astounding. In the early 1920's, Orff worked with Mary Wigman. Wigman was a pupil of Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, another very influential name in Music Education. In fact, Orff's approach to music is very similar to Dalcroze's, but Orff focuses on education through percussion instruments. In 1924, Orff joined Dorthee Guenther and together they founded the Guenther School. The schools focus was coordinated teaching of gymnastics, dance, and music. Orff believed that music, movement, and speech are not separate entities in and of themselves, but that they form a unity that he called elemental music. When Orff refers to elemental music, he means the music, movement, or speech created by children that requires no special training, or in other words, the things that children do without really thinking about it. The basis for the Orff method is the belief that the historical development of music is reenacted in the life of every individual. This means that, when a child is young, he is similar to a primitive human being - at least musically - in that both are naive and rely primarily on natural rhythms and movement to make music. Although this theory has not been very widely accepted by most music educators, this is where the Orff method of teaching music begins. The Orff method was so impressive to the public that the Ministry of Culture recommended the adoption of the Guenther-Orff experiments in the elementary schools in Berlin. Unfortunately, the rise of Hitler and the outbreak of war stunted the growth of these plans. Finally, in 1948, the German broadcasting authorities urged Orff to resume his educational activities. The Orff approach, not unlike the Suzuki method, begins with the idea that music should be learned by a child the same way a language is learned. Suzuki calls this the "mother tongue approach". A child learns to speak simply by listening and then imitating and then, later in life, the child learns to interpret symbols as a written form of that language. So, then, a child should learn music in the same way. At an early age, a child is exposed to music and learns to sing and play percussion instruments, then, later in the child's musical development, he learns to interpret the symbols on a score as music. The music a child learns during this time of his life is very simple melodies that involve a lot of moving. Orff believed that rhythm was the most important part of music. This is because rhythm is what movement, speech, and music all have in common. Rhythm is what ties these all together to make what Orff called elemental music. Orff uses this approach because it is believed that children must feel and move to music before they are asked to conceptualize about it. Speech is one of the key elements in the Orff approach not only because speech is an inherently rhythmic action, but because Orff was the only one of the major educational philosophers (Dalcroze, Kodaly, and Suzuki) to use speech in this way. Orff's thought was that a transition from speech to rhythmic activities and then to song was the most natural for a child. So, the student moves from speech to body rhythms such as clapping or tapping, and then finally leads to the playing of an instrument. Orff's philosophy continues on in this way even after a child has developed a skill for an instrument. For example, concepts such as meter, accent, and anacrusis are introduced in speech patterns, reinforced in other activities, and then studied in a musical context. A specific example of this is the teaching of the concept of a canon. A simple yet varied chant or other form of rhythmic speech is taught to the class. The students then use the idea of a "round" to explore how each entrance by each different part is achieved. Finally, the teacher notates the rhythmic pattern and shows how each part of the pattern works with the other parts. Orff's approach to Music Education notes that speech, chant, and song are all points along the same line. That is to say that one leads directly to the next. Children's experiences with singing follow directly from speech. This means that melody is actually an extension or an outgrowth of rhythm. When children begin to learn to use their voices as musical instruments, they enter another pre-planned part of Orff's method. There is a very specific order in which students learn to use solfege. As with most other theories that involve singing, the descending minor third, sol-mi, is the first interval that is taught. Other tones follow in succession in this order: la, re, do, to complete the pentatonic scale, and then finally fa and ti. The Orff method uses the pentatonic scale because Orff believed it to be the native tonality of children. This is cohesive with Orff's belief that music history is relived in the development of each individual because he considered the pentatonic mode appropriate to the development of each child. The use of the pentatonic scale also gave the students confidence. After all, it's very difficult to improvise and sound bad when the only notes available are those in the pentatonic scale. This kind of constant affirmation is crucial to a child's development. The last part of Orff's elemental music is elemental movement. As stated earlier, the word elemental in this sense refers to the kind of action, in this case movement, in which the child participates with no prior training or instruction. Orff said that this kind of activity made it easier for children to become expressive. This is because children are more able to express their thoughts and feelings through movement and painting than through words. Allowing children to express themselves in this way allows them to use their imagination because, as we adults often forget, children have the most vivid imagination. After observing these actions, the teacher then relates them in some way to music and build musical concepts out of them. Unfortunately, many of the activities that adults scold their children for are the same ones that are the most suitable for expressing feelings, such as walking on tiptoe, hoping over imaginary obstacles, or spinning to the point of dizziness. These are actions that adults would react to as being 'fidgety' or 'squirmy' when, in fact, they are simply natural movements that children use to express themselves. The ideal Orff educator would encourage these behaviors and use them to teach musical concepts. The end goal of the Orff method is to develop a child's musical creativity. Where traditional Music Education dictates that a child must learn to read music right away in order to be a self-guided and independent musician, the Orff method focuses on the creative and expressive side of music. The instruments that are commonly associated with the Orff method distinguish it from other methods. Orff uses xylophones and various metalophones that use removable bars. This allows an educator to change bars for different modes or to remove unnecessary bars to keep from confusing young students. The Orff instruments are modeled after and are closely related to the Indonesian gamelans. These instruments allow great flexibility for children who have handicaps. For example, students with visual handicaps or hearing handicaps can hit just about anywhere on an Orff instrument set up to use a pentatonic scale so he can feel like he is being included. In conclusion, the Carl Orff has been a very influential person in the field of Music Education. He has demonstrated to us that the way to teach music to children is to let then go back to the basics, or elements, of speech, movement, and singing. He has reminded us how much we really expect children to learn music differently in the traditional method than it is natural for them to learn. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Casino.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Casinos have become a large part of cities' economy and hundreds of thousands of people's lives. Casinos are exciting for many people who feel they have a chance to win it big. Because so much money is flowing into casinos, the local business are being affected. Most are not thriving with the new tourism and the seemingly revived economy. In 1994 more people made the trip to a casino then to a ball park (Popkin). The casinos are attracting so much of American's dollars that they spent less on books, music albums and attractions (Reed). The people are spending less money outside of the casino. Which is not helping the vast majority of local businesses. This is what is most often overlooked by the city. The money from tourists and the community is not going into the local businesses, but instead the casino. Robert Goodman, Urban Planning professor states: "Newly opened casinos suck money out of the local economy, away from existing movie theaters, car dealerships, clothing shops and sports arenas" (Popkin). Casinos take money away from existing businesses. In Atlantic City, where casinos were supposed to save their failing economy, over 900 of their 2,100 small businesses have closed and the number of restaurants was reduced from 243 to 146. By providing everything a person needs, the casinos are designed to keep people inside. The truth is casinos drain money out of an area into a far away bank account, most often never going back into the community. Casino revenues may look good on paper to the average person, and to politicians who are constantly being pushed to gain more revenue. In reality they are almost a nightmare to the small locally owned businesses. Jobs are one of the main reasons for the growth of casinos. Across the continent casinos have created tens of thousands of jobs for unemployed people (Clines). Indian casinos in Minnesota have created approximately 5,000 jobs. Between 1975 and 1992 employment in Atlantic City's service industry grew 608 percent, a significant part of this came from casinos which created 95 percent of the new jobs. The casinos increased construction jobs ninety three percent, and created 600 new transportation jobs (Reed). Over all casinos provide many new jobs for an area. Construction jobs decline when the casino is completed. The jobs will decline as demand for their services drops off. During the same time period of 1975 to 1992 manufacturing jobs were down eighty-four percent. Real estate, insurance, and financial employment fell forty one percent (Reed). While some jobs increased others declined because of the shift of demand for certain jobs. Casinos may help some jobs but harm others. Even with casinos Atlantic City has the highest unemployment in New Jersey. A reason for this is that the casino jobs went to people who moved in from out of state, not to the people the casino was built to help (Reed). Casinos create many new jobs and opportunities for the people around the area. If the jobs are supposed to be there to help the state's unemployment, the state government should do a better job of giving the jobs to people in the state. The jobs do not help the state's unemployment if they hire workers from out of state. This defeats one of the main reasons for building a casino. This is having a visible economic impact on different people. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Catcher in the Rye 2.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The book Catcher in the Rye tells of Holden Caulfield's insight about life and the world around him. Holden shares many of his opinions about people and leads the reader on a 5 day visit into his mind. Holden, throughout the book, made other people feel inferior to his own. I can relate to this because although I do not view people inferior to myself, I do judge others unequally. Holden and I both have similar judgements of people from the way they act and behave. We also share feelings about motivation as well as lack of it. After reading this book, I came to the conclusion that Holden and I are much more similar than I initially believed. Holden portrayed others to be inferior to his own kind all throughout the book. He made several references as to how people aren't as perfect as he was. "The reason he [Stradlater] fixed himself up to look good was because he was madly in love with himself." (pg. 27) Holden had an inferiority complex. He was afraid of not having any special talents or abilities and used other methods to make him out to be a rough tough boy. "Boy, I sat at that goddam bar till around one o'clock or so, getting drunk as a bastard. I could hardly see straight." (pg. 150) Holden tried all he could to fit in. He drank, cursed and criticized life in general to make it seem he was very knowing of these habits. I myself have found me doing this at times, also. I, at times, feel the need to fit in to a group and do things similar to what others do in order to gain acceptance by them. I smoked a cigar once with two friends of mine because they kept going on and on about how great cigars were, but that was only once. Holden and I both place people on levels other than our own for amount of knowledge and likeness to ourselves. Holden used the term 'phonies' to describe more than a few people in this book. He used the term to be what a person is if they don't act naturally and follow other people's manners and grace. Holden didn't like phonies, he thought of them as if they were trying to show off. He didn't like it when they showed off because it seemed so fake and unnatural every time they would do so. "At the end of the first act we went out with all the other jerks for a cigarette. What a deal that was. You never saw so many phonies in all your life, everybody smoking their ears off and talking about the play so that everybody could hear how sharp they were." (pg. 126) I know many people like this as well. I do not like phonies either. I have many friends who talk using full vocabulary just to try to impress you, and others who make note of everything they see to show you how perceptible they are. People do this when they have a fear of their own individuality and feel that they need to ace different to get people to like them. Holden and I both dislike phonies. We do not like people who take on roles of others to seem more likeable because they are insecure. Throughout the book Holden displays a lack of motivation for many things in which he should do. Holden couldn't even call up an old girlfriend whom he knew a long time ago. "But when I got inside this phone booth, I wasn't much in the mood any more to give old Jane a buzz." (Pg. 150) Holden also had a problem getting his motivation together in order tocomplete schoolwork and succeed in his prep school. I have similar problems with my motivation and find at times I must be in the mood to do something in order for me to accomplish it. This stems from our experience in the past being that we can get through life, or the part we've been through already, with minimal effort. Holden has had this opportunity to notice this as his parents have been shuffling him around to different schools every time he flunks. He feels his parents will be there to move him somewhere else and take care of him every time something goes wrong. I found out in eighth grade that the schoolwork I had was far less than the schoolwork I did and I began to slack off, this caused me to believe that I could get away with minimal true effort in my schoolwork and it has also followed me into other courses of my daily routine. I find my forgetting to do things and having my parents doing them for me. I find I am basically pampered to my every will and need at home. This is a bad habit though and I am trying to get out of this lifestyle because I realize I won't always have someone to fall back on. Holden and I both have similar motivational problems stemming from our childhood. Holden Caulfield and I are very similar in many ways. We tend to judge different people similar ways. We both dislike people who act phony because of insecurity. We also both lack motivation because of previous childhood experiences which have shaped our lives. Holden Caulfield and I have began our great journey through life with similar ideas to each other. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Catcher in the rye.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Catcher in the Rye CREATIVE WRITING ASSIGNMENT Why the hell do so many people's lives revolve around some stupid football games played on a Sunday afternoon. I mean, do people actually enjoy watching a bunch of overgrown morons bang into each other for 3 hours? There are sometimes when I am amused by what happens in the game, but I can catch the highlights in five minutes on the news instead of wasting my hole freaking day. These morons (players) are getting paid millions of dollars to run around on a football field all day long. That's just the beginning of the money they make. They get paid millions to be in a commercial or say that they wear a particular brand of sneakers or something stupid like that. These guys have every modern convenience. They have heaters built into the benches for when it gets cold outside. For Christ sake, when it is hot outside they have fans that blow cold water on them, sort of like an air conditioner. Some of these guys even have the nerve to give up on a play or two. They can even admit to their fans that they didn't want to get hurt or something really stupid like that and expect them to still cheer for them. The worst part about actually going to watch a game at the stadium rather than on TV is the prices. To buy a ticket for a seat in the stadium really is not that bad, but after that they charge an arm and a leg for whatever you buy. They do not let people bring their own food into the game so when the spectators get hungry the sunuvabitch's charge outrageous amounts on the same food that they sell in a supermarket for a quarter the price. People almost have top be as rich as the players to bring a whole family to the game and be able to feed them without going broke in the process. Anyway, the thing that pisses me off the most is these innocent kids. It is not really the kids that piss me off but the fact that they look at these moron in uniforms and think of them as role models. Jesus Christ many of them are current or former drug user's, steroid abusers, or even spousal abusers. Why do are youth look up to them? Hopefully they will realize most of them are no role models. The people who should be their role models are the people which are in their lives on a daily basis, not these phony athletes. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers are just some of the real models our youth should look up to. However, no matter what I think, the idiocies will continue to occur every Sunday. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Censorship in Public Schools.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Censorship in Public Schools -A principal in a California high school bans five books written by Richard Brautigan because he thinks they might contain "obscenities or offensive sexual references" (Berger 59). -A Vermont high school librarian is forced to resign because she fought the school board's decision to remove Richard Price's The Wanderers, and to "restrict" the use of Stephen King's Carrie and Patrick Mann's Dog Day Afternoon (Jones 33). -An Indiana school board takes action that leads to the burning of many copies of a textbook that deals with drugs and the sexual behavior of teenagers (Berger 61). These cases of censorship in public schools are not unusual and there is evidence that such challenges are increasing (Woods 2). These challenges are actually typical of the ones being leveled against school libraries today. These challenges can come from one person or a group concerned with the suitability of the material in question. In almost every case, the effort to ban books is said to be "justified by fear of the harmful effects that the books may have on young children" (Berger 59). The result of these censorship attempts has been two opposing sides: one side believes that "more suitable materials can usually be found from among the wealth of materials available on most subjects (Woods 1), and the other side believes that students' "intellectual freedom" can be upheld only if students are allowed to examine "any available relevant materials in order to gain the insights needed to reach their own conclusions" (Woods 1). In the simplest terms, the debate is between censorship and the freedom to read. The most important question when discussing censorship deals with its constitutionality; does censorship violate the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech? Censorship advocates actually use the words of the First Amendment to make their point; "the amendment reads, 'Congress shall make no law...", it does not say, "There shall be no law...'" (Berger 69). They believe that, although the federal government is forbidden to censor, it is not unconstitutional for states and local communities to pass censorship laws (Berger 69). Also, since the US Supreme Court does not believe the First Amendment protects all forms of expression (child pornography, etc.), then proponents of censorship believe that censorship laws are constitutional (Berger 69). Anti-censorship has the upper-hand, constitutionally, at least, since "judges, from local courts to the Supreme Court, seem firmly on the anti-censorship side" (Berger 61). The courts have time and again ruled that the Constitution prohibits Congress from censorship of any form. These two opposing sides have butted heads again and again leaving behind landmark cases for future legal actions. One of the most famous of those cases was Pico vs. Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26, which was the first school library censorship case to reach the Supreme Court (Jones 35). In March 1976, the Island Trees School Board in New York removed eleven books that they deemed "anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and just plain filthy" (Berger 59) from the high school library shelves. Among these books were Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, A Hero Ain't Nothing but a Sandwich by Alice Childress, and Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver (Jones 37). The board felt that it had "a moral obligation to protect the children in our schools from this moral danger" (Berger 60). Five students then sued the school board on grounds that their decision violated their First Amendment rights. The suit was passed around the courts until June 1982 when the Supreme Court took up the cause and ruled that the school board would have to defend its removal of the books. The Supreme Court decided that since the library is used voluntarily, they can choose books there freely and that, as Justice Brennan stated, "the First Amendment rights of students may be directly and sharply implicated by the removal of books from the shelves of a school library (Jones 45). The Supreme Court's decision was that "courts may act our of concern for the First Amendment rights of those affected by school officials' action" (Jones 45). On August 12, 1982, the school board voted to put the books back on the shelves; (special note: the librarian was told to inform the parents of students who checked out those books) (Berger 60). The advocates of school library book censorship believe that adults must have control over what children read. They feel that unless responsible adults oversee what students are reading, students will be exposed to the worst in literature. This literature can go from simply causing offense, to "resulting in emotional damage and even leading to anti-social behavior" (Berger 61). Their beliefs lead them to pull the offending books from the shelves so that young readers are protected, as was the case in Pico and as was the case when "Robin Hood was considered communistic, Tarzan was living with Jane without benefit of clergy, and Huckleberry Finn was a racist" (Woods 13). Each time they use words like controversial, filthy, immoral, lascivious, lewd, obscene, sacrilegious, and violent, they are actually using only one word, censorship. The anti-censorship group believes that students have the same constitutional freedoms as everyone else, including the right to read whatever they want. They feel that it is only in this way "that children can develop the taste and understanding to distinguish between trash and serious literature" (Berger 61). And it is with this group that I make my stand against censorship. The purpose of education remains what it has always been in a free society: to develop a free and reasoning human being who can think for himself, who understands his own and other cultures, who lives compassionately and cooperatively with his fellow man, who respects both himself and others, who has developed self-discipline and self-motivation, who can laugh at the world, and who can successfully develop survival strategies for existence in the world. (Jones 184) As one who is striving to be an English teacher I know that literature has a significant part in the education of man. I am aware that I have responsibilities to my students, for knowing "many books from many cultures", for "demonstrating a personal commitment to the search for truth through wide reading", for "respecting the unique qualities and potential of each student" and for "exhibiting the qualities of the educated man" (Jones 184). With these responsibilities, I believe that I would not be serving my students to the best of my abilities if I were not a strong advocate against the censorship of books. As the NCTE writes, "to deny the freedom of choice in fear that it may be unwisely used is to destroy the freedom itself" (Jones 181). As stalwart and idealistic as I am, I still understand that at some point in my career I will come under attack from a censorship group unhappy with my selection of curricula. The American School Board Journal gives a list of nine strategies that can be used to help reduce the chances of an attack; these include "involving citizens in the book selection process", "giving objecting parents and students and out", and "don't ban or remove books until they've been afforded a fair trial" (Woods 35). A similar list by Diane Divoky is a little more extreme but no less helpful. Her list includes hints like, "if you're going to use a book with obscenities, check to see if there are approved books in the school library containing the same words", "before you take on a high-risk project, try to align yourself with a veteran staff member", and "at the moment you suspect a problem lies down the line, call the best lawyer within your reach" (Woods 34). As for my personal opinion as a citizen and a reader, I have always been leery of censors. Censors of school library books never announce that it is their morality that has been damaged. It is always "they" who will be damaged, it is always someone else's moral fiber that is being protected. In an excerpt from possibly the most banned book of the modern era, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caufield reacts to an obscenity scrawled on a wall: It drove me damn near crazy. I though how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and how they'd wonder what the hell it meant, and then finally some dirty kid would tell them what it meant and how they'd all think about it and maybe even worry about if for a couple of days. I kept wanting to kill whoever'd written it. (Salinger 165) This phrase from Salinger's classic novel, for me, illustrates exactly how censors react when they find anything they deem objectionable in the school. Why will people react emotionally, even violently, to certain spoken or written words, while in many cases having mild reactions to the actions described by the words? While D.H. Lawrence has seen considerable censorship due to his affinity for sexual content, Shakespeare has enjoyed relative peace even though Othello and his lover made "the beast with two backs" (I.I, 119-120). I, myself, will continue to struggle against the censors who seek to control written expression in our schools while waving the banner of freedom, for it is censorship that we must fear, not words, and hope that in the future, the true obscenities of the world (poverty, hunger, war) will be what we shall strive to censor. Works Cited Berger, Melvin. Censorship. New York: Franklin Watts, 1982. Jones, Frances M. Defusing Censorship: The Librarian's Guide to Handling Censorship Conflicts. Phoenix: The Oryx Press, 1983. Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1945. Woods, L.B. A Decade of Censorship in America: The Threat to Classrooms and Libraries. London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1979. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Charity in Chaucers Canterbury Tales.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In the "General Prologue," Chaucer presents an array of characters from the 1400's in order to paint portraits of human dishonesty and stupidity as well as virtue. Out of these twenty-nine character portraits three of them are especially interesting because they deal with charity. Charity during the 1400's, was a virtue of both religious and human traits. One character, the Parson, exemplifies Chaucer's idea of charity, and two characters, Prioress, and Friar, to satirize the idea of charity and show that they are using charity for either devious reasons or out of convention or habit. According to the definition from the Webster's dictionary, charity means giving to the needy and helping the poor. In Chaucer's time, however, charity meant much more. It included a love of G-d and doing the will of G-d as well as the kind of person one is. Thus Charity had two parts, one human, the other divine. Two parts that mixed in different portions depending on a person. Charity was a human virtue that the Church encouraged. People believed that if one does something good, he will be rewarded by G-d. Many people did meaningful, charitable things out the goodness of their hearts, but others had done it for other reasons. Those reasons included making money from people's suffering and giving to charity because someone told them to do so, rather than from the goodness of their hearts or to ease the suffering of others. Chaucer plays off both of these parts of charity in his portraits to show how they can be combined differently in different people and to distinguish "true" charity from "false" charity. Parson exemplifies Chaucer's idea of true charity. Even though Parson does not have any money, he considers himself rich spiritually. Going around the village, he teaches the poor and those who can't go to church about what G-d is and how to be a religious person. He gives more than he receives. In fact, he avoids preaching to the rich and well-to-do because he prefers going to the humble and poor, who truly need his help and G-d. He doesn't run to London to earn easy bread By singing masses for the wealthy dead, Or find some Brotherhood and get enrolled. He stayed at home and watched over his fold So that no wolf should make the sheep miscarry. (p.16) Parson is seen as an ideal priest, and his actions describe the real meaning of what charity is. He is "virtuous," "Never contemptuous" toward sinners, "never disdainful," and "discreet."(p.17) Getting people to Heaven is his main goal, not their money or his own advancement. Friar, on the other hand, uses charity for devious purposes. By getting a license from the Pope, which lets him go around the country and hear confessions, he uses this license to make money for himself. Also he runs an agency in which he fixes up young women with men for a fee. Unlike Parson, who goes out of his way to help the poor, the Friar thinks that nothing good can come Of commerce with such slum-and-gutter dwellers, But only with the rich and victual-sellers. (p.9) By visiting only rich people, Friar's primary purpose is to make money and not to give forgiveness for the sins as he is supposed to do. He is using his position for his own purposes under the disguise of charity, which in his case is being greedy and being guilty of committing one of the seven sins. Without knowing it, Prioress uses charity as a convention. Since her father does not have enough for a dowry, he is forced to send Prioress to a nunnery. Prioress does not have much of a choice herself, since in the Middle Ages, women had little choice in their future, usually being married or becoming prostitutes. Because she grew up in a wealthy, not very religious family, she does not know the real meaning of being a nun and of what charity means beyond what the Church has told her. Because she is told that she has to follow a certain discipline, she complies with it without questioning the true meaning. Instead of helping poor people, she helps animals by feeding them, simply because the Church said feed the needy. She had little dogs she would be feeding. With roasted flesh, or milk, or fine white bread. (p.7) The way she eats "no morsel from her lips did she let fall"(p.6), the way she dresses, " Her cloak ... had a graceful charm...whence hung a golden brooch of brightest sheen....(p.7), suggests that she belongs to an upper class and not to the order of nuns. Chaucer shows that she follows the denotative meaning of charity. She knows what charity means intellectually and religiously but has not experienced it spiritually. Ironically, around her neck she wears a brooch that declares "Love Conquers All," (p.7) without having slightest indication of what this statement truly means. By presenting us with these characters, Chaucer describes an overview of what life was during the Middle Ages. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\class room observation.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Josh Van Coppenolle EDU 301 Social Studies Methods Mary Iandoli Classroom Observation Date: 9-30-96 Kindergarten teacher: Mrs. Debolt First grade teacher: Mrs. Casteluzo Location: Penn Yan Elementary Carrie and I were going to observe a kindergarten classroom social studies class that combined their lesson with a first grade class. We were scheduled to arrive at 2 PM. When I arrived at 1:50 PM, Carrie was waiting outside the school and informed me that she had already gone in and was told that there was going to be a fire drill in just a few minutes. We waited for the fire drill to finish and then went into the class. The time was about 2:10 at this point, so the teachers were running a little behind. When we entered the room it was empty, we had obviously beat the students back from the fire drill. This gave us time to look around. The kindergarten room was brightly decorated with lots of posters and student's art work. The kids were working on colors because there was a strip on top of the blackboard that had the colors and things we might see in that color. The student's desks were arranged in two rows, pushed together and facing each other. There were about twelve seats in each group, so there were about 24 students in the class. Apparently, the class had just been returning from a trip to the school library when the fire drill went off, so when they came in they were still carrying their library books. The students were asked to take their seats and they did so quietly. Everyone's eyes were on Carrie and me. Mrs. Debolt asked us to introduce ourselves, which we did. She told the class that we were learning to be teachers and that we wanted to sit in on their social studies class. Each student sat at a little desk with their name laminated on the top. The students had laminated cards with their names on them tied around their neck with a long piece of yarn. I think that these were their library cards. Mrs. Debolt asked me to collect these, which I did. The students were pretty quiet while this was going on and followed directions well. Mrs. Debolt told the class that we were going to have a joint lesson with Mrs. Castiluzo's 1st grade class. She asked everyone to come up to the front of the room and sit quietly on their bottoms, hands in their laps. The two classrooms are connected by a door and soon Mrs. Castiluzo, her aide, and the 1st graders came in. It was a tight squeeze but everyone got a little spot on the floor. You could tell the kids who like their personal space because they were uncomfortable in the tight space and tried to wiggle and scoot. Mrs. Debolt introduced Carrie and me and then started her lesson. She started with a story about a green bear who lived in the forest. He would change the color of his house as the seasons changed. Before she read she assess for prior knowledge. After she finished the book she led the group by questioning them about houses and families and health. Then we talked about healthy bodies and how we make healthy bodies by eating correctly. The teacher would ask a question and then call on someone who raised their hand. When there was a fun task to do, the teacher would call on a student that was doing something right, like sitting up straight. I noticed that the same students were always raising their hands. The teacher should have tried to involve all of the students. After the discussion of green and healthy, Mrs. Castiluza read a poem, but the children had already been sitting for 15-20 minutes and were not interested in the long poem at all. Then, Mrs. Castiluza brought out a bag of fresh vegetables that she grew in her garden. This got the kids interested again and we discussed how the greens of the vegetables were different. Then Carrie and I got 2 helpers and cut up lettuce, peppers, and cucumbers to make a salad. We all ate salad and talked about the different textures and crunchiness of the vegetables. The lesson was evaluated as the students ate their salad, the teachers informally walked around the room and spoke with the children, but not all of them. The kids finished, threw their paper plates away and returned to their seats. I stopped back at the library briefly on another day and found there to be quite a big selection of trade books on historical events and biographies. There was a big selection on folk tales. I found a section with plays that are made especially for classes with lots of parts. There were a lot of multicultural books on display. I think that they looked pretty new. There were computers available as well but I didn't go and look at the soft ware I think that the lesson was interesting enough, although maybe a little too long. The teachers tried to use literature and poems to tell the lesson. I think that the teacher should have a way to involve all the students in the discussion. Also, I think that all the students should have been involved in making the salad. I think the idea of the salad was good, hands on and a reward at the end. The students were very well behaved and the teacher handled misbehaving matter-of-factly without a lot of attention drawn to the deed. I don't think that the material was particularly challenging, but then again we are dealing with kindergarten. The theme of the unit was "myself and my family". I think I see the way they were going with the green bear in his home and a healthy diet to keep you well. Did I mention that I want to teach 5th grade? Seriously though, I think these little ones are adorable but everytime I spend time in kindergarten, I realize that I will do much better with older learners. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Commas.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Many writers think it is a good idea to sprinkle commas every few places in there writing, but this makes for difficult reading. Here are some places commas should not be used: * After and, but, and or, unless the comma sets off a dependent clause (a phrase which can't stand alone as a sentence). Examples: Wrong- But, she did get it done on time. Right- But, to be fair, she did get it done on time. * Between a month and year in a date: NOT November, 1990, The comma stops two sets of numerals from running into one another. WRIGHT November 20, 1990. * Some style guides call for omitting the comma after very short dependent clauses at the beginning of a sentence: NOT "On Saturday, the office is closed." WRIGHT "On Saturday the office is closed." But do use a comma after long dependent causes: "Because the entire epic is concerned with justifying the ways of God to man, Milton must present free will in a positive light." * Commas are preferred before the last item in a list: leaving them out, as in "the first, second and third chapters," is a habit picked up from journalism. Though it saves a little space and effort, omitting the final comma suggests the second and third chapters are some sort of special pair. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Community sevice.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Greenwich Association for Retarded Citizens (G.A.R.C.) of Greenwich High is a group of students interested in interacting with disabled students. These students go to the high school as well, and look forward to getting to know us. Each of the students have different disabilities but they each have the desire to make friends. This group is totally volunteer basis for all of it's members, no one has to attend. I have been a member of this group for the three years I have attended in Greenwich High. Spending a lot of time with these children I have learned to understand that they are just looking to make friends. I joined this group as a freshman because I had worked with children with Down Syndrome during the eighth grade at Central Middle School. My interest carried on through out the years because of the numerous fun times I have had, and have made friends with many of the girls. They are all very personable and pleasant to talk with. They each have special characteristics defining them from the others, making each of them special in different ways, just like the rest us. Aside from the meetings that we have every so often to discuss activities we can do, we usually do fun and interesting activities. We go out for pizza frequently because it seems to be the group consensus on what we would all like to eat. During the holidays we celebrate in interesting ways; on Halloween we have a party where every one gets dressed and brings candy. For the Christmas season we are going to celebrate with a party at a members house and listen to Christmas carols, and have dinner. We have had bake sales and have sold candy in order to raise money for the clubs activities. These are usually a success because every one participates and we all seem to function well as a group. When there are dances or football games at school we each take one of the girls and it's good for them because they get to interact with the rest of the school at a big function. This club is not only fun, but it's like going to a meeting with some of your friends. We are a small group and we all get along. Since we are a small group it is also difficult for us to do a lot of things. It is difficult to educate the larger part of the public who doesn't know what these kids are like. It is also hard to raise money to do many activities. It would be great if more kids would join each year, and it would be great if the ignorance level had lowered. Many students just don't want to know anything of these kids. I chose to discuss G.A.R.C. because it is a group that could use help from the community at Greenwich high, and I thought I could help by explaining exactly what we do. Why talk about something else, when I could tell of something I enjoy and that needs more attention. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Comparison of Tragedy.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A Comparison of Tragedy For a story to be a tragedy it has to follow the principles set by Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, or those of Arthur Miller who is a twentieth century playwright. A tragedy, in Aristotle's view, usually concerns the fall of an individual whose character is good but not perfect and his misfortunes are brought about by the tragic flaw. This flaw is the part of the character that personifies him as being tragic. Miller uses this definition of a tragedy but also broadens it including the common man. All of these characteristics are seen in the plays Julius Caesar, Death of a Salesman, and Oedipus Rex. Although the title of the play Julius Caesar focuses on Caesar, the play itself is really based on Brutus. "Brutus had rather be a villager than to repute himself a son of Rome."(Act I, scene II, line 172). This was said by Brutus after Cassius told him how Caesar had become a towering figure over Rome and how Caesar controls Rome. Notice the good in Brutus, and the extremes he will go to in order to protect democracy in Rome even if it means killing the one he loves, Caesar. Brutus possesses one of the most tragic flaws. He is too nice of a person and therefore he gets taken advantage of. He lets Cassius persuade him into killing Caesar for the good of Rome. Because he does for others more than himself he makes a fatal mistake, he lets Antony live. Brutus says to the conspirators, "For Antony is but a limb of Caesar"(Act II scene I line 165) meaning that if Caesar is killed Antony will die off too. Brutus clearly does not regard Antony as being a threat, but little does Brutus know that Antony will stir up the town to seek revenge after the assassination of Caesar. This mistake will cost him his own life. When he dies he becomes a prime example of tragedy because not only did he bring about his own death he dies by his own hand. In Death of a Salesman, Willy Lowman's tragic flaw is that he is a dreamer who is unable to face the realities of a modern day society. Willy builds his whole life around the philosophy that if a person is well liked and good looking then he will be successful. Willy says to Biff , "I thank Almighty God that you are both are built like Adonises."(Act I page 33) Later, Willy makes the comment, "Be liked and you will never want."(Act I page 33) His need to be well liked is so strong that he often lies about his success; at times he even believes his own lies. Willy always thinks his sons will always be successful because they are good looking and good at sports, but in reality they are failures just like Willy. At the end when Biff tries to tell Willy that he is just a commoner and that he cannot live up to his father's expectations, that they are "a dime a dozen." Willy thinks he is just saying this to spite him. Willy says, "I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman and you are Biff Loman!"(act II page 132). After this Willy decides to commit suicide so Biff can get the twenty thousand dollar insurance money and he will finally make something of himself. "He had the wrong dreams"(requiem page 138) states Biff at Willy's funeral, but Charley, Willy's best friend, says "A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory."(requiem page 138) Unfortunately, Willy never realized that his dreams and values were flawed and he died for it. In Oedipus Rex Oedipus has a flaw that is unavoidable and also uncontrollable. His flaw is fate. The plot juxtaposes Oedipus's ignorance to his own identity with his tragic despair as he learns that he has killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus refuses to believe all of the prophecies until his prophet finally discloses the truth. He knows that he is the one who killed his father because he is the one who murdered Laius who in fact turned out to be his father that tried to get rid of him. After his wife, Jocasta, finds out that Oedipus knows the truth she commits suicide. "How could I bear to see when all my sight was horror everywhere?"(ode 4 line 1289) This is said after Oedipus punishes himself by digging his eyes out. Oedipus then wanders the land a beggar guided by his daughter, Antigone. Clearly, then, all of these stories represent a great example of tragedy. They follow the rules preset by Aristotle and also the rules of Arthur Miller. We have sympathy for the protagonist in each play but at the same time we know that their down fall is brought about by their own ignorance. Even though the character is tragic he is also a great man because they suffer for the well being of others. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Concepts in acting .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CONCEPTS ON ACTING The Elements of Style, as described by Sonia More in her simplified view of the Stanlislavski System, are clear rudimentary concepts designed to help actors achieve a profound and truthful portrayal of their character on the stage through personal connection with their character. These concepts are designed as tools for the actor so that he may connect to a character or situation on the stage that he otherwise would not be able to connect with. As Sonia Moore put it, Stanlislovski knew that an actor's mind, will, and emotions must participate in the creation of a live human being on the stage. He also understood that it is impossible for people to turn their thoughts and emotions on and off as if by a switch. He also knew that no actor coming on stage without any reason for experiencing emotions would be unable to do so without some connection, or bridge, to the personal and emotional response of their character. So Stanlislovski designed tool for the actor to use to help him connect with the emotional and physical world of his character. Such concepts as The Magic If is a clear example of a tool an actor could use to connect himself the life of the character. The Magic If, simply guides the actor to ask the simple question: "What would I do if I were in my character position?" By asking this question of himself the actor can personalize the given circumstances of the character. The situation of the character becomes more personal, and the stakes much higher, because the actor has divulged some particular issues of himself into the character. Due to these particularities the actor will work out the given circumstance of the character in a much more truthful manner. Even in acting the old saying goes: "You cannot really know someone until you walk a mile in their shoes." This concept of The Magic If also plays a big part in another Element of Action -Imagination. Imagination is another tool that allows the actor to build a substantial relationship with his character by creating the very universe in which his character resides. Through this artistic imagination the actor can create the past, present, and future of the character. The actor, in essence, could play God wherein the character is concerned apart from given circumstances or the circumstances that exist within the play. This artistic imagination is being used to give thoughts and feeling to the character being portrayed by simply infusing honesty and truthfulness into the actor's performance. There are other Element's of Actions that guide the actor to form precise, logical and honest connections to the character he is portraying --Emotional Memory and Tempo-Rhythm for instance. However, the duality of the Elements of Action are in the ways they connect the actor to the emotional state of his character, as well as the physical reality of the story, the audience, and the other characters that exist in the story. In the same as there are Elements of Action that connect the actor to the emotional side of the character, there are also those that connect the actor to the physical elements of acting and the physical element of the character. There are also concepts designed to let the actor explore the relationship between characters, and the character's relation as it exist within an ensemble. An example of this would be Adaptation. Adaptation is an Element of Action that is really the overcoming of an obstacle to achieve personal aim. Adaptation is being perceived as the personal choices the actor make in regard to his character while responding to outside stimulus. By placing the Who, What, When, Where, and Why, into his movements, the actor can achieve logic and definition to his movements or motivations. The actor must know what his character is doing, and where his character is doing it in order for him to properly motivate his movements to fit his actions. This is so the actor will not appear to be moving just for the sake of moving. This precise movement is what the actors use to work around the given circumstances of the play. Given Circumstances are all that the actor encounters while he creates a role. Given Circumstance could be the coming together of all external factor. These factors are the concepts that must come into play while shaping the confines of a character. How we behave or act depends solely on the environment in which we exist. The actor must consider the Given Circumstance in order for the character to exist truthfully in the confine of his circumstance. For example, the audience would not expect to find a dainty southern bell in the heart of a Brooklyn ghetto slum, unless the Given Circumstance of the story was stated as such. This is the tool actors can use to connect their characters to their environment. It becomes evidently clear that the Elements Of Action are basic tools in concept, and design for the actor to use to not only connect with his character, but also with the audience and the other players in the story as well. These elements are tools that the actor can use to consciously tap into the unconscious realm of his emotional responses. Whether from Tempo-Rhythm, Concentration or Attention, Truth and Belief, to Imagination, Given Circumstance, and Adaptation, all can be used by the actor to achieve a phycophysical connection into the subconscious realm of his emotional responses. When this occurs, he can best achieve improvisation due to inspiration in performance. It is this most of all, the Author believes, is the f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Controversial Pornography.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Show a number of different people a simple piece of paper consisting of nothing more than a red blotch of paint and ask them what they see. The responses will vary from objects such as a cherry, to more simply, just plain red paint. This is an indication of the individuality, or sum of qualities that characterize and distinguish an individual from all others, instilled in every human being. Just as facial features and hair color differ among individuals, similar distinctiveness is found among personalities and opinions. Because of prominent variance in belief among many individuals, a number of topics and issues have become controversial in society today. Similar to the varied responses to the red splotch of paint, photographs, video tapes and paintings portraying nudity and sexual content receive a number of clashing opinions. There are artists who paint and photograph nudity and pornography who find the human body and sex portrayed in many forms to be beautiful. However, there are also many extremely conservative individuals who take offense to such "artwork" and find its contents appalling. And those who enjoy the nudity and sexual content exhibited in pornographic materials should marvel and delight in its details. Those who do not should simply look away. In the words of Justice William O. Douglas, "no one is compelled to look" (Brownmiller 663). There is no concrete manner to define materials that are "obscene" or "offensive" because various images come to mind among individuals when words similar to these are used to describe pornography. To classify a distasteful picture from a beautiful one comes down to a matter of opinion and taste. In previous instances, such as the Miller Case of 1973, the Court attempted to define which materials could be judged as lewd or indecent: The materials are obscene if they depict patently offensive, hard-core sexual conduct; lack serious scientific, literary, artistic, or political value; and appeal to the prurient interests of an average person-as measured by contemporary community standards (Brownmiller 662). In accordance with the opinions of Susan Brownmiller in her essay, "Let's Put Pornography Back in the Closet," most would agree that description such as "patently offensive," "prurient interest," and "hard-core" are "indeed words to conjure with" (662). Elimination of pornography is not the key to social equality, partly since no one can define what porn is and because censorship is never a simple matter. First, the offense must be described. "And how does one define something so infinitely variable, so deeply personal, so uniquely individualized as the image, the word, and the fantasy that cause sexual arousal" (Strossen 4)? Pornography cannot be recognized as easily as the Court involved with the Miller Case implied. "Contemporary community standards" do not exist in that individuals and families alike have strongly different ideals and ethics on issues such as sexual content, nudity and pornography. While some parents allow their children to view rated R movies containing sexual content and nudity, others restrict their children from attending sexual education classes in high school. Finding a median between two strongly differing standards similar to these would be rare. Thus, to accept or reject, like or dislike pornography is a personal opinion that is often too divided to differentiate. Besides the difficulties of definition, there are varying degrees of intensity in the porn images themselves. One of the more prominent arguments against pornography is that "it represents the hatred of women, that pornography's intent is to humiliate, degrade and dehumanize the female body for the purpose of erotic stimulation and pleasure" (Brownmiller 663). Although in some instances women are portrayed as being stripped, bound, raped and tortured in pornographic scenes, not all pornography is this explicit and violent. In any case, the intent of such scenes is not to "degrade and dehumanize" the entire female gender but to simply satisfy those individuals who enjoy poses and pictures containing such violent erotic content. Brownmiller argues that these images of violent pornography... "have everything to do with the creation of a cultural climate in which a rapist feels he is merely giving in to normal urge and a woman is encouraged to believe that sexual masochism is healthy, liberated fun" (663). Women such as Brownmiller who spend most of their time blaming rape on pornography should spend more of that time educating women on personal safety so they can protect and empower themselves. To attribute rape cases to sexual pictures is similar to blaming drunk driving accidents on alcohol. The individual who chose to drink and then drive is at fault, similar to the man who decided to continue with sex when a woman resisted. To depict pornographic scenes as the cause of rape and degrading of women is simply masking the actual grounds of such acts. Holly Hughes states, if you argue that getting the Playboys out of the 7-Eleven is going to drive down the rape rate, then you also have to give credence to the religious right's claims that representation of gay and lesbian lives are going to cause homosexuality...I don't see imagery - whether it's pornography, hate speech, or lesbian imagery- as causing a certain kind of behavior (43). Simply because one is a consumer of pornography does not mean they have to go out and do everything they see. Possibly pornography abets some sex crimes. But according to Ernest Van Den Haag in his essay. "Learning to Live with Sex and Violence," those disposed to sex crimes may also be inclined to consume pornography as an effect, not a cause, of their pre - existing criminal disposition. More important, if there is a disposition to sex crimes, an almost infinite variety of things may trigger criminal action. A rapist does not need pornography. The sight of a woman, or even of an advertisement for lingerie may be enough" (59). However, for most people pornography is no more damaging, or habit - forming, than coffee. Simply because there is no way to eliminate stimuli, there is no reason to believe that pornography is indispensable to sex crimes or sufficiently at fault to justify controlling it. Despite complaints and criticisms from individuals and groups alike, producers will continue to create pornography and those individuals who enjoy it will continue to purchase it. Because of strong support from a number of people... "the porn industry has become a mulitmillion dollar business" (Brownmiller 663). To attempt to do away completely with such a prosperous business would be virtually impossible. The reality is that millions and millions of Americans consume various kinds of sexually explicit materials every month. Although their numbers are large, their rights are under attack in virtually every segment of society. But forming laws restricting pornography from viewers would be similar to restricting cigarettes from smokers. The outrage and protest would be uncontrollably extreme. And laws are only obeyed by people who believe in them. There are a lot of laws against drugs. Has it stopped anyone? Kyle Jorgensen, a man involved in the adult sex industry for seven years, has learned that he will never please everyone (Nichols 60). He has been both praised and reviled. "I've had women come in the door or write letters thanking me for saving their marriages," he claims. "At the same time, I have letters from special - interest groups condemning me for destroying the world" (Nichols 60). Ultimately, the assemblage of people who object to pornography must learn to turn their heads and look away. Those who do enjoy the content of pornography should continue to enjoy it without, however, imposing on those who choose not to subject themselves. Controversial Pornography: Revision- Paper # 3 by: Nicole Lamberson Ms. Susan Trabert English 102-060 December 12, 1996 Works Cited Brownmiller, Susan. "Let's Put Pornography Back in the Closet." Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau, eds. Bedford: Boston, 1996. Hughes, Holly. "Pornography: Does Women's Equality Depend on what we do About it?" Ms. Jan./ Feb. 1994: 42-45. Nichols, Mark. "Viewers and Victims: Pornography and Sexual Offenses." Maclean's 11 Oct. 1993: 60. Strossen, Nadine. "The Perils of Pornophobia." The Humanist. May/June 1995: 7-9. Van Den Haag, Ernest. "Learning to Live with Sex and Violence." National Review. 1 Nov. 1993: 56-9. Show a number of different people a simple piece of paper consisting of nothing more than a red blotch of paint and ask them what they see. The responses will vary from objects such as a cherry, to more simply, just plain red paint. This is an indication of the individuality, or sum of qualities that characterize and distinguish an individual from all others, instilled in every human being. Just as facial features and hair color differ among individuals, similar distinctiveness is found among personalities and opinions. Because of prominent variance in belief among many individuals, a number of topics and issues have become controversial in society today. Similar to the varied responses to the red splotch of paint, photographs, video tapes and paintings portraying nudity and sexual content receive a number of clashing opinions. There are artists who paint and photograph nudity and pornography who find the human body and sex portrayed in many forms to be beautiful. However, there are also many extremely conservative individuals who take offense to such "artwork" and find its contents appalling. And those who enjoy the nudity and sexual content exhibited in pornographic materials should marvel and delight in its details. Those who do not should simply look away. In the words of Justice William O. Douglas, "no one is compelled to look" (Brownmiller 663). There is no concrete manner to define materials that are "obscene" or "offensive" because various images come to mind among individuals when words similar to these are used to describe pornography. To classify a distasteful picture from a beautiful one comes down to a matter of opinion and taste. In previous instances, such as the Miller Case of 1973, the Court attempted to define which materials could be judged as lewd or indecent: The materials are obscene if they depict patently offensive, hard-core sexual conduct; lack serious scientific, literary, artistic, or political value; and appeal to the prurient interests of an average person-as measured by contemporary community standards (Brownmiller 662). In accordance with the opinions of Susan Brownmiller in her essay, "Let's Put Pornography Back in the Closet," most would agree that description such as "patently offensive," "prurient interest," and "hard-core" are "indeed words to conjure with" (662). Elimination of pornography is not the key to social equality, partly since no one can define what porn is and because censorship is never a simple matter. First, the offense must be described. "And how does one define something so infinitely variable, so deeply personal, so uniquely individualized as the image, the word, and the fantasy that cause sexual arousal" (Strossen 4)? Pornography cannot be recognized as easily as the Court involved with the Miller Case implied. "Contemporary community standards" do not exist in that individuals and families alike have strongly different ideals and ethics on issues such as sexual content, nudity and pornography. While some parents allow their children to view rated R movies containing sexual content and nudity, others restrict their children from attending sexual education classes in high school. Finding a median between two strongly differing standards similar to these would be rare. Thus, to accept or reject, like or dislike pornography is a personal opinion that is often too divided to differentiate. Besides the difficulties of definition, there are varying degrees of intensity in the porn images themselves. One of the more prominent arguments against pornography is that "it represents the hatred of women, that pornography's intent is to humiliate, degrade and dehumanize the female body for the purpose of erotic stimulation and pleasure" (Brownmiller 663). Although in some instances women are portrayed as being stripped, bound, raped and tortured in pornographic scenes, not all pornography is this explicit and violent. In any case, the intent of such scenes is not to "degrade and dehumanize" the entire female gender but to simply satisfy those individuals who enjoy poses and pictures containing such violent erotic content. Brownmiller argues that these images of violent pornography... "have everything to do with the creation of a cultural climate in which a rapist feels he is merely giving in to normal urge and a woman is encouraged to believe that sexual masochism is healthy, liberated fun" (663). Women such as Brownmiller who spend most of their time blaming rape on pornography should spend more of that time educating women on personal safety so they can protect and empower themselves. To attribute rape cases to sexual pictures is similar to blaming drunk driving accidents on alcohol. The individual who chose to drink and then drive is at fault, similar to the man who decided to continue with sex when a woman resisted. To depict pornographic scenes as the cause of rape and degrading of women is simply masking the actual grounds of such acts. Holly Hughes states, if you argue that getting the Playboys out of the 7-Eleven is going to drive down the rape rate, then you also have to give credence to the religious right's claims that representation of gay and lesbian lives are going to cause homosexuality...I don't see imagery - whether it's pornography, hate speech, or lesbian imagery- as causing a certain kind of behavior (43). Simply because one is a consumer of pornography does not mean they have to go out and do everything they see. Possibly pornography abets some sex crimes. But according to Ernest Van Den Haag in his essay. "Learning to Live with Sex and Violence," those disposed to sex crimes may also be inclined to consume pornography as an effect, not a cause, of their pre - existing criminal disposition. More important, if there is a disposition to sex crimes, an almost infinite variety of things may trigger criminal action. A rapist does not need pornography. The sight of a woman, or even of an advertisement for lingerie may be enough" (59). However, for most people pornography is no more damaging, or habit - forming, than coffee. Simply because there is no way to eliminate stimuli, there is no reason to believe that pornography is indispensable to sex crimes or sufficiently at fault to justify controlling it. Despite complaints and criticisms from individuals and groups alike, producers will continue to create pornography and those individuals who enjoy it will continue to purchase it. Because of strong support from a number of people... "the porn industry has become a mulitmillion dollar business" (Brownmiller 663). To attempt to do away completely with such a prosperous business would be virtually impossible. The reality is that millions and millions of Americans consume various kinds of sexually explicit materials every month. Although their numbers are large, their rights are under attack in virtually every segment of society. But forming laws restricting pornography from viewers would be similar to restricting cigarettes from smokers. The outrage and protest would be uncontrollably extreme. And laws are only obeyed by people who believe in them. There are a lot of laws against drugs. Has it stopped anyone? Kyle Jorgensen, a man involved in the adult sex industry for seven years, has learned that he will never please everyone (Nichols 60). He has been both praised and reviled. "I've had women come in the door or write letters thanking me for saving their marriages," he claims. "At the same time, I have letters from special - interest groups condemning me for destroying the world" (Nichols 60). Ultimately, the assemblage of people who object to pornography must learn to turn their heads and look away. Those who do enjoy the content of pornography should continue to enjoy it without, however, imposing on those who choose not to subject themselves. Controversial Pornography: Revision- Paper # 3 by: Nicole Lamberson Ms. Susan Trabert English 102-060 December 12, 1996 Works Cited Brownmiller, Susan. "Let's Put Pornography Back in the Closet." Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau, eds. Bedford: Boston, 1996. Hughes, Holly. "Pornography: Does Women's Equality Depend on what we do About it?" Ms. Jan./ Feb. 1994: 42-45. Nichols, Mark. "Viewers and Victims: Pornography and Sexual Offenses." Maclean's 11 Oct. 1993: 60. Strossen, Nadine. "The Perils of Pornophobia." The Humanist. May/June 1995: 7-9. Van Den Haag, Ernest. "Learning to Live with Sex and Violence." National Review. 1 Nov. 1993: 56-9. \ Show a number of different people a simple piece of paper consisting of nothing more than a red blotch of paint and ask them what they see. The responses will vary from objects such as a cherry, to more simply, just plain red paint. This is an indication of the individuality, or sum of qualities that characterize and distinguish an individual from all others, instilled in every human being. Just as facial features and hair color differ among individuals, similar distinctiveness is found among personalities and opinions. Because of prominent variance in belief among many individuals, a number of topics and issues have become controversial in society today. Similar to the varied responses to the red splotch of paint, photographs, video tapes and paintings portraying nudity and sexual content receive a number of clashing opinions. There are artists who paint and photograph nudity and pornography who find the human body and sex portrayed in many forms to be beautiful. However, there are also many extremely conservative individuals who take offense to such "artwork" and find its contents appalling. And those who enjoy the nudity and sexual content exhibited in pornographic materials should marvel and delight in its details. Those who do not should simply look away. In the words of Justice William O. Douglas, "no one is compelled to look" (Brownmiller 663). There is no concrete manner to define materials that are "obscene" or "offensive" because various images come to mind among individuals when words similar to these are used to describe pornography. To classify a distasteful picture from a beautiful one comes down to a matter of opinion and taste. In previous instances, such as the Miller Case of 1973, the Court attempted to define which materials could be judged as lewd or indecent: The materials are obscene if they depict patently offensive, hard-core sexual conduct; lack serious scientific, literary, artistic, or political value; and appeal to the prurient interests of an average person-as measured by contemporary community standards (Brownmiller 662). In accordance with the opinions of Susan Brownmiller in her essay, "Let's Put Pornography Back in the Closet," most would agree that description such as "patently offensive," "prurient interest," and "hard-core" are "indeed words to conjure with" (662). Elimination of pornography is not the key to social equality, partly since no one can define what porn is and because censorship is never a simple matter. First, the offense must be described. "And how does one define something so infinitely variable, so deeply personal, so uniquely individualized as the image, the word, and the fantasy that cause sexual arousal" (Strossen 4)? Pornography cannot be recognized as easily as the Court involved with the Miller Case implied. "Contemporary community standards" do not exist in that individuals and families alike have strongly different ideals and ethics on issues such as sexual content, nudity and pornography. While some parents allow their children to view rated R movies containing sexual content and nudity, others restrict their children from attending sexual education classes in high school. Finding a median between two strongly differing standards similar to these would be rare. Thus, to accept or reject, like or dislike pornography is a personal opinion that is often too divided to differentiate. Besides the difficulties of definition, there are varying degrees of intensity in the porn images themselves. One of the more prominent arguments against pornography is that "it represents the hatred of women, that pornography's intent is to humiliate, degrade and dehumanize the female body for the purpose of erotic stimulation and pleasure" (Brownmiller 663). Although in some instances women are portrayed as being stripped, bound, raped and tortured in pornographic scenes, not all pornography is this explicit and violent. In any case, the intent of such scenes is not to "degrade and dehumanize" the entire female gender but to simply satisfy those individuals who enjoy poses and pictures containing such violent erotic content. Brownmiller argues that these images of violent pornography... "have everything to do with the creation of a cultural climate in which a rapist feels he is merely giving in to normal urge and a woman is encouraged to believe that sexual masochism is healthy, liberated fun" (663). Women such as Brownmiller who spend most of their time blaming rape on pornography should spend more of that time educating women on personal safety so they can protect and empower themselves. To attribute rape cases to sexual pictures is similar to blaming drunk driving accidents on alcohol. The individual who chose to drink and then drive is at fault, similar to the man who decided to continue with sex when a woman resisted. To depict pornographic scenes as the cause of rape and degrading of women is simply masking the actual grounds of such acts. Holly Hughes states, if you argue that getting the Playboys out of the 7-Eleven is going to drive down the rape rate, then you also have to give credence to the religious right's claims that representation of gay and lesbian lives are going to cause homosexuality...I don't see imagery - whether it's pornography, hate speech, or lesbian imagery- as causing a certain kind of behavior (43). Simply because one is a consumer of pornography does not mean they have to go out and do everything they see. Possibly pornography abets some sex crimes. But according to Ernest Van Den Haag in his essay. "Learning to Live with Sex and Violence," those disposed to sex crimes may also be inclined to consume pornography as an effect, not a cause, of their pre - existing criminal disposition. More important, if there is a disposition to sex crimes, an almost infinite variety of things may trigger criminal action. A rapist does not need pornography. The sight of a woman, or even of an advertisement for lingerie may be enough" (59). However, for most people pornography is no more damaging, or habit - forming, than coffee. Simply because there is no way to eliminate stimuli, there is no reason to believe that pornography is indispensable to sex crimes or sufficiently at fault to justify controlling it. Despite complaints and criticisms from individuals and groups alike, producers will continue to create pornography and those individuals who enjoy it will continue to purchase it. Because of strong support from a number of people... "the porn industry has become a mulitmillion dollar business" (Brownmiller 663). To attempt to do away completely with such a prosperous business would be virtually impossible. The reality is that millions and millions of Americans consume various kinds of sexually explicit materials every month. Although their numbers are large, their rights are under attack in virtually every \ f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Convacation.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My independent project was done on a whimsical basis. It's thanksgiving eve and my family and I are all gathered around watching football. The Redskins and Cowboy's are all tied up, and my uncle is on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. A diehard Cowboys fan, who can't even remember when was the last time he didn't bet on a game. Mom and dad are still eating, while my aunt recites a thanksgiving song for all the uninvited guests. The door bell rings, and what do you know it's the Lowell Police. Officers Bob Jacob and William Gould stop by on their neighbor-hood patrol. My aunt invities them in for some coffee, and they end up eating the rest of our thanksgiving dinner. For some strange reason I think of Sociology.( Do you think they'll arrest me if I asked them too.) I asked if they had some spare time to indulge me in my experiment, and they were delighted to do so. (This also gave me a chance to show my parents I was actually doing something productive in school.) They placed the hand-cuffs on me and read me my rights. I have to admit the whole thing was quite funny, but I would never want it to happen in a real situation. The cuffs where killing me, but I took it like a man. They gave me a ride around the block where I had the chance to ask them a few questions. 1. What made you want to become a cop? 2. How do you feel about kids and our constant drug problem? 3. Do you think certain laws should apply to certain situations? 4. Do you feel you are making a significant contribution to society? 5. What's the number one crime you constantly encounter? Bob became a cop because it was a family thing. William became a cop because he thought he could make a difference, and he lost a brother so I didn't push the subject any further. As for drugs, both agreed that they enforce no drugs to the letter of the law. From a joint to an once it's all the same. The repercussions vary, but that's not their job, they leave it up for the courts to decide what type of steps should be taken. They do admit at times to scarring kids, saying that their going away for a long time, and basically just being more lenient. When I asked if they thought killing someone in self defense was wrong, they replied if you can't call us first then by all means do anything necessary to escape. Both agreed they feel better when they have done a good nights job, but wish more could be done to ensure people a right to live as they wish no matter where that might be. The number one crime in committed in Lowell is drug dealing and abuse. As a matter of fact Lowell was rated number one in the country in this category. Just recently the biggest drug bust in New England was reported there. This just goes to show what these men and women encounter every night when they put on that uniform. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Corporal punishment.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Corporal Punishment People a few years ago,thought of the only way to punish someone who did a sinister deed was to use corporal punishment.This is meant to enforce pain to someone who has done wrong by hitting them,beating them,strapping them or even whipping them.These are only a few examples of corporal punishment. Why do we have corporal punishment,How do we benefit from it and how do we abuse it?. The most obvious reason for corporal punishment is to castigate one for doing wrong by means of physical abuse expecting the individual to learn from his or her mistake.But we must ask ourselves this question.Is the person benefiting from this or is he or she not only being physically abused but mentally.In some cases corporal punishment psychologically effects ones mind on a long term bases that will stain their memory for a very long period of time. In other cases physical punishment scars and stains the body changing its physical appearance but only on a small scale.Corporal punishment is also used because it is quick and in most cases effective.The mental condition of the person being affected may worsen not only resulting to utter madness but may also result in lack of moral strength.Most people nowadays feel that corporal punishment is not the best answer to enforce restrictions in society as they feel,that pain is not the best solution. Although Corporal punishment has its disadvantages it can also make people aware of the fact that wrong doing results in pain and agony.As more people know the effect of misbehaving,the fewer the mistakes there would be.Michael Fae for example, used a paint canister to spray paint on cars for fun.The result for this action was to be strapped four times on the back.Now he realizes what he has to face if he were to do it again. In the past,corporal punishment was used very often especially in schools.Now corporal punishment is banned from most of the schools around the world because a lot of the people who administer it abuse it.Legal problems then arises.Parents have been known to sue the schools for beating their child too severely.They abuse corporal punishment when using it in excess and when it is not neccessary.Because of the abusement the parents feel they have the right to take action against the person who administers the punishment. My conclusion is that there are a lot of other ways to teach someone what is wrong but corporal punishment is definitely not one of them. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\cultural diversity in educatio.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Since early American history, schools, like society, have addressed cultural diversity in different ways. In the colonial days, some attempts to adjust to cultural differences were made in the New York colony, but the dominant American culture was the norm in the general public, as well as most of the schools. As America approached the nineteenth century, the need for a common culture was the basis for the educational forum. Formal public school instruction in cultural diversity was rare, and appreciation or celebration of minority or ethnic culture essentially was nonexistent in most schools. In the 1930's, the educators were in the progressive education movement, called for programs of cultural diversity that encouraged ethnic and minority students to study their heritage's. This movement became popular in many schools until around 1950. Now, these days in education, the term multicultural education never escapes a teacher's thoughts (Ryan, 26). What does the term "multicultural education" mean to you? I means different things to different people. For instance, to some minority communities, it means to foster pride and self- esteem among minority students, like the progressive movement in the 1930's. Another example would be in the white communitites, that multicultural programs are designed to cultivate an appreciation of various cultural, racial, and ethnic traditions. Cortes defines multicultural education by the process by which schools help prepare young people to live with greater understanding, cooperation, effectiveness, and dedication to equality in a multicultural nation and inerdependent world (Cortes, 16). When I observed at Madison Elementary in December, I expected the school would be multicultural in the sense of ethnic or racial backgrounds. Instead, I was very surprised to discover that the school was predominately white students, with only a handful of African American students in each classroom. I did find out that the Wheeling Island area was in very low status pertaining to income. Not only did over half of the students receive free or reduced lunch, but the students academic skills were below the national norm. I never realized what an effect of economic status can affect a student's academic progress. Of course there are out lying factors, the parent involvement was at a minimum because most families consisted of only one care taker. To make ends meet the single parent had to spend most of his/her time working for money to buy clothes, food, and to keep their children healthy. Madison Elementary had made great strides to improve their efforts to better the students academic progress. The school had instilled different programs like A-Team, Pre-K classes, Reading Recovery, various health services, outreach to families, and many more to ensure that the students will succeed in their studies. The role of the teacher at Madison is to assist and guide the students through school with smooth transitions. This at times is impossible due to fact that some students in their classrooms have behavior disorders, not all of the students are on the same learning levels, and the teacher can only help the students at school, not at home. Sometimes the parents do not fulfill their responsibilities at home. The teacher must adjust to the students needs. "When dealing with multicultural issues in he classroom, teachers must guard against perpetuating racial and ethnic stereotypes, which is often done subconsciously and indirectly by failing to use linguistic qualifiers such as 'some,' 'many,' and 'most' when referring to cultural groups. There is much diversity within culture" (Ryan, 27). Teachers must also keep in mind that the process of social development entails the successful interplay between an integrating function and differentiating function. It is critical that multicultural education programs foster both. The challenge is simple but significant: Can we create places of learning where students are no longer strangers to themselves or to one another? The answer is clear: We must (Tamura, 24- 25). Students need to understand that they are participating in many different networks. They are involved in social networks, not just ethnic or racial ones; however, their cultural background and experiences may indeed have an impact upon the nature of their participation in these other networks. Students also need to understand they are also individuals with talents, skills, strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes (Ryan, 27). A goal for all students, American born or not, is to develop cross-cultural acceptance, to have them develop strategies to work through their own prejudices and to sustain their own dignity when they become the targets of prejudice. We as teachers must work very hard to teach children to sustain and protect our democratic way of life and to build a world culture of human beings who resolve disputes in ways that protect the rights of all (Higuchi, 70-71). The curriculum at Madison is different than any other school I have been associated with. Mr. Warren and his staff base the curriculum on the needs of the students. As I have stated in my journal, the language arts is the area of study with the biggest deficits. Math, Spelling, and Reading are the main emphasis of the curriculum. I witnessed a one science lesson with the gifted students. Madison has made great strides to improve in the area of language arts, they have improved many students' skills. They will continue their efforts until the students at Madison are academically strong in the area of language arts. When using multicultural curriculum, teachers must provide opportunities for taking perspectives as a way of helping all students appreciate other points of view, which will help them to identify, through contrast and comparison, their own personal characteristics as individuals. With this in mind, one is then able to establish an identity, along with a sense of control over it. Not all students learn the same. Teachers need to develop an awareness for individual characteristics as a prerequisite to developing instructional strategies that will meet the learning style of each student. Teaching to a variety of learning styles will increase the probability of student achievement, thereby leading to a greater internal locus of control and improved self-esteem (Ryan, 27-28). Some think that Cortes has the right idea by introducing five fundamental concepts that all elementary schools should introduce to help their students develop greater insight into human diversity. His first idea is individuality and group identity. He believes that students need to understand the significance of groups- racial, ethnic, gender, cultural, religious, and others. In addition, they need to understand that each individual can belong to many different groups. These groups may be based on birth others the result of choice and experience. Belonging to this group may influence the ways an individual thinks, acts believes, perceives, and may be perceived by others. His next idea is that multicultural education involves the study of objective culture like food, clothing, music, art, and dance. Teachers should not stop there. There is also a subjective side to each culture like values, norms, expectations, and beliefs. The subjective culture involves the interpretation and expression of even universal values. Cortes states, "While learning about the many variations in people's racial, ethnic, gender, religious, and cultural experiences, students also need to recognize commonalties, which can serve as bases for building intergroup and interpersonal bridges." This is the bases for his third idea, similarities and differences. You may use the similarities as a starting point, but in order to bond you must find the differences and address them seriously. The differences lead to multiple perspectives and points of view. This his Cortes' fourth concept. When diverse individuals and groups come together with different experiences, traditions, and views multiple perspectives hit and sometimes cause conflicts. A muliticultural person should understand different points of view, and the elementary school is an ideal place to begin developing this concept. Next you must build common ground. Schools also need to help students develop the skills to find common ground with those of different backgrounds and heritage's. This requires practice and experience. Schools should provide safe settings with a comfortable climate in which all students are encouraged to draw on their cultures (Cortes, 17-19). Sometimes we can acquire cultural ways without even knowing that we are doing so; it is like the air we breathe. Not know that our behavior is governed by there cultural ways, we often do not see the need for change. Most teachers have been trained in educational programs that are not geared to the needs of the urban schools. They are normally familiar with the white middle-class schools. Indeed, a culture of teaching exists in America that still espouses the notion that poor children and children of color, on average, do not learn as well as middle-class and affluent white children. A typical urban school serves students from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds that are different form a typical suburban school. Some think that urban schools posses students with low test scores, a high number of discipline referrals, little safety and strict security, a high dropout rate, and few honor students. Over the past three decades, most teachers in urban schools have been inserviced to death. Most believe that many of the problems they face are caused by those outside the schools. Most of them think that they have been involved in change but, the same range has always been present throughout the culture of schooling (Parish and Aquila, 299). Changing the schools must have new purpose and produce new outcomes. Most educators know that the quality of education received in America is highly correlated with the socioeconomic status and rave of a student's family. Yet to suggest that educators bear any responsibility for this reality will bring not only denial but anger-as if the outcomes of schools have nothing to do with the work of teachers and principals (Parish and Aquila 299). With all of these dimensions into context, multiculturalism may be associated with the celebration of cultural diversity. In overemphasizing the importance of group membership, such programs can over shadow the significance of individuality. Schools need to give equal time to the importance of individual development and achievement. And students need to be empowered with an internal locus of control that will help them develop a stable, personality that is aware of its strengths, weaknesses, potentials, and limitations. In previous years most school children were separated by groups and were taught to be prepared to take their place in the world. Today, children are encouraged to be creative and to achieve. It is ironic and distressing that many schools still remain locked I that earlier vision. They continue to package students into tracks, ignore individual learning styles, and generally overlook related individual differences. At Madison school every student was treated as an individual and every student was given an equal opportunity to succeed. I believe that Madison is a successful multicultural school with the students needs being their first priority. Diversity need not lead to separateness. But the failure to develop intergroup understanding through constructive multicultural education virtually guarantees societal division based on ignorance. Multicultural education belongs in all schools not just in districts with large multiracial student bodies, because all students will share the same multicultural nation. Therefore, all elementary schools should expose their students to a broad range of our nation's racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity (Cortes,20). Schools do not determine whether or not multicultural education will occur. The societal curriculum guarantees that it will. Schools can only chose whether or not to participate in this process. For the sake of our children; I hope schools accept the challenge and address it seriously, now and in the future. EDCI 401 Name Here JANUARY 31,1997 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\cultural diversity.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Explain why cultural diversity is important in a college education. I come from a small town. Hannibal, MO, the boyhood home of Mark Twain, is described its claim to fame as "a sleepy town drowsing." Most surely he has never been more accurate, for this small enchanted river town has never awakened total equality. It is a town full of ignorance, where nobody has ever thought twice of sharing and spreading their sly comments and idiotic judgements to anyone and everyone who will listen, and most people do. It is a town where fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and grandparents teach their kids to "ignore those no-good niggers," stay away from those "half-breeds" and give hell to anyone "nigger-lover" who refuses to believe the truth. It sickens me. Last year, we had an issue to address at our school. It later became known as The Cowboys vs. The Blacks, and never has our school been more involved. The newspapers screamed of the hate, violence, and threat of gangs that were corrupting our schools; the halls rang with the lastest gossip on the next big showdown. This problem slapped a school full of apathetic kids into a lively bunch ready to get involved. Involved in what? A controversy that all had opinions on, but how could you not have an opinion? It was the talk at all of the dinner tables, bars, and stores in town. Kids went home scared of the racial tension. Parents whined and cried of violence in the school. The parents whined and cried, and at the same time forgot to remember that it was they, not the kids, who had taught the very prejudices that were "disrupting the education process." My opinion is simple and elementary: Children are not born to hate others, they must be taught to judge colors. If we are taught prejudices, then obviously, the racial tensions at my school didn't disrupt education, rather enforced lessons often reviewed over fried chicken and potatoes. I cried once in my sophomore history class. The girl in front of me sang and preached that life was just that way, no one could ever change anything, so why should we even try? Prejudice is taught in the home, and the home is where we learn everything we really need to know. I listened, fumed, and stood up to interrupt her. (I rarely frown, let alone yell, but I had had enough of her pessimism. All eyes and ears were on me, and as my dramatic nature began to influence me, I started to preach.) I have a theory. I created it. Some say I'm naive, others say I'm too hopeful, but so far no one has told me to abandon it, so I cling to my idea and share it as often as the issue comes up. I have a story about my experiences. At my grandparents house, we cannot watch Cosby without hearing a racist slur from my grandfather. Great guy, but racially unfair. My dad grew up around jokes and hints about those 'half-breeds' and such, but I did not. Enter my theory. Somewhere in my family, the racist ideas were tamed, not eliminated entirely, but curtailed in such a way that I was able to escape them. How did my father, who was conditioned at an early age to slight those of other cultures, unlearn? Two words: education and experience. My dad played football and studied with people of different ethnic backgrounds. Although he was still exposed to the beliefs at home, he was beginning to slowly form his own. Always around different cultural backgrounds, always aware and always learning that maybe what he had been earlier taught wasn't entirely true. Questioning all the time, wondering if maybe they weren't so low-down and no-good. There comes a point in all of our lifes when we simply grow up. We no longer blindly latch on to what our parents say. We believe ourselves before we fall victim to other influences, and we question and reteach ourselves answers we believe correct. We evaluate and review what we have been taught, and sometimes, if lucky, we are able to unlearn. If my dad had never studied, sweated, and sheltered others of different ethnic backgrounds, I would have grown up hearing as many sly jokes and racist comments that he did. I would not, however, repeat them to my children. Why? Because I would have played in the sandbox at kindergarten with someone not like me, cheered on a squad where not all have the same ethnic roots, and exchanged math notes with a fascinating foreign exchange student. Cultural diversity is not important in a college education, it is vital. No other place is more ideal than college ke of success, everyone would unlearn the prejudices taught to them, and learn of What we need here is not the arrogance of power, but the cooperation of everyone to learn and to be open-minded. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Cultural Literacy.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Cultural Literacy According to E.D. Hirsch According to E.D. Hirsch, to be culturally literate is to possess the basic information to thrive in the modern world. It is the ³grasp on the background information that writers and speakers assume their audience already has.² In his book, Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, Hirsch sets forth 5,000 essential words and phrases of which each person should be knowledgeable. The list ranges from idioms to mythology, from science to fairy tales. Why has this list prompted a notable debate on our country¹s educational standards? E.D. Hirsch believes that the literacy of American people has been rapidly declining. The long range remedy for restoring and improving American literacy must be to ³institute a policy of imparting common information in our schools.² In short, according to Hirsch - the answer to our problem lies within the list. Hirsch¹s book explains the importance of the need of a higher level of national literacy. His main argument is that cultural literacy is required for effective communication and the ³cooperation of many people...² Communication is what Hirsch sees is essential for success in today¹s society. Communication is the key to equality in America. With increased cultural literacy, an egalitarian society is eventually possible. One common body of knowledge for everyone will be the glue that holds society together. Hirsch also points out the senselessness of concepts such as multi-culturalism and multi-lingualism. He acknowledges the importance of the numerous cultures and ethnicities of which United States is comprised. Hirsch mentions the ³hyphenated American: the Italo-American, the Polish-American, the Afro-American, the Asian-American and so forth.² He points out that he is in favor of each minority¹s protection, nurture, and respect; however, he strongly feels that people need to decide what ³ŒAmerican¹ means on the other side of the hyphen...what national values and traditions really belong to national cultural literacy.² American cultural literacy should be based on our traditions -- morality of tolerance and benevolence, the Golden Rule, communal cooperation, altruism and freedom. It is in this way that Hirsch argues those in opposition of cultural literacy. Many opponents question Hirsch¹s view by questioning who would decide this common body of knowledge for everyone. People debate what is included in ³the list² on the basis of multiculturism. They ask, is the knowledge equally important to every citizen of the United States no matter what race, gender or religion? Hirsch responds by putting the emphasis on the other side of the hyphen - the American side. When reading Hirsch¹s book, I strongly agreed with his big picture of cultural literacy and agree that it is important to establish a common body of knowledge for students consisting of important facts. However, I think Hirsch takes it a step too far by comprising a sample list that intentionally excludes Americans that are of different origin. Hirsch needs to keep in mind that the United States was founded on the ideal that anyone and everyone should be free and equal -- no matter where they come from or who they are. In essence - multi-culturalism is a part of America¹s foundation and I think that students should be educated on that ground no matter what Hirsch¹s ³list² says. I believe that Hirsch¹s views regarding multi-culturalism and multi-lingualism are completely one sided and too extreme to be applied in today¹s typical American classroom. Although it is simple to imagine the glorious outcome of a nation that is fully literate and educated in several areas, one must look at the details. In spite of Dewey¹s revolutionary philosophy on education, Hirsch stands completely opposite. Dewey¹s philosophy stresses the crucial role of experience in a student¹s education and development. His system would prepare the student for life in the ³real world² -- for everyday interactions with peer and co-workers. Hirsch criticizes methods advocated by Dewey and Rousseau by saying that a child needs to ³learn the traditions of the particular human society and culture it is born into....American children need traditional information at a very early age.² But what role does traditional information play in today¹s society? Hirsch longs for the historic educational system of memorization. He plans for the student to use this information when engaging in somewhat intellectual discussions and reading materials by preparing him for the author¹s brief allusions and references. For the majority of Americans who are working blue-collar jobs -- traditional information plays virtually no role at all. The memorization of dates and names was simply a waste of time in the classroom; their education is not being applied to their lifestyles. This sort of education may be important for some people in the United States, but not everyone can memorize dates and names, the truth is - not everyone needs to. Therefore, I think the best kind of education will combine the theories of Dewey and Hirsch. This could be done by involving hands-on experiences in addition to a lesson or lecture. Too much of either type of education simply won¹t be advantageous to students once they are out of school. I found Cultural Literacy particularly interesting because of the fact that I am attending Colgate University, a liberal arts school. It is the mission of a liberal arts school to educate each student in several different areas and for each student to become knowledgeable of a core curriculum. In a sense, this is what Hirsch wants for every school in the United States. From my experience, Hirsch¹s perspective does have validity, but he has a tendency to underestimate the importance of a student¹s interest in the learning processCoprights: Jens Shriver f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Curriculum construction.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Final Exam Question #1 At risk students, meaningful classroom experience aid young minds to develop sound basic education needs for example, Reading, Math and English by the establishment of an academic support base for "At Risk" students. to provide social and emotional support by reinforcing the idea of self esteem and positive self imaging We shall also strive to be eclectic in our approach, and believe that a combined effort of family members, administrators, teaching staff culturally aware supporters and others are necessary to meet the needs of our diverse community. Responsible education is defined as a process of training and development of a person's mind, character, skills, and abilities whereby an individual can distinguish between right and wrong, to think and act rationally and therefore responsible for his/her individual behavior targets the student who demonstrates "at risk behavior" due to traumatic intrusion in their lives, for example, physical or emotional abuse, fractured family structure or severe social and economic hardships, but also desire to develop attitudes and skills necessary to develop their academic standards. 1.Provide an educational support by reinforcing the concepts of self 2.Provide social and emotional sup esteem and positive self imaging. 3.Provide academia as a way to self improvement, personal growth and personal social and cultural awareness. 4.Provide student and families with information necessary to enhance student achievement. Capability... is an integration of knowledge, skills, understanding and personal qualities used appropriately and effectively at work and in life generally; is a broader and richer concept than competencies, being concerned as much with future potential as with immediate needs; involves the whole person, including values and emotional sophistication; is the capacity for autonomous learning and personal, vocational and professional development; is the capacity to manage change. Capability is enhanced by the way students pursue their mainstream studies... active rather than passive, negotiated rather than imposed, applied rather than remote, collaborative as well as individual. Compared with a competency model, in which outcomes and performance indicators are predetermined, a capability model presents outcomes as negotiable, involving students in explorations of relevance and notions of quality, thereby promoting deeper levels of learning. Helping students to become more responsible and accountable for their own learning is excellent preparation for continuing professional education, lifelong learning, resource-based learning and research. Change, innovation, improvement This is a broad definition, but curricula can differ considerably. A curriculum, for instance, can put forward ideas for: coordinating different types of education (primary, secondary and adult education) planning and updating course material coordinating related subjects, e.g. physics, chemistry and biology gearing course material to the needs and wishes of special groups of students, e.g. ethnic groups using new media, e.g. CD-i and CD-ROM mediation of feeling of competence part of everyday teaching is to help children develop an inner sense that they are competent, help them develop independence Goal seeking and achieving behavior- help students begin to set goals for themselves and mediate that they can achieve them Mediate a feeling of belonging everyone in the classroom feels they belong, all cultures, celebration of holidays. Teach through the multiple intelligence theory most learning occurs when the child is in the state of joy. Question #2 The school board in your community is asking for information regarding the school programs there. They want to know why it is important for educators like yourself to have input into curriculum development. Explain. Teachers are the ones who are in the classroom day in and out and understand who the students are, where they are coming from, what their needs are, and how to address these issues. Thus, it is important that teachers are involved in the designing of all curricula. Teachers will work cooperatively with administrators, parents, and businesses to devise programs which are current with todays society, economy and culture. As well, teachers, as they teach the curriculum, can continually evaluate the subject matter and teaching of the material so that the program, or parts of it, can be adapted, or thrown out. Curriculum development, like course and unit design, requires careful consideration of the rationale for the curriculum, decisions about what students should be expected to learn, attention to matters of organization and sequence, determination of teaching strategies, and planning for evaluation. Question #3 What aspects of curriculum (that we have covered in our class) are important for all elementary aged children and thus, need to be used on an ongoing basis? Within this program model, how will you as teacher individualize for each child when necessary. Evaluations can be used for many types of decisions. For example, course-improvement, decisions about individual students and administrative regulation. Evaluation for course improvement involves gathering information that will be useful in deciding which aspects of a course can and should be improved. Evaluation aimed at decisions about individual students consists in gathering information to be used in assessing students needs or in the grading, grouping, or selection of individual students. Evaluation for administrative regulation is directed toward assessing the merit of schools, curricula, materials, teachers and so forth. Question #4 Reflect on the development of your unit in this class. What did you learn from this experience. Be as specific as you can. In designing the unit, I felt that my purposes should be made explicit in the form of educational goals and intended learning outcomes. We must think for ourselves about our students, our subject matter, and our assumptions about education, and then express our purposes appropriately. If we want our students to learn to problem solve, mere content will not suffice. We need to include in our units multiple intelligence theory and mediated learning techniques. Developing this curriculum gave me a different perspective on curricula which has been developed by others. This perspective enables us to look at curricula and talk about them more intelligently, precisely, and profoundly. More importantly, I continually thought of this unit as more of a journey than that of a 'lets get to the finish line'. By understanding what I wanted the students to learn at the end of the unit in the beginning, I was able to make their trip enjoyable along the way. This means including many teaching strategies (field trips, hand on activity, discussions, multiple intelligence's, mediated learning, group work, individual work) all with a high amount of structure and meaning. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\danger in the air .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Is there danger in the air at the North Intermediate School in Wilmington? Apparently carbon dioxide levels have been found to be above acceptable levels in some class rooms. According to a report dated Dec. 9, 1996, by ATC Associations, an independent consulting firm hired by the Town of Wilmington to conduct Indoor Air Quality and Microbiological testing at the school. "All indoor air quality parameters were within normal guideline ranges with the exception of consistently elevated levels of carbon dioxide and low relative humidity levels throughout the school," said the report. High levels of carbon dioxide indoors can be a sign of poor ventilation in a building. Carbon dioxide is an odorless gas which can cause discomfort at lower levels and act as a mild narcotic at higher concentrations. According to the Dec. 9 report, "If carbon dioxide levels exceed 800-1000 parts per million(ppm), the ventilation system is not effectively working." At the Wilmington School Committee meeting on Feb. 12, school Superintendent Dr. Geraldine A. O'Donnell stated that there was a complaint of a musty odor in one of the class rooms after heavy rains on Nov. 6. There were also complaints of nausea and headaches from numerous students. The room was inspected by Roger Lessard, Public Building Superintendent. Mr. Lessard found the odor was being caused by Science chemicals stored there and mildew on a window ledge in the room. School principal Doug Anderson checked with the school nurse for the attendance rate between Oct. 22 and the first week in November and found nothing out of the ordinary. However, being concerned about the safety of the students and staff, Mr. Anderson requested Lessard hire an outside consultant to evaluate the school's air quality. The Town of Wilmington then contracted with ATC Associations of Woburn, Environmental, Geoteccnical, and Materials Professionals. ATC conducted a test at the school Nov. 21 and sampled 19 locations. 11 of the 19 locations tested had a carbon dioxide level of over 800 ppm. The average carbon dioxide level was 900ppm showing the results of inadequate ventilation. ATC explained numerous ways to improve the school's ventilation system. These included: trimming the shrubs close to vents; opening windows to allow air into the building; and making sure all vents are unobstructed. During late November, Anderson noticed a considerably large drop in student attendance. The student absentee rate shifted from 5% to 20%. Anderson spoke with the school Nurse Rita McCabe and requested that the Massachusettes Department of Health(DPH) be contacted. The DPH and the Wilmington Board of Health inspected the school on Jan. 30 and conducted air quality tests. The results of the test are expected at the end of February. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\David Copperfield.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The novel David Copperfield, written by Charles Dickens, deals with the life and times of David Copperfield. About a century ago in a small town in England, David was born on a Friday at the stroke of midnight, which is considered a sign of bad luck. David's father has already died and his aunt comes to stay with him and his mother as this novel gets off to a very slow start. Soon David becomes aware that his mother has relations with another man and asks one of his servants, "if you marry a person, and the person dies, why then you may marry another person, mayn't you?" David is immediately angered that his mother has betrayed his father and goes off to live with his aunt. A while later, David goes back home but quickly gets into trouble and is sent off to school. Dickens uses excellent description in his telling of this story and the reader can easily relate to the characters. The setting of a small town in England is standard in all of his novels, including Great Expectations. The reason for this Dickens' setting is because he was born in the town of Portsmouth, England in 1812. Although as a young child he moved to Chatham where he experienced a pleasant childhood in which many scenes from his childhood are intertwined throughout his novels. Dickens father was constantly in debt and was eventually sent to jail. This memory was agonizing for young Charles as years later he wrote: "No words can express the secret agony of my soul. I felt my early hopes of growing up to be a learned and distinguished man, crushed in my breast." This directly relates to Dickens discussion of David in a wine house later in the novel. A couple of years later, Dickens attends school at the Wellington House Academy where he fell in love with Maria Beadnell but her father opposed the marriage and nothing became of it. David Copperfield is more of a biography of Dickens life made into fiction than of just a regular story about a boy. Dickens writing skills are apparent as he ties chapters together in an easy to understand novel where the writing seems to move along swiftly. Dickens work is rich with metaphors and enjoyable to analyze as in statements such as, "he eats at one gulp exactly like an elephant." This book is a classic and may be considered his best work. There are times when the novel moves slowly, but the positives outweigh the negatives and David Copperfield is a book for everyone. That summer after returning from school he finds his new baby brother, and doesn't exactly know what to think of the situation. He soon must leave again for school but is actually happy for his mother. He and his mother did not get along, and David knew that he would never see her again. She dies soon afterward, and although they did not get along, David takes her death with much grief and sadness. Soon David sets off to Miss Betsey's house, an old friend, and again Dickens' description is brought out as David is described as being, "a dusty, sunburnt, half- clothed figure." The novel is gradually picks up flavor and humor as David's aunt, Miss Trotwood, is described. A parallel to his life is drawn here when he finds out that his previous guardian was put in jail because of unpaid debts. After not being able to find his aunt he stays with a doctor and becomes fond of the daughter Agnes. As David is introduced to his teacher, the plot starts to take a light-hearted, humorous twist. Thus the boring introduction is forgotten and Dickens graceful style is brought out. David eventually meets a young girl named Dora and marries her at the age of twenty one in which time he becomes a successful writer. About a year passes and he starts to have troubles with his marriage, but his writing becomes more successful every day. David is soon expecting a baby and he hopes that it will "make more of a woman" out of Dora, for she is a poor wife. Sadly though, the baby dies soon after it is delivered. Soon after, David gets a letter which says it is urgent to meet at his aunt's house. The letter worries him because he thinks Emily, his childhood love, is dead. But when he goes, he soon realizes that Emily is alive and overhears a conversation she is having with a lady. David then hears the tale of how Emily disappeared. Soon after, his wife dies as does Emily's husband. But David is too distraught to take action and leaves the country for three years, during which time his books gain much popularity. When he returns the exciting climax of the novel is brought out through Dickens classic style. Throughout the novel, there is no set antagonist that Dickens uses. Mr. Murdstone, the man that David's mother marries could be classified as the antagonist because he often beats David and drives David's mother to an early death. Because this novel is more of a biography of Dickens life it is hard to find a certain person that goes against David, however, the man that marries his childhood love could also be classified as the antagonist. Again there is no set theme to the novel because of its biography form. Although a theme throughout David's life could be to take advantage of the situation and if you see something you want, grab it, do not hold back and your life will prosper because of it. As the book ends, Dickens wraps up the novel disposing of all of the characters in the book. This is basically Dickens "anti-climatic wrapping up" portion of the novel in which he does at the end of all his books. Overall, this book displayed humor at times and sorrow at times but was fluent in style and a fun book to read. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Death.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Many poems are written about death. The two poets William Cullen Bryant and Emily Dickinson were very influential trancendental writers. Bryant writing Thanatopsis And Emily Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" are basically more alike then than they are similar for the fact that there views on Death are the same, but what happens to you after is what is disimiliar,although Dickinsons and Bryants poems are very different as seen in specific detail. As in both poems death is present, the way the two authors express it however is a bit unsimiliar. One of many things that is similar is the fact that both authors present there poems in first person view,but the way they describe what happens to you after death is what is very dissimilar. In the poem when she says "We passed the school where children played ,We passed the the fields of blazing grain," shows her use of Idealisation of Nature.Bryants whole poem is Idealisation of nature, by choosing but one sentence would be cutting the poem short.By both authors using the same romantic element is just another example of how they are similar. Thanatopsis and Because i could not stop for Death,are somewhat dissimilar , for instance when in Dickinsons poem when she says "We slowly drove , he knew no haste," she is referring about death taking her away and she sees everything on this journey.william Cullen Bryant however sees Death a little different ,like in his poem when he says " There comes a still voice yet a few days . and thee you will see no more,"He is saying that it will be very peaceful and fast. That when you hear the voice, all is gone. They both had different romantic/trancendental connections,bryant used heavy Idealisation of Mature by saying "To him who in the love of nature holds Communion with her visible forms."Emily Dickinson used supernatural for the fact that she says " Because i could not stop for death he kindly stopped for me." Meaning I had no time for death ,"HE" being death himself stopped for me. By her saying that she is showing her transcendental elements. All in all these two poems that have been compared and contrasted are similar, however they still have very strong Unsimiliar elements.The two authors .EMily Dickinson and william Cullen Bryant definitely have similar elemental intuitions for there poems are so alike.By comparing these poems there similarities have greatly shined and only by reading the deep inside of the poem can you notice that , by only skimming the surface of these poems you surely are not getting the full effect of the poems written by these eccentric authors. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Defining Success.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Defining Success From reading " Defining Success " by Michael Korda, I agree and also disagree with Michael on his way of defining success. The first indicator of success comes when one is making more than one is spending. There are few things that he has left out on how to becoming a success. The things are if you are from a rich family, how well you are educated and who you know. Of course, if you aim at a dream that is so far beyond your reach then you would bound to fail. I agree with this but it also depends on a person. If that person has a low income then their dreams should not be so far of their reach. But, if that person's dream is so far then sometimes it could inspire them to go for it. If they only have a small dream then it could lead to laziness and they wouldn't want to stress out because of a small outcome on success. Another thing is that if that person is from a rich family then their dreams is most likely beyond their reach. This is because they have capitol and capitol can almost buy dreams. Why have a small dream. Education also plays an important role in success. Not unless they got lucky on becoming a movie star or on a cover of a magazine because they were noticed or spotted by some important person. Without education then you wouldn't have any ideas where to start on how to become successful. Also, you wouldn't have any confidence because you would be afraid and wouldn't know how to face obstacles that might be in the way of your dream. Education would at least give you ideas on where to start and how to prosper. Education makes you a more excellent person. It helps you to socialize better with other people. It takes more than just a common sense. Last thing is that the person you know could make you become successful. It's like connection. If you know an important person such as a movie director, actor, actress or even managers, this person could help in a big way. An important person will know another important person if they can't help. If you become successful by these people then you got the easy way out. It is actually the best way because you got the most support. No matter how big your dream is you can still reach it even though it is beyond your reach. You'll only make it if you are determine and participate in your dreams. Everyone who follows and participate in their dream and really wants to succeed bad enough will succeed. If someone didn't succeed, they must not have been determine enough, or they didn't want to succeed bad enough. If they didn't succeed and they say that they worked really hard and really wanted to succeed, they are being dishonest because everyone who follows their dream and really wants to bad enough will succeed. Once you reach your dream then go a little higher. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Descartes vs Pascal.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Descartes vs. Pascal" For centuries, human beings have been debating over the validity of the use of reason. This is a very, very difficult subject to discuss, as one is forced to study something which is at that moment being used in their study. Two classic thinkers who contrasted on their view of reason were Descartes and Pascal. Though both saw reason as the primary source of knowledge, they disagreed over the competence of human reason. Descartes, the skeptic, said that we could use reason to find certain truth if we used it correctly, while Pascal said that we can't know certain truth, but reason is the best source of knowledge that we have. Descartes: Reason is the tool by which we know everything that we know. But most people make the mistake of basing their reasoning on assumptions which are not known with 100% certainty. As I've said, "I am greatly astonished when I consider [the great feebleness of mind] and its proneness to fall [insensibly] into error" (K&B, p. 409). But it is possible to avoid falling into error if we use the valuable tool of reason correctly. In order to do this and find certainty, we must find something that we cannot doubt. This is impossible, as we can logically doubt anything. A certain truth must be something that is not logically possible to be false. We must doubt, as that is the only way to find certain truth. It is the only way to wipe the slate clean of all of the uncertain assumptions which are believed and taught in the universities today. Just as mathematics will lead to uncertain assumptions if it is not built on certain truths, so will all use of reason lead to uncertain assumptions if it is not built on certain truths. There is a way to use doubt, though, to find certainty. If 100% certainty equals 0% doubt and we are certain that we can doubt everything, then we can use doubt as our certainty. We cannot doubt that we are doubting. With our one certainty, we can now methodically use reason to find more certainties. For example, we can use the certainty "I am doubting" to find out that "I exist." If I am doubting, than there must be an "I" who is doubting, which means that I must be. Like I've often said, "I think, therefore I am." We can continue building on our certainties using rational reasoning. Now that we know that we exist, we can logically deduce that our ideas also exist. If our ideas exist, then something has caused them to exist. This is a very useful step, because I can take my idea that a perfect being (God) exists. Since this idea is greater than myself, there must be a perfect being who has caused this idea in me. Continuing on, if there is a perfect God, than I can logically deduce that a perfect being would not give me a deceptive faculty. If we do not have deceptive faculties, than we can know for certain that we can trust our senses with certainty. The certainties that I have arrived at by starting with the one certainty can be known with complete certainty because they were arrived at using rational, logical reasoning. It is true that we can doubt that God exists, yet this skepticism is superseded by rationality. We used a rational argument which is based upon certainties; therefore, we know with 100% certainty that God exists. Pascal: Rene Descartes must realize that our world is not like mathematics. As I have stated, "Let man consider what he is in comparison with all existence; let him regard himself as lost in this remote corner . . . What is a man in the infinite?" (Pascal, #72). How can we expect to gain a grip on certain knowledge when we cannot even grasp where we are in relation to all of reality. Descartes was right in saying that reason is the basis of all of our knowledge, but he must realize that we have severe limitations in our use of reason. We have been deceived, as I've previously written, "Man is only a subject full of error . . . Nothing shows him the truth. Everything deceives him. These two sources of truth, reason and the senses, besides both wanting in sincerity, deceive each other in turn" (Pascal #83). But, as I've also written, "Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed" (Pascal #347). Therefore, our use of reason is retarded, but we do have reason and can use this reason to find truth. We can doubt these "truths" as Descartes thoroughly explained, but we have no choice but to find truth. As I've argued about the existence of God, "Shall he doubt whether he [God] exists? We cannot go so far as that; and I lay it down as a fact that there never has been a real complete skeptic. Nature sustains our feeble reason, and prevents it raving to this extent" (Pascal #434). We can trust our senses, as Descartes concluded, with the realization that we cannot rely solely on empirical knowledge. We also have intuitive ideas from which we learn truth. As I've said, "The heart has its reasons, which reason does not know. We feel it in a thousand things" (Pascal, #277). I think Descartes would disagree with this based on the ability to doubt the feelings of the heart. I hold true to it based on the fact that we cannot know certain spiritual truths by the use of our reason. We must learn of these things by the use of intuitive knowledge, realizing that this intuitive knowledge does not contradict reason. Reason, in fact, supports the realizations that we receive from intuitive knowledge. Watson: I agree with Pascal on his view of the capabilities of reason. We are feeble, misled creatures in the midst of a reality which we cannot know. Descartes was correct in his attempt to use mathematical logic to get rid of uncertain assumptions and find truth, but he needs to realize that most truth is beyond our reach. We, as thinking humans, do have the remarkable ability to study ourselves. Yet we have limitations in this study and cannot expect to be able to get a complete grasp of ourselves. Pascal was right on when he said that there are no complete skeptics. There are many things which we must accept, using reason, that we cannot prove with certainty. I don't lean quite as far in Pascal's direction on his view of intuitionism. I believe that there is intuitive knowledge which we know with our heart. But this knowledge is only believed correctly when it is rationally processed. As with almost everything, we must find a balance between the use of reason and intuition. We err on the side of believing unreasonably if we use too much intuition, we become too skeptical if we ignore intuitive knowledge. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Descriptive essay on Santa Claus.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Santa Claus One of the most important imaginary figures on this earth, who has touched the hearts and souls of many children, is Saint Nicholas. St. Nick, better known as Santa Claus, is notorious for bringing gifts to children that are in need. Known for having a huge belly and a gigantic heart, Santa Claus brings hope to kids who are hopeless and smiles to those who have lost theirs. While snuggled in their bed, desperately trying to catch a wink of sleep, children around the world await the arrival of St. Nick. Dressed in red and with a jolly old smile, he manages to fulfill the dreams of kids throughout millions of miles. Santa Claus brings a whole new meaning to the season of Christmas. Despite his buxom body and his bag of goods, St. Nick succeeds in fitting down various narrow types of chimney's. Quickly yet quietly, he sneaks in and out of houses, leaving only gifts, milk stains and cookie crumbs as evidence of his presence. And he sets off to the next home, hoping that a lit fire place would not come to his surprise. The task of fulfilling the dreams of millions of children is not an easy one. It requires many trusted helpers. These helpers include parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, and of course elves and reindeer. Reindeer play an important role in the scheme of things. Without the famous Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen or Rudolph, Santa would not have any transportation. They fly faster than a speeding bullet, yet never seem to miss a single home. Together, Santa, the elves, and the reindeer work to make the Miracles of Christmas happen. St. Nick not only showers children with gifts, he also instills in them that giving is far more important than receiving. By setting this example, the feeling of Christmas becomes alive within each and every one of our hearts. Therefore, we are able to look at Christmas, through a whole new perspective. Santa Claus also gives children an escape from the harsh reality of today's world. He gives kids something to believe in when there is nothing really to look forward to. St. Nick actually is a savior for many kids who have had to mature pass their age. The look on the children's face, when they awake Christmas morn, fulfills not only their hearts but the people around them. This is the true meaning of Christmas, and without Santa Claus, it wouldn't be the same. White beards, magic reindeer, meaningful gifts, and enchanted sleighs only enhance the feeling of Christmas, but that is not the principle of it all. Santa changes the whole significance of the holiday. He shows the children that it is not what you receive, it is what you give. Many people consider Santa Claus to be part of a child's dream world, but society can learn many things from old St. Nick. Remember, we all have a little piece of him inside our hearts. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\dinosaurs.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DINOSAURS Dinosaur is the name of large extinct reptiles of the Mesozoic Era, during which they were the dominant land animals on Earth. The term was proposed as a formal zoologic name in 1842 by the British anatomist Sir Richard Owen, in reference to large fossil bones unearthed in southern England. The various kinds of dinosaurs are classified in two formal categories, the orders Saurischia and Ornithischia, within the subclass Archosauria. The first recorded dinosaur remains found consisted of a few teeth and bones. They were discovered in 1882 in Sussex, England, by an English doctor, Gideon Mantell, who named them iguanodon. About the same time, other fossil teeth and bones were found near Oxford, England, by Rev. William Buckland. These were named Megalosaurus. Thousands of specimens have since been discovered nearly worldwide. Different types of dinosaurs varied greatly in form and size, and they were adapted for diverse habitats. Their means of survival can only be identified from their fossil remains, and some identifications are in dispute. They ranged in weight from 4 to 6 lb., in the case of the compsognathus, and up to 160,000 lb., in the case of the brachiosaurus. Most dinosaurs were large, weighing more than 1,100 lb., and few weighed less than 100 lb. Most were herbivores, but some saurischians were carnivorous. The majority were four-footed but some ornithischians and all carnivores walked on their hind legs. Always classified as reptiles, dinosaurs have traditionally been assumed to have been reptilian in their physiology, cold-blooded, and ectothermic. In recent years several different lines of evidence have been interpreted as indicating that dinosaurs may have had warm blood and high rates of metabolism, comparable to birds and mammals. Evidence supporting this view includes upright posture and carriage; mammallike microscopical structure of bones; skeletal features suggestive of high activity; and specialized food-processing dentitions and low ratios of dinosaurian predators to prey animals, both suggesting high food requirements. The evidence is not conclusive--all the facts can be alternatively explained--but some dinosaurs may have been endothermic. The reproductive means of most dinosaurs is as yet unknown. Fossil eggs, attributed to one of the horned dinosaurs and a sauropod, have been discovered in Mongolia and France. Fragments that are presumed to be of dinosaur eggs have also been found in Brazil, Portugal, Tanzania, and in the United States, Colorado, Montana, and Utah. In Montana, Utah, and Alberta, Canada, fossils of unhatched dinosaur eggs have been discovered. This evidence indicates egg-laying reproduction in dinosaurs, like most modern reptiles. A few scientists believe that some dinosaurs may have given birth to living young, but no conclusive evidence has yet been found to support this. The two orders of dinosaurs are distinguished by numerous features, the most diagnostic being the arrangement of the three bones of the pelvious. In saurischians, these bones were arranged in a triradiate pattern similar to that of modern crocodilians and lizards; the term Saurischia means lizard hip. The ornithischian pelvis was usually rectangular or tetraradiate; hence the name, which means bird hip. During the 140-million-year reign of the dinosaurs, many new varieties evolved and older kinds died out. Not all kinds became extinct at once; but the last of the dinosaurs disappeared at the end of the Cretaceous. Many other animal kinds died out at about the same time, including the ichthyosaur, mosasour, plesiosaur, flying reptile, and a variety of lower organisms. What brought about such widespread extinction among so many different kinds of organisms is not known; it must, however, have involved major changes in the environment. Their extinction has been attributed to many causes, including cosmic radiation, exploding supernova, world-wide fluctuations in sea level, acid rain caused by volcanic activity, climatic change, and continental drift. Independent evidence indicates that sea levels did fall and temperatures dropped at the end of the Mesozoic Era, a time when continents were drifting apart and new mountain ranges were rising. Although none of these conditions is likely to have been solely responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs, collectively they may have been important. Whatever the cause, the dinosaurs are now gone. In a way, however, they may remain. That is, many paleontologists consider birds almost certainly to have evolved from some small bipedal dinosaur during the Jurassic. If so, the children of the dinosaurs still exist today. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Diplomacy at work.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Diplomacy at Work In today's world political society, the use of diplomacy is a tool that allows countries to work out their differences in an attempt to avoid war. Diplomacy is often one of the last steps taken by two nations before a war begins or even during a war to stop a conflict. A terrific example of diplomacy and when it is used, is the controversy between the Israelis and the Palestinians in the Mideast. These two countries have been at arms for years and have just recently used diplomacy as a tool to settle their differences. Basically, diplomacy is a function of national power. This view was stated by Hans J. Morgenthau and supported in his essay, The Future of Diplomacy. Diplomacy, in the eyes of Morgenthau, is fourfold. First of all, diplomacy must take in respect the objective and the means by which it can be attained. For example, if a weak nation is trying to use diplomacy, it must first determine how much power it has in relation to the country it is dealing with, and if it's goals are attainable with that amount of power. Secondly, Morgenthau says that a nation must also take into respect the power of the other nation and the goal it is trying to reach. Basically, all he is saying is that a country must also take into interest the objectives and capabilities of the opposing nation. Thirdly, he states that diplomacy must determine how compatible the two nations needs are. In simpler terms, diplomacy determines whether or not two nations can come to a compromise with the issues at hand. Finally, Morgenthau says that diplomacy must include the proper steps to achieve a certain goal. Without one of these components it is believed by Morgenthau that the diplomacy system would fail; thus, not solving the problem of the two countries in its entirety. An excellent example of diplomacy between nations is that of the Palestinian and Israeli nations. The leaders of the these two nations, Yasir Arafat (Palestine) and Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel), have resorted to diplomacy to solve their nations differences. Each of the concepts in Morgenthau's theory were used to make peace between the two conflicting nations. First of all, the leaders of both nations recognized the long lived problem that they each faced. They came to the conclusion that peace must be made between the two nations in order for them to live in harmony. Each of the nations also acknowledged the capability and willingness of the opposing nation to go to war. This is because they had fought for many years before; thus, it was more than clear that war was not a boundary that the nations were fearful of. Secondly, each country assessed the needs of the other country. For instance, the Netanyahu government will allow 50,000 Palestinian workers to obtain workers permits. This is an increase of 13,000 permits from 37,000 permits. Also, Israel will allow the opening of a Palestinian airport in the Gaza, but the Palestinians allowed the Israelis to maintain security and inspection rights. Although these are just two areas were compromise has been made; the ability and will of the nations to compromise is very evident. Thirdly, each side has viewed the others objectives and weighed how realistic they are in their own national interest. In other words, both the Israel and Palestinian governments have compromised on all the issues; thus, they have come up with a happy medium that they can both deal with. Finally, each side went out and achieved the goal that the wanted to. For instance, both sides came to the United States and made the agreement publicly known, and used President Clinton as their witness to the events. As one can see, the application of political terms to major political events is not difficult. One can take almost any term in the political world and find it being appreciated in the present day. Diplomacy is an excellent example of this because it is used so often in the world political system. There are many other examples of diplomacy being used in the everyday world. Businessmen use it to make a trade or sell an item. Policemen use it to get to the bottom of a case. Basically, diplomacy is used by all sorts of people in everyday life; one does not have to be a politician to use diplomacy to achieve a goal. Bibliography Contreras, Joseph. "Toothless in Gaza." Newsweek 9 September 1996: 49. Cooperman, Alan and David Makovsky. "A Mideast Odd Couple." U.S. News & World Report 9 September 1996: 34-35. Schmemann, Serge. "Netanyahu Meets With P.L.O. Leader." The New York Times 8 September 1996: A1 & A8. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Discuss some of the issues raised in An Inspector Cals.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Discuss some of the issues raised in "An Inspector Calls" and show how Priestly expresses his own viewpoint in the play. 22nd March 1997 Martin Howitt 11W The play is set in the1912 on an English street scene in the evening. The plot of "An Inspector Calls" is about a police inspector who interrupts an elegant engagement dinner party to question the family and their guests about an unsuspected suicide of a young working-class girl called Eva Smith. There are many plot twists and changes which work well with the characters portrayed in Priestley's play. The play is set in an upper-class household where class distinctions are breaking down, where privilege and responsibility are being challenged by a devious so-called inspector Goole. The Inspector does a good job of making the family and friends of Mr Birling, (a wealthy factory owner) feel very guilty for contributing towards the death of Eva-Smith who also becomes known as Daisy Renton during the play. But Moral guilt is not the major issue put forward in the play. The major issue is that of how class-conscious England has been put forward in the play and how the Capitalist's and Socialist's are shown. Birling is a ruthless industrialist who worked extremely hard to make his money, and when he finally reaches the top his wealth and popularity is threatened by a suicide scandal. The characters are a mixture of Capitalist's and Socialist's, Mr Birling being a self made upper-class Capitalist, his wife also has great belief in the family name, and works hard to keep a good reputation for herself and her family. The secretive but most sympathetic of the Birling's is Eric their son, who has a great deal to do with the Suicide of Eva Smith. Eric's sister is Sheila who gets on well with Eric but seems rather spoilt. Another key member in the play is Sheila's fiancée Gerald Croft who is another wealthy industrialist, although Gerald has inherited his wealth unlike Birling. Each of these people in turn is implicated in Eva Smith's death. Priestley puts his hope and his beliefs in Sheila and Eric, whose consciences have not yet been destroyed by their rich mother and father. Priestly's modern equal class-consciousness is in evidence too, and a good example to show how the class difference really matters in Birling's household is how the Birling's treat the maid. She is always there for the family, for example during the late evening the family make reference to her when Gerald returns from his stroll. Mr Birling in a state of distress is angered when the doorbell rings and is extremely annoyed that he may have to answer the door. But the cold hearted Mrs Birling had told Edna to wait until the inspector had left just so that she could make the family a pot of tea. "Mrs Birling- No don't go I told Edna to wait up to make us some tea" When Edna returned with Gerald she was shown no gratitude. They show no respect for her. But just when you think the drama will end, it delivers further surprises. The play becomes more interesting and clear as it goes on, As the characters become drawn into manipulative control of the inspector and are forced out of their upper-class shells. As the story continues Priestly shows how Capitalists can use their wealth over the Poor working-class people like Eva Smith, all of these incidents lead to Eva's suicide, the first issue being when Birling sacks Eva because she asked for a pay rise. Birling sacks her to be made an example of and to show that he is not willing to share a few pence of his wealth with the lower-class. During the whole play Priestly writes so that you feel sympathetic towards Eva, he does this to make you feel sorry, not just for Eva but for all of the working-class people of England during that period in time. Priestly is a strong Socialist and shows this by portraying the Birling's as a ruthless family. Priestly cleverly uses Eric and Gerald in the play, as they both sleep with Eva Smith, thus causing a family discrase because they had been with someone from a lower-class. Which although now would not even be thought of, but in 1912 scandal and discrase would have been brought on to any family in the Birling's situation. I think that because maybe Priestly despises the capitalist's a little he makes fun of the Birling family, a good of example of this is how Mrs Birling decides to blame somebody other than her family for the whole suicide, she blames it on the father of Eva's child. This made her feel good about herself until she found out that Eric her son was the father of the child therefore making her the grandmother of the child. So after all Mrs Birling only brought more shame onto the family. "Mrs Birling- I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have, if as she said, he didn't belong to her class, and was some drunken young idler, then that's all the more reason why he shouldn't escape." Notice how Mrs Birling makes reference to classes herself, she totally blames the young man until she finds out that he is her son, then she sees things in a different way. I think the most important speech in the whole play is as follows: "Inspector- Just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, with what we think, say, and do. We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Good Night." I think that the speech sums up all of Priestly's views he uses the Inspector to try and get the message across to all of mankind about how we should learn how to live equally and if we do not then the world will be a painful place for millions of lower-class people like Eva Smith. He uses the abrupt ending to make the reader think about the situation. I think that J.B. Priestly had very strong views about equal rights and he uses the characters very well to get across his viewpoint all over the world. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Down syndrome.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Down's syndrome is a genetic condition involving an extra chromosome, this change occurs around the time of conception. A person with Down's syndrome has forty-seven chromosomes instead of the usual forty-six. A relatively common genetic disorder, Down's strikes 1 out of 600 babies. In 95 percent of all cases, the disorder originates with the egg, not the sperm, and the only known risk factor is advanced maternal age-at age 35, a woman has 1 chance in 117 of having a baby with Down's; at 40, her odds are 1 in 34. (Graves, 1990) People with Down's syndrome all have a certain degree of learning disability . This means that they develop and learn more slowly than other children. However, most children with Down's syndrome today will walk and talk, many will read and write, go to ordinary school, and look forward to a semi-independent adult life. (Platt and Carlson, 1992) Facts on Down Syndrome *Down syndrome is not a lethal anomaly. One to two percent of persons born with this disorder have uncorrectable heart defects at birth. The average life expectancy for all others is now beyond age 55 years. *Today less than 5% of persons with Down syndrome have severe-to-profound mental retardation. The majority are on the border of mild-to-moderate mental retardation, and some are exhibiting normal IQ scores today. *The average reading level for persons with Down syndrome is 3rd grade, with many reading at 6th-12th grade levels today. *The vast majority of adults with Down syndrome today can be expected to live semi- or totally independently and many enter the work force with today's supported employment programs and some are competitively employed. Some medical conditions that demand special attention for people with Down syndrome include: *Congenital Heart Disease: usually in the form of endocardial cushion defects, affects 40% of babies and should be screened for by echocardiography soon after birth as it may well be difficult to detect. * Gastrointestinal disorders: the most common congenital abnormality of the gastrointestinal tract associated with Down syndrome is duodenal atresia, although pyloric stenosis, Hirschsprung's disease and tracheo-oesophageal fistulae have all been reported. * Vision: Three percent of newborns with Down syndrome will have dense congenital cataracts which should be removed early. Glaucoma is also common. * Congenital Hypothyroidism: This condition is slightly more prevalent in babies with Down syndrome. It should be detected by the routine heelprick screen performed on all babies. *Congenital dislocation of the hips: Joint laxity and hypotonia can combine to increase the incidence of hip dislocation, although true congenital dislocation is quite rare. * Sensory deficits: Significant hearing impairments occur in the majority of children with Down syndrome. Annual audiometry and specialist consultation is recommended. * Atlantoaxial instability: Up to 15% of children with Down syndrome will have evidence of instability of the atlantoaxial joint but in only a handful of cases will this instability result in an impingement on the spinal cord with resultant neurological signs. * Physical growth: Physical development is invariably delayed in children with Down syndrome. A tendency towards obesity requires special attention to healthy diet and exercise habits in this group. * Dental care: The teeth of children with Down syndrome tend to be small, irregularly spaced and misshapen. Early and frequent dental care is required to ensure adequate dentition for adult life. * Psychiatric disorders: Psychiatric illnesses occur in people with Down syndrome with much the same frequency as in the rest of the population. *Dementia: Much recent attention has been focused on the association between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. There appears to be a gene-dose effect where having an extra chromosome 21 gives an individual a higher chance of developing Alzheimer's disease. (Newton, 1992) A significant amount of research has been conducted on Down syndrome, in particular many methods to detect Down syndrome in fetuses have been developed. This is a controversial issue for researchers and for families who have Down syndrome children and adults. The following is a discussion of some of the detection methods for Down syndrome, and the facilities in which they were developed. Jones Institute Scientists at Norfolk's Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine say they have overcome most technical hurdles to screening embryos for Down syndrome and many other chromosomal defects before the embryos are implanted in a woman's uterus. The institute, part of Eastern Virginia Medical School, hopes to try out the technique with a handful of high-risk couples who come to the institute for in-vitro fertilization, in the near future. (www #1) Eventually, all couples who go through the Jones Institute may have the option to screen for Down and most of the other conditions caused by an extra chromosome on one of 23 pairs that make up the normal complement. The technique has been developed in part to help parents avoid a difficult moral decision - what to do if the fertility techniques cause the mother to become pregnant with many children at once. At the same time, it opens up a host of other ethical questions for parents and society as a whole, say people who have children with Down. (www #1) According to Kingsley and Levitz (1994), in-vitro fertilization (IVF), is a technique in which eggs are removed from a woman's ovaries and combined with sperm in a dish. The resulting embryos are transplanted into the woman's uterus. Before transplant, a single cell will be removed and exposed to probes made up of genetic material treated with fluorescent dye. Each probe has been designed to attach to a specific chromosome in the nucleus. Using a special microscope, a scientist can count the dots of various colors. Three of a specific color means that there is one extra chromosome of that type. The institute will test five pairs that account for most chromosomal defects. The first cases will be done for free. When the procedure becomes common, the procedure will add about $2,000 to the cost of IVF, about $7,500. The Chairman of reproductive endocrinology at the Jones Institute said the procedure was developed primarily to avoid the multiple births that sometimes happen with IVF. (www #1) Most transplanted embryos, and many naturally conceived ones, never take root and grow because they have the wrong number of chromosomes. In IVF, doctors try to improve the odds by implanting three or more, assuming that some will be lost. But sometimes, many or all of the embryos are viable. The parents then must decide - do they selectively abort some, or do they take on the hugely demanding task of having many babies at once? If doctors could screen the embryos, he said, they could limit themselves to implanting two and still enjoy a high probability that the embryos will survive. Nevertheless, the ability to screen out embryos with Down syndrome still worries families of people with the condition. (www #1) The option not to have a child with Down already exists. Tests during pregnancy can detect the condition. Parents may choose an abortion. Parents of children with Down syndrome, say that other parents who choose to discard an embryo in a laboratory are further removed from the implications of their decision. Doctors at the medical center say that they want very much for people confronting the decision to understand that having a child with Down syndrome can be very fulfilling. They says the Jones Institute isn't trying to devalue people with Down syndrome by offering the test. But they say this information has such important ramifications for the family, if we have that information, we would give it to them and they make the choice. Polar Body Analysis Physicians at Illinois Masonic Medical center have discovered that they can determine if a woman will have a baby with Down's syndrome before she gets pregnant, provided she is willing to undergo in-vitro fertilization. Using an experimental technique called polar body analysis, the genetic material of an egg can be checked before laboratory fertilization, helping some women avoid abortions. Chicago researchers at Masonic reported on a yearlong study involving 100 women who underwent the polar body procedure, they say that several women already have delivered healthy babies, and more than 20 are pregnant with no sign of Down's. But the possibility exists that the Masonic patients could have achieved the same results without genetic testing. The majority of women who have conventional in-vitro fertilization are older and have normal pregnancies. Dr. Charles Strom, director of medical genetics at the hospital said that, polar body work gives a 35-year-old female the same chance of conceiving a chromosomally normal baby that a 21-year-old has. He said at least half the women in the in-vitro fertilization program are 35 or older. (www #2) Polar body analysis hinges on basic biology. During normal development, the human egg contains a sac of excess chromosomes called the polar body before it gets ready to be fertilized by a male's sperm. Since this sac, is a mirror image of the egg, the genetic content of the egg itself can be determined through this procedure. (www #3) Without such testing, about 30 percent of the Down's pregnancies resulting from in-vitro fertilization would have miscarried naturally, and others could have been picked up by the standard prenatal testing techniques, chorionic villi sampling and amniocentesis. In-vitro fertilization is expensive, labor intensive and often disappointing. The polar body test would add another $2,000 to $2,500 to its costs. (www #2) The Triple Screen The "triple screen for Down syndrome" has been in existence for over five years. However, just this past year, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists officially recommended that this test be offered to all pregnant patients of all ages. This implies a legal mandate to practicing physicians who cannot afford the liability of not offering such a test after a national recommendation has been made. This "mandate" has been met with great controversy. (www #3) The "triple screen" actually involves drawing maternal blood to test for serum levels of three hormones: human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), alphafetoprotein (AFP), and estriol (E3). The pattern of the levels of these hormones predicts the presence of Down syndrome in the fetuses in up to 60-70% of pregnancies affected. By using computer formulas, the hormonal levels can be found that are predictive for a risk of Down syndrome in the fetus that approximates 1 in 190 - which is the same risk that a pregnant woman has at age 35. Thus, the test has been recommended now for women at all ages. If it is "positive", it should be followed by ultrasonography and then amniocentesis to make a definitive diagnosis. (www #3) Some uses of the triple screen are seen as positive by all. If the test is negative, these results can prevent further unnecessary ultrasonography, or amniocentesis, or chorionic villus sampling - for women 35 or over; or for the woman with a previous fetus with Down syndrome. Normally these more expensive and invasive tests would have been recommended in those settings. It is the use of the test for all pregnant women that begins to stir controversy. Only one such serum test has ever been recommended so widely before - the serum (AFP) alphafetoprotein screen. It is a screening test for multiple types of fetal defects that affect the "neural tube" in the fetus. These defects include such problems as anencephaly, holoprosencephaly, or einencephaly, as well as many levels of spina bifida. Down syndrome is certainly not the same as the wide range of anomalies termed "neural tube defects," but the Triple Screen makes it seem an equal to many lethal defects. The triple screen actually detects many more fetal anomalies than Down syndrome, including the AFP-related anomalies mentioned above and several lethal trisomies, such as Trisomy 18. The Triple Screen is called a screen "for Down syndrome" for marketing reasons, as much as for scientific accuracy. The Triple Screen is, in fact, a very poor screen, identifying only about 65% of fetuses with Down syndrome in utero. No other screen with such low validity has been universally recommended for all pregnant women. Such a recommendation means billions of dollars for the genetics industry and the researchers involved. (www #3) The screening tests establish the probability of pregnant women having children with Down Syndrome or Spina Bifida and other neural tube defects. It is possible the widespread use of genetic screening for the purpose of identification and abortion of fetuses with Down Syndrome may adversely affect the quality of life for all persons with Down Syndrome in the community. Many groups representing people with Down syndrome have expressed their feelings about this issue, the following is a summary of some of the wishes they have expressed. 1. The primary goal of prenatal genetic testing should not be to reduce the birth prevalence of Down Syndrome in the population. Its use should be directed towards the provision of improved health care. 2.Prenatal genetic testing should be voluntary. The woman or couple should receive counseling that is comprehensive and provided in a language that is easily understood by them. Prior to reviewing written consent for prenatal testing, the couple should be given accurate and up-to-date information on all relevant issues surrounding prenatal genetic testing and Down Syndrome. This information should be provided in a balanced manner. Each woman or couple should be allowed to decide whether prenatal genetic testing is appropriate for them based on informed choice. An appropriate period of time should be allowed between receiving information and deciding, with written consent whether or not to proceed with the test. 3. Following a test result which implies that the fetus may have a probability of a chromosone abnormality such as Down Syndrome, the woman or couple should be provided with detailed, balanced information regarding the options available to them. This information should be provided by a knowledgeable and qualified health care provider such as those found in accredited genetic centres. Balanced information should be so recorded for the woman or couple to review at their leisure. Opportunities to have the woman or couple speak to parents of children with Down Syndrome should be offered. (www #4) It is evident that the debate over screening for Down syndrome is far from settled. It is also evident that people with Down syndrome can make an important contribution to our society. I think if parents are not prepared to take on the challenges of a child with Down syndrome they should have options, should one of these options be abortion? I would have a hard time supporting someone's decision to abort, especially having spent some time with a young boy who has Down syndrome. There are many support groups for families who have children with Down syndrome, there are also many families willing to adopt. The programs at school for these children are very adaptable to the needs of the individual. Most children with Down syndrome can go to school and get along well, they make a valuable contribution to the classroom and their fellow students. The decision is a difficult one and I think that there are many options that need to be explored before anyone can make an informed decision. References Cooley, W. and Graham, J. (1991). Down syndrome - an update and review for the primary paediatrician. Clin Paed 30 (4): 233-253. Graves, P. (1990). The intellectually disabled child in Robinson MJ practical paediatrics 2nd ed. Melboune: Churchill Livingstone. Kingsley, J. and Levitz, M. (1994). Count us in: Growing up with down syndrome. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company. Newton, R.(1992). Down's syndrome. London: Optima. Platt, L. and Carlson, D.(1992). Prenatal diagnosis - when and how? NEJM 327 (9):636-638. Pueschel, S.(1990). Clinical aspects of down syndrome from infancy to adulthood. Am J Med Gen Supp 7: 52-56 Pueschel, S. and Pueschel, J. (Eds) (1992). Biomedical concerns in persons with down syndrome. Baltimore: Paul H Brookes Co. Pueschel, S. (1992). A longitudinal study of atlanto-dens relationships in asymptomatic individuals with Down syndrome. Paediatrics 89 (6) pg. 1194-1198. Selikowitz, M.(1990). Down Syndrome - the facts. Oxford:Oxford University Press. Stray-Gundersen, K. (Ed.) (1995). Babies with down syndrome: A new parents' guide (2nd edition). Rockville, MD: Woodbine House. Tingey, C. (Ed.) (1988). Down syndrome: A resource handbook. Boston, MA: College- Hill Press. www #1. http://www.erms.edu/jones/depthome.htm www #2. http://ptolemy.eess.edu/ds.html www #3. http://wwwpino/ds/prenata/nsdcapf.html f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Dr anthony johnson.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dr. Anthony D. Johnson Dr. Johnson was born in Brooklyn,New York. His father was a bus driver for the area and his mom worked at the local post office. Since he had no role models in his family what led him to become a scientist? One Christmas, when he was nine years old he received a chemistry set. That turned everything around. That chemistry set inspired him to become a scientist. In later years, he went on to Samuel Tilton high school. After being very successful through out his high school career, he went on to college. On the graduation night from high school he got married. He was 17 years old. He felt special because he was the first in his family to go to college. Now he was facing a new challenge. He was going on to college. He went to Poly Tech Institute. While in college he was invited to go on a trip to AT&T Bell Laboratories in New Jersey. That trip was a big event in his life. Today, he is working at the research department at AT&T Bell Laboratories. There he is studying about lasers. His job is to experiment with lasers and try to find quicker ways to send the phone messages through the phone lines. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Dreams.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Psychology January 13, 1997 DREAMS AND DREAMING Dreams, a nightly gift and a part of the natural process of being alive, are being rediscovered by our publisher. The meaning and value of your dreams will vary according to what you and your society decide. Our society is changing. We used to only value dreams in the context of psychotherapy. There are also a few assumptions about dreams. One is that you are always the final authority on what the dream means. Others can offer insight, suggestions and techniques for exploration and expression, but no one knows what the final meaning and value of the dreams will be for you, except you. Another assumption is that dreams come in the service of wholeness and health. If you find an interpretation that does not fit this, perhaps you need to change methods of interpretation. Dream interpretations that lead you toward self- criticism, depression or despair are simply wrong and if these conditions persist you may wish to seek help from others. Finally, there is no such thing as a dream with one meaning. If you feel stuck on one meaning or feel another person is pushing one meaning, it is time to reconsider your methods and approach. (Lemley p. 17). Clinical dream work is done within the context of psychotherapy and clinical and sleep research have different approaches and goals than peer dream work. (Koch-Sheras p.16). A dream is a period of spontaneous brain activity usually lasting from about 5-40 minutes that occurs during sleep several times a night usually about 90 minute intervals (Barret p.8). There are also certain types of dreams. There are fantasy, daydream and waking dreams. There are also lucid dreams, nightmares and night terrors. There are also certain stages in the dream cycle. In the first stage, your body temperature drops, your eyes close and your brain waves begin regular alpha rhythms, indicating a relaxed state. Muscles lose their tension, breathing becomes more even and your heart rate slows. Second, random images begin to float through your mind mimicking the dream state. Jolting or involuntary movements will take place at this time. Third, muscles lose all tightness, breathing becomes slower, heart rate decreases and blood pressure falls. At this point, it will take a loud noise or disturbance to wake you up. You are now fully asleep. Finally, you are in a deep sleep. This is the most physically rested period of sleep and longest in duration. (Time-Life Books p. 97). Jubera 2 Whether awake or asleep, one of the brain's most critical functions is the construction of the model of the environment that we perceive as our conscious experience (Barret p. 9). While we sleep, very little sensory input is available, so the world model experience is constructed from what remains, contextual information from our lives, that is, expectations derived from past experience, and motivations. As a result, the content of our dream is largely determined by what we fear, hopeful and expect. From this point of view, dreaming can be viewed as the special case of dreaming constrained by sensory input (Koch-Sheras p. 15). Dreaming experience is commonly viewed as qualitatively distinct from waking experience. Dreams are often believed to be characterized by lack of reflection and inability to act deliberately and with intention. (Barret p. 20). Although we not usually explicitly aware of the fact that we are dreaming while we are dreaming, at times a remarkable exception occurs and we become reflective enough to become conscious that we are dreaming. During such 'lucid' dreams it is possible to freely remember the circumstances of waking life to think clearly, and to act deliberately upon reflection or in accordance with plans decided upon before sleep, all while experiencing a dream world that seems vividly real. (Time-Life Books p. 57). As previously stated, lucid dreaming is dreaming while knowing that you are dreaming. Lucidity usually begins in the midst of a dream, when the dreamer realizes that the experience is not occurring in physical reality, but is a dream. (Lemley p. 3). A minority of lucid dreams are the result of returning to REM sleep directly from a awakening with unbroken reflective consciousness. When lucidity is at a high level, you are aware that everything experienced in the dream is occurring in your mind, that there is no real danger, and that you are asleep in bed and will awaken shortly. With low level lucidity you may be aware to a certain extent that you are dreaming, perhaps enough to fly or alter what you are doing, but not enough to realize that the people are dream representations, or that you can suffer no physical damage, or that you are actually in bed. (Time-Life Books p. 58). Lucid dreams usually happen during REM sleep. Research has been demonstrated that most vivid dreaming occurs in REM sleep. It is characterized by an active brain, with low amplitude, mixed frequency brain waves, suppression of skeletal muscle tone, bursts of rapid eye movements, and occasional tiny muscular twitches (Barret p. 20). Jubera 3 The sleep stages cycle throughout a night. The first REM period normally happens after a period of delta sleep, approximately 90 minutes after sleep onset, and lasts from about 5-20 minutes. REM periods occur roughly every 90 minutes throughout the night with later REM periods occurring at shorter intervals and often being longer, sometimes up to an hour in length. Much more REM sleep occurs in the second half of the night than in the first. (Lemley p. 16). Most of the muscles of the body are paralyzed in REM sleep to prevent us from acting out our dreams. However, because the eyes are not paralyzed, if you deliberately move your "dream" eyes in a dream, your physical eyes move also. (Time-Life Books p. 61 ). Referring back to the stages in sleep-the first stage is a transitional period between waking and sleeping known as hypnagogic state, the muscle relax and the person often experiences a sensation of floating or drifting. The eyes roll slowly and vivid images may flash through the mind-perhaps an eerie unfamiliar landscape, a beautiful abstract pattern or a succession of face. As those sensations and visions come and go, a sudden spasm of the body called hypnagogic startle may momentarily waken the sleeper. Then as the subject slips into the first stage of sleep, the EEG shows the spiky rapid alpha waves of a relaxed but wakeful brain giving way to the slower more regular theta waves of light slumber. Sleeps first stage is short, lasting anywhere from a few seconds to 10 minutes. The theta waves soon decrease and are mixed on EEG tracing which a combination of 2 different brain wave patterns-groups of sharp jumps called spindles, which reflect rapid bursts of brain activity, and waves known as K-complexes characterized by steep peaks and valleys. Although this stage is considered to be a true sleep phase, a person awakening from it may report having had brief bits of realistic thought or may even deny having been asleep at all. (Time-Life Books p. 97). Between 15 and 30 minutes after the onset of sleep, large, slow delta waves begin supplementing the K complexes and spindles of stage 2. The change makes the deepest of sleeps, called stage 3-4. Waking from stage 3-4 is difficult. An individual typically feels quite groggy and disoriented and even if an emergency demands alertness, must fight to overcome the compelling desire to fall asleep again. Taking in one sleep, sleep walking and bedwetting tend to happen during this stage because of the brain's partial arousal from deep sleep (Time-Life Books p. 97). After 90 minutes or so of sleep, most of it spent in stage 3-4, the spindles and K complexes of stage 2 briefly reassert themselves. The brain then shakes off the rhythms of non REM sleep passes into REM sleep-a condition so distinct physiologically from both wakefulness and the non REM stages that some experts call it a third state of existence. Jubera 4 Blood pressure and pulse rate rise, and brain waves quicken to frequencies comparable to those of an awake, alert brain. Despite this activity the body becomes remarkably still. The eyes begin their movements, but otherwise, except for grimaces and small twitches of the toes and fingers, the muscles are temporarily paralyzed. A person awakened from REM sleep may be unable to move for a few seconds. Scientists believe that nature has evolved this paralytic interlude, which seems to be controlled by nerve centers in the primitive brainstem, to protect the sleeper from the harm that might result if dreams were physically acted out. The 2 antithetical conditions of the state-a vigorously active brain within an immobilized body-prompted French neurobiologist Michel Jouvet to name it "paradoxical sleep". (Time-Life Books p. 99). There are other physical characteristics of dreams as well. In adults and infants alike, the head and chin relax so completely that researchers can use the slackening of the muscle under the chin as a reliable signal that REM sleep is occurring (Lemley p. 19-20). After training in neurology Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) began to practice what later became a psychoanalysis. Initially, following his colleague Josef Breuer ( 1942-1925), he used his hypnosis to treat cases of hysteria. He then replaced hypnosis with the technique of free association and began to explore his patient's dreams for clues to their problems (Barret p. 14-15). Freud believed that dreams were wish fulfillment-in our dreams we represent our deepest desires, which in an adult are nearly always sexual. However, because these desires would be offensive to our sleeping conscious minds, or censor or superego, disguises our true intentions. The obscurity of dreams, Freud said "is due to alterations in repressed material made by the censorship." However this theory does not explain why we might have a heavily disguised dream one night and a straightforward dream of the same activity on another night. There are many problems with Freud's ideas but he must be given credit for being one of the first modern thinkers to reexamine the symbolism of dreams. However he must also be criticized for seeing nearly every dream symbol in purely sexual terms. Freuds detractors also complain that his theories , based on evidence drawn from his psychologically disturbed patients, were not universally applicable. Despite these criticisms, Freud created psychoanalysis almost single-handedly, and built a solid base for dream analysts to expand (Barret P. 14-15). Besides establishing the normal nightly course of dreaming and some of its pathological aberrations, researchers have categorized 2 distinct but equally frightening disturbances: the nightmare and the much less common night terror Jubera 5 (Time-Life Books p. 102). Everyone occasionally has a nightmare-a dream so frightening that he or she wakes up sweaty, short of breath, and with a pounding heart. Such dreams usually occur during the second half of the night, when REM periods are longer and dreams are more intense. Psychiatrists such as Stanley Palombo of Washington, D.C. , believe that a nightmare (mare means goblin in Old English) dramatizes problems or anxieties one has recently encountered in waking life, in addition, it evokes related unconscious memories and images, creating an emotionally powerful mix. The feeling of utter helplessness that so often infuses a nightmare probably harks back to infancy, some experts say, when a child is indeed powerless and at the mercy of a world he or she cannot understand or control. ( Time-Life Books p. 102). According to Professor Hartmann, "the common thread among those who have nightmares frequently is sensitivity." For a Boston study, he solicited volunteers who experienced nightmares at least once a week. A large number of subjects were involved in creative work, such as art, music and theater, others were graduate students, teachers and therapists. (Time-Life Books p. 106). Many saw themselves as rebels or as "different from other people," and some overly rejected society's norms. "They were all very open and vulnerable", he said, beneficial to their careers. But "most had had stormy adolescence sometimes followed by bouts with depression, alcohol and suicide attempts". Hartmann concluded that people who had frequent nightmares possessed a poor sense of their own identities and find it hard to separate fantasy from reality. Some have borderline or potentially psychotic tendencies, he believes. (Time-Life Books p. 106). Night terrors differ from nightmares in both content and timing, and often occur in a deep slumber of stage 3-4. The sleeper may rouse with a blood curdling scream and sit up in bed, terrified and confused, heart racing. (Time-Life Books p. 106). He may also walk or talk in his sleep. While people usually remember specific and sequential details of their nightmares, the victim of a night terror is short, lasting only a minute or 2. Night terrors seem to run in families, and researchers suspect they are triggered by a faulty arousal mechanism: instead of following the normal shift early in the night from stage 3-4 sleep to a REM period, the sleeper partially rouses. Children are more susceptible than adults to night terrors, perhaps simply because they spend more time in stage 3-4 (Time-Life Books p.106). Message dreams are dreams that convey some information you need about your current social, emotional or physical life. These are teaching dreams in which someone is usually there to tell you something important directly: a teacher, a news announcer or clergyman giving you new information to apply to your waking life. At times, a message dream will come in the form of a disembodied voice; the dreamer may perceive this voice as a voice of the spirit or soul of God or an angel (Koch-Sheras p. 78). Recurring dreams repeat themselves with little variation in story or theme. They can be positive, as with an archetypal visionary dream, but they are more often nightmares, perhaps because nightmares depict a conflict that is unresolved; also nightmares are more frequently remembered than other dreams. (Lemley p. 81). There are many reasons why people forget their dreams upon waking. In our culture, and therefore in our families, dreams are generally thought of as unimportant or silly. Whether they are pleasant or unpleasant, your dreams are a vital and expressive part of yourself, so don't discount them! Another reason why people might forget dreams is that they are embarrassed by their content. In dreams, you might commit acts you would never do in your waking life, and it is natural to put those acts into the back of your mind rather than confront the issues the dream scenarios might have raised. (Koch- Sheras p. 113). Studies show that people who are good at recalling their dreams are generally better able to confront their own fears and anxieties; poor dream recallers are those who tend to retreat from confrontation. Learning to remember your dreams and discuss their meanings may help you to become a more assertive person (Koch-Sheras p. 113). If you yourself are a poor recaller, you may wonder who images manage to stow away in a person's mind each morning. The fact is, people who enjoy sharing dreams are more likely to remember them. Any attention you pay to your dream life can help to increase your recall: keeping a dream journal, making a drawing based on a dream, acting on advice or insight gained from a dream (Lemley p. 113). In ancient times, dreams were often-but not always-believed to be prophetic, and people of all cultures shared what they had dreamed in hopes of catching a glimpse of the future or receiving a message of advice or warning (Lemley p. 26). The Egyptians, for instance, relied on an elaborately constructed list of interpretations, a kind of early dream dictionary. Even the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates considered dreams to be prophetic emanating from the Gods. For this reason, dreams figured prominently in ancient cultures' religious rituals intended to evoke the dream spirits of Gods who would send these vivid messages ( Koch-Sheras p. 26). In many ancient cultures, dream life and waking life were simply 2 different dimensions of a single existence, a viewpoint that shows itself in many modern cultures and that is shared by many contemporary dream theorists as well (Koch-Sheras p. 32). It has taken centuries of interest to move beyond dream lore to a scientific understanding of dreams. Yet many Jubera 7 myths are still taken as fact in interpreting our own and others' dream behavior. Here are some myths and facts about our dreams. Myth: Some people dream only a few times a year-or not at all. Fact: Everybody dreams! While some people may only remember a few dreams a year, they actually dream several times every night. (Lemley p. 6). Myth: Babies don't dream. Fact: Babies do show evidence of dreaming, although what they dream about is anybody's guess. Even a newborn infant will have REM sleep. As people continue to age, studies show, the percentage of time spent dreaming drops off to as low as 13% in some people (Lemley p. 7). Myth: Animals do not dream. Fact: As dog owners suspect, animals do dream. Dogs sometimes move their legs, wag their tails and even bark and growl while sleeping (Koch-Sheras p. 7). In all mammals studied there is evidence of REM sleep. (Koch-Sheras p. 7). Myth: Blind people do not dream. Fact: Blind people do dream. All dreamers becoming blind after the age of 7 see in dreams even after an interval of 20-30 years (Lemley p. 8). Those who become blind after age 5, however, almost never see in their dreams (Lemley p. 8.). A person who cannot hear often has a specially vivid visual content in dreams, and a person blind from birth distinctly remembers sounds and tactile experiences in dreams (Koch-Sheras p. 8). Even if our dreams are entirely random, they still have value. The connections we make as we examine our dream for images that have some symbolic meaning are valid, as points of curiosity, as jumping off points for further self- exploration, and perhaps as insights into the inner workings of our own unique personality (Koch-Sheras p. 72). Whatever your motivation-amusement, curiosity, self-growth, spiritually or something else-as dreamers we can pick and choose, using our dreams to guide and shape our own theory (Lemley p. 73). We have nothing to lose in developing our own theory or body of recurring symbols with which to interpret our dreams. (Koch-Sheras p. 73). Jubera 8 Work Cited Barret, David V. Dreams. New York: Dorling Kindersley Inc. 1995 Koch-Sheras, Phyllis, and Amy Lemley. The Dream Sourcebook. Chicago, Contemporary Books, 1995 Time-Life Books. Dreams and Dreaming. Virginia, Time-Life Books, 1990 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Drop out rate.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In 1992, the dropout rate in America's colleges was almost twenty-four percent! Therefore meaning that nearly one out of every five students that head off to college in the fall, drop out by the first semester. In addition, about one out of every three remaining students do not return for their second year. This statistic may seem outrageous, however, it is true. Furthermore, a study has shown that if the dropout rate continues at its current pace, it will reach thirty percent by the turn of the century. Although the reasons, or excuses, for dropping out are endless, the majority of dropouts can be linked to the following: home sickness, environment, and cost. The first cause, home sickness, is not a big problem for most. However, there are many teenagers that have never been out of their state, and in few instances, out of their city. For these select few, it is extremely hard for them to leave. The first day of college can be the hardest. In particular, registering for classes. So many people are all trying to do the same thing at once. For some, this can be enough to walk to the car and go home. However, most will make it through this part of their new life. Usually the one thing that will really bother a person, is living in a small room, with at least one other person, sometimes two. Often, living with strangers will make a person uncomfortable, and wishing they were back home. This is when many will give up, and go back home. The next cause being the surrounding environment. For new students that are not used to freedom, it can be hard to understand that they now have to make their own decisions. To illustrate, a new student may see that alcohol is relatively easy to obtain. Thus resulting in a constant hangover, and lack of study. On contrary, the environment may be considered boring. In other words, a student may try to "create" excitement by doing things that annoy people from the community. For instance, constant honking, loud music, and miscellaneous tricks are just a few of the many. The last cause is cost. The majority of students will be expected to pay for college themselves. For this reason, about fifteen percent of students will drop out. Most are not ready to handle the responsibility of handling all of their finances. In a new place, it can be difficult to obtain a job immediately. Therefore, most will go home, trying to earn money to return the following year. On the other hand, students may think they are prepared, but have no idea of the cost of living in America. Including the cost of books, food, and of course spending money. They will see that their standard of living declines greatly. Many can't handle this, and as a result they dropout mainly because they want a better living. Also, let us not forget the individuals that think college is a giant beer party. In short, today's dropout rate can be linked to one word, "unprepared". There is no excuse to dropout of college. It is so easy to do, and takes so long to forget. Almost every dropout will regret the fact that seventy-five percent of people their age have a better education, a better job, and are living a better life. College is a big step in life, and if the proper preparations are made, anyone can finish college. If they want it! f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Dual coding.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ How individuals are able to obtain knowledge is something that psychologists have studied for a number of years. The ability to store and retrieve knowledge provides individuals with the propensity to form logical thought, express emotions and internalize the world around them. In order for a psychologist to understand the theories of knowledge it is necessary to investigate the aspects of the theories. In this paper we examine the history , the basic construct, the similarities of the theories and how those theories relate to psychological therapies. History of the theories The neural network model attempts to explain that which is known about the retention and retrieval of knowledge. Neural network models have been examined for a number of years. In the mid 1940's and 1950's the first of the network models began to appear. These publications introduced the first models of neural networks as computing machines, the basic model of a self-organizing network (Arbib, 1995). In 1943 McCulloch and Pitts published their model theory ( Arbib, 1995). In 1948 Rashevsky proposed a number of neural network models to explain psychological phenomena. During this era not enough was known about the brain, subsequently he was considered ahead of his time. Rashevsky relied heavily upon complex mathematical equations within his model, consequently many people simply did not understand his theoretical perspective ( Martindale, 1991). In 1958 Rosenblatt proposed his theory on neural network models which focused on perception. The theory elicited a great deal of interest; however it was considered too simple to sufficiently explain all aspects of perception (Arbib, 1995). As a result of the lack of acceptance, neural network models "fell out of fashion"(Martindale, 1991, P.12). For a nine year lapse no neural network model theories were developed. In 1967 the network approach was again examined. Konorski developed a useful network model that focused primarily on Pavlovian conditioning as opposed to cognition. Grossberg developed his neural network theory during the years of 1969, 1980, 1987, and 1988. Grossberg developed a powerful network theory of the mind but, like the Rashevsky model, Grossberg's theory was comprised of complex mathematical terms and was therefore extremely difficult to understand. His neural network models are only now being recognized as truly revolutionary (Martindale, 1991). Many new theorists would enter the field of neural network models, but it was the work of Rumelhart, Hinton, and McClelland that would simplify the way we would view such models (Arbib, 1995). It was in 1986 that Rumelhart, Hinton, and McClelland developed their network model. It was and still is regarded as one of the most notable network theories. This is true because they structured their theory in a clear, concise, and intelligible manner (Martindale ,1991). Neural network models have evolved during the past sixty years. The initial theories were extremely difficult to comprehend and they were not interchangeable with a broad range of topics. Today's theories are simpler to understand because they are less complex. The theories are capable of encompassing numerous topics. The dual coding approach is one that believes that knowledge is a series of complex associative networks. Within these networks we find imaginal and verbal representations. These verbal and nonverbal representations are means that facilitate the retrieval and storage of knowledge (Paivio, 1986). The individual who was at the fore front of the development of the dual coding theory was Allan Paivio. He did research in the area of verbal and nonverbal representations during the 1960's. Research papers that dealt with topics of verbal and imaginal processes were: Abstractness, imagery, and meaningfulness in paired-associated learning (1965) ; Latency of verbal associations and imagery to noun stimuli as a function abstractness and generality (1966) and; Mental imagery in associative learning and memory (1969), ( Paivio, 1986). In 1971 Allan Paivio presented his revolutionary paper, Imagery and Verbal Processes. As a result of this paper the concept of a dual coding process was conceived. Paivio's subsequent paper in 1985, Mental Representations, retained the same constructive empiricism and the same basic theoretical assumptions as the earlier paper, Imagery and Verbal Processes. In this paper Paivio demonstrated that the fundamentals of a dual coding approach have stood up well to challenges over the years ( Paivio, 1986). The dual coding process offers a clear explanation of how individuals are able to store and retrieve knowledge. Through Paivio's dual coding approach we are able to see how internal networks of verbal and imaginal representations are capable of logging and retrieving information both nonverbally and verbally. Construct of the theories There are a number of theories that explain how it is the human brain is capable of storing and retrieving information. A neural network model of cognition aims at explaining how and why we experience such mental phenomena. The metaphor "the mind works like a computer" has been heard by everyone at one time or another. Recently cognitive psychologists have considered that the mind does not work like a conventional computer. They have replaced the computer metaphor with a brain metaphor (Martindale, 1991). The logic for the rebuttal of the computer metaphor is that a computer has a central processing unit that is only capable of doing one thing at a time. It processes very quickly and in fact, operates at a million times faster than the average neuron (Arbib, 1995). A computer can thus do long division problems quicker than you or I can, but there are some tasks-for example, perceiving and understanding a visual scene- that the brain can perform faster than a computer. In such a case, the brain could not possibly work like a computer. The brain therefore solves the problem of vision differently than a computer (Martindale, 1991). Martindlae (1991) states that "The brain does not have anything we could really call a central processing unit, and the brain does not work in a serial fashion. The brain is therefor more like a large number of very slow computers all operating at the same time and each dedicated to a fairly specific task" (p. 10). Since the computer metaphor was replaced with the brain metaphor, a cognition model was needed to explain how and why we experience mental phenomena. One such theory is the neural network model. A neural network model is composed of several components: 1. A set of possessing units, referred to as "nodes" or "cognitive units.". 2. A state of activation. Nodes can be activated to varying degrees. The set of these activated nodes corresponds to the contents of consciousness. The most active nodes represent what is being done at the time, all other deals with motor function at the unconscious level. 3. A pattern of connections among nodes. Nodes are connected to one another by either excitatory or inhibitory connections that differ in strength. The strength of these connections constitutes long-term memory. 4. Activation rules for the nodes. These rules specify such things as exactly how a node "adds up"its inputs, how it combines inputs with its current state of activation, the rate at which its activation decays, and so on. 5. Output functions for the node. We assign thresholds or make output a nonlinear function of the node's activation, we get useful results. 6. A learning rule. We need to explain how learning occurs; in a network model, learning means strengthening the connections between nodes. The connection between two nodes are strengthened if they are simultaneously activated 7. An environment for the system. Neural network modules are massively interconnected. The nodes in any analyzer are organized into several layers. Connections among nodes on different layers are generally excitatory, and connections among nodes on the same layer are usually inhibitory. (Martindale, 1991). An interactive and competitive network consists of processing nodes gathered into a number of competitive pools. There are excitatory connections between pools and they are generally bidirectional. Within the pool, the inhibitory connections are assumed to run from one node in the pool to all the other nodes in that pool, therefore they will not be activated ( McClelland & Rumelhart, 1988). The easiest way to comprehend how a neural network model works is to examine a simple neural network model. Figure 1 is an interactive and competition model based on the works of McClelland (1991). The network model concerns knowledge about five people, this is represented by the five nodes in the center circle. There is nothing stored in these nodes. Knowledge about what they represent lie in their connections to the other nodes. The attributes of the five Figure 1 (Martindale, 1991, p. 15) people are represented by nodes in the circles surrounding the center circle. Here is how the network works: The lines between circles indicate two way excitatory connections. We assume that the nodes within the circles have a inhibitory effect on one another. When any one node is activated it, inhibits nodes in its own circle and excites nodes to which it is connected in other circles. These excited nodes go on to excite other nodes. Excitation and inhibition reverberates back and forth, some nodes will be activated and others will be inhibited. When one follows the lines back and forth we can see that the network stores information. For example Joe is a white male professor who drives a Subaru and likes brie cheese. It is also evident that Harold and Frank are both black stockbrokers, but one likes brie and the other likes cheese whiz (Martindale ,1991). The network has a number of properties that mimic the way people think. First, all memory is content addressable. Stimulating the network with the word "Fred" activates the node that codes this name. Soon, the nodes coding these properties will be activated automatically. There is no need to search for information, simply saying the name "Fred" automatically retrieves the information. Networks also show default assignments. The default assignment is the ability to hypothesize. When the network is asked about Claudia, the node of brie cheese will be at least partially activated. This happens because the brie node will receive activation from the node coding professors. This occurs because Claudia is a professor (Martindale, 1991). Although neural networks tend to become more complex than the example shown, it demonstrates why we experience mental phenomena. The network theory explains how we are able to retrieve information and then draw conclusions from that information. Another view or theory that attempts to explain mental phenomenon is the dual coding theory. This theory uses verbal and nonverbal representations as the means by which individuals are able to store and retrieve information. Allan Paivio (1986) states: "The theory is based on the general view that cognition consists of the activity of symbolic representational systems that are specialized for dealing with environmental information in a manner that serves functional or adaptive behavioral goals. This view implies that representational systems must incorporate perceptual, affective, and behavioral knowledge. Human cognition is unique in that it has become specialized for dealing simultaneously with language and with nonverbal objects and events. Moreover, the language system is peculiar in that it deals directly with linguistic input and output (in the form of speech or writing) while at the same time serving a symbolic function with respect to nonverbal objects, events, and behaviors. Any representational theory must accommodate this functional duality" (p. 53). It is important to recognize that the general level of the dual coding theory divides into two subsystems, verbal and nonverbal. These two subsystems can be divided into sensorimotor subsystems, such as visual, auditory, haptic, taste and smell( Paivio, 1986). When dealing with this theory it is important to remember that there is no top to bottom approach. This means that the activating mechanism can be either verbal or imaginal. For example the instruction to bring an image to words maximizes the probability that nonverbal representations will be activated by subsequent verbal cues (Paivio, 1986). When looking at verbal and imagery representations it is important to consider how they differ from one another. The imagery or nonverbal system consists of a set of interconnected parts specialized for dealing with environmental information. The imagery system relies upon the nonverbal representations to provide feedback, these are visual, auditory, haptic, taste, smell and other nonlinguistic representations. The verbal aspect utilizes words as codes. Objects, events or ideas can be encoded ( Paivio, 1986). Another difference is how the two representations are organized. Paivio (1986) found that "intraunit functional structures differ so that component information in higher-order nonverbal units are synchronously organized, where as verbal components are sequentially organized"(p. 59). This means that imagery systems are able to evoke a number of representations at one time and are therefore capable of encoding much about a single complex image at one time. The verbal representation on the other hand must be made sequentially, only processing information one bit at a time. With a basic understanding for the inner workings of both the verbal and nonverbal representations it is important that we view the between- system relations. Although both systems would seem to be independent of one another, in that they are capable of being active without the other, it is evident that one system is capable of activating the other system. This would imply that if one system is capable of activating the other system they must be interconnected (Paivio, 1986). Although the two representational systems are capable of working independently they are also able to work together through interconnections. This interconnection is known as a referential connection. The referential connection is the ability for one system (either verbal or nonverbal) to evoke the other and vise versa. Through this connection individuals are capable of describing and imagining any number of situations. Paivio (1986) states that "the interconnections are not assumed to be one-to-one, but rather one-to-many, in both directions. The assumption parallels the familiar fact that a thing can be called by many names and a name has many specific references. This translates into the dual coding assumption that a given word can evoke any number of images, corresponding to different exemplars of a referent class (e.g., different tables) or different versions of a particular class member ( e.g., my dinning room table imaged from different perspectives). Conversely, a given object (or imaged object) can evoke different descriptions" (p.63). All that we hear, see, touch and smell is encoded into our verbal and nonverbal knowledge base. It is how we are able to store and retrieve these representations that make us capable of providing a verbal representation of an image in our minds, or enables us to imagine a verbal description. Comparisons and contrasts To have complete understanding of these two theories is important to compare and contrast them. It is important because commonalities allow for similar explanations of mental phenomena. Both theories do an exceptional job of explaining the processes of the of the mind. One similarity between neural network theory and dual coding theory is that they both divide the components of their theory into subsets. The network theory puts the similar nodes into one set and the dual coding theory puts the verbal in one set and the imaginal into another set. Both theories utilize connections between subsets as a way of storing and retrieving knowledge. While the theories have a number of similarities they also have some differences. The dual coding theory has two subsets, the verbal and the imaginal. The neural network theory has numerous amounts of nodes grouped into many different sets. These sets form webs. There are numerous webs layered one on top of the other and each is able to access one another. With the infinite number of webs being able to access one another the network theory has the potential to become more complicated than the dual coding theory. Both theories make valid points as to how individuals process and retain knowledge. While the two theories may differ on the internal representations of the storage of knowledge, both have similar foundational beliefs: knowledge is taken in, it is stored, there are connections between the stored groups of knowledge and there is a retrieval process. How the theories apply to psychology Why is it important for a psychologist to know and understand the theories of knowledge? It is important because the field of psychology studies the processes of humans (how they act, react, develop, make decisions, cope, ect.). If a psychologist has a basic understanding of the knowledge theories, then they will have a better understanding of the thought processes of a client. Therapies such as relaxation therapy, rational emotive therapy, art therapy and choice therapy must be able to appeal to the individuals knowledge constructs. Clients in cognitive therapy tend to posses irrational thoughts. In order to bring about change in the clients thought processes the therapists must assist the client to analyze their faulty logic. Through challenging what the client believes to be true the client is then able to analyze and reconstruct the knowledge that is stored in the verbal and imaginal compartments of the dual coding theory as well as the nodal compartments of the network theory. In observing art therapy it is evident that the understanding of the knowledge theory would prove useful. Art therapy can be represented in three ways: it is experienced internally, it is expressed verbally, or constructed and represented through the media ( Lusebrink, 1990). Lusebrink (1990) states that "Internal experiences of images and there external representations influence each other. . .The internal image is based on sensory, affective, and thought processes. The image is externalized either through verbal descriptions or through the manipulation of media" (p. 6) In the above statement we can see a definite connection between art therapy and the knowledge theories. Through art therapy an individual must be able to view an image, internalize that image and be able to make the connection to express how that image expressed their feelings. This is much the same as the knowledge theories. The theories of knowledge are tied directly to psychological therapies. The knowledge theories explain how a therapy technique is able to connect with a client's internal construct and assist in expressing or altering cognition. While absolute understanding of the knowledge theory may not be essential to an effective outcome of a therapy, it would assist in the understanding of how the therapy is able to work. The theories of knowledge tend to be quite complex. In the terms of a psychological context it is important to understand the knowledge theories. The history, the construct, and their similarities all allow the psychologist to better understand how an individual internalizes the world around them. The basic understanding of the knowledge theories allows the psychologist to comprehend how therapeutic techniques effect the clients' internal constructs and also how all knowledge, both past and present, plays a role in making those connection necessary. References Arbib, M. (1995). The hand book of brain theories and neural networks. Cambridge, MA: MIT press. Lusebrink, V. (1990). Imagery and visual expression in therapy. New York: Plenum press. Martindale, C. (1991). Cognitive psychology a neural-network approach. Belmont,CA: Brooks/Cole. McClelland, J., & Rumelhart, D. (1988). Explorations in parallel distributed processing. Cambridge, MA: MIT press. Paivio, A. (1986). Mental representations a dual coding approach. New York: Oxford University Press. Theories of knowledge and psychological applications. Robin A. Finlayson University of Saskatchewan Ed.Psy: 855.3: Advanced Educational Psychology October 16, 1996 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Duties of Legal secretary.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE DUTIES OF A SECRETARY When we enter a law office the first individual we meet is the legal secretary. She is the one withe responsibility for the correspondence, records, and other affairs of a.law office. The word "secretary" reflects its Latin root secretum (secret), which originally referred to a person who acted as a confidant, and handled matters of a private nature for his principal. The executive position or executive secretary is one of major responsibility in business or government. First responsibility of a legal secretary each day is open, read, and note all mail received that day. It is Important in a law office. The mail often includes legal documents crucial to a certain case that day. She must be familiar with all standard forms used in the office. Affidavits, bills of sale, deeds, leases, mortgages, powers of attorney, propositions, and wills. Tape Shorthand theory means the writing down of dictation from an employer, and then transcribing the material onto sheets with the aid of earphones and computer. Every secretary is required to have a skill speed of 80 WPM before graduating, also when taking the civil service exan. In some offices the dictation is seized by one secretary while the typing is completed by another. Usually larger offices hire clerk typist. It is important that secretaries are capable of reading each others shorthand notes. Every legal secretary works with computers, duplicators, stencil machines, but the dictaphone is usually the most frequently utilized. Information must be transcribed quickly, and accurately in attractive form. Filing systems are important to any secretary. The files at any office must be maintained in perfect order, so that any file may be located promptly by any person authorized to use the files. General secretaries often work inside an organization where company records are maintained by special file clerks inside a central filing room, but the secretary may still remain responsible for all the filing. A secretary must learn the rules of four basic filing systems. The alphabetic, subject, geographic, and numeric systems. Also the vertical files, card files, and open shelf files. Files for audimated data pocessing are required by many firms. Two remaining basic skills of general and legal secretaries are: Receptionist, trained to meet and route visitors, customers, salesmen, and handle nuisance calls. They greet all visiters with the "red carpet treatment" by treating them with royalty. The well-trained secretary who is able to accept responsibilies who is able to relieve her employer of many management duties is a real valuable employee to any company. I studied the secretarial course at BOCES for two years. I understand the responsibilities of a secretary. The general or legal secretary understands the basic fundamentals of the work that requires additional "specialized" training. The secretary is trained to fill all these skills, a person who knows many of the confidential matters of her office.. This stops unnecessary interruptions, delays, confusions, and clears the employers desk faster. She understands which phone calls to route immediately to employer or which file to hold until she can supply him with needed reference material. Secretary sits in on conferences when a trusted witness is required. Her manners on the telephone sets the manner of the office. She is an all around daytime hostess for her employer and also his receptionist. A Secretary must act as part of employers memory with her instant recollection of the exact location of filed material. She must prepare an up to date appointment book Success working at a secretarial career requires special talents and special schooling. There is no reason why any high school senior can't enter the field and become a competent legal, or general secretary. . f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\EBONICS.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FOR AGES AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE BEE MANIPULATING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, WHICH APPEARS TO BE ACCEPTED BOTH THROUGH LITERATURE AND VERBAL SPEAKING. IN THE 21ST CENTURY THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS FACED WITH A TASK OF REFORMING A LANGUAGE SUPPOSIDLY CALL "BLACK ENGLISH" OR "EBONY PHONICS," DEPICTING WHAT IS WIDELY KNOWN AS EBONICS. AFRICAN AMERICANS AND OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS HAVE BEEN SPEAKING BROKEN ENGLISH FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE USE OF EBONICSS HAS BECOME A CONTRAVERSIAL ISSUE IN THE WORLD TODAY. THE OAKLAND SCHOOL DISR\TRICT RAISED THE ISSUE OF USING EBONICS IN THE CLASSROOM TO HELP STUDENTS RECOGNIZE AND USE PROPER ENGLISH. HOWEVER, THESE ISSUES HAVE ALMOST BECOME AN UNCONTROLLABE MATTER, BECAUSE THE USE OF EBONICS IS MISREPRESENTED. MANY SEEM TO THINK TEACHING EBONICS IS VERY HELPFUL, WHILE OTHERS DISAGREE. THE REFORMATION OF EBONICS IS NOT AND WILL NOT BE A POSITIVE PATH FOR THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM TO PURSUE. THE PROCESS OF ATTEMPTING TO TEACH STANDARD ENGLISH PRACTICES THROUGH 'BLACK ENGLISH', EBONICS, IS A BAD IDEA BECAUSE: IT IS NOT A UNIVERSIAL LANGUAGE, IT DEPICTS ONLY ONE ETHNICITY AND IT IS FOREVER CHANGING. A DIALECT, WHICH IS NOT UNIVERSIAL, WILL STAGNATE STUDENTS RATHER THAN ENHANCE THE EDUCATTIONAL PROCESS. IN LIKE MANNER, A DIALECT WHICH DEPICTS ONE ETHNICITY WOULD BE A DIASATER FOR PEOPLE OF ALL ETHNICITIES. THERE MAY BE SEVERAL DIFFERENT DIALECTS IN ONE AREA OR CULTURE AND THEREFORE CONTROLLS IN DEVELOPING A LANGUAGE FOR ALL ETHNIC GROUOPS WOULD BE SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY IMPOSSIBLE. THE YOUNGER GENERATION USES MANY FORMS OF COOLOQUIIALISM. NEEDLESS RTO SAY, THE LANGUAGE OE THE YOUTH CHANGE FORM CITY TO CITY, GROUOP TO GROUOP AND IN MANY OTHE WAYS. DIFFERENT GROUPS HAVE USED BROKEN ENGLISH THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AS A MEANS OF EXPRESSING THEIR OWN THOUGHTS AN DGRIEVANCES. THEIS HAS BEEN EXHIBITED DTHROUGH SPIRITUAL SONGS DURING SLAVERY, AS WELL AS, THE CURRENT USE OF 'RAP.' IT STANDS TO CHANCE THAT IF PARENTS OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION HAD BEEN TAOUGHT PROPER STANDARD ENGLISH, OR UNIVERSIALLANGUAGES 'BLACK ENGLISH/EBONICS' MAY NOT HAVE BEE WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF POSSIBILITY. IT IS CONCEIVABLE TO SAY THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS ATTEMPTING TO RIGHT A WRONG WHICH HAS EXISTED f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Education 2.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In today's society a college education is an essential part of pursuing a career. While in college a person can determine his strengths and weaknesses in whatever path he decides to take in life. A college education is also the first step in being self-sufficient and living by yourself. College life also gives a person a chance to express his ingenious and creative abilities and to supplement the skills that he learned in high school. City University will give me an unprecedented opportunity to achieve these goals and to reach a new plateau in my scholarly studies. In my life I plan to pursue a career in the aerospace field. To get a job in this field one needs a college education and City University fits the bill. Its curriculum and accomplished professors will give me the chance to achieve my goal. Each of the independent colleges of the university system is highly specialized and particular to its own field of training. This will help applicants like me concentrate on my specific career path. I have visited the university campus twice and each time I have been impressed by the devotion of the faculty to ensure that the student's educational needs are met and surpassed. I perceive that the university is concerned about the educational well-being of its students. This is exemplified by the abundant tutoring opportunities that the university offers. Not only is the staff exceptional, City University has phenomenal technology. City University is on the cutting edge of technology which is indispensable in the aerospace field. The EOS computing environment is a substructure for building a bridge to the future. This system will give me many opportunities to use its resources to intensify my skills while pursuing my occupation. Having access to millions of computers all over the world, with the information I need at my fingertips will propel me to a higher level of intellectual aptness. The immense number of computer clusters available at the university enables a student to arm himself with the knowledge needed to aid him in any project or endeavor that he may attempt. In conclusion, City University would be the ideal institution to pursue my dreams and ambitions to become an aerospace engineer. It goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that its students become useful members of society. As I commence my journey into independent life City University will be my guide making sure that I follow the right track into the future. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Education 3.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ According to "A Nation at Risk", the American education system has declined due to a " rising tide of mediocrity" in our schools. States such as New York have responded to the findings and recommendations of the report by implementing such strategies as the "Regents Action Plan" and the "New Compact for Learning". In the early 1980Æs, President Regan ordered a national commission to study our education system. The findings of this commission were that, compared with other industrialized nations, our education system is grossly inadequate in meeting the standards of education that many other countries have developed. At one time, America was the world leader in technology, service, and industry, but overconfidence based on a historical belief in our superiority has caused our nation to fall behind the rapidly growing competitive market in the world with regard to education. The report in some respects is an unfair comparison of our education system, which does not have a national standard for goals, curriculum, or regulations, with other countries that do, but the findings nevertheless reflect the need for change. Our education system at this time is regulated by states which implement their own curriculum, set their own goals and have their own requirements for teacher preparation. Combined with this is the fact that we have lowered our expectations in these areas, thus we are not providing an equal or quality education to all students across the country. The commission findings generated recommendations to improve the content of education and raise the standards of student achievement, particularly in testing, increase the time spent on education and provide incentives to encourage more individuals to enter the field of education as well as improving teacher preparation. N.Y. State responded to these recommendations by first implementing the Regents Action Plan; an eight year plan designed to raise the standards of education. This plan changed the requirements for graduation by raising the number of credits needed for graduation, raising the number of required core curriculum classes such as social studies, and introduced technology and computer science. The plan also introduced the Regents Minimum Competency Tests, which requires a student to pass tests in five major categories; math, science, reading, writing, and two areas of social studies. Although the plan achieved many of its goals in raising standards of education in N.Y. State, the general consensus is that we need to continue to improve our education system rather than being satisfied with the achievements we have made thus far. Therefore, N.Y. adopted "The New Compact for Learning". This plan is based on the principles that all children can learn. The focus of education should be on results and teachers should aim for mastery, not minimum competency. Education should be provided for all children and authority with accountability should be given to educators and success should be rewarded with necessary changes being made to reduce failures. This plan calls for curriculum to be devised in order to meet the needs of students so that they will be fully functional in society upon graduation, rather than just being able to graduate. Districts within the state have been given the authority to devise their own curriculum, but are held accountable by the state so that each district meets the states goals that have been established. Teachers are encouraged to challenge students to reach their full potential, rather than minimum competency. In this regard, tracking of students is being eliminated so that all students will be challenged, rather than just those who are gifted. Similarly, success should be rewarded with recognition and incentives to further encourage progress for districts, teachers and students while others who are not as accomplished are provided remedial training or resources in order to help them achieve success. It is difficult to determine whether our country on the whole has responded to the concerns that "A Nation at Risk" presented. Clearly though, N.Y. State has taken measures over the last ten years to improve its own education system. In many respects the state has accomplished much of what it set out to do, but the need to continue to improve is still present. Certainly, if America is determined to regain its superiority in the world, education, the foundation of our future, needs to be priority number one. Teachers often develop academic expectations of students based on characteristics that are unrelated to academic progress. These expectations can affect the way educators present themselves toward the student, causing an alteration in the way our students learn, and thus causing an overall degeneration in the potential growth of the student. Expectations affect students in many ways, not just academically, but in the form of mental and social deprivation which causes a lack of self-esteem. When educators receive information about students, mostly even before the student walks into their classroom, from past test scores, IEPÆs, and past teachers, it tends to alter the way we look at the students potential for growth. This foundation of expectation is then transformed on to our method of instruction. One basic fallout from these expectations is the amount of time educators spend in communicating with students. We tend to speak more directly to students who excel, talking in more matures tone of voice, treating them more like a grown-up than we do to the students who are already labeled underachievers. This can give the student an added incentive to either progress or regress due to the amount of stimulation that they receive. As educators we tend to take the exceptional students "under our wing". We tend to offer knowledge in situations to help push the good students, in comparison to moving on to the next task for the others. We also tend to critique the work of our god students more positively than the others, offering challenges to the answers they have given. The most obvious characteristic that educators present to the students is in the area of body language and facial expression. We tend to present ourselves in a more professional manner to our good students, speaking more clearly and with a stronger tone of voice. We tend to stand more upright, in a more powerful stance, than to the slouching effect we give to the underachievers. The head shakes, glancing with our eyes, hand gestures, and posture all contribute to the way we look at certain students based on our first impressions which came before we even knew the student. One major way we can avoid these pitfalls and eliminate unfair expectations that help produce failure in our students is to restrict the past information on the students to a need to know basis. Instead of telling the teacher how the student did on past examinations, just present them with the curricula that the student must learn during the time they spend in that class. This enables the educator to formulate their own opinions of that student. Also, instead of doing the IEP meetings during the middle of the year, we should wait till the end of the semester to inform the educators of certain aspects of the student instead of giving them all the information earlier in the year. Finally, it is up to the educator himself to evaluate their own teaching methods to be able to recognize, and change, the way they present themselves to the entire class. To be able to know what we are doing, and how we are doing it, at different times in the day is crucial to the aura we present to the students. Schools are often blamed for the ills of society, yet society has a major impact on our education system. The problems that schools are facing today are certainly connected to the problems that are society faces, including drugs, violence, and the changing of our family structure. There are many methods that schools have begun to use in order to deal with the problems they are faced with and still offer the best possible education to our youth. The use of drugs in the general population has become a very serious problem in society and within the school system. There are two aspects to drug use that teachers are having to deal with now. The first is in trying to teach the new generation of crack babies that are now entering the schools. These students have extremely low attention spans and can be very disruptive in class. Early intervention programs designed to target these children and focus on behavior management within the school setting have been effective in preparing these students for school. Educators have also identified drug use among students as one of the most significant problems that our schools face today. According to the text, the rate of drug use among students has declined in last few years, but recently there has been an increase in alcohol abuse among teenagers. Intervention programs such as APPLE, (a school based rehabilitation facility) have been implemented in many schools with the cooperation of school counselors and community agencies to treat drug using teenagers. Other programs, such as D.A.R.E have been implemented in many elementary schools to provide education about drugs to young students. Violence, both in society and in the school system has also been identified as a serious problem. The influx of weapons in schools creates a dangerous situation for teachers, administrators and other students. One remedy for this problem has been introduced in many public city schools; the use of metal detectors. While this method is not foolproof it does send the message that violence will not be tolerated in schools and that severe measures will be implemented in order to curb it. Educators are also being trained to identify those students who may be violent and to provide non-violent crisis intervention. It is an undeniable fact that our society has a serious problem concerning violence and that the violence on the streets is certainly connected to the violence in the schools. It seems questionable that even these measures will significantly reduce the problem in schools, but certainly the process of teaching can continue in a less stressful atmosphere by having these measures in place. Unfortunately, there are other problems such as the changing family structure that do not have such clear cut solutions. Some of the problems that teachers are faced with concerning the family include poverty, single parent homes, abuse and/or neglect and homelessness. Statistics state that 41% of single, female headed households live below the poverty level and that students who live in single parent homes score lower on achievement tests, particularly boys whose mothers are the head of the household. Obviously, single parent families are a fact in our society today, given the rising rate of divorce and single women having children, and it is true that this change is having a severe effect on students today, but this should not effect the quality of education that is provided, but rather, encourage educators to be more aware of the difficulties these students face in order to adapt their teaching style, as well as the curriculum to reach these students. Similarly, child abuse and/or neglect has become a major issue in society and schools. It is not clear whether there is a rise in the occurrences of abuse or whether better awareness has increased the statistics, but it cannot be argued that this a significant problem and one that effects those educators who have to help students who are either abused or neglected. Strict regulations concerning the accountability of teachers regarding the reporting of child abuse or neglect are in effect. Teachers are required to be trained on the ability to identify abuse. Community agencies, shelters and child welfare agencies have begun working in conjunction with schools in order to deal with the problem with as little disruption in the studentÆs education as possible. Homelessness is another major problem in our society. The rate of homeless people has grown significantly since the early 1980Æs deinstitutionalization movement and more recently due to the rising unemployment rate have led to more families and children being homeless than ever before. This social problem has become a significant problem for educators. Low achievement, which may be in part due to low attendance as a result of a transient lifestyle, physical problems associated with living on the streets and child abuse are all issues that educators are confronted with when working with students who are homeless. Unfortunately, because of the lack of government funds, this problem continues to grow in America. On the other hand, schools have begun to deal with this problem by hiring additional counselors, some who work specifically to coordinate service with shelters in order provide assistance to these families and more precisely to the children. This effort clearly demonstrates that educators are genuinely concerned about providing education to all children. Clearly our schools and society face the same problems. It has become necessary for all people, not just educators, to be more aware of the problems. Although some intervention programs have been implemented and in some cases are very successful, it is becoming more apparent that these problems are going to continue and will have a direct consequence on our future in this country. Unfortunately, we as a society tend to look for the "quick fix" to our problems without realizing the consequences for the future. Our society need to understand that the schools are not responsible for the cause of these problems or the solutions, but rather, all aspects of society, including schools, are intertwined and need to collectively work together if we are ever to make progress toward resolving these problems in the long run. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Education of ee cummings.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Outline I.Introduction A.Cummings' life B.Introduction to Cummings' ideogram form C.5 Poems being analyzed D.Thesis Statement: Cummings utilizes unique syntax in these poems in order to convey messages visually as well as verbally. II.Poem analyses A.l(a 1.Theme - not sadness or loneliness, but oneness 2.Syntax a.instances of '1' in the poem b.shape of a poem representing leaf falling 3.Images - one and oneness B.mortals) 1.Theme a.'eachness' b.'climbi' and 'begi' 2.Syntax a."open ing" b."of speeds of" c."&meet&" d."a/n/d" e."(im" à "mortals)" 3.Images - circularity of poem C.!blac 1.Theme a.'!' and its results b.Cummings' comment c.'.g' at end 2.Syntax a.less free verse than one may first think 1.four and one line altering stanzas 2.lone consonants forming a sort of rhyme themselves 3.trees & agains; (whi) & sky; te, rees, & le b.falling of a leaf 1.the whole poem's syntax 2.line and word spacing 3.IrlI 3.Images a.comma after sky and trees b.black against white D.swi( 1.Theme - differentiate b/w perception and conception 2.Syntax a.swi( b.terseness, primary lang., and unclear syntactical relationships c.motion à Less d.d, 3.Images - against ó across à swift à swimming III.Conclusion A.Cummings' method B.Comment on the ideogram l(a le af fa ll s) one l iness !blac k agains t (whi) te sky ?t rees whic h fr om droppe d , le af a:;go e s wh IrlI n .g mortals) climbi ng i nto eachness begi n dizzily swingthings of speeds of trapeze gush somersaults open ing hes shes &meet& swoop fully is are ex quisite theys of re turn a n d fall which now drop who all dreamlike (im swi( across!gold's rouNdly )ftblac kl(ness)y a-motion-upo-nmotio-n Less? thE (against is )Swi mming (w-a)s bIr d, E. E. Cummings, who was born in 1894 and died in 1962, wrote many poems with unconventional punctuation and capitalization, and unusual line, word, and even letter placements - namely, ideograms. Cummings' most difficult form of prose is probably the ideogram; it is extremely terse and it combines both visual and auditory elements. There maybe sounds or characters on the page that cannot be verbalized or cannot convey the same message if pronounced and not read. Four of Cummings' poems - l(a, mortals), !blac, and swi( - illustrate the ideogram form quite well. Cummings utilizes unique syntax in these poems in order to convey messages visually as well as verbally. Although one may think of l(a as a poem of sadness and loneliness, Cummings probably did not intend that. This poem is about individuality -oneness (Kid 200-1). The theme of oneness can be derived from the numerous instances and forms of the number '1' throughout the poem. First, 'l(a' contains both the number 1 and the singular indefinite article, 'a'; the second line contains the French singular definite article, 'le'; 'll' on the fifth line represents two ones; 'one' on the 7th line spells the number out; the 8th line, 'l', isolates the number; and 'iness', the last line, can mean "the state of being I" - that is, individuality - or "oneness", deriving the "one" from the lowercase roman numeral 'i' (200). Cummings could have simplified this poem drastically ("a leaf falls:/loneliness"), and still conveyed the same verbal message, but he has altered the normal syntax in order that each line should show a 'one' and highlight the theme of oneness. In fact, the whole poem is shaped like a '1' (200). The shape of the poem can also be seen as the path of a falling leaf; the poem drifts down, flipping and altering pairs of letters like a falling leaf gliding, back and forth, down to the ground. The beginning 'l(a' changes to 'le', and 'af' flips to 'fa'. 'll' indicates a quick drop of the leaf, which has slowed by a longer line, 'one'. Finally, the leaf falls into the pile of fallen leaves on the ground, represented by 'iness'. Cummings has written this poem so perfectly that every part of it conveys the message of oneness and individuality (200). In mortals), Cummings vitalizes a trapeze act on paper. Oddly enough, this poem, too, stresses the idea of individualism, or 'eachness', as it is stated on line four. Lines 2 and 4, 'climbi' and 'begi', both end leaving the letter 'i' exposed. This is a sign that Cummings is trying to emphasize the concept of self-importance (Tri 36). This poem is an amusing one, as it shows the effects of a trapeze act within the arrangement of the words. On line 10, the space in the word 'open ing' indicates the act beginning, and the empty, static moment before it has fully begun. 'of speeds of' and '&meet&', lines 8 and 12 respectively, show a sort of back-and-forth motion, much like that of the motion of a trapeze swinging. Lines 12 through 15 show the final jump off the trapeze, and 'a/n/d' on lines 17 through 19, represent the deserted trapeze, after the acrobats have dismounted. Finally, '(im' on the last line should bring the reader's eyes back to the top of the poem, where he finds 'mortals)'. Placing '(im' at the end of the poem shows that the performers attain a special type of immortality for risking their lives to create a show of beauty, they attain a special type of immortality (36-7). The circularity of the poem causes a feeling of wholeness or completeness, and may represent the Circle of Life, eternal motion (Fri 26). Cummings first tightly written ideogram was !blac, a very interesting poem. It starts with '!', which seems to be saying that something deserving that exclamation point occurred anterior to the poem, and the poem is trying objectively to describe certain feelings resulting from '!'. "black against white" is an example of such a description in the poem; the clashing colors create a feeling in sync with '!'. Also, why "(whi)" suggests amusement and wonder, another feeling resulting from '!' (Weg 145). Cummings had written a letter concerning !blac to Robert Wenger, author of The Poetry and Prose of E. E. Cummings (see Works Cited). In it, he wrote, "for me, this poem means just what it says . . . and the ! which begins the poem is what might be called and emphatic (=very)." This poem is also concerns the cycle of birth, life, death, and renewal. This is derived from the '.' preceding the last letter. This shows that even though the poem is finished, the circle of life is not, and is ever cycling (Weg 144). Through the poem's shape, !blac also shows a leaf fluttering to the ground. The lines' spacing synchronizes the speed of the reading with that of the leaf at different points in its fall. With its capital 'I's, 'IrlI' also indicates a leaf falling straight down before it hits the ground (147). Reading this poem, one may realize the lone comma on line 12. The poet writes about the sky and a tree, and then a comma intrudes, which makes the reader pause, and realize the new awareness that the comma indicated - that of a falling leaf (145). Lines 1 through 6 are also very important to the poem. Although "black against white" may be referring to the color of the falling leaf in contrast to the bright sky, it is not wrong to assume it means more. As stated above, the poem's theme is the cycle of life, and "black against white" could be indicating life death versus life. It shows that even though a leaf falling may be an indication of death, falling of leaves is an integral part of the whole life cycle of the tree (146). !blac may seem like a simple mess of words, but in reality is much more complex than that. swi( is another poem of Cummings' ideogram form. The essence of this poem is seeing a bird's swift flight past the sun, and the wonder of this experience. The poem mainly tries to convince the reader of the difference between conception, what one sees, and perception, what one knows he is seeing (Mar 105). The first line, 'swi(' shows that the object the poet sees is moving so rapdly that before he completely utters his first word, he must describe the object, and that it is passing before another object - the sun. His use of only primary descriptives, such as speed, direction, color, and shape indicates that he is trying to describe the bird as quickly as possible. The way he speaks, in terse syllables that lack syntactical relationship to each other, imitate one who tries to speak before he knows exactly what he wants to say; it is another indication of how quickly the object is moving (106). "a-motion-upo-nmotio-n/Less?", the 6th line, is signifying that although the poet knows that both the objects are moving, one's motion causes the other to seem still (106). The 'd,' at the end of the poem is showing that after the poet has finally named the object he saw, he immediately loses interest and stops, as writing more to further organize his thoughts would be superfluous (106). The contrasting words in this poem are very important. 'against' contrasts with 'across', and signifies a halt. It seems that the poet wants to stop the object in order to describe it. But a stopping of motion would contradict 'swi/ftly', so Cummings decided to refer to the speed average of the two, 'Swi/mming' (106). swi( contains less symbolism than the other poems being analyzed, but it is similar in that the syntax adds greatly to the poem. Cummings' peculiar method of using syntax to convey hidden meaning is extremely effective. The reader does not simply read and forget Cummings' ideas; instead, he must figure out the hidden meaning himself. In doing this, he feels contentment, and thus retains the poem's idea for a more extended period of time. Cummings' ideogram poems are puzzles waiting to be solved. Works Cited Friedman, Norman. E. E. Cummings: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1972. Kidder, Rushworth M. E. E. Cummings: An Introduction to the Poetry. New York: Columbia University Press, 1979. Marks, Barry A. E. E. Cummings. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1964. Triem, Eve. E. E. Cummings. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1969. Wegner, Robert E. The Poetry and Prose of E. E. Cummings. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Education Past Present and Future.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Education, without it we would all be mindless wonders wandering around the globe. Education is an important factor in our lives, but the past, present, and future of education is changing. And change it will until our education system is the best in the world. In the past, Education in America was plain and simple. We've all heard the stories of how our ancestors used to have to walk to school 5 miles in the snow in the heat of summer. These shameless exagerations were meant for us to think that school back in the "good ole days" was very dificult and surpassed the level of difficulty students today have. In reality, school, although most early schools were combonation classes with a variety of age groups as students. Almost each individual was given an equal amount of personal help from the teacher. Also, life wasn't as complecated as they are now. One teacher would teach the whole class a limeted variety of subjects such as arithmatic and english. Education was just eaiser when it first became popular. Nowadays, in the present, school not only is a place to learn, it's a place to stress out. As I walk through the halls all students seem to have that academic nervousness. If you listen to the conversations that go on in the hall it's always, "Ohh my gosh, Becky! I'm going to have a fat cow! I think I'm getting a B in my chemistry class, and that is going to ruin my record." Pressure is constantly put upon students to get "straight A's" It is very rare when a student will not shoot for an A on a quiz. It's human nature to succeed, but with the pressure put on us by the teachers, parents, peers, and colleges, it's a heavy load to handle. Now, scientists recently did an expiriment. They placed a child in a room with some brand new toys. They left him there for a couple of hours and he did not play with them. The scientists puzzeled took the boy aside and asked him why he did not play with the toys. The boy replied that he did not want to break them. So, scientists then took another child and placed him in a room filled with horse manure. The boy was having fun swimming around in it, having a blast with the horse manure. When the scientists asked the boy why he played with the horse manure, the boy replied, "Well, with all of this horse manure, there has to be a pony somwhere." This story best relates to our education system. Now while students may think that school is a waste of time, it has been proven that it is really the key to lead us to the pony at the end of the rainbow. While we may not like school, it will always benifit us in the long run. The furture of education is changing ever so rapidly. New classes are starting to emerge from the midst of old traditional classes that many new students have failed. It may be hard for some of us to face, but some students just can not learn the same why as our parents did. Today, students need more hands on projects. They need things they can relate to the real world. Other then just learning concepts, we should be able to learn how, when, and why we should apply those concepts into everyday things. Now, i'm not saying we stray away from traditional methods in the future. I am saying that what we all need to do as a group is find a way to import those traditional methods in to futuristic teaching, and use the traditional way of educating as a building base for new methods in education. It can relate to a table, the new methods of educating being the legs and the traditional way, the table top. You need both the legs and the table top before you can have a complete table. If you take one piece away you are left with a worthless pile of wood, but when you combine all of the pieces together, the table begins to have some use and worth to it. Education is something that has the biggest value of anything in the world. It is an ideal that without it, we would never be able to live the way we do today. It has come from a small, simple school, to a key to the future in only the span of years. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Education.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ EDUCATION Americans take their education for granted. Education has become one of the most important aspects of a person's. With seventeen years of formal education, a person can do almost anything he or she wants to do. Yet many in America take this for granted. Some American students today would rather not be in school. They would be much happier at home or going someplace with their friends. Once in school, many students forget why they are there-to get an education. Instead of going to classes, students might cut class or not even show up to school at all. I think our decreasing status as an economic super power can be attributed in part to the effects of this attitude. I believe there are two reasons behind this attitude--the lack of family values and the lack of responsibility taken by some of America's youth. Children often do not understand the value of the education they are receiving. Parents need to drill the importance of an education into their child's head. If children are not made aware of how meaningful school is, chances are they will fail when they are adults. Parents have to instill in their child the discipline and motivation it takes to do well in school. Parents have to teach their children that school always come first. Students need to put school on top of their priority list too. Parents also need to assure that their children understand their own responsibility to get their work done well and handed in on time. But parents can only do so much-ultimately it is the students who have to do the work. Children must learn to accept responsibility for the results of their own actions. Students will sometimes blame the teacher or others if they get bad grades. I have only one response for these students--the teachers aren't the ones responsible for acquiring knowledge. Students must learn that their grades are a direct result of the effort they put in to learn the material. Failure to learn to accept responsibility has often stayed with students after leaving school. This country could be a lot more productive if people accept their own mistakes and move on to address the problems. Many parents may need to parent more and many students have to take more responsibility for their actions. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Educational Psychology.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Educational Psychology ? Mr. ? Psychology 16 Oct. 1996 ? Mr. ? Psychology 16 Oct. 1996 Educational Psychology The field of psychology that deals with the ability to solve educational problems and to improve educational situations is the field of educational psychology. Educational psychology is sometimes referred to as an applied field, meaning, one in which the objective is to solve immediate practical problems (James 29). The beginnings of educational psychology were initiated by Aristotle in his formulation of the laws of association. These laws: similarity, contrast, and contiguity, supplemented by frequency, are the beginnings to an experimental science (Piaget 9). As the science began to develop, the educational psychologists did little more than administer mental tests, which started with the Stanford-Binet test (IQ test). Today, the science has been expanded to include counseling students, teachers, administrators, and parents, in an effort to help make the school environment one which is most effective in promoting learning. As an example, if a student in school commits a disciplinary action, instead of being indiscriminately punished, that student would be sent to see the school psychologist to find out the causes of the students misbehavior and deal with them accordingly (Frandsen 92). Though studies of educational surveys, there were nine major factors that increased learning. These nine factors can be placed into three groups: student aptitude, instruction, and psychological environments. Student aptitude includes (1) ability or prior achievement as measured by score on educational test; (2) development as indexed by chronological age or stage of maturation; and (3) motivation or self-concept as shown by personality tests and students' perseverance on learning tasks. Instruction can be thought of as (4) the amount of time students engage in learning and (5) the quality of the instructional experience. Psychological environments include: (6) the "curriculum of the home," (7) the morale of the classroom social group, (8) the peer group outside school, and (9) the amount of leisure-time television viewing. These are the factors that influence academic achievement and behavioral learning (A.A.E. 66). Educational psychology does not only hold true for humans, but also for animals. Ivan Pavlov displayed the principle of association by applying it to the salivary reflex. He trained his dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell alone if previously they had so responded to meat and the bell together. In another case, B. F. Skinner trained pigeons to play a form of table tennis by rewarding the birds with food pellets each time they hit a ball into a designated trough (James 66). This area of psychology is used today to teach specific subjects such as foreign languages, arithmetic and mathematics, reading, writing, spelling, and the sciences. However, teaching of these subject requires a person that displays "readiness." This "readiness" is most commonly found in early ages and the older one is, the less "readiness" they have to learn (Frandsen 2). Psychology is still a young science, and human nature is exceedingly complex. However, in the educational setting it has made remarkable advances in the past half century or more, though the cultural lag has delayed many of the advantages that might otherwise have accrued. With the development of television and of lesson programming for teaching machines, coupled with a public awakening, dramatic and revolutionary changes may be expected in the foreseeable future (Piaget 179+180). Works Cited Academic American Encyclopedia (A.A.E.). Danbury, Conn.: Grolier Incorporated, 1993. Frandsen, Arden N. How Children Learn. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1957. James, William. Talks To Teachers. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1900. Piaget, Jean. Science of Education and the Psychology of the Child. New York: Orion Press, 1970. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Effects of Living Together.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As the rate of divorce soars and as increasing numbers of marriages disintegrate, living together has become the popular alternative to many people in north America. Expersts estimate that "roughly 2.2 million people are currently sharing bed and board in a live-in arrangement, this is approximately 1% of the total population."("Family." Comptoms Encyclopedia. 1992 ed.) Living together, more formally known as non marital cohabitation, is an emerging lifestyle. In fact, "More than one fourth of all unmarried couples living together in the early 1980's were between 25 and 34 years old, and an additional 19 percent were 45 and over."("Today's Families."Detroit Free Press 18 October 1995: B17.) Although living together is not a recent invention, the relationship has yet to be legitimized with a respectable name. Existing terms such as "shacking up" or "living in sin" are just some of the crude names being tagged to people living together. Living together can be valuable a substitute for marriage, a cure-all for marital problems, and a solution to the problem of frequent divorce. A popular rationale for living together is that it is an ideal way to have a "try out." This trial marriage is a result of the ever increasing divorce rate. Many couples are afraid of marriage and decide to live together with the intention to persue marriage if the temporary arrangement is successful. The couples hope to "minimize their chances of a potential disastrous marriage; any conflicting attitudes toward social activities, economic arrangements, or domestic chores will be discovered and hopefully resolved while the couple live together." (Carter, Sharon. "Trial Marriage". Ladies' Home Journal 14 (May 1993): 12-13.) If an unsolveable conflict arises, the couple can cancel their wedding plans and escape the painful exercise of divorce. Living together ultimately can test the couple's compatibility and have them really get to know each other. Although evidence suggests that "couples who live together do not necessarily have more or less successful marriages than couples who don't live together before the wedding, studies show that non-marital cohabitors are more realistic about their demands and expectations of marriage.("Ross, Eshleman J. The Family: An Introduction. 5th ed. Detroit: Allyn,1988) Living together couples who eventually get married tend to have a better foundation for their marriage due to their practice from living together. In many cases, living together can have many legal and economic benefits. Living together is conducted with minimal legal interference, therefore if the relationship fails, separating is quick, unhampered by legal details. It would be wrong to think that all people living are free from legal interference. In most provinces "only short term relationships are unaffected by existing legislation. Couples who have cohabited for several years have significally more legal rights and responsibilities, depending on their place of residence. Several provinces have recently introduced laws that give non-marital cohabitors certain legal rights" (Carter, Sharon. "Trial Marriage". Ladies' Home Journal 14 (May 1993): 12-13.) It is important that couples understand the legal ramifications of living together. Those who wish to avoid the legal liabilities of living together or wish to establish property rights or other responsibilities should enter a cohabitation agreement with their lover. Furthermore, a couple's finical situation may discourage thoughts of marriage. Some people may be trapped on a minimal income and may be forced to choose between marriage and income due to benefits or pensions from former or deceased spouses that may be discontinued if that individual gets remarried. "Rather than marry and impoverish their incomes, a number of couples choose to cohabit and pool their financial resources."(Pearce, Jack M. Modern Day Marriages. New York: Abel-Hils,1990.) Other economic advantages that are present in a live-in relationship is the sharing of food, rent or mortgage, and other housing expenses. This sharing of expenses can be very beneficial to a young couple who may not be financially well off. For many, non-marital cohabitation is used by the couple as a private support system, providing emotional, and physical support. The emotional and physical support can be a valuable asset to the couple as many cohabitors are young and trying to find their own niche in the difficult career world. The support that an individual can get from their partner can be very comforting to them, and can be a good stepping stone from dependence on their families to independence. Many experts claim that " the loosely structured arrangement instills a sense of independence while establishing resources of support; marital decisions are postponed until a greater degree of maturity and occupational independence is secured" (Pearce, Jack M. Modern Day Marriages. New York: Abel-Hils,1990.) The security from the emotional and physical support experienced by many cohabitors can help them concentrate on his or her career aspirations without: the frustration of divided energies among dating, career development, and economical survival. The burden of living can bee shared as the couple persue personal goal and ambitions. Living together, for example, can provide a harried student with emotional, physical, and sometimes economic support from a sympathetic partner. (Pearce, Jack M. Modern Day Marriages. New York: Abel-Hils,1990.) Finally, more and more are turning to the idea of living together as the emotional, physical, social, economic, and legal benefits are much better alternative than the consequences that can arise from a failed marriage. Certainly, "not all couples choose to include living together as a temporary stage in their courtship, yet the option to cohabit is becoming increasingly popular."(Groode, Williams J. "Marriage" Comptoms Interactive Encyclopedia. (1996 ed.) The freedom associated with living together is an important aspect, because after a period of time the couple may decide to marry, to end the relationship, or simple continue living together. As future trends continue, and more marriages fail, the number of couples who live together are going to increase due to the valuable benefits. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Elementary Education.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Buscaglia Reflection While reading Leo Buscaglia¹s book, Living, Loving & Learning, I was able to reflect back on some of the experiences I have had in my life that have helped to make me the person I am today, and I was able to look into the future at what I would like to become. I was able to see how well I know myself and what I have to offer others. I was able to see the things I don¹t like about myself and determine some of the ways I can make myself better. This is some of what reflecting on my life and looking ahead while reading Buscaglia has taught me. A. ³You Cannot give to anybody what you do not have.² I went to Juab High School in the small town of Nephi, Utah. Like many other small town high schools, football coaches and P.E. teachers doubled as Algebra teachers and Science teachers. This allowed our school to make full use of the limited teachers and resources that it had. There was a lot of talented people that taught at Juab and some of them made great teachers and coaches, but some of them didn¹t. Sometimes it ended up that the football coach/algebra teacher cared a little more about tomorrow¹s football game than he did about ensuring his algebra students knew how to balance equations, and sometimes the P.E./Science teacher cared a little more about the teaching the tennis unit than she did about teaching the four life processes. Those teachers were also the ones that had to relearn the algebra and science lessons a few days before they taught them to us, because on paper they were qualified to do the job, but as far as knowing the material and having an interest in what they were trying to give to us, nothing was there. Have you ever tried to get someone excited about a subject that you knew nothing about? Have you ever had a math teacher that sent you across the hall to get help from someone else because he didn¹t understand what he was trying to teach you? It can be pretty hard sometimes to get excited about something if your teacher doesn¹t get excited about it. These teachers tried to give us something that they didn¹t have. When I was in middle school I had another teacher that tried to give us what she didn¹t have. She was the health teacher, but because of some addictions to drugs, she really wasn¹t very healthy. It was sad, because she taught us from the book that certain drugs are addictive and we should take care of our bodies. We knew that she knew this information first hand because she was always on drugs. Many days she was so buzzed up that the teacher next door would come ask her to hold it down because she was yelling instead of speaking and didn¹t even know it. Other days she would fall asleep on her desk while we watched whatever we wanted to on TV. There was more than one time when the stapler ended up in the garbage when the bell rang and woke her up! We all learned how drugs can mess people up because we saw her every day, but I wonder how valuable she thought the lesson would be to us because it was something she obviously didn¹t believe in? ³You cannot give to someone what you do not have yourself.² Buscaglia makes over and over the point that knowledge and love are both things that we can gain and gain, yet we are able to share them with others without ever depleting our own supply. Because as teachers we need to have the skills to teach our children to love themselves and to become the best they can be, I think it is so important that we dedicate the time that we have for living, to loving and learning. I am going to become the best Valerie that I can be, because then I can give others the knowledge and the love to become the best Johns, Kates and Ashleys that they can be. B. Risk Taking Buscaglia tells us the importance of being ourselves. For me, sometimes being myself means taking a risk. All of us have our own little views of what we think others see as being ³normal,² and we all have innate tendencies to try to either fit into the category of normalcy or to totally go against what the crowd is doing just to be different. I lived in Salt Lake for one month. At the restaurant where I worked there was a wide variety of people. One of my friends had a mild case of schizophrenia and was haunted by his inability to deal with reality. If he went into the grocery store and saw a group of people laughing and joking, he automatically thought that they were laughing at him. As a result of his paranoia, he had a hard time making close friends and as a result of that made himself an easy target for peer pressure. He would do anything at all to feel accepted by others, simply because he wanted so much to be what he viewed as normal. Another guy I worked with there seemed like your average everyday Joe... UNTIL one day I saw him when he wasn¹t at work. He had rings in several parts of his body, and was wearing a great deal of hardware over his leather clothes. I barely recognized him! I said ³Mac! Is that you?² He started laughing at me and said, ²You should have seen me before I got my job. I used to have a blue Mohawk!² When I asked him why he dressed that way and had blue hair he simply replied, ³just to be different.² I¹m not so sure that making ourselves a target for peer pressure or having blue hair and a pierced upper lip is what Buscaglia meant when he said we should take risks. I think more of what he was getting at, is that we need to be ourselves. We need to stop wondering whether those around us see us as being extremely odd or as just a part of the crowd. We need to be ourselves. If being yourself means you feel like going out and dancing in the rain once in a while, you should do it! And if being yourself means you feel like singing a song at the top of our lungs as you walk down the street, you should do that too! And if standing on your head while facing the rear of the elevator is what you¹ve always wanted to do, by golly, just make sure that you¹re not going to fall on the 12 people in there that are acting normal. We just need to remember to be ourselves! One of the biggest risks I have ever taken has ended up being one of the best things that has happened to me in my life. My brother-in-law met a family in Indiana when he served his mission there a few years ago. When that family came to visit this year, I was invited to go swimming with the group. I tend to hide my true self when there¹s a cute member of the opposite sex at stake, and I wasn¹t so sure that I wanted to risk letting Issac see the real me. After all, there was a very good chance that he might not view me as being quite normal! But I decided to let the real him give the real me a chance. Before Issac went home the next day we were the best of friends. Now, thanks to United States Postal Service, AT&T, and Delta Airlines, Issac is engaged to spend the eternities with the real me. I sure am glad I decided to be myself. C. ³Love is the process of leading you gently back to yourself.² To me, love means serving others. We love those whom we serve. Babies are so helpless. They rely on others for everything that they need, and sometimes their little wants and cries can be very demanding. But have you ever seen an infant and his mother interact? A crying infant may begin to smile, simply from hearing his mother¹s calming voice. The mother reacts to the smile with more talk and a smile of her own. As they give and take their cues from each other, the mother and her child communicate and form loving bonds through fulfilling each other¹s physical and emotional needs. I had the opportunity to work with some of the students enrolled in Special Education at my high school. The first term that I did this, my job was to help a student frost sugar cookies to be sold in the school bookstore. What a challenge! Each day this beautiful girl had to be retaught how to scoop the icing onto the cookie and how to spread it around so that in the end, the cookie somewhat resembled something edible. It was not an easy task for her. She was often angry with herself because she couldn¹t remembered from the days before, and at first it embarrassed her that she needed any help from me to do her work. But with a little patience from each of us, and some casual conversation while we worked, the task suddenly wasn¹t so difficult for either of us anymore. She realized that I was there to help her and to be her friend, and I realized how much I had to learn from this courageous person. As I gave her encouragement and friendship, she began to remember what she was doing from day to day and to show more pride in her work. This let me know I was doing an o.k. job with her and allowed me to feel good about myself. As we served each other we grew to love each other. Whether it is raking leaves for the neighbors or teaching a child to read, those whom we serve are going to know that they are someone who is important, as will we when we serve them. By giving service, we have led someone back to themselves. We have given love. D. Change Buscaglia talks a lot about making changes. We cannot progress if we do not take the necessary steps to making changes in our lives. It is through examining our lives, determining what we do and do not like, and then working hard to make the changes necessary to become better. Change is not something that happens over night, but must be worked at continually in order to make the change become a long lasting one. When I was a little girl, I had the bad habit of biting my fingernails. Sometimes I would chew them so far down that they would become very sore and sometimes even infected. My older sister Kathy had long, beautiful nails that I was pretty envious of, and I decided that I was going to have fingernails just like that. It took a LOT of will power not to bite my fingernails ( though now looking back I¹m not sure why I enjoyed chewing them so much!), but finally I was able to stop. My nails grew very slowly at first, and were extremely brittle, but eventually they grew to be strong and healthy. I was pretty proud of myself and made sure that my entire family knew what a good job I had done and how beautiful they were. My sister Angie, then also a biter of nails, got tired of hearing about it awfully fast! One night, with the assistance of Kathy who was just out for the adventure of it all, Angela cut all of my fingernails while I was asleep in order to teach me not to brag! I decided that unless I wanted to lose my hair next, which grew much faster than Angela's and I made sure she knew it, bragging had better be the next change that I make in my life. Through the years I have made several changes when I have seen something about myself I didn¹t like. When I read Buscaglia, I took the little look at my life again and set goals to make some changes. One of them was to stop arguing with my older sister Allison. I don¹t know how feasible it is to make such a goal, but I decided I¹d make an extra effort. The fact that I¹ve set the same goal not to argue with her a hundred or more times previously is just proof that change takes a continuous effort, not just one event, in order to make the efforts effective and make the change long lasting. I decided that I am going to let more of the little things she does that annoy me slide by, and to stop doing things just to annoy her. That is just the first steps. After I¹ve got those down, I¹ll look at the situation again and work on something else. If I work hard, impossible though it may sometimes seem, the change can be made and I will be a better person because of it. E. ³To me, life is God¹s gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to God. Make it a fantastic one.² p. 83 I chose this quote from the writings of Buscaglia because it ties up all of his ideas into one little bundle. If you were to give someone a gift and then watched them neglect it, abuse it, or destroy it, your feelings would be hurt and you would be pretty upset. But if you were able to see them show it off to their friends, love it, and take care of it, you would feel like that person appreciated the gift and it would be almost like a gift to you. Upon reading this quote is where I took the opportunity to look into the future. The gift that God gave me is a wonderful one. Sometimes I have a hard time seeing my life as being wonderful because I make so many mistakes. But life is wonderful because life is about making mistakes. It is what we do with them that is important. I know that God always sees me as being wonderful. God loves me. He gave me life. God wants me, and every other person, to become the very best that we can be, and then to become even better. He wants us to nurture life, to love life, and to live it. Let¹s do our best. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\ENGLAND.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ England is a country, and I'm glad I came from it. There are lots of fun things you can do, and a lot of famous sites you can visit. Even though it is far away it really isn't that different from the US. In England the style of clothing is not much different from here. In the summer they wear shorts and short sleeve shirts. In the winter they wear pants and long sleeve shirts. Their climate isn't much different than ours so that's why the style of close is so closely related. A typical Sunday dinner in England is roast beef "which there is called a joint," vegetables, and pie with hot custard sauce. A common snack is fish or french fries. Most people drink tea at most of their meals, but a strong deal of people drink coffee. There are lots of interesting facts about England. The capital of England is London, and the official language spoken in England is English. England has a national song which is "God Save the Queen." In 1986 an estimate of the population in England was 46,821,000. The highest point in England is Scafell Pike, 3,210 ft, and the lowest point in England is The Fens, sea level. In England there is a lot of sites to see, and one of the greatest would be the Tower of London. It is a great fortress, with not to pleasurable memories. In there Queen Elizabeth 1 and Sir Walter Raleigh were imprisoned. Anne Buleyn was killed there. You could take a tour deep below the castle to see the beautiful crown jewels. England is also famous for the Buckingham Palace. There is where the Queen of England lives. At the Buckingham Palace you can see a wonderful ceremony called the Changing of the Guard. In this ceremony men with red tunics and black helmets march down the street. One major thing England is famous for is Big Ben. Big Ben is a really big clock tower. This clock determines the right time for every clock in the world. The main reason for by people coming to America was for a better life. In England people were having a hard time so they would come to America to restart their lives. They also came in exploration f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Essay on Grapes of Wrath.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LITERARY PAPER OF THE GRAPES OF WRATH BY STEINBECK Steinbeck wrote many wonderful books but a great classic is one titled The Grapes of Wrath. This is a story of a family called the Joads, and a tale of a courageous family who sought security and family unity. In my paper I will examine the different ways the Joads tried to keep united whether just within their immediate family or eventually with all the others who shared the same struggles and sufferings. Steinbeck's dialogue and description's of the dusty roads, the men squatting in the dirt drawing pictures while making major decisions, the way in which they traveled all puts you right into the middle of the family. One becomes aware and wants to be a part of there unity and their long for security. Steinbeck's use of the characters dialect is astoundingly excellent and unmistakenly realistic of the Joad's culture. Without this dialogue, it would not be as intense and vivid. J. Homer Caskey, in "Letters to the Editor" says, "Steinbeck's knowledge of the forces which hold a family together and the forces which cause it to disintegrate. He understands that family councils are an important part of the lives of the Joads." The major theme is the struggle and survival of the Joad family from the time they lost their home, to the unity they felt and soon were a part of a whole community, one big family, and one big soul. This theme is particularly exemplified by Ma Joad, who played a major part. The Joads encountered a constant struggle to keep the family going and intact. When Ma knew that gramma Joad was dying she told her that there was nothing she could do, that the family needed to get across the desert that night. It was not until they were across the desert that she let the family know that Gramma Joad had died during the night. Ma Joad was the strong but yet understanding one of the family. She listened to pa and obeyed his wishes, until she had to be strong and stand her ground. Ma was convinced and had to be forceful with pa and show him that she was capable of making decisions. After this confrontation with pa the other family members began to see ma differently and looked to her for the final approval. John Steinbeck, in "The Grapes of Wrath" says, "On'y way you gonna get me to go is whup me... Ma Joad takes on Pa in order to keep the family from going off too far." Tom Joad represented the man of the family and provided support through his strength. I believe that Tom Joad kept the family in line. As they went on with their trails, the fact that he had been in prison kept the whole family from doing anything that might incriminate or send him back. They held their tongues at times when they encountered prejudice and degrading comments from people. Tom's role in the story was that of one to look up to, and even though he spent time in prison he still held on to the big brother figure. Gary at first seemed to be a loner, although once he was made to be a part of the family, he began to look within himself and to the meaning of life. He seemed to find a new direction in life. John Steinbeck, in "The Grapes of Wrath" says, "I ain't gonna baptize. I'm gonna work i the fiel's, in the green fiel's, an I'm gonna be near to folks. I ain's gonna try to teach 'em nothin, I'm gonna try to lear. Gonna learn why the folks walks in the grass, gonna hear 'em talk, gonna hear 'em sing. Gonna listen to kids eatin mush. Gonna hear husban an wife a-poundin' the mattress in the night. Gonna eat with 'em an learn." Gonna lay in the grass, open an' honest with anybody that'll have me. Gonna cuss an' swear an' hear the peotry of folks talkin. All that's holy, all that's what I didn understan. All them things is the good things." Rose of Sharon had her dreams and did nothing but wonder about what her dreams would bring. She wanted Connie to study at night and work at the ice store. She wanted the best for her with her baby. She constantly dreamed of them in their nice little house all alone as a family. Rose of Sharon only thought of herself, her baby and her dreams. She gave no interest to the family, contributed nothing but the burden of her dreams and selfishness. Until she experienced the self fulfilling pleasure of helping someone else and realized that sometimes helping someone else can be more rewarding. It is said that this story is fiction, an invention of the human mind, but to a great degree it is true. The lives of so many people were tractored off the land. Survival forced them to accept their fate and to battle for the survival of the family unit. James N. Vaughan, in "The Commonweal" says, "The story of the disastrous move to the west is a story of death, desertion and hunger. It is the story of ....of whose existence has been destroyed for reasons of which they had but the dimmest understanding." In conclusion, as the Joads continued their struggle for survival, they became a living and challenging part of the forgotten American dream. "There is a sense that man can survive in nature if he is, in turn, himself natural." ENDNOTES J. Homer Caskey, "The Saturday Review, Letters to the Editor," Ohio University, (May 1939): Vol. XX John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, (New York, NY 1992) p. 230, John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, (New York, NY 1992) pp. 127-128 James N. Vaughan, "The Commonweal," (July 1939) Vol. XXX, 10c No. 14 BIBLIOGRAPHY Steinbeck, John The Grapes of Wrath, New York, NY 1992 Caskey, Homer J. "The Saturday Review, Letters to the Editor," Ohio University (May 1939) Vaughan, James N. "The Commonweal," (July 1939) f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Ethics and Engineering.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ethics and Engineering "A professional - engineer, doctor, lawyer, or teacher - should have a well-rounded education, which teaches the technical expertise of the field, but also instructs the whole human being about the pleasures and responsibilities of being a contributing member of society." The most important part of any career is training. If you want to become anything from a cook to an astronaut, it is important that you know how to do your job. Education is key to be able to do a job. But, for certain professionals, such as engineers, doctors, doing the job right may include a lot more than what they were taught, or could be taught, in any school. These professions must also learn how to be responsible to the public. People in such jobs must be instructed on the responsibilities of being a contributing member of society. Most professionals feel their duty is to serve their client, or to do their job to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, this is not good enough. When a person's profession or the product of their work will involve the public, that person should also be responsible to the public. The only concern of an engineer cannot be to make a bridge as sound as possible in a certain budget. If the people are to be crossing over this bridge, an engineer must also consider if it is possible to truly make this bridge safe within the allotted budget. He must not think purely of the technical aspects of the bridge making, but of the human side. Statements like "Is it safe?" should be replaced by "Is the bridge safe enough?" Whenever one's work involves the public, one must be concerned for the public's health and safety. Professionals today must make judgement calls that were never required of them before. They must decide whether what is good for science and technology is good for humanity. There must be a certain responsibility to an expert for what they have created. As an example, look at Albert Einstein's research in nuclear physics. After realising that a nuclear weapon was possible, he was going to stop research. However, considering the result of his actions he continued and created an item that killed thousands of people. He came to this decision after deciding that if the United States did not develop this weapon first, then Germany would, probably killing hundreds of thousands more. This was a moral dilemma that no one should face, but professionals do face other moral dilemmas every day. Should a lawyer defend a guilty man for ten times the normal fee? Or should an accountant alter some numbers to make it more favourable for the company that his brother owns? These are all tough questions, and are difficult decisions for one to make, but they must be addressed. To be a contributing member of society dictates that one should do this, but one's morals or one's finances dictate something else entirely. Nothing can be entirely correct for either side in these matters. Rather, it is a balance game where the professional himself must decide how they are going to tip the scales. The ability to communicate with others is fast becoming a requirement in every job. Professionals such as lawyers and accountants have to deal with people every day. But increasingly other specialists, such as engineers or scientists, must deal with unions, management, citizens, and special interest groups. Being able to recognise and address the issues of all of these groups while still doing the best job possible takes some very skilful judgement calls. It is a delicate balance and takes practice. Increasingly now, people are required to do this without any formal training and little experience in such matters. To be fair to society, maybe one should lean towards the union's or the municipality's side of an issue. To keep one's job and to keep unnecessary costs down low, one should take the company's side. So what side should one really take? No one can be sure, but the decision will be left up to the professional, and so they must be given guidance on how to face these issues. A professional must be trained in skills outside their trade. Knowledge and responsibility are two things that should go hand and hand in professional's decisions. Public health and safety concerns, moral decisions, and the ability to communicate are all required of a contributing member of society. Better training is required to prepare future professionals for these situations. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Experimentor Expectancy in a Classroom.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Experimenter Expectancy Effect On Children in a Classroom Setting Rosenthal and Jacobson (1966) sought to test the experimenter expectancy effect by examining how much of an outcome teachers' expectancies could have on a group of children. Earlier investigations in this area were also conducted by Rosenthal (1963). He worked with children in a research lab, giving each one a rat and telling them it was either bred for intelligence or for dullness. The children were put in charge of teaching the rats how to learn mazes. Rosenthal's results showed that the rats that were believed by the students to be smart, were able to learn the mazes much quicker. What the children did not know, i.e., what Rosenthal had kept hidden, was that the rats were chosen at random. There were no rats that were especially bright or dull. Another case of the experimenter expectancy effect was that of the horse known as "Clever Hans". It seemed to be able to read, spell, and solve math problems by kicking his leg a number of times. The horse was tested and passed, but what the experts did not realize was that their own hopes for the horse to answer the questions, were giving the horse signs on which he based his answers. That is, if someone on the committee raised his/her eyebrows in anticipation of the oncoming correct answer, the horse would stop stomping. Once again, the experimenter's cues decided the outcome of the tests. Acting on these results, Rosenthal and Jacobson hypothesized that teacher's expectancies would cause them unintentionally to treat the students they thought to be bright in a different manner than those they thought to be average or even less bright. Rosenthal and Jacobson used some materials that were important in the completing their investigation. The experimenters used students and their teachers as the subjects of their study. As part of their experiment, they even chose which grades the students would be in. They also used Flanagan's Tests of General Ability as a disguise to predict academic expectancies. The experimenters did not use anything else in their experiment but instead let their subjects do the rest. Rosenthal and Jacobson's goal was to see how teachers would treat students whom they thought were of above average intelligence in comparison to how they treated students whom they believed were of below average intelligence. As with all experiments, there needed to be variables. In trying to test teacher's expectancies, Rosenthal and Jacobson used labels for children as their independent variable. The labels used were "bloomers" for children who were expected to be above average, while the other group of children were labeled as average. Rosenthal and Jacobson wanted to see how children being labeled as dull or bright would contribute to how teachers would react to them. The teacher's reaction tended to be in the form of giving the bright children more attention and expecting them to score higher grades and perform better in class. Because the teacher's reaction depends on how the children were labeled, it was dependent on the first variable. The teacher's reactions to the children's labels, was the experimenter's dependent variable. Rosenthal and Jacobson controlled every aspect of the experiment. They chose which children would be seen as dull or bright by having scores from Flanagan's Test of General Ability sent to the teachers. They also chose which grades of children would be used and which teachers would be in the experiment. The experimenters maintained a high degree of control, and they told no one else of what they were really studying. The children in the experimental group averaged 12.2 points of improvement in their intellectual growth. The students in the control group averaged 8.2 points of intellectual growth. Reporting the average is not an accurate way of showing the difference in IQ point increases though. The third through sixth grade reported almost no difference in the gains, but the first and second grades differed as much as 15 points. The difference in scores shows the effect that teachers can have on their students. Particularly in the first and second grades, the amount that teachers expect from their students is the amount they will receive. This study could be improved in a few ways. First, the students were tested at the end of the school year with the same test they had been given to initially decide their IQs. A different test of intelligence should be given to the students. Being given the same test, some of the students may be given the same questions which is an unfair advantage to them because they will know the answers from the previous test. Another way to improve the study would be by having the study performed in both private and public schools and by starting it in preschool and ending it at eighth grade in stead of sixth. Because of this survey, a consequent study was performed by Chaiken, Sigler, and Derlega (1974). They set up a camera in a classroom in which teachers had been informed that some of the students were gifted while others were dull. The recording showed that teachers tended to smile more at the supposedly gifted students, acted more favorably to their comments in class, and made more eye contact with them. Other new research that could be performed would be a study to see what would happen if a teacher was told his/her entire class was either gifted or dull and see how they react to an entire class like that. I have learned a lot from this article. Having a desire to become a teacher, this article has shown me just how much of a reaction my attention to students may have on them. I would like to become a high school or college professor. Even though Rosenthal and Jacobson's experiment revealed that the older the children, the less they were affected by the teacher's expectancies, I would like to see the same experiment performed on high school children. This would reinforce Rosenthal and Jacobson's findings and take some pressure away from how teachers feel they have to react to older students. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Expierential Training.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Training employees is a fundamental element of a corporations success. A company succeeds only as well as the people running it can perform. This training process can cover many skills and go into many areas of expertise. One key element that has only recently come into action is an outdoor- based experiential training program. Commonly called "ropes courses," wilderness courses or adventure learning programs have been in use in the USA since the early 1980's, and by organizations in the UK since the early 1970's. Outdoor programs have been most beneficial when used to promote effective work teams and used to enhance leadership and management skills in the participants. Outdoor- based training programs seem to accomplish these objectives by allowing participants to develop a high level of trust in their peers, improve their problem-solving ability, and generally improve the level of interpersonal communications between group members. Companies are looking for leaders that can launch them into a new era. Constant improvement is necessary to meet the growth of challenging competition. So who defines leadership? What is a leader and how would you raise these skills that may be laying dormant in your subordinates? Organizations need great leaders to help them successfully survive the many difficulties of this decade. Yet, the very notion of leadership has rapidly degenerated into a cliché, a buzz word. In many people's minds, leadership has become identified with an overly simplistic conception of vision and empowerment. Although these concepts do play an important role in the leadership process, they only scratch the surface of what an exceptional leader actually does on a day-to-day basis. What do leaders really do to make an organization work well? In my research I found that great leaders exhibit nine different kinds of behaviors that enable them to bring out the best in the people around them. Some of the nine behaviors of leadership listed below involve building participatory teams, some involve using "situational management strategies," while others enhance personal resources. Listed separately, the nine behaviors include: Developing people. Being able to influence others. Encouraging teamwork. Empowering people. Using multiple options thinking. Taking intelligent risks. Being passionate about work. Having a strong, clear vision. Stretching one's personal creativity. While many people think leaders are unique, even born to that state of excellence, I have found just the opposite. With proper experiential training, it is possible for people to learn these leadership behaviors. In other words, leaders can be developed. By all means they should be developed at many levels in an organization because leadership in a hierarchical situation stimulates the best in their followers and thereby increases overall productivity. In experiential training, the focus in on inner development. At the beginning of one leadership training course, participants are asked for their own definitions of leadership - so they can see, hear, and explore their ideas about the real leadership qualities. Most participants do not realize that there are fundamental behaviors of exceptional leadership. Instead they tend to believe the common myths about leadership - that it is a rare skill exhibited only by those at the top, that leaders are born and always display charisma and that they are strongly authoritative "take-charge" people Dispelling these myths is a key and briefly I will explain the nine, learnable behaviors of leaders. In order to go beyond a cognitive understanding, participants must begin to experience these behaviors as they might occur at work, hence the name experiential education. They will begin see that leaders have a strong interest in the people working for them, for when a team works well together they all help get an excellent job done. The first four behaviors focus on building high functioning teams: developing people; being able to influence others, encouraging teamwork, and empowering others. Developing People and Influencing Others Good leaders have a strong interest in the personal and professional development of their people. They encourage their staff to push beyond their limitations and give their personal best. One of the best ways to get this notion of encouragement and support across to people is to ask participants to remember and then write down how their best boss treated them, and how they felt about it. Then, have them share their answers with the rest of the group. Point out the common denominators in their answers so that their own experiences flesh out a composite picture of what it is like to offer people the support they need. Finally, ask them this: If their own people were to do a similar exercise, would their own names be on their people's lists? If not, why not? Where are they falling short in evoking the best from their people? Encouraging Teamwork A good leader not only develops his or her people as individuals but also knows how to get the best out of people when they work on teams. Being able to handle the subtle dynamics of whole group of people is not equivalent to dealing with the sum of its parts. By breaking participants into small groups and giving them a simple problem to solve, you can teach them about the issues that arise for teams. For example, if they work in small, separate teams on a tower building project, they will see how working together in one team accomplishes a greater product. Or, if they each have a specific task that is necessary to get the job done - being the navigator or pilot or other crew while landing the space shuttle back on earth - they see the necessity of functioning well together. Some groups are results oriented. Some work on process, while others focus more on the relationships among the team members. Analyzing these three aspects of teamwork helps participants think about the way they work best individually and in teams. Empowering Others Empowerment involves four dynamics: giving people important work to do; offering visibility and public recognition; encouraging autonomy; and helping them to establish networking skills.(IVAN) Exercises help participants feel the importance of each of the four dynamics. Developing, influencing, encouraging, and empowering are four ways for a leader to get honest support. The best method to accomplish all these characteristics is to be a role model of an intelligent, caring person who truly listens. Equally important is the ability to analyze each business task and the staff who are perform it. Sometimes, a leader can delegate the work without supervision, but more often leaders need to coach, to facilitate or to direct so that the task is accomplished well and the worker learns eventually how to become more independent. Group exercises help participants experience these different levels of situational management. But leaders also have to lead. They are expected to know problem situations and how handle them appropriately. Using multiple options thinking and intelligent risk-taking are two ways to move beyond traditional management techniques that focus on single solutions and avoidance of any risk. Multiple Options Thinking Exceptional leaders don't stop at the obvious. They know that the first answer they get may not always be the best answer, and even the "right" answer may not be appropriate for a particular situation. There should always be at least four options to any given situation and when this way of thinking becomes habitual, new solutions appear. The skill of exploring multiple options is demonstrated in an easy exercise. Participants take a 3x5 card and write on the card at least five problems they are currently facing with their employees such as reprimanding a difficult employee or asking someone to take a pay cut. The cards are shuffled and someone picks three or four of them. Ask the person whose problem is selected what he or she believes is the best answer to that specific problem. Then ask the rest of the group to brainstorm a number of other answers to the problem. Even if the first answer seems to be the best one or even the only one insist that they generate at least four more alternatives. Taking the time to discuss the various answers with them usually offers the seed of an innovative response, and this response is often one of the answers most people ignore. Or two answers may be combined into a third option that would work better. Multiple option thinking should be the first approach of exceptional leaders. Intelligent Risk Taking Good leaders know how to analyze the risks inherent in a particular course of action. They know when an action is high-risk or low-risk. Even more importantly, they know how to gain consensus from their staff about the level of risk for particular actions, so that their people do not treat high-risk activities as low-risk or vice versa. In the training, you can start to deal with this issue by making the participants more aware of the criteria they use for analyzing risks. Put together small groups of people who work with each other on a regular basis. Ask them to come up with the criteria they normally use when they're deciding how risky a particular action is. Have them report back to you with a number of specific criteria, such as time factors, cost resources, and acceptability to upper management. Next, ask each group to look at three or four current actions they're exploring and analyze the level of risk Ironically, even when they all use the same criteria, almost invariably there will be differences of opinion about the level of risk. Some people will habitually view most actions as high-risk, while others will normally do the opposite, regardless of the actual action they're analyzing. It is important for them to discuss the nature of the risk until they come to consensus about the various actions. Personal resources are equally important to the development of an exceptional leader. And having a Passion for the Work as well as a strong, clear Vision are most often noted when people are asked to describe leaders they admire. The leader's ability to inspire and project into the future help others feel worthwhile in their own work and have a sense of purpose. For some the vision is very specific; for others it is simple and direct. But more important is the combination of words that work with actions so that others trust the vision and feel confident about its possibility. Small group exercises, including videotaping, help develop these concepts experientially. Stretching One's Personal Creativity When a leader is able to stretch personal creativity continually, it pulls together all the other behaviors. They are willing to stretch out into new arenas and discover things they didn't know before. In the training, participants are asked to write down a few work-related areas that they've wanted to know more about but haven't taken the time to explore. They then pick one of these areas and devote a certain amount of time each week (ten minutes a day, for example) to learning about it. By taking the time to expand their own horizons, they will also be demonstrating to their people that the process of discovery matters. Being a role model in this area will encourage their people to do the same. After reviewing the nine behaviors, the experiential exercises, and participants' own definitions, each person should write out a contract in which he or she agrees to work on one or two of the nine behaviors on a daily basis. This is, in effect, an action plan that is as specific as possible. Training that results in negative or zero transfer is either detrimental or of no value to an organization from a cost/ benefit viewpoint. It has been estimated that only 10% of the money spent on training results in an actual and lasting behavioral change on the job. Fortunately there are a number of strategies that will enhance the transfer of these new found skills to the work setting. Maximizing the similarity of the training situation and the job situation and providing as much experience and practice with the job being taught. Follow-ups for at least a year will allow them to review basic concepts and ensure that the training has not gone to waste. There are many programs that teach aspects of leadership and team growth. Companies that specialize in this field can be found everywhere hosting workshops and seminars. This type of hands on education has, in my experience, been the best tool for anyone who wants to grow and succeed. References Corporate Quality Universities, lessons in building a world-class work force (Richard D Irwin, INC., 1994) Conceptualizing Reflection in Teacher development (J. Calderhead and P. Gates, 1993) Training and Development Yearbook, 1995/1996 (Prentice Hall, INC., 1995) Experienced based Training and Development, a professional group within The association of experiential Education 2885 Aurora Ave., Suite 28 Boulder, CO. 80303-2252 (303)440-8844 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Flat Fee vs Payperuse.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Flat Fee vs. Pay-per-use Most Internet users are either not charged to access information, or pay a low-cost flat fee. The Information SuperHighway, on the other hand, will likely be based upon a pay-per-use model. On a gross level, one might say that the payment model for the Internet is closer to that of broadcast (or perhaps cable) television while the model for the Information SuperHighway is likely to be more like that of pay-per-view T.V. "Pay-per-use" environments affect user access habits. "Flat fee" situations encourage exploration. Users in flat-fee environments navigate through webs of information and tend to make serendipitous discoveries. "Pay-per-use" situations give the public the incentive to focus their attention on what they know they already want, or to look for well-known items previously recommended by others. In "pay-per-use" environments, people tend to follow more traditional paths of discovery, and seldom explore totally unexpected avenues. "Pay-per-use" environments discourage browsing. Imagine how a person's reading habits would change if they had to pay for each article they looked at in a magazine or newspaper. Yet many of the most interesting things we learn about or find come from following unknown routes, bumping into things we weren't looking for. (Indeed, Thomas Kuhn makes the claim that, even in the hard sciences, real breakthroughs and interesting discoveries only come from following these unconventional routes [Kuhn, Thomas, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962]). And people who have to pay each time they use a piece of information are likely to increasingly rely upon specialists and experts. For example, in a situation where the reader will have to pay to read each paragraph of background on Bosnia, s/he is more likely to rely upon State Department summaries instead of paying to become more generally informed him/herself. And in the 1970s and 1980s the library world learned that the introduction of expensive pay-per-use databases discouraged individual exploration and introduced the need for intermediaries who specialized in searching techniques. Producers vs. Consumers On the Internet anyone can be an information provider or an information consumer. On the Information SuperHighway most people will be relegated to the role of information consumer. Because services like "movies-on-demand" will drive the technological development of the Information SuperHighway, movies' need for high bandwidth into the home and only narrow bandwidth coming back out will likely dominate. (see Besser, Howard. "Movies on Demand May Significantly Change the Internet", Bulletin of the American Association for Information Science, October 1994) Metaphorically, this will be like a ten-lane highway coming into the home and only a tiny path leading back out (just wide enough to take a credit card number or to answer multiple-choice questions). This kind of asymmetrical design implies that only a limited number of sites will have the capability of outputting large volumes of bandwidth onto the Information SuperHighway. If such a configuration becomes prevalent, this is likely to have several far-reaching results. It will inevitably lead to some form of gatekeeping. Managers of those sites will control all high-volume material that can be accessed. And for reasons of scarcity, politics, taste, or personal/corporate preference, they will make decisions on a regular basis as to what material will be made accessible and what will not. This kind of model resembles broadcast or cable television much more so than it does today's Internet. The scarcity of outbound bandwidth will discourage individuals and small groups from becoming information producers, and will further solidify their role as information consumers. "Interactivity" will be defined as responding to multiple-choice questions and entering credit card numbers onto a keypad. It should come as no surprise that some of the major players trying to build the Information SuperHighway are those who introduced televised "home shopping". Information vs. Entertainment The telecommunications industry continues to insist that functions such as entertainment and home shopping will be the driving forces behind the construction of the Information SuperHighway. Yet, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that consumers want more information-related services, and would be more willing to pay for these than for movies-on-demand, video games, or home shopping services. Two surveys published in October 1994 had very similar findings. According to the Wall Street Journal (Bart Ziegler, "Interactive Options May be Unwanted, Survey Indicates," Oct. 5, 1994, page B8), a Lou Harris poll found that "a total of 63% of consumers surveyed said they would be interested in using their TV or PC to receive health-care information, lists of government services, phone numbers of businesses and non-profit groups, product reviews and similar information. In addition, almost three-quarters said they would like to receive a customized news report, and about half said they would like some sort of communications service, such as the ability to send messages to others. But only 40% expressed interest in movies-on-demand or in ordering sports programs, and only about a third said they want interactive shopping." A survey commissioned by MacWorld (Charles Piller, "Dreamnet", MacWorld, Oct 1994, pages 96-105) which claims to be "one of the most extensive benchmarks of consumer demand for interactive services yet conducted" found that "consumers are much more interested in using emerging networks for information access, community involvement, self-improvement, and communication, than for entertainment." Out of a total of 26 possible online capabilities, respondents rated video-on-demand tenth, with only 28% indicating that this service was highly desirable. Much more desirable activities included on-demand access to reference materials, distance learning, interactive reports on local schools, and access to information about government services and training. Thirty-four percent of the sample was willing to pay over $10 per month for distance learning, yet only 19% was willing to pay that much for video-on-demand or other entertainment services. If people say they desire informational services more than entertainment and shopping (and say that they're willing to pay for it), why does the telecommunications industry continue to focus on plans oriented towards entertainment and shopping? Because, in the long run, the industry believes that this other set of services will prove more lucrative. After all, there are numerous examples in other domains of large profits made from entertainment and shopping services, and very few such examples from informational services. It is also possible that the industry believes that popular opinion can easily be shifted from favoring informational services to favoring entertainment and shopping. For several years telecommunications industry supporters have been attempting to gain support for deregulation of that industry by citing the wealth of interesting informational services that would be available if this industry was freed from regulatory constraints. Sectors of the industry may well believe that the strength of consumer desire for the Information SuperHighway to meet information needs (as shown in these polls) is a result of this campaign. According to this argument, if popular opinion can be swayed in one direction, it can be swayed back in the other direction Popular discourse would have us believe that the Information SuperHighway will just be a faster, more powerful version of the Internet. But there are key differences between these two entities, and in many ways they are diametrically opposed models. Privacy The metering that will have to accompany pay-per-view on the Information SuperHighway will need to track everything that an individual looks at (in case s/he wants to challenge the bill). It will also give governmental agencies the opportunity to monitor reading habits. Many times in the past the FBI has tried to view library circulation records to see who has been reading which books. In the online age, service providers can track everything a user has bought, read, or even looked at. And they plan to sell this information to anyone willing to pay for it. In an age where people engage in a wide variety of activities online, service providers will amass a wealth of demographic and consumption information on each individual. This information will be sold to other organizations who will use it in their marketing campaigns. Some organizations are already using computers and telephone messaging systems to experiment with this kind of demographic targeting. For example, in mid-1994, Rolling Stone magazine announced a new telephone-based ordering system for music albums. After using previous calls to build "a profile of each caller's tastes ... custom messages will alert them to new releases by their favorite artists or recommend artists based on previous selections. " ("Phone Service Previews Albums" by Laura Evenson, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/30/94, p D1) Some of the early experiments promoted as tests of interactive services on the Information SuperHighway were actually designed to gather demographic data on users. ("Interacting at the Jersey shore: FutureVision courts advertisers for Bell Atlantic's test in Toms River", Advertising Age, May 9, 1994) Conclusion No one can predict the future with certainty. But we can analyze and evaluate predictions by seeing how they fit into patterns. And an analysis of the discourse around the Information SuperHighway shows remarkable similarity to that which surrounded cable TV nearly a quarter-century before. Though there is no guarantee that the promises of this technology will prove as empty as those of the previous technology, we can safely say that certain powerful groups are more interested in promoting hype than in weighing the possible effects of the Information SuperHighway. The Information SuperHighway will not just be a faster Internet; in fact it is possible that many of the elements that current Internet users consider vital will disappear in the new infrastructure. Though the average consumer will have many more options than they do from their home television today, attempts at mass distribution will likely favor mainstream big-budget programs over those that are controversial or appeal to a narrower audience. It is possible that diversity available from all sources will decrease and independent productions will be even further marginalized. And the adoption of an asynchronous architecture (a ten-lane highway coming into the library or home with a tiny path leading back out) would pose a significant barrier to those seeking to be information providers, and would favor a model of relatively passive consumption. And the kind of massification and leveling of culture that will follow is likely to be similar to the effects of broadcast television on culture. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Fordham Essay.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ #3 Discuss your goals for the next four years and comment on your post-college plans. "Next stop, 66th Street and Lincoln Center, " bellowed the cracked voice of the conductor over the loudspeaker. Those words rang in my ear like the notes of a familiar melody. Stepping off the number three train, I was immediately immersed in the scents, sounds and faces of my past. All the wonderful memories of those four years came rushing back into my mind as if they had just occurred. I was finally returning to my birthplace, my home, my origin; my Fordham University. When I arrived at the campus the first person I saw was my former acting instructor, the great Larry Sacharow. Just seeing him set me awestruck with happiness; it was in his class that my career really took off. "Professor Sacharow," I shouted, over the hustle and bustle of the crowded city sidewalk. We finally caught up to each other and exchanged blissful remarks. We spoke of all the wonderful things which have been happening since I successfully completed his class in my sophomore year and how I was offered a spot in Les Miserables and how the references and contacts he gave me opened countless windows of opportunity. One of his references led me back to my high school where I am now teaching a college theatre preparatory course for the 12th grade. He was ecstatic! I couldn't express to him enough how much I enjoyed his class and all the lectures and theatre games we played. It is those little things that I remember most. After our joyful trip down memory lane, Professor Sacharow (who preferred me to call him Larry which I just couldn't do out of plain respect) led me into the lobby of the residence hall where a mural of myself hung on the east wall. I remember the day the university dedicated that lobby to me for my outstanding achievement. My friends and I had led a fund rally for the school to raise money for the many programs which would be affected by the enormous tax hike in the fall of '99. We eventually raised over five million dollars for the university and prevented the cutting of many of the school's fine programs. My fellow thespians, Susan, Richard and the rest of the Theater Acting III class, told the President of what I had organized and how successful it had been. The marvelous mural and dedication was a token of the university's gratitude. I was brought to tears. I felt that this wasn't only the work of myself, but of everyone who had participated. I didn't deserve such an esteemed honor. To give credit to all of my friends, I had each and every one of them sign their name at the bottom of the mural in bright red oil-paint under a message which read, "This achievement was not won by the strength of one person, rather it was won by the mass of an unrelenting army." The day seemed to pass by in a nanosecond. After leaving Professor Sacharow, I proceeded back to the subway to catch the number three back uptown to my friends apartment. Waiting on the platform I was reminded of how all the great things in my post-adolescent years were credited to this one place; this profound seat of natural energy and talent where one enters with nothing and leaves like a brimming garden of knowledge just waiting to trickle it's seeds onto waiting barren patches of the earth. The thought hovered in my mind for quite a while as the ring of the turn-style bell echoed in my ear......ring......ring.......ring.............."Joey, it's time to wake up! The bus will be here soon," whispered my mother. What a wonderful dream. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Gangs.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ STREET GANGS A guide to community awareness ---------- INTRODUCTION This information is to help parents determine if their child is either at risk in becoming associated with or is involved in gang activity. Indicators of gang association outlined in this brochure may generally fit a variety of youths. If parents observe more than one indicator, they should talk to their child about their concerns. WHAT IS A GANG? A gang is a group of three or more people who associate together, have a common identity and engage in criminal or delinquent activity. The gang may use a name, color, clothing style, tattoos, or other items to identify themselves. A gang may or may not claim control over a certain territory in the community. WHY PEOPLE JOIN GANGS There are many reasons people join gangs. Attention, excitement, peer pressure, protection, and financial gain are a few. In some families, gang membership is a tradition. Other people become gang members because they think gangs are trendy. Many youths do not realize the risks and hazards of gang involvement. Parents may not be aware of their child's involvement. Parents should discuss gangs with their child and actively discourage gang association. SIGNS OF GANG ASSOCIATION Parents should be aware of behavior changes in their children. Such changes include; a decline in grades, truancy, graffiti in the youth's room, on school folders or on clothes, wearing of certain style or color of clothes, breaking of curfew, change in friends, drug and/or alcohol use, or possession of money or items that a parent cannot explain. Involvement of your child with a group of their friends in delinquent or criminal behavior may be another sign. Some gang members devise hand signals to communicate with other gang members. Use of such signals should alert parents to possible gang association. GANG PARAPHERNALIA CLOTHING: Style shows the group that youths associate with. The particular color, type of clothing, shoes, hats, or the way the clothing is worn can be a warning sign. Look for the symbols, messages, graffiti or gang names written or embroidered on jacket, pants, shoes or baseball caps. COLORS: Various colors may be signs of gang association. Red may be used to show association with the Bloods or Northern California Hispanic Prison gangs. Blue may be used to show association with the Crips or Southern California Hispanic Prison gangs. Black clothing may be worn by a variety of gang associated youths. Some Hispanic gangs, White Supremacist gangs and some "Heavy Metal" gangs wear this color. GRAFFITI: Graffiti appears on books, posters, bedroom walls, interior of vehicles, doors and furniture. You should discuss any graffiti you find with your child first, then remove it. The graffiti may be a gang member's name or the name of their gang. It may include members' nicknames, or be a declaration of loyalty to a particular gang. Hispanic gang graffiti often uses block lettering that is exaggerated or has reversed letters. JEWELRY: Accessories may be worn to signify gang association. It may be expensive or inexpensive. Belt buckles, bracelets, necklaces, key chains, earrings, and rings are all commonly used. Some gang members wear dice earrings to show the "set" they are associated with. Others may wear a certain color earring to show their gang association. PHOTOGRAPHS: Pictures of your child with other gang members is a clear indicator. These photos may show members displaying hand signs, weapons, colors, clothing styles, or flashing money. Photographs may show your child singularly displaying these indicators. WEAPONS: Parents and the community should be aware that youths involved with gangs commonly carry weapons. The weapons may be baseball bats, tire irons, spiked wrist bands, a pipe, "martial arts" weapons, knives, "look alike" pellet guns, and guns. These types of weapons have been seized from youths involved in gangs in this county. HOW GANGS FUNCTION Gangs thrive on intimidation and publicity. Violence is common in gangs and is used to maintain its status. Gangs depend on both individual and group participation. An individual will be pressured by others in the gang to maintain their status. Legitimate groups elect a leader. A gang's leadership generally depends on who is the toughest, natural leader or who has access to weapons or money. It also may be based on who has the best skills for what the gang wants to do at that time. A good fighter may lead on a night that they are going to fight, a good thief when they want to commit a theft. Gangs will have a name or common identity. The name usually comes from their town, a street, an area, or their phone area code, housing project, rock bands, cults, or personal beliefs of the members. The gang name is an important identity for the gang. Members may have nicknames (monikers) as well. The moniker may be given to the member by the other members or chosen by the member himself. The name frequently fits the member's personality (real or perceived) or relate to some physical or mental traits. EFFECTS OF INVOLVEMENT Gangs are a terrible burden on society. Family members must worry about their safety as well as their child's. Friends who refuse to join the gang may be in jeopardy because of their refusal. These friends are often discarded for their fellow gang members. Parents can be subjected to heavy financial bills for legal services, medical treatment, jail housing, and restitution to victims. The gang involved youth can expect to be arrested and prosecuted for their criminal activity. Most parents are not aware that if a crime is gang related, the violator will not only be prosecuted for this crime, they can also be charged with criminal gang enhancements. Upon conviction, the youth can expect jail time, out of home placement, fines, restitution to victims, community service work and/or very restrictive conditions of probation. WHAT GANGS DO Gangs differ from other groups in that they engage in criminal activity. Gang members commit a variety of crimes. These include robbery, burglary, thefts, vandalism, assaults, arson, witness intimidation, weapons and narcotic offenses. Graffiti is probably the most visible and common crime. Gangs use graffiti to let the community know they exist, to mark their territory, to make statements about their gang, or to issue challenges to other gangs. Graffiti is not just an idle crime and is a great source of gang information. Gang members actively seek violent conflicts. This includes murder, assaults with deadly weapons drive by shootings, and batteries. Gang violence often claims innocent victims. In 1993, almost nine out of every ten victims of gang related violence were non-gang members. These crimes are committed for economic gain or to enhance the gang's reputation. PREVENTION/EDUCATION Awareness is the key to stopping gang activity, many parents are not aware of the child's gang involvement. Most youths are reluctant to discuss it with their parents. This is why the community should learn to recognize the signs of gang activity and to take appropriate action. The first step is to recognize there is a gang problem. People who recognize the problem are better equipped to address the issue with their child, as well as not becoming victims of gang crimes. Communities must recognize the problem and work together to solve the problem. Structured after school activities, employment, awards for good grades, community outreach and organized youth activities help lessen gang activity. Working with school and law enforcement officials aid in eliminating the anonymity that allows gangs to grow. Whenever graffiti occurs in your community, report it to law enforcement. Once it is documented, remove it quickly. If you allow you community to look like a ghetto, it will become ghetto. Enforcing the laws and dealing with gang members is best left to those trained to deal with dangerous situations. Always report crimes as soon as they occur. Get involved in such groups as Neighborhood Watch. Cooperate with law enforcement, court officials and probation officers in holding gang members responsible for their actions. A community that is dedicated to stopping this kind of activity will hamper a gang's ability to exist. ---------- WHO TO CONTACT SHERIFF'S OFFICE Emergencies (24 hours) -- 911 Business Hours (8:00 am -- 5:00 pm) Dispatch -- 781-4550 Gang Task Force -- 781-4529 Special Problems Unit -- 781-4529 Crime Prevention/DARE -- 781-4579 GTF / SPU Answer Phone (24 hours) -- 781-4636 District Attorney -- 781-5800 Illegal Guns --1-800-ATFGUNS Probation Department -- 781-5300 Narcotics Task Force -- 549-3415 Crime Stoppers (24 hours) -- 549-7867 Or contact your local Police. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Gender and Relationships of Children.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Gender and Relationship of Children By Your Name Here For Professor name here Psychology 260.10 Due Date _______ Introduction The topic of sex differences in the play preschoolers has been explored by many researchers in the past. Studies have been conducted on basic sex differences such as what toys and gender of playmates do young boys and girls prefer. The size of children's play networks, as well as if these networks change in the size during the preschool years have been explored. Also, differences in styles of play and the occurrence of positive and negative interactions have been examined. The effect that parents have on their sons and daughters, as well as preschool classrooms and teachers have been examined as possible causes of sex differences during play. The aim of this paper is to critically review the recent literature in this field and determine whether or not sex differences occur in play. If sex differences occur, the possible reasons for this occurrence will also be examined. Review of the Research Section Maccoby (1990) summarized a number of studies to support her hypothesis that suggests different social situations may either heighten or suppress sex differences in behaviour. One study was that of social interaction between pairs of young children (Jacklin & Maccoby, 1978). Pairs of 33-month old children were brought together in the same-sex or mixed-sex in a laboratory playroom, and the amount and kind of social behaviour directed more social behaviour, both positive and negative, to same sex playmates that opposite sex ones. Girls paired with boys were more likely to stand watching their partners, or withdraw towards an adult, than boys in any pairing or girls playing with girls. The point brought up in this study is that interactive behaviour is not just situationly specific, it also depends on the gender of participants. Some of the reasons given by Maccoby (1990) for attraction to same sex partners and avoidance of other sex partners in childhood are the rough play style of boys and their orientation towards competition and dominance. Another reason is that girls find it difficult to influence boys. An example of such reasoning is supported by a study done by Poulishta (1987). Preschool aged boy-girl pairs were observed competing for an object. The children were given a chance to use a movie-viewer that could only be used by one child at a time. It seemed while pairs were alone in the playroom the boys dominated the movie-viewer. When an adult was present, however, this did not occur, The adult's presence seemed to inhibit the boy's more power assertive techniques resulting in equal access. This supports the reason why the attraction to same sex partners and avoidance of other sex partners in childhood are so strong and also why girls may also stay nearer to an adult while in a mixed pair. Black (1989) conducted a study to distinguish between representational and social pretend play behaviours that are a function of the sex and age of the players. Black (1989), hypothesised that social skills differ by sex whereas representational skills differ by age, and the skills related to choice of play topics are related to age and sex. This study videotaped 52 preschoolers and later analyzed the videotapes to test hypotheses. Upon analysis, the hypotheses, was confirmed. Social skills were found to differ as a function of sex. Props were given to the children to use in their pretend play. It was found that older girls and younger boys play themes were more likely connected to the props than the older boys. The older boys preferred more creative topics. Another sex difference was that girls used more conversation for planning than boys did. This may have caused less misinterpretations for the play among the girls. Finally, it was found that boys were much more likely to engage in solitary play that girls. A second study investigated the relationship between sex role flexibility and prosocial behaviour among preschool children (Doescher, & Sugawara, 1990). Prosocial behaviour are acts that help another person, such as cooperating, sharing, and helping. This study examined how the variables of preschool children's sex, age, IQ, and sex role flexibility contributed to their prosocial behaviour. It was found that sex role flexibility was positively related to boys' prosocial behaviour, but no such relationship was found among girls. This could have resulted because possibly when boys take on more flexible sex role characteristics, they are freer to express prosocial behaviour which is in contrast to the sex role stereotype of females. When the girls adopt more flexible sex role characteristics, they would not have as great an impact because girls have already developed these prosocial skills. Benenson (1993), designed a study which examined sex differences in children's preference for a dyadic and group interaction in preschoolers. Two experiments were conducted, each using puppets. Puppets were chosen instead of a doll so that it would appeal to both females and males. In the first experiment, children between 4 and 5 years of age interacted with a female puppeteer using 1 (dyad) and 3 (group) puppets. Enjoyment of this interaction was measured by smiling and eye contact. The second experiment replicated the puppet interaction, except the content and order or presentation of the puppets was controlled. The subjects in both cases were children from a nursery school in the Boston area, who came from middle-class families. Evidence was found in both studies that females preferred dyadic interaction more than males. Some evidence was found that males preferred group interaction more than females and that males form larger play groups than females. It appears that in the play networks of both boys and girls may undergo transformations in size after 5 years of age. Benenson (1994) conducted a study to examine this possibility. It was hypothesized that between 4 and 6 years, the size of boys' play groups increased, while the size of girls' play groups decreased. Results from the study did not confirm the hypothesis for boys, but did support the hypothesis for girls. The number of girls excluded from play groups increased significantly between the ages of 4 and 6. One possibility for these results is that girls have a preference for less stimulation and are not as active as boys. This could be self disclosure. The effect that mothers and fathers have on their preschool children was studied by (Idle, Wood, and Desmarais, 1993). The interaction between 20 intact families was observed. Parents were first asked to complete a toy desirability scale. It was found that parents believed that neutral toys are not specific to the gender of the child while feminine toys were preferred for girls and masculine toys preferred for boys. However, this was not the case when the same parents were actively engaged in play with their child. It was observed that in general, parents spent the least amount of time with feminine toys. These results were true regardless of the gender of the parent or the child. It was found that children accepted most of the toys presented to by their parents and that their enthusiasm was equal for toys in all three categories. Turner, Gerval, and Hinde (1993), conducted a study in both Cambridge (UK) and Budapest (Hungary). The children were interviewed to assess toy preference, awareness of stereotypes and sex-role preference. The children were also observed during free play at school. The behaviours observed included activities, playing with toys, sex of playmates, and social interactions with peers and teachers. It was found that girls liked female-typical toys, and showed more female typical behaviour than boys, and vise-versa. It was also observed that boys liked "sex-appropriate" toys more, and "sex-inappropriate" toys less than girls. Girls, however, were less stereotyped than boys in their toy and sex-role preference. In both cultures children were more frequently observed next to members of their own sex. However, the presence or adults reduce pressure to associate with one's own sex. This was shown when boys were near their teachers, the less they played exclusively with boys. When the two samples were compared, there were no significant differences in toy, sex-role, or playmate preference, but Budapest children were significantly more masculine and less feminine on the behavioral measures. The nature of gender differences in 4-year olds was researched by Hinde, Tamplin and Barrett (1993). The results of this study showed that individual characteristics and behaviour differed in a number of ways between boys and girls. Children prefer same-mixed playmates starting at a very young age (Maccoby & Jacklin, 1987, cited in Alexander & Hines, 1994). Explanations for this could include play styles of playmates and the gender of playmates. This was examined in the study conducted by Alexander and Hines (1994). An interview was conducted and when gender labels and play styles were presented as independent dimensions, children showed sex differences for gender labels and play styles. Boys were found to be more active, played rougher, and proffered toys such as construction and transportation toys while girls preferred dolls. When gender labels and play styles were presented as competing dimensions, boys chose female targets with stereotypical masculine play styles over male targets with feminine play styles. Preschool girls chose female targets with masculine play styles, whereas older girls chose male targets with feminine play styles. Pellegrini and Perimutter (1989), examined the effects of age, sex and context of preschool classrooms on children's play. The subjects were children aged 3-5 years. The subjects were observed in three different play areas: art (drawing, pasting, and painting), replica (wearing dress-up clothes, playing with kitchen equipment, and playing store), and playing with blocks. It was found that children engaged in solitary play in the blocks and art areas and engaged in interactive play in the replica area. Boys were found to use the blocks area more frequently, and girls used the art areas more frequently, while both boys and girls played with the replica toys the same. Another finding was that as girls get older, their play seems to follow sex role expectations more, in that older girls' play in the blocks area (male oriented) was less advances than the younger girls' play there. Summary and Comparison of the Research Section All of the reviewed literature agreed in finding sex differences in preschoolers. Sex differences in play occurred in a variety of ways including the toys they preferred, the activity level, and the roughness of the play (Alexander & Hines, 1994). Generally, children prefer same-sex playmates over the opposite sex (Maccoby & Jacklin, 1987, cited in Alexander & Hines, 1994). The same finding was observed by Turner, et al., (1993). It was discovered, however, that boys preferred females with masculine play styles over boys with feminine play styles. Young girls preferred females with masculine play styles, while older girls chose male targets with feminine play styles (Alexander & Hines, 1994). This was determined by evaluating the children using an interview method. Play styles differed between sexes even when children were pretending. Older boys were found to be more creative in pretending and didn't connect this play to props as much as girls or younger boys did (Black, 1989). Pellegrini and Perimutter (1989), found that both preschool boys and girls equally enjoyed pretending play. Benenson (1993), found that girls prefer dyadic interaction more than boys, and further research found that the size of girls play groups decreased in size between the ages of 4 and 6 (Benenson, 1994). Black (1989) found that boys were more likely to engage in solitary play than girls, while Benenson (1993) found some evidence that males proffered group interaction more than females. There were many sex differences when children's play with toys was observed. Pellegrini and Perimutter (1989), found that boys preferred to play with blocks, while girls played in art areas more frequently than boys. Girls prefer female-typical toys more than boys and vise versa (Turner, et al., 1993). Also, boys liked "sex-appropriate" toys more and "sex-inappropriate" toys less than girls. A possible explanation for this is that when parents are playing with their children, it was found that they spent the least amount of time with feminine toys, regardless of the gender of the parent or child (Idle, et al., 1993). Boys were observed mixing positive and negative interactions more frequently than girls (Hinde et al., 1993). It was also discovered, that sex role flexibility was positively related to boys' prosocial behaviour (Doescher & Sugawara, 1990). Both cases agree that these findings probably resulted due to the fact that adults tend to treat girls and boys differently and that this is probably contributes to differences in gender development. Discussion According to recent literature, many sec differences occur in play in preschoolers. Sex differences occur in many different aspects of play. For example, the size of the groups that children play in differs with a function of sex (Benenson, 1993). This study found that girls prefer dyadic interaction, but fails to find out why this was the case. One possible reason for this is that because males generally have a grater activity level, this dyadic interaction is less interesting for them than for females. Also, the puppeteers in this study were female. Future research should be conducted to determine the effects of the puppeteer. More studies should also be conducted to determine if this sex difference is genetic, or learned. Possibly this could be done by conducting more cross-cultural studies involving cultures different from our own. Preschoolers play with toys also contains sex differences (Turner, et al., 1993). These sex differences seem to originate form the child learning stereotypes from society. Children simply learn to like certain "sex-appropriate" toys, because they are exposed to them and encouraged to play with them more often. According to one study (Idle, et al., 1993), children accepted most toys presented to them by their parents regardless if they were "sex-appropriate" or not. Preschoolers also show sex differences in their behaviour during play. Black (1989), found that boys preferred more creative topics than girls pretend play and girls used more conversation for planning than boys. One possible explanation for this is if males found pretend play to be easy, they did not converse with each other to understand what was going on. Future studies examine this more closely to try to determine why these sex differences occur. In a cross-cultural study, it was found that children preferred to play with members of their own sex. (Turner, et al., 1993). The presence of adults may reduce this pressure to associate with own's own sex. This may occur because the adults may pressure the child to associate with the opposite sex, to the child has learned that adults find it acceptable to interact with members of the same sex. It seems that the largest factor why children prefer members of the same sex is because their behaviour is similar. Alexander and Hines (1994), discovered that boys chose female targets with stereotypical masculine play styles over male targets with feminine play styles, and girls chose male targets with feminine play styles. This probably occurs because if one child's play style is similar to another's, that child will be more interested and will want to interact with that child much greater than if their play styles differ. It seems that in many cases sex differences in play in preschoolers are a result of learned behaviours. Our society seems to play a large role in determining gender differences because children are encourages to act according to male of female stereotypes. More studies, especially cross-cultural ones should be conducted to try to determine why these sex differences occur, because as of now, no single theory can account completely for childrens's sex differences in play. REFRENCES Alexander, G.M., & Hines, M. (1994). Gender labels and play styles: Their relative contribution to children's selection of playmates. Child Development, 65, 869-879. Benebson, J.F. (1994). Ages four to six years: Changes in the structure of play networks of girls and boys. Merril-Palmer Quarterly, 40, 479-487. Benenson, J.F. (1993). Greater preference among females than males for dyadic interaction in earily childhood. Child Development, 64. 544-555. Black, B. (1989). Interactive Pretense: Social and symbolic skills in preschool play groups. Meril-Palmer Quarterly, 35, 379-394. Doescher, S.M., & Sugawara, A.I. (1990). Sex role flexability and prosocial behavior among preschool children. Sex Roles, 22, 111-123. Hinde, R.A., Tamplin, A.,& Barrett, J. (1993). Gender differences in the correlates of preschoolers' behavior. Sex Roles, 28, 607-622 Jacklin, C.N., & Maccoby, E.E (1977). Social behavior at 33 months in same sex and mixed sex dyads. Child Development, 49, 557-569. Maccoby, E.E. (1990). Gender and relationships: A developmental account. American Psychologist, 45, 513-520. Idle,.T.,Wood, E. Desmarals, S. (1993). Gender role socialization in toy play situations: Mothers and Fathers with their sons and daughters. Sex Roles, 28, 679-691. Pellegrini, A.D. Perlmutter, J.C. (1989). Classroom contextual effects on children's play. Developmental Psychology, 25, 289-296. Turner, P.J.,Gerval, J. Hinde, R.A. (1993). Gender-typing in young children: Preference, behavior and cultural differences. British Journal of Develepmental Psychology, 11, 323-342. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\George Orwells Animal Farm.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ George Orwell's Animal Farm Essay In George Orwell's book, Animal Farm, it is obvious that that the pigs, tyrants though they were, were awarded control of the farm through the ignorance of the other animals. There are various statements in the book that support this idea. After reading this piece, the importance of education should be clear. It seemed as though the pigs created and enacted propositions, and took liberties that increased their control over the other animals, bit by bit, cajoling and threatening until the ignorant animals were convinced that the pigs' license was in their own best interests. "It was always the pigs who put forward the resolutions. The other animals understood how to vote, but could never think of any resolutions of their own." (Page 38) This quote is symbolic of the way that animal farm was operated. The pigs acted as leaders, the other animals were followers. Especially when a new rule that involved more work was ratified. Then the pigs simply acted as overseers, and, in effect, slavedrivers of the working animals, blatantly avoiding anything physically taxing. This is demonstrated in a quote from page 35, "The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others." Of course, the ignorant animals put forth no opposition. The sheep, cows, horses, and birds were digging their own graves when they reacted passively each time Napoleon usurped a little more power. Since very few of the animals could read, or adequately remember what was read to them, they failed to notice or object when the Seven Commandments were altered. "....But it appears to me that the wall looks different. Are the seven commandments the same as they used to be Benjamin?....There was nothing there now but a single commandment. It ran: ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS. After that, it did not seem strange when next day the pigs who were supervising the work of the farm all carried whips in their trotters." (Page 123) No animal protested this. It is apparent that education is a powerful weapon against tyranny. The "ignorance is bliss" philosophy is one that will lead to a life of oppression. Despite the most adamant warning, the most evil, but educated, tyrant will overcome the most virtuous and noble fool. On page 21, Old Major warned "And above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak, strong, clever, or simple, we are all brothers." But the simple brothers soon became mere slaves to the demands of a self-inflicted tyranny. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Get into College.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Personal Essay Life is like an enormous theatrical performance, each person having the leading role, ready to determine his/her destiny. For each event in your life, you can reflect upon a stimulus, a cause. Yet there are so many events, so many years, days, hours, seconds in one's life. Which is the one, that one moment in time which knowingly or unknowingly changed your life to lead you to be just that, you? For many, it is impossible to pinpoint that moment. Yet for others, that time, place, and situation sits implanted in their mind like a snapshot in time. Picture, if you will, a plump young boy of age ten. Never before had he, been exposed to life outside his fifth grade classroom and his immediate family. Timid and shy, he decided he had listened to his mother's continuous nagging for the last time. That weekend, he would do as she said and "just go" to see an audition for the community's production of the musical Oliver. He arrived on time, the hustle and bustle of signing in all very new to him. There was no way he would actually get up on stage and sing for that skinny man with the clear acrylic braces showing on his teeth who was seated at the piano. Yet, he had struck a deal with his mom to wait and observe, leaving at any time he felt he wanted to. Twenty minutes later, he watched his mother from a different perspective: just a dot in a sea of other mothers sitting in the audience. As he stood in that group of ten youngsters, his meager vocabulary could not describe the fear in his body. didn't know what a mark on his life the next few moments would make when he sang his heart out to the skinny man. How would he have known that that "man" would be known to him as , his music director for the next six years. Together, they would fine tune the natural talent buried in his vocal chords and dramatically build confidence. That fear once known to him on that stage would come no more. Nervous he was, but afraid he was not when he auditioned for The King and I a few months later. After landing a main role, he set his sights on the Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury and their production of Bright Lights, again another success. To everyone who knew him, it only seemed natural for him to continue. So why didn't he? Why, for three straight long years did he bury his talent for singing and acting? Truthfully, he did not know and came to accept the fact that maybe he had just lost his love. So, went to high school alone and afraid as a freshman trying to find his identity. He sang in the school choir to keep his voice in shape, but that was the extent of his pursuit of his talent. During his high school years he became very absorbed and totally involved in school organizations, clubs, and sports, and he assumed leadership positions with many responsibilities. That day six years ago seemed so far away. Songs from Oliver were just a dusty memory. Little did he know that day would be repeated, as if he had gone back in time, in February of his sophomore year. He again had that fear of performing present in him when he stepped up to the piano to belt out "Maria" for his audition for West Side Story. At that moment he remembered the little roly-poly adolescent singing for the first time. He remembered the joy all his endeavors brought him and the true love he had discovered inside. He went on to star in West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Grease ... f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Getting the most from our education.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My goodness Captain, you ask some hard questions! I think some of the responsibility could fall into the family's lap. Are people helping their kids with their homework? Are we checking to see if there is anything we can do to help? Are we praising thier accomplishments, and encouraging them, instead of critizing. Do we still check to see who their friends are? These were some of the things my parents did. As with most parents they made mistakes, as did I, but they did their best. And I did my best to make amends to them when I drifted. I think, I know I could have done better in school, I'm not sure if my study habits would change today. (one of the reasons I'm alittle reluctant to go back to college) But the values I learned young seem to be the ones that stick. And I feel the worst when I fall short of keeping them. That doesn't mean that the new values I'm learning aren't just as important, it just seems like it takes longer for me to incorperate them in my daily life. But, just like everything else, it takes alot of practise to get things right. Maybe we do need to do more to create civic pride, do have something that people can say, "I'm involved with this". For me everytime I check out and explore something new I always learn something. And whenever I reach out and help someone, I fell good. It was great to see the students of General Brown help out in the community with the Thanksgiving dinner for the seniors (I know there was another school that helped out too, I forgot who, if someone else remembers, please jump in and add their thanks to the list). If we want our kids to be less self-centered, we have to show them the example. If they don't follow, it won't be from lack of exposure. This is a transient world nowadays. The kids that grow up and get educated here might go away. If we give the best education we can to the kids, then when they say - I was educated in the North Country, they can say it with pride, not as an excuse. It's not easy. But if one person gets an idea, from something as simple as a question on a discussion page, to go out and do something for the community, for education, for the youth of the community, then that's a start. And a good thing. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Grades Do we really need them .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This essay is about the article called "We Should Cherish Our Children's Freedom to Think." It was written by Kie Ho, a business executive who was born and raised in Indonesia. Ho writes this article about why he thinks that American education is, in many ways better than any other in the world. He raises the question, "If American education is so tragically inferior, why is it that this is still the country of innovation?" Everyone seems to have a different opinion when it comes to this topic. Some feel that the youth of America is lazy when it comes to school. Others like Ho, feel that creativity which America has the most of , is something that people tend to dismiss or take for granted. Having the freedom to express oneself and to be creative can perhaps help a child learn better than any book or school can teach. Other foreign countries such as Japan, do not allow young students to express their true thoughts. True, they might be able to add or subtract numbers at a very young age, but they may never find out, who they really are. Ho uses his high school years as an example. In his homeland of Indonesia he was only able to answer a question when asked. His 6 year old son, brought up in California, at a very young age is able to express his ideas and emotions, even if they differ from the truth. He feels that many American parents take this for granted. True, our public education certainly is not perfect, but we should never rule out perhaps the most important thing, one can posses; freedom of speech. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Great Teahcers Bad Students.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 58 Great Teachers, Bad Students "I have a student in my second hour class who is an idiot ." Students probably have never heard their teachers complaining about them in the halls. In contrast, a person could roam Jefferson and hear conversations about how terrible teachers are from every corner of the school. "I got an F- on the final but it's only because Mr. Doe* is a crappy teacher." This a common attitude among students who fair poorly on a test. It is not bad teaching that causes a student to fail a class, it is bad learning. Laziness, foreign substance abuse, and truancy are a few characteristics of a bad learner. The word "lazy" is frequently used to describe high school students who do not turn in their homework, study for tests and are constantly ill prepared for class. One form of laziness is the dreaded disease that only affects seniors, "Senioritis." The symptoms include lack of motivation and falling grades. Yet the seniors who have the most severe case of "Senioritis" are the same ones who complain about poor teaching. Of course all lazy students are not seniors. There are students from every grade level who do not do their homework or study. Effort must be put forth by the student in order for learning and retention to occur. Students who use illegal substances show the characteristics of a poor learner. The abuser may consistently forget homework assignments and do poorly on exams. Recovered drug user Bob* explains, "The pressure from your friends and society to use drugs is sometimes overwhelming. Once I started, everything went downhill, especially my grades." Drugs soon consume the student's life, leaving no time for studying or homework. Truancy is obviously going to produce a poor learner. By not showing up at school there is no possible way he or she can get assignments or take tests. Even skipping only once or twice in a semester can be detrimental. "I skipped one day when we had a pop quiz. My teacher never let me make it up because he said I skipped," said Susie* a junior at Jefferson. The teacher had every right to not let Susie make up the quiz that she missed because she skipped class. This is a classic example of a student who is a bad learner. Every day the teachers show up prepared to teach their classes. When students are consistently truant, bad grades are the result and no blame can be placed on the teacher. Students should be responsible by coming to class prepared. There are many reasons why students consistently do poorly in school. Laziness, illegal substance abuse and truancy are only a few characteristics of bad learner. Students should take the responsibility that goes along with receiving a decent education. Instead of finding a scapegoat for their problems by blaming teachers, students should start putting the pressure on themselves. *These names have been changed to protect the individual's identity. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Griffens Egg.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Griffin's Egg Griffin's Egg is a story about Gunther, a man who lives on the moon. And his adventures,as he gets into all kinds of situatutions. He, along with many others, have inhabited the moon because Earth is engauged in a full thermonuclier war. The dangers of the moon however, also come along. Solar flares, dangerous robots, CMP chips, and many more dangers await Gunther on the moon. As gunther is delivering some fuel rods to the G5 Assembly Plant, a Surface Warning is broadcast, this is high levels of radiation caused by a solar flare. He is 30 minutes away from the nearest shelter, and the advisory is for 20 minutes. He finds a way to make a rig to sit under the truck, so he would be shielded from the radiation. He also uses his robot, Siegfried, to control the movement of the truck while he is riding under it, on his way to the plant. When he finally made it so the plant, he went inside to find it filled with thick, smoke-like mist. His light only distorts the images, so he turns it off and gets used to the dark room. When his eyes finally got adjusted, it was just in time, because just then a big metal puncher came by and punched a hole in the ground right next to him. He stumbled away, only to find that the robot was following him. He ran into the shelter and closed the door, sealing the robot outside of the shelter. The shelter was s small room, just big enough to fit a cot, a chemical toilet, and a rebreather with spare oxygen tanks. A while later, after the flare was over, the CMP chips, which has been implanted in everyone's brain that had come to the moon, was being used against them. Krishna, a scientist, found that if he broadcasted over the chips frequency, he could make hypnotic suggestions to the people with the chips. Gunther had to find a way to stop this, so he and another scientist, Hiro, teamed up and after a while of research, found a way to stop Krishna from broadcasting over the chip's frequency, and therefore, stopped him from taking over peoples minds. Finally, in the end, the war on earth died down, then was over. The world was at peace once again. Earth send up space ships to bring the moon inhabitants back down to earth. Gunther returned to earth along with the rest of his friends, and lived a peaceful life from then on. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Gun Control.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part I:Introduction The issue of gun control and violence, both in Canada and the United States, is one that simply will not go away. If history is to be any guide, no matter what the resolution to the gun control debate is, it is probable that the arguments pro and con will be much the same as they always have been. In 1977, legislation was passed by the Canadian Parliament regulating long guns for the first time, restructuring the availability of firearms, and increasing a variety of penalties . Canadian firearms law is primarily federal, and "therfore national in scope, while the bulk of the firearms regulation in the United States is at the state level; attempts to introduce stricter leglislation at the federal level are often defeated". The importance of this issue is that not all North Americans are necessarily supportive of strict gun control as being a feasible alternative to controlling urban violence. There are concerns with the opponents of gun control, that the professional criminal who wants a gun can obtain one, and leaves the average law-abiding citizen helpless in defending themselves against the perils of urban life . Is it our right to bear arms as North Americans ? Or is it privilege? And what are the benefits of having strict gun control laws? Through the analysis of the writings and reports of academics and experts of gun control and urban violence, it will be possible to examine the issues and theories of the social impact of this issue. Part II: Review of the Literature A) Summary In a paper which looked at gun control and firearms violence in North America, Robert J. Mundt, of the University of North Carolina, points out that "Crime in America is popularly perceived [in Canada] as something to be expected in a society which has less respect for the rule of law than does Canadian society..." . In 1977, the Canadian government took the initiative to legislate stricter gun control. Among the provisions legislated by the Canadian government was a "Firearms Acquisition Certificate" for the purchase of any firearm, and strengthened the "registration requirements for handguns and other restricted weapons..." . The purpose of the 1977 leglislation was to reduce the availability of firearms, on the assumption that there is a "positive relationship between availability and use". In Robert J. Mundt's study, when compared with the United States, trends in Canada over the past ten years in various types of violent crime, suicide, and accidental death show no dramatic results, "and few suggestions of perceptible effects of the 1977 Canadian gun control legislation". The only positive effect , Mundt, found in the study was the decrease in the use of firearms in robbery with comparion to trends in the United States . Informed law enforcement officers in Canada, as in the United States, view the "impact of restricting the availability of firearms is more likely to impact on those violent incidents that would not have happened had a weapon been at hand"(152). In an article by Gary A. Mauser of the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, he places special emphasis on the attitudes towards firearms displayed by both Canadians and Americans. According to Mauser, large majorities of the general public in both countries "support gun control legislation while simultaneously believing that they have the right to own firearms" (Mauser 1990:573). Despite the similarities, there are apparent differences between the general publics in the two countries. As Mauser states that "Canadians are more deferent to authority and do not support the use of handguns in self defence to the same extent as Americans". As Mauser points out that "it has been argued that cultural differences account for why Canada has stricter gun control legislation than the United States"(575). Surprisingly enough, nationwide surveys in both Canada and the United States "show remarkable similarity in the public attitude towards firearms and gun control"(586). Both Canada and the United States were originally English colonies, and both have historically had similar patterns of immigration. Moreover, Canadians are exposed to American television (both entertainment and news programming) and, Canadians and Americans read many of the same books and magazines. As a result of this, the Canadian public has adopted "much of the American culture" . In an article by Catherine F. Sproule and Deborah J. Kennett of Trent University, they looked at the use of firearms in Canadian homicides between the years of 1972-1982. There findings firmly support the conclusion that gun control is beneficial. According to Sproule and Kennett, gun control "may be influencing some suspects to kill by other methods, but it is less likely for these suspects to kill multiple victims". From the study conducted by Sproule and Kennett the rate of violent crimes was five times greater in the U.S than Canada, and "almost double the rate of firearm use in American than Canadian homicides" (32-33). In short, the use of firearms "in Canadian homicides has declined since the legislative changes in gun control in 1977". As mentioned in lectures, Canadian cities have been traditionally safer, and less vulnerable to 'Crime Waves' than our American neighbours due to our extensive police force and gun control laws . A factor to be considered, though, is our national heritage or culture which holds traditions of passiveness and peace unlike the American Frontier heritage. From our textbook, Why Nothing Works , Marvin Harris points out that the "American Constitution guarantees citizens the right to bear arms, and this has made it possible for U.S. criminals to obtain firearms more readily than their counterparts in countries like Japan...". Marvin Harris indicates that "the high rate of homicide in the United States undoubtedly reflects, to some extent, the estimated 50 million handguns and rifles legally and illegally owned by the American people" (122). As demonstrated in the film: Cops, Guns, and Drugs, the problem with controlling urban violence in the United States is that it is out of proportion in contrast to the available police force. In his book, The Saturday Night Special , Robert Sherrill explains the cheap, usually illegal, easily concealed handgun that plays a part in so many crimes in the United States. He reviews the role of guns in American life --from the shoot-outs of the Old West to the street violence of today. According to Sherrill, "most murders occur in shabby neighbourhoods; of the 690 murders in Detroit in 1971, for example, 575 occurred in the black slums mostly by handguns". As a Detroit sociologist added to this alarming figure:"Living in a frustrating stress-inducing environment like the United States every day of your life makes many people walking powder kegs" (38). In agreement with this statement, Sherrill suggests that the hardest hit of all American urban centres is the inter-cities of Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, and Washington. These cities largely consist of visible minorities who are frustrated with the hand dealt to them, and simply resort to "drugs, guns, and violence" as a way of life . As discussed in lecture, and viewed in the film: Cops, Guns, and Drugs, many of the youth in the underclass who become involved in this way of life ,"are considered to be old if they live past the age of 20" . In another paper by Catherine F. Sproule and Deborah J. Kennett, they compared the incidence of killings by handguns, firearms other than handguns, and nonshooting methods between the United States and Canada for the years 1977 to 1983. In their study they found that "in Canada there were 443 handgun killings per 100,000 people compared to 4108 in the U.S. over the period of 1977-1983" . They also noted that the "American murder rates for handguns are higher than the total Canadian homicide rate"(249). According to Sproule and Kennett, "Canada's favourable situation regarding murder relative to the United States is to a large measure the result of Canadian gun control, and Canadians must be vigilant against any erosion of our gun control provisions" (250). B:Comparison: The works cited above are based on research done by experts and scholars in the field of gun control and violence. Examining the above materials can identify similarities and differences found in the various cited sources, such arguments for and against gun control policy in North America. It is clearly evident to see that opponents of strict gun control will have similar arguments. Firstly, they are usually defending each other against their opponents of the issue, and they see the benefits as far more greater than the setbacks. The introduction of the 1977 legislation by the Canadian government strongly suggests that the country will benefit by having a safer society, and reduction in crime. According to Robert J. Mundt, a benefit reaped by this legislation has been a "trend away from the use of firearms in robberies has been noticeable ever since the passage of the gun control provisions of the 1977 Bill C-51 (Criminal Law Amendment Act)". Mauser mentions that Canadians are "more supportive of stricter controls on handguns than are Americans...Moreover, Canadians appear to be less supportive of home owners using firearms to defend themselves than are Americans" (Mauser:587). This evaluation by Mauser suggests that Canadians do have confidence in gun control, and law enforcement in controlling the safety of their well-being. Similarities can also be cited in the works of Harris and Sherrill which discuss the effects of having 'the right to bear arms' in the United States. According to Marvin Harris, Why Nothing Works , there "has been a steady increase in the availability of firearms since 1945, this may account for much of the increase in the homicide rate" in the United States. Harris also suggests that America has "developed a unique permanent racial underclass" which provide conditions for both the motive and opportunity for violent criminal behaviour (123). In Sherrill's book, The Saturday Night Special , a major topic of concern is the status structure of the street gang in which "success in defense of the turf brings deference and reputation...Here the successful exercise of violence is a road to achievement". As Sherrill mentions, this violence is exercised by the means of a gun that can be easily obtained in the United States due to the easy accessibility of guns. There are also some worthwhile differences found in the literature cited above. For one, Sproule and Kennett , indicate that gun ownership in the United States is "inversely related to individuals lack of confidence in collective institutions to protect their security of person and property...". Robert Sherrill believes that the vast majority of people who own guns , "simply own them because it is a part of their American heritage, and the constitution gives them 'the right to bear arms'"(1973:225). He suggests that Americans choose to practice their civil liberties to its entirety. Other notable differences in the literature is Mauser's view for the differences in the gun-control legislation between the two countries. Mauser states that the cause for this is "the differences in political elites and institutions rather than in public opinion" (1990:587). Due to Canada's political structure, it is a lot easier to make and approve laws in comparison with the United States Congress structure. Part III: Thesis Statement After researching all the data collected from the library and the use of course-related materials, I have formulated my own theory on the social impact of gun control and violence in North America. Going back to the introduction, I have asked the reader two questions :(1) Is it our right to bear arms as North Americans? Or is it a privilege?, and (2) What are the benefits of having strict gun control laws? It appears to me that much of the literature cited above looks at gun control as being a feasible alternative in reducing homicides and armed robbery. From the authors cited above, there findings undermine the apparent claim of gun control opponents in their slogan `people kill, guns don't '. The introduction of gun control in Canada significantly shows that Canadian gun control, especially the provisions pertaining to handguns, does have the beneficial effect of reducing violent crime, and saving lives. Part IV: Analysis And Conclusions When looking at the 1977 Canadian Legislation of gun control, it is easy to see that there is some bias and assumptions present. For one, it assumes that left to its own devices the legislation will make it virtually impossible for a criminal to obtain a handgun. Secondly, there is an assumption that if a person doesn't have a criminal record (it doesn't neccessarily mean that they are law-abiding) then they are eligible to obtain a firearm with an FAC (firearms Acquisition Certificate). With the implementation of Bill C-51, a `Black Market' for illegal handguns has emerged from the United States into Canada, making it extremely easy for the professional criminal to obtain a firearm. It can be agreed that since the implementation of Bill C-51 in 1977, Canada has remained relatively safe in incidents involving firearms in comparison to the United States. The assumption of many Americans, is that having the right to bear arms increases their security is open to dispute. It is just as reasonable to assume that restricting the `right to bear arms' will increase the safety and security of a society. In accordance with many sociologists beliefs, is that Canada historically hasn't experienced the problems of crime, that the United States has, because of it's central police force. In addition, Sproule and Kennett view the significant effect of gun control is the method of killing. Although "gun control may be influencing some suspects to kill by other methods, it is less likely for these suspects to kill multiple victims". As witnessed by the American media, mass murder in public is much more a common occurrence in the U.S. than Canada. It is safe to say that gun control has saved the lives of potential innocent victims of crime. Furthermore, as was mentioned in class discussion and lectures, the strength or influences of the mass media to glorify violence has had detrimental effects on North American society. In some ways, the act of violence has been desensitised and glorified rather than being displayed as an unacceptable form of behaviour. This portrayal by the media, has made handguns and other firearms seem fashionable in the eyes of our youth and general population in North America. This unquestionably places our law enforcement agencies at a considerable disadvantage, simply because it erodes the confidence and trust displayed in them by the general public. Presently, Canada does have the advantage of gun control unlike the U.S. situation. We are now living in an environment that has seen dramatic increase in violent crime, over a short period of time. Whether the United States adopts a gun control policy similar to Canada's, remains to be seen. As for Canadians, we must maintain confidence in the police and justice system to protect our collective security as an important means by which to deter gun acquisition. "Society must place limits on culture's appetites" - Durkheim - f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\hawthornes symbols in the house of seven gables.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hawthorne's Symbolism in The House of Seven Gables American Literature reflects life, and the struggles that we face during our existence. The great authors of our time incorporate life's problems into their literature directly and indirectly. The stories themselves bluntly tell us a story, however, an author also uses symbols to relay to us his message in a more subtle manner. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's book The House of Seven Gable's symbolism is eloquently used to enhance the story being told, by giving us a deeper insight into the author's intentions in writing the story. The book begins by describing the most obvious symbol of the house itself. The house itself takes on human like characteristics as it is being described by Hawthorne in the opening chapters. The house is described as "breathing through the spiracles of one great chimney"(Hawthorne 7). Hawthorne uses descriptive lines like this to turn the house into a symbol of the lives that have passed through its halls. The house takes on a persona of a living creature that exists and influences the lives of everybody who enters through its doors. (Colacurcio 113) "So much of mankind's varied experience had passed there - so much had been suffered, and something, too, enjoyed - that the very timbers were oozy, as with the moisture of a heart." (Hawthorne 27). Hawthorne turns the house into a symbol of the collection of all the hearts that were darkened by the house. "It was itself like a great human heart, with a life of its own, and full of rich and somber reminiscences" (Hawthorne 27). Evert Augustus Duyckinck agrees that "The chief perhaps, of the dramatis personae, is the house itself. From its turrets to its kitchen, in every nook and recess without and within, it is alive and vital." (Hawthorne 352) Duyckinck feels that the house is meant to be used as a symbol of an actual character, "Truly it is an actor in the scene"(Hawthorne 352). This turns the house into an interesting, but still depressing place that darkens the book in many ways. Hawthorne means for the house's gloomy atmosphere to symbolize many things in his book. The house also is used to symbolize a prison that has darkened the lives of its inmates forever. The house is a prison because it prevents its inhabitants form truly enjoying any freedom. The inhabitants try to escape from their incarceration twice. Initially, as Phoebe and Clifford watch the parade of life in the street, Clifford "realizes his state of isolation from the 'one broad mass of existence-one great life, - one collected body of mankind,' and he cannot resist the actual physical attempt to plunge down into the 'surging stream of human sympathy'" (Rountree 101). Dillingham believes that "Hawthorne clearly describes Clifford's great need to become reunited with the world and hints that this reunion can be accomplished only by death" (Rountree 101). However, Clifford inevitably fails to win his freedom, and he returns to the solace of his prison house. Clifford and Hepzibah attempt once more to escape their captive prison, but the house has jaded them too much already (Rountree 102). This is apparent when Hepzibah and her brother made themselves ready- as ready as they could, in the best of their old-fashion garments, which had hung on pegs, or been laid away in trunks, so long that the dampness and mouldy smell of the past was on them - made themselves ready, in their faded bettermost, to go to church. They descended the staircase together, ... pulled open the front door, and stept across the threshold, and felt, both of them, as if they were standing in the presence of the whole world... Their hearts quaked within them, at the idea of taking one step further. (Hawthorne 169) Hepzibah and Clifford are completely cut off from the outside world. They are like prisoners who after being jailed for decades return to find a world they do not know.(Rountree 101). Clifford is deeply saddened when he says, " 'We are ghosts! We have no right among human beings - no right anywhere, but in this old house"(Hawthorne 169). The house has imprisoned their souls and trapped their lives. Hence, the house symbolizes a prison for its inhabitants. The house also symbolizes the history of the of Pyncheon family dating back to the original Colonel Pyncheon who had been cursed by Matthew Maule for the evil way in which the Colonel obtained the land for the house. The house has collected memories upon memories of the people who have lived there, beginning with its original owners the Colonel and Alice Pyncheon. This point of symbolism is argued by E. P. Whipple who thinks that the house's elaborate interior symbolizes the history of the Pyncheon Family. It has mostly the gloomy and grim feel, that was left by the Colonel. However, it also possesses in some places "that delicate Alice, 'the fragrance of whose rich and delightful character lingered about the place where she lived, as a dried rose-bud scents the drawer where it has withered and perished'" (Crowley 200). The houses rich history turns it into a very telling symbol of the Pyncheon family. The house can also be seen as a symbol of darkness versus the light of outside. Almost all that is linked with the history of the house by the Pyncheon family seems to be dragged down into a gloomy existence by the house. In the beginning of the book, one of the few item in the house that is still bright is a tea set. "Hepzibah brought out some old silver spoons, with the family crest upon them, and a China tea-set ... still unfaded, although the tea-pot and small cups were as ancient as the custom itself of tea-drinking" (Hawthorne 77). This tea set is allowed to still shine only because it was bought into the family by a wife of the colonel, and therefore she was not a Pyncheon. However, everything and everyone else in the house is slowly decaying. Clifford is readily seen in this manner by Phoebe, when his entrance into the room "made her feel as if a ghost were coming into the room" (Hawthorne 103). Clifford's clothes are even used as symbols of the effects that the house has on all of its prisoners. Clifford is seen in a "dressing-gown of faded damask", that has been soiled over time by the house (Hawthorne 103). Hawthorne also mentions the carpet in the Colonel's room that was once plush and fine, but it is now worn, ragged and old, because it like all other things in the house has become darkened. The house embodies all that is wicked in mankind. "The House of Seven Gables, one for each deadly sin, may be no unmeet adumbration of the corrupted soul of man" (Crowley 192). Ironically, this is all contrasted with the street which is constantly portrayed as a bright, cheerful, and active place. Clifford would often look at the window to the street, and what he would see would "give him a more vivid sense of active, bustling, and sunshiny existence" then he could ever find in the house (Hawthorne 162). Hawthorne portrays the street as containing light and life, while the house contains darkness and emptiness. Hawthorne uses many symbols in his writing, but the most obvious is the house. It is used to symbolize and tell us many things. The house, however, is not the only symbol Hawthorne uses in his novel. He also uses the portrait of Colonel Pyncheon to symbolize the evil that still watches over the house. The portrait has an unsettling effect on many of the house's inhabitants, and it is even compared to the likeness of Judge Pyncheon. It is possibly this likeness and the evil feel Clifford has for the picture that leads him to command Hepzibah to "pray cover it with a crimson curtain ... It must not stare me in the face!" (Hawthorne 111). The portrait also possesses the very sought after deed, but it keeps the family from reaching the deed because it is hidden in a recess behind the picture. Similarly, the Pyncheon family has had several past problems because of greed over the deed (Abel 263). The picture has always held the deed which is a way to escape from the house, but the picture instead holds the deed until it is useless. The picture therefore continues to punish the family for their vicious actions against the Maules. The picture remains with the family, just like the guilt that has been passed on generation from generation over the Colonel's immoral treatment of Matthew Maule (Abel 260). Hawthorne has turned the portrait into a lasting symbol of the families torrid past. Another symbol used by Hawthorne in the novel is the deed to the Pyncheon family Indian ground in Maine. The deed symbolizes the freedom of the inhabitants of the house. Like the inhabitants of the house, the deed is locked away in secrecy because of the immoral actions of the Colonel. The Pyncheon family was once part of the socially elite class, and considered to have much worth. However, over years the family has slowly lost this status, and "The decline of the Pyncheon aristocracy is indicated in terms of Hepzibah's having to open a cent-shop in order to earn a livelihood" (Rountree 97). The deed was also once quite valuable and even fought over by the Pyncheon family members, but it too now has lost its value. This seems to be the fate of almost everything that resides in the cursed Pyncheon house. Hawthorne also uses symbols that are not connected to the house. The elm tree is an example of how Hawthorne symbolizes nature and life. The elm tree begins small compared to the house, but it slowly grows. Its branches stretch out and eventually it becomes bigger than the house. Also, "the aged tree dangles a golden branch 'before the main entrance of the seven gables' " (Abel 156). This branch symbolizing the evil in the house, and it is compared to "golden branch, that gained Aeneas and Sybil admittance into Hades" (Abel 156). However, the rest of the tree remains bustling with life. The tree eventually conquers the house symbolizing that life has finally beaten death. The tree also has continued to go on during the generations of Pyncheons that have passed through the house. This showing that despite bad circumstances life will continue (Abel 258). The tree is one of the ways that Hawthorne symbolized the vivid life that was going on outside the house. The well outside of the house symbolizes the past and even tells of the future of the Pyncheon family. The well originally owned by the Maule family was a prized possession in the salt water area because the spring contained in it fresh water. The well was "a desired asset in real estate" so the Colonel wanted it (Kaul 144). However, the well became soiled once the Colonel took over the land. The well can also act as the "soul of the house" which is now polluted (Abel 259). The well stays true to all of Hawthorne's symbols of house, because it too becomes tainted and useless after the Pyncheon family takes it. The well also shows the future as some gifted eyes can see images in it. Hawthorne ends his novel with the well "throwing up a succession of kaleidoscopic pictures" about the lives of Hepzibah, Clifford, and others (Hawthorne 319). The well is used in both these ways to add a metaphysical element to the story and another level. Hawthorne uses the railroad to symbolize a "microcosm of society" (Arac 15). It is through the railroad that Clifford and Hepzibah try to escape into society. Clifford yearns to become part of life, and his transfusion into the life of the train seems to renew him (Arac 15). Upon entering the train Clifford tells Hepzibah, "Let you and I be happy! As happy as that youth, and those pretty girls, at their game of ball!" (Hawthorne 258). For a short time, Clifford tries to be like the others on the train. However, his attempts are in vain, because Clifford cannot join the train while he is still tied to the house. Instead, he holds conversations that continue to return to the topic of the house. Clifford's mind is fixated on the house which arouses suspicion from his train companions. Eventually after prattling on, Clifford realizes that he can never really leave the house and join society. Thus, he gets Hepzibah, and they separate from the bustling life of the train at a station only to return to the dismal confines of solitude (Arac 16). Clifford once disassociated from life, the train, loses his vivacity and energy, and he no longer leads Hepzibah. Instead, he slumps down and needs help to find his way (Erlich 142). Hawthorne uses the entire railroad excursion to symbolize another attempt and failure by Hepzibah and Clifford to escape into life, but they end up only lonely with no where to turn but back to the dreaded house (Arac 16). Nathaniel Hawthorne believed that many things in life had meaning. This carries over into his writing and help account for his frequent use of symbolism. Hawthorne is trying to write a good story, and to do this he incorporates many symbols that add depth to his writing. One of the themes that is seen most often by his symbols is that retribution eventually comes for everybody. The house continues to torment all the descendants of Colonel Pyncheon because of his immoral act. The picture punishes generations of Pyncheons too by hiding the deed. The deed like the family eventually decays, and the family is never allowed to use it. All these symbols show us how Hawthorne is trying to teach us that bad actions will be punished. Hawthorne also tries to show us that descendants carry with them the burdens of their ancestors. Like Adam and Eve passed down original sin, Colonel Pyncheon passed down a cursed life to all his offspring. The house, well, and portrait. The portrait cannot be moved because of a special clause, and it haunts generation after generation. The well has also been affected by the past, and future generations have to deal with the result of past generations' actions. The house continually hurts people until eventually the families make up and flee the cursed house. Hawthorne also uses symbols such as the train and tree to show us life outside of the house is good. Hawthorne is trying to show that there is good and evil in the world competing with each other. All these symbols that Hawthorne uses enhances his writing so that we may look at it on a more thoughtful level. Through these symbols, he also expresses to us his basic beliefs in life. Hawthorne meant to not only entertain with his writings, but also to inform if possible. This explains the extensive use of symbolism in his work. Overall, Hawthorne did not just write a story, he wrote a classic that has stood the test of time. Works Cited Abel, Darrel. The Moral Picturesque: Studies in Hawthorne's Fiction. Indiana: Purdue UP, 1988. Arac, Jonathan. "The House and the Railroad: Dombey and Son and The House of the Seven Gables." The New England Quarterly volume LI (1978) : 3 - 22. Colacurcio, Michael. "The Sense of an Author: The Familiar Life and Strange Imaginings of Nathaniel Hawthorne." ESQ 103 (1981) : 113. Crowley, Donald. Hawthorne: The Critical Heritage. London: W & J Mackay Co. Ltd., 1970. Erlich, Gloria. Family Themes and Hawthorne's Fiction: The Tenacious Web. New Jersey: Rutgers UP, 1984. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The House of Seven Gables: An Authoritative Text Backgrounds and Sources Essays in Criticism. Ed. Seymour Gross. New York: W W Norton & Co.,1967. Kaul, A., ed. Hawthorne: A Collection of Critical Essays. New Jersey : Prentice - Hall Inc., 1966. Rountree, Thomas, ed. Critics on Hawthorne. Florida: U of Miami P, 1972. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Heart of Darkness Essay.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Heart of Darkness Essay (Received an B on this essay, by Idaho's Teacher of the year 1996) It seems like everywhere there is something in life that seems to be left behind. In the books I read about mystery or suspense, this always seems to be the case in such. The Heart of Darkness draws me into such depths of suspense and unknown that seem to assciate with my life. This whole book is full of mysteries. Marlow has a heart that is full of mytery when he is stuck in Africa, and looking for a man named Kurtz. Marlow is waiting, he learns about where the place is at, what could be coming ahead. Maybe he was just acquiring some ideas of what was ahead, or who he would be working with. Why is all this senselessness happening around him? Marlow is enthralled with mystery. You wouldn't think that somebody would be simply crazy to go and take a trip down the Congo river. He has heard some aspects about the place, and the way it seems to suck the visitors in. All the people getting diseases. One would go insane there, so why? Why would he wnat to go do this? Again, it's full of mystery, and that makes an interesting book. Kurtz, with this person, I can not express how much mystery applies to him and his personality. People haven't heard from him for quite a long time, because h eis up the river from the station where Marlow is at. People are wanting the boss, and they're getting restless. Is Kurtz, sick? Could one of these people get a new promotion in their job? The people don't want Marlow to go explore up the river a ways and kind Kurtz, suppling him with help that he might need. And yet, Marlow needs Kurtz. Yet, there is the mystery of the Congo river. It has a way with the people that come into it and try to explore it's orgins. It seems to drag you in, and not let you go. All of this, because they were curious and brave. But not all brave men will make it through this jungle that the Congo river lays on. Eventually, Marlow fixes his steamboat, and carefully goes to meet the mysterious man he has heard so much from the people, back in the station. Who knows what he'll find, or hear, or feel on his way. It's a mystery that follows him. Seems to be his shadow, but Marlow avoids them because they get in his way all the time. Then comes the infamouse scene of the package. Marlow finally finds Kurtz, and he gives Marlow a package. This was confusing part on my behalf. Kurtz dies, then gives the package away. I mean, this is a total mystery to me, and what was in the package. Maybe Kurtz saw hope in Marlow, and that he was strong enough to survive. The Hear of Darkness, a book full of unknown. I've never read a book with so many unknown containing in it's pages. But again, the mystery part of it makes that a good book, which is suspenseful. This was definately a "Heart of Darkness." f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Hiroshima book report.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ BOOK TITLE: HIROSHIMA AUTHOR: JOHN HERSEY PUBLISHER: RANDOM HOUSE, INC NUMBER OF PAGES: 152 ISSUES Briefly describe the issues that are dealt with in the book. This book was vary informative to me. This book mainly talked about the affects of nuclear weapons. On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was destroyed by the first atom bomb ever dropped on a city. It speaks about how even if you did survive the blast you were so badly injured that you would die soon anyway. It talked about an incident where someone's eye was melting and was oozing down his face. It speaks about how houses were lifted of there foundation. After all the research about the bomb was made, they reported that 78,150 people had been killed, 13,983 were missing, and 37,425 had been injured. Even before the bomb, the citizens of Hiroshima were waken almost every night because of false warnings of intruder planes coming in the area. It talked about how a lot of people had to go on living with only one leg or one arm. To me, it brought up a good point, that all those innocent people had do die for nothing. CHAPTER SUMMARY Briefly summarize each of the chapters: main ideas, narrative features. The first chapter is called "A Noiseless Flash." The title kind of speaks for it self. That was exactly how the bomb was. No one saw anything or heard anything but a flash. The first chapter speaks about how people are wondering why they are alive, but their next door neighbors aren't. It was weird, there could be a house right in the middle of two houses; the one in the middle survived the bomb but the other two did not. A whole neighborhood could be wiped out except for a few houses. Why those houses did not get knocked down, no one knows. The second chapter is called "The Fire." This chapter is about how the explosion caused many fires. The fires were spread everywhere because of the high winds. Many of the people were burned and buried in the smashed up bricks and ashes. The ones that survived the bomb and fire, were seriously hurt. The book pointed out an incident where someone's eye was melting and oozing down his check. The third chapter was called "Details Are Being Investigated." In the radio, it had been said that Hiroshima suffered of an attack by a few B-29. Many people are being treated for their burns and injuries. Many have died and a lot more at this time are missing. Everyone is still in shock after 2 days that the bomb struck. The forth chapter is called "Panic Grass And Feverfew." This chapter, people are still being helped in the Red Cross Hospital by the help of a devoted man named, Kiyoshi Tanimoto. Scientist have done some research and found out that the radioactivity is 4.2 times worse than the average. They are also finding permanent shadows on walls form people that just kind of "disappeared" from the blast. They estimated that the explosion pressure was from 5.3 to 8.0 tons per square yard. They reported that 78,150 people had been killed, 13,983 were missing, and 37,425 had been injured. The last chapter is called "The Aftermath." This chapter speaks about the people that were involved in this story and what finally happened to them. Hatsuyo Nakamura, weak and destitute, began a courageous struggle, which would last for many years, to keep her children and herself alive. In 1966, Nakamura, having reached the age of fifty- five, retired from Suymam Chemical. She lived the rest of her life happy. Dr. Terufumi Sasaki did very well with the rest of his life. He opened many hospitals and became very rich. Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge became a great priest. He became very ill and finally died because of the bomb's radiation in November 19, 1977. Toshiko Sasaki became a nun and gave a great speech to Mother General France Delcourt in 1980. Sister Sasaki speech: "I shall not dwell on the past. It is as if I had been given a spare life when I survived the A-bomb. But I prefer not to look back. I shall keep moving forward." Dr. Masakazu Fujii tragically got gas poisoning that came from his gas heater. After he got poisoned, he became a "vegetable" and died 10 years later. Kiyoshi Tanimoto was a great man. When the bomb hit, he helped everyone that was injured. When he got older, Tanimoto had made three speaking trips, in the mainland States in 1979 and 1982, and in Hawaii in 1981. Kiyoshi Tanimoyo was over seventy now. The average age of all hibakusha was sixty-two. As you can see, Tanimoto was a true fighter. EVALUATION Give your opinion of the book: also, recommend or not recommend to a fellow student and explain recommendation. I would highly recommend this book because it is very informative. I think everyone knows about nuclear weapons, but they don't know how harmful they are. I didn't know how harm full they are until I read this book. Even if you don't like to read, this would still be a good book for you because it is not that long. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Historical Anology.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical analogies have a great and significant value to everyone. They are used compare past wars and events, such as World War 1 and Vietnam. They could be used as guidelines for the future, and a reminder of the past. "All human events possess unique qualities, thus making reasoning by historical analogy a precarious enterprise." as described in our historical analogy packet, "The future has no place to come from but the past, hence the past has predictive value." Meaning that almost every course we take in life, it somehow relates to the past, which could be compared with past events to the future in order to show negative and positive consequences of historical events. For example, after World War II, the United States had realized aggressions from Japan, Italy, and Germany should have been halted way before those powers became so strong that only a major World War could stop them. And now with question in everyone's mind whether or not our troops should be sent into Iraq in order to stop the mad man Sudan Hussein before he turns to great of a power and only a major World War could stop him. Also, as a reference to the past would be the killing of all the Jews by Hitler compared to what Sudan Hussein is doing right now to the Croats. Hundreds of thousands died during Hitler's evil rage and now with Sudan Hussein practicing the same methods, action should be taken. I think historical analogy is very important and serves a great value. With historical analogy we can see positive and negative consequences from past events and could use these results to avoid certain situations. As said before, "The future has no place to come from but the past, hence the past has predictive value." f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\How Can We Help the Homeless and Should We Searching for a .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ How Can We Help the Homeless and Should We?: Searching for a Solution Just a few months ago I was with my friends Mike and Kim and we had been walking around having a great time in the city. We then exited a store and Kim said something under her breath like, "Oh, no," when I looked in the same direction to find a middle aged man with a drunken stare to him. She knew this man as "the town drunk" and he had been homeless for years. He asked us for the time and we replied, but he didn't just stop with that and followed us across the street talking up a storm. He was telling his whole life story in the fifteen minutes we stood there: he talked about how he grew up living poor with his family and how he wanted to be educated and go through college to get a good job so he could live well. But he said his parents just didn't have the money and it was impossible. I felt threatened as did Mike and Kim from the drunken gestures of this man and thought to myself, if this man wanted to make something of his life, I mean if he really wanted to, he would try harder and somehow do what he wanted. We tried to leave as soon as possible. But then I began reading these essays about the homeless and it started to change my mind. The essay "Virginia's Trap" by Peter Marin especially effected me because of the way it portrays the young woman that has nothing going for her and almost everything against her. I though about this and decided I had misunderstood the whole plight of this population and thought there must be a better way to help these unfortunate people. How should we help the homeless and should we try even though they may not help themselves? I figure that is the most important question that needs to be answered if anything is to be done. Of the essays I analyzed Awalt's "Brother Don't Spare a Dime" was the one essay that went against the idea of helping the homeless because the author thinks it's their own fault for being the way they are. The other two essays are easier on the homeless and want to lend a helping hand. In "Address Unknown: Homeless in Contemporary America" James Wright thinks that helping the homeless by giving them more benefits that they will be more prosperous. Peter Marin has the same idea in "Virginia's Trap" where the young woman is in need of just a little bit more money to stay the way she is in a home but doesn't receive enough. While Awalt's narrow view of homeless people gives him the idea that all should not be helped in anyway, Wright and Marin go towards the idea of helping the people because they have already had a rough life and do in fact need this help to go anywhere in life. Awalt's statement that homeless people are a "waste of time" is a very general statement in the least. Throughout his essay he only mentioned working with one homeless person trying to help him through a detoxification program. This person failed the procedure and left to go back to the streets and drink again. (Awalt 239) Just because this one person didn't have the endurance to undergo such an operation doesn't mean others wouldn't. What we need to have is a more "hands on" program with these homeless people to give them the attention that they need so that a majority of the people will not end up like this but eventually in their own homes. The opposite view is shared by Wright and Marin in their more lengthy and detailed essays. Wright starts out saying that not all homeless are the same and should not all be treated the same. He states there are different classes of homeless people and there are the worthy and unworthy homeless, meaning that only some deserve to remain this way because they don't try to live otherwise. These small amount of people, about five percent, don't deserve the time and money spent on trying to get them off the streets but the only way to find out if they don't is to try at least once with them. If it doesn't work out that's a small amount of effort wasted but if it does work it is a grand success and another homeless person is off the street. Marin has the same view with "Virginia's Trap" adding a great deal of sympathy for the main character in the story by telling it from her point of view. Virginia is also in a different class of homelessness, the subset of the poverty that is marginally housed. She is "trapped" in between housing and none at all because of her poor background and problems with low income. The author even tries to help Virginia stay in her house at the time but it all collapses financially on her again. (Marin 250) That is why benefits for people who are actually trying to get back on their feet should be raised according to their situation. I believe that Awalt's view of the homeless is a narrow-minded, stubborn one and that Wright and Marin should at least try to help these people and give them the benefit of the doubt. I realized that I was wrong from my first interpretation of the middle aged man I met in the city and that it is hard for him to have a chance in this world without the proper money and help to back him up. In some cases the homeless may not deserve all the help we try to give them but if we are to destroy this ongoing problem we have to: as Wright states, "The federal government must massively intervene in the private housing market, to halt the loss of additional low-income units and to underwrite the construction of many more; and benefits paid to the welfare-dependent population must double." (Wright 265) I believe that this is a very good idea along with the increased effort of individuals that try to help these homeless and that it could seriously help the problem. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\How to improve your English.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ English is now the international language .So it is very important to learn English well. We should study English in the correct way, so that we can make the most of the time we spend learning English. Discovering ways to improve their English is a problem which baffles many students. There are three ways to improve English First of all, We have to learn many English words and study English grammar in great detail. Reading is the best way to increase vocabularies and learn how to avoid making grammar errors. If we read magazines written in English, regular reading will make it easier for us to remember the many new words we come across. Having a dictionary is just like having a teacher close at hand. We need to use a dictionary to look up those words that we don't know. It makes reading a very enjoyable pastime. Secondly, besides learning to read English, we must learn to understand spoken English, and practice speaking. Try listen to radio stations, if at first you don't understand, keep listening and maintain a regular habit of listening to radio stations. Repeat after the broadcast and learn how to pronounce correctly and frequently. Thirdly, we should try to talk with Americans, find native English-speaking people who will give you conversation practice. Don't be afraid to speak ,afraid to be laughed at. If we never learn to take risks to open mouths, it will be impossible to improve speaking skills. There is no reason to be ashamed of speaking poor English. If we can learn from our mistakes, failure can become part of our success. In fact, the secret of success may come from failure. In conclusion, There is no short cut to learning English. Persistence is the major secrets of success. If you want use English as your native language, don't ever give up trying to achieve your goal. If we are prepared to work hard at it, we will be successful in the end. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\How to write a Research Essay.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RESEARCH ESSAY The toughest part of the essay, for me, was taking all the information I had gained and reduce it to a mere few pages essay. After all, quality is better than quantity. I feel that if I shortened my essay, it would be weaker because I couldn't include everything that I had researched. This would mean that much of the time I spent and the information I had gathered in my research was going to waste. Reviewing the finished product, I realized that my shortened essay did in by half the pages did what my old one could not do in a few hundred -- it made a concise, focused argument. By focusing my essay, I was able to include only the best and most important points from my research, while discarding more extraneous ones. I learned that a research writer is like a funnel; he or she must take in a wide range of information at the beginning, and turn it into a narrow argument in the end. An essay is more than just uniting facts from your research, it is an opportunity for you to voice your own opinion. An essay with just facts is informative, but not very interesting and get boring. It tends to lose your audience.. A strong essay is one that uses facts to support an argument based on the writer's analysis of the topic. Even though this is easier said then done. Always keep the essay question in mind during your research. Ask yourself: "What do I need to know in order to answer the question?" Have a system of how you are going to answer that question. Find plenty of information to support your argument. Throughout your research you will surely find challenges. Do not ignore them, but think of them as an obstacle that you most conquer in order to succeed. Remember, you are trying to write the best essay, not an infallible one. Although not everyone can write a well thought, or perfect essay, lots of reading and writing can be good in preparation for any future post-secondary education or work opportunity. Each time you organize your thoughts and words, you improve your communication skills. Grade: 73% f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\HuckFinn.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ onathan Spano English 3 CP1 1/6/96 Huck Finn Huck has a grim attitude toward people he disagrees with or doesnt get along with. Huck tends to alienate himself from those people. He doesnt let it bother him. Unlike most people Huck doesnt try to make his point. When Huck has a certain outlook on things he keep his view. He will not change it for anyone. For instance in Chapter Three when Miss Watson tells Huck that if he prayed he would get everything he wished for. Huck just shook his head yes and walked away telling Tom that it doesnt work because he has tried it before with fishing line and fishing hooks. this tell us that Huck is an independent person who doesnt need to rely on other people. This is a book of social criticism. Twain has his ways of criticizing people of their actions and the things they do. Twain does a good job expressing the characters social behaivors. Instead of upfront making fun of Hulks actions he hints towards them or tries to glorify them when he does something that is socially wrong or unintelligent. Huck stages his death. This is not a real bright thing to do even though Huck's father is real mean and is a threat to his life and Huck's life. Huck wants to get away from him so bad that the first thing that comes into his mind is to stage his death so Pap will think he's dead and won't be looking for him ever again. Twain feels that by making Huck do this Twain is poking fun a Huck's intelligence. Not his nature intelligence but his book intelligence. In other words Twain is making fun of Huck. Twain also portrays Huck and Jim as stupid when Huck dresses up like a girl. Everyone knows Huck will not pass as a girl Jim is very much like a father to Huck. He looks out for Huck and he is respected and looked upon by Huck. This is also more significant because Huckleberry Finn never had a father and he never really had a role model. Jim serves this purpose perfectly. On one occasion Huck and Jim were exploring an old house that had floated down stream. While they were looking in it Jim discovered a dead body. Jim then covered up the corpse so Huck wouldn't see it. Jim felt that seeing a dead body at such a young age could corrupt a boy for life. Huck then wanted to talk about the dead body but Jim suggested that they dont talk about it because it might bring bad luck. Huck then tried to play a practical joke on Jim by putting a dead snake near him. Jim was scared. Later the snakes mate came back and bit Huck. Jim was not at the site and didn't know about it. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\HyperKinetic Children.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hyperkinetic Children Hyperkinetic is just another word for Hyperactive. Hyperactivity describes children who show numerous amounts of inappropriate behaviors in situations that require sustained attention and orderly responding to fairly structured tasks. Humans who are hyperactive tend to be easily distracted, impulsive, inattentive, and easily excited or upset. Hyperactivity in children is manifested by gross motor activity, such as excessive running or climbing. The child is often described as being on the go or "running like a motor", and having difficulty sitting still. Older children and adolescents may be extremely restless or fidgety. They may also demonstrate aggressive and very negative behavior. Other features include obstinacy, stubbornness, bossiness, bullying, increased mood lability, low frustration tolerance, temper outbursts, low self-esteem, and lack of response to discipline. Very rarely would a child be considered hyperactive in every situation, just because restraint and sustained attentiveness are not necessary for acceptable performance in many low-structure situations. Many parents rate the onset of abnormal activity in their child when it is and infant or toddler. Abnormal sleep patterns are frequently mentioned, the child objects to taking naps, he also seems to need less sleep, and becomes very stubborn at bedtime. Then, when the child is seemingly exhausted, hyperactive behavior may increase. Family history studies show that hyperactivity, which is more common in boys than in girls, may be a hereditary trait, as are some other traits (reading disabilities or enuresis-bed wetting). Certain predisposing factors affect the mother, and therefore the child, at the time of conception or gestation or during delivery. Included are radiation, infection, hemorrhage, jaundice, toxemia, trauma, medications, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. The course of the syndrome typically spans the 6-year to 12-year age range. In many classrooms, children who display inappropriate overactivity (restlessness, moving around without permission) , attention deficits (distractible by task-irrelevant events, inability to sustain attention to the task) , and impulsivity (making decisions and responses hastily and inaccurately, interrupting and interfering with classmates and the teachers) are likely to be identified as hyperactive. The diagnosis of hyperactivity is usually suggested when parents and teachers complains that a child is excessively active, behaves poorly, or has learning difficulties. However, there is no specific definition or precise test to confirm that a child is hyperactive. This syndrome is most frequently recognized when the child cannot behave appropriately in the classroom. There are three characteristic courses. In the first, all of the symptoms persist into adolescence or adult life. In the second, the disorder is self-limited and all of the symptoms disappear completely at puberty. In the third, the hyperactivity disappears, but the attentional difficulties and impulsivity persist into adolescence or adult life. The relative frequency of the courses is unknown. The individual, accordingly, does not grow out of the disorder. As the child passes through puberty, aggression and restlessness may decrease, but most symptoms persist and may lead the adolescent to develop a low self-esteem and a tendency to withdraw. The adolescent may also manifest anti-social tendencies, for instance, lieing, stealing, and violence, which frequently lead to delinquency. Similarly, symptoms persist into adult life and account for social maladjustment (behavior that violates laws or unwritten standards of the school or community, yet conforms to the standards of some social subgroup). Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), also called attention deficit disorder (ADD), is presently the most common condition diagnosed in hyperactive children. This specific syndrome focuses on the child's inability to pay attention. This syndrome occurs early in life (in infancy or by the age of 2 or 3 years ) is more common in boys and may occur as many as 3 percent of prepubertal children. A small proportion of hyperactive children have a definite history of injury to, or disease of, the brain that preceded a change to abnormal behavior. These children show relatively minor disabilities of coordination, reflexes, perception, problem solving, and other behaviors often referred to as "softsigns" of neurological disorder (brain-injured). It has not been established, however, that brain damage or malfunction is a factor in most cases of hyperactivity. Studies of many children who had difficulties at birth show no connection between such difficulties and later hyperactivity. In these other wise, normal children, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and distractibility are variable. The syndrome has been described for many years, and these children were previously said to have minimal brain dysfunction (MBD). In the MBD syndrome, the behaviors of ADHD (attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity) were combined with poor coordination, emotional instability, immature development, perceptual difficulties, learning disabilities, language disorders, and minor neurological abnormalities observed through medical examinations. In most cases it is not possible to find a specific cause for hyperactivity and may not be appropriate to try. Since hyperactivity behavior is common, starts early and persists at least into adolescence, has hereditary determinants, and also is relatively hard to change by psychological means, it may represent a type of temperament rather than a psychological or medical disorder. Most authorities feel that factors that interfere with the normal development of a child's brain during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and early infancy are most significant. These include infections, injuries, prematurity, and difficult births. Other possible causes include environmental conditions such as maternal drug addiction, lead poisoning, malnutrition, and emotional deprivation. In some, hyperactivity seems to be an inherited trait. Only in rare circumstances is there a precise history of previous injury or disease of the brain, or an ongoing neurological or psychiatric disorder that can be diagnosed. Although, it's usually associated with normal intelligence, it may accompany mental retardation or emotional disturbances. Target-behavior recording is commonly used to measure hyperactivity, especially the inappropriate overactivity component, but also inattention and impulsivity. Behavior-rating scales often include hyperactivity items; some such as the Conners Parent-teacher Questionnaire, are especially designed for measuring hyperactivity. Other behavior patterns indicative of hyperactivity may be measured with objective tests, such as "selective attention" (ability to concentrate on task-relevant aspects of a situation rather than in cendental, task-irrelevant features) and "impulsive cognitive tempo" (tendency to decide and act hastily without fully considering alternative responses, which often leads to mistakes in problem solving and decision making) . These measures of actual functioning in an artificial situation do resemble important learning situations for students, and are useful and are useful research tools, but are not yet well developed enough for educational applications. Because, it is not possible in most cases to find a specific cause for hyperactivity, there is little agreement as to how much medical or psychological investigation is needed for every child. Most parents begin by discussing their child's problem with their family doctor or pediatrician. Based upon that evaluation, referral is sometimes made for neurological, psychological, psychiatric, and educational evaluations for consideration of possible related disorders and to place the child in the most appropriate school environment. Researchers must understand a disorder before they can attempt to treat it. There are a variety of theories on the etiology of ADHD, but most researchers now believe that there are multiple factors that influence it's development. It appears that many children may have a greater likelihood of developing ADHD as a result of genetic factors. This predisposition is exacerbated by a variety of factors. Although a very popular belief is that food additives or sugar can cause ADHD, there has been almost no scientific support for these claims. Since so many factors have been found to be associated with the development of ADHD, it is not surprising that numerous treatments have been developed for the amelioration of ADHD symptoms. Although, numerous treatment methods have been developed and studied, ADHD remains a difficult disorder to treat effectively. Treatments of hyperactivity can be broken down into roughly two categories: medication, and behavioral or cognitive-behavioral treatment with the individual ADHD child, parents, or teachers. Stimulant medications have been used in the treatment of ADHD since 1937. The most commonly prescribed stimulant medications are methylphenidate (Ritalin), premoline (Cylert) and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine). Ritalin corrects the neurochemical imbalances in the brain, and it is the most widely used stimulant drug. Until the 1960's hyperactive children were thought to be suffering from anxiety resulting from conflict between their parents, and together with their families they were treated by psychotherapy. Since then, stimulant drugs have come into wide use to calm hyperactive children. Drug therapy, however, is only temporary in effect and presents the danger that, if prolonged, the children may become psychologically dependent on the drugs. Behavioral improvements caused by stimulant medications include impulse control and improved attending behavior. Overall, approximately 75 percent of ADHD children on stimulant medication show behavioral improvement, and 25 percent show either no improvement or decreased behavioral functioning. It appears that stimulant medications can help the ADHD child with school productivity and accuracy, but not with overall academic achievement. Although ADHD children tend to show improvement while they are on stimulant medication, there are rarely any long-term benefits to the use of stimulant medications. In general, stimulant medication can be seen as only a short-term management tool. Antidepressant medications (such as imipramine and desipramine ) have also been used with ADHD children. These medications are sometimes used when stimulant medication is not appropriate. Antidepressant medication, however, like stimulant medications, appear to provide only short-term improvement in ADHD symptoms. The treatment program for hyperactive children must be individualized to meet their particular needs. Medication, used alone or in combination with educational and psychological interventions, are most commonly utilized. Overall, the use or nonuse of medications in the treatment of ADHD should be carefully evaluated by a qualified physician. If a child is put on medication for ADHD, the safety and appropriateness of the medication must be monitored continuously throughout it's use. Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral treatments have been used with ADHD children themselves, with parents, and with teachers. Most of these techniques attempt to provide the child with a consistent environment in which on-task behavior is rewarded (for example, the teacher praises the child for raising his or her hand and not shouting out an answer) , and in which off-task behavior is either ignored or punished (for example, the parent had the child sit alone in a chair near an empty wall, a "time-out chair" , after the child impulsively does something wrong) . In addition, cognitive-behavioral treatments try to teach ADHD children to internalize their own self-control by learning to "stop and think" before they act. One example of a cognitive-behavioral treatment, which was developed by Philip Kendall and Lauren Braswell, is intended to teach the child to learn five "steps" that can be applied to academic tasks as well as social interactions. The five problem-solving steps that children are to repeat to themselves each time they incounter a new situation are the following: Ask :What am I supposed to do?" , "What are my choices?" ; concentrate and focus in ; make a choice ; ask "How did I do?" (If I did well, I can congratulate myself ; If I did poorly, I should try to go more slowly next time.) In each therapy session, the child is given twenty plastic strips at the beginning. The child looses a strip every time he or she does not use one of the steps, does too fast, or gives an incorrect answer. At the end of the session, the child can use the chips to purchase a small prize. This treatment alone combines the use of cognitive strategies ( the child learns self-instructional steps) and behavioral techniques ( the child looses a desired object, a chip, for impulsive behavior). Overall, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral treatments have been found to be relatively effective in the settings in which they are used and at the time, they are being instituted. There is some evidence to suggest that the combination of medication and behavior therapy can increase the effectiveness of the treatment. Like the effects of medications, however, the effects of behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapies tend not to be long-lasting. A promising trend in treatment is to help the hyperactive child by teaching his parents and teachers how to cope with his individual behavior. Hyperactive children need to have a relatively set routine that includes a maximum of regularity and a minimum of surprises and interruptions. The school setting may need to be altered in such a way as to make additional help and provisions available. The children frequently need praise, encouragement, and special attention so that experiences that previously only lead to failure may now become successful and enjoyable. Unfortunately, some children may never make a complete recovery from hyperactivity, and have a greater chance of developing alcoholism or mental health problems as adults. While the diagnostic definition and specific terminology of ADHD will undoubtedly change throughout the years, the interest in and commitment to this disorder will likely continue. Children and adults with ADHD, as well as the people around them, have difficult lives to lead. The research community is committed to finding better explanations of the etiology and treatment of this common disorder. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Indian Suffrage.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ · Indian Suffrage Before the English arrived in the New world and began creating colonies, the American Indians lived in harmony and peace with natures. The American Indians were skilled hunters, farmers and used everything in their environment for survival or for essential necessities. They shared the land together and moved about freely in search of food. The American Indians never considered the lands their property because it's belong to God and no one have the right to buy, sell, nor own it. However, Europeans has an opposite view of Indians beliefs, cultures, and use of lands. They viewed Indians as children, savage-uncivilized people in need of their protection and salvation (Carroll and Noble: 30). Therefore, they felt it is their responsibility to civilize the Indian and put their lands into good uses. Hence, American Indians suffrages and nightmares began. The impact of American expansion has turned upon the Indians and confronted them with social and economic crises never before experienced. As a result, many tribes torn apart, in many cases extinct, and their identity was lost. Indians also lost their original lands as a result of direct and indirect contact with the Europeans. The whites wanted more lands for their developments, and because of this greed, they created direct policies to clear the Indians off their lands. For example, one form of direct policy that the whites used to rob Indians of their lands was by signing treaties. Then later the whites broke these treaties and forced Indian off their lands by the Removal policy and claimed the lands as their property (Lowy: Lecture 11/96). There were many indirect methods that white used to rob Indians' lands. They use bribery, threats, and among countless other things to trick Indians into giving up their lands. They were often tricked into signing the land cession treaties that they did not understand the negotiation and the language (Lowy: Lecture 11/6). In many ways, the United States policy toward Indian has been schizophrenic because the laws never completely nor attempted to give Indians an opportunity to progress and assimilate into American mainstream as an individual. From time to time, whites creates many policies, such as the reservation, relocation, and termination in an effort to assimilate the Indians into the American melting pot, therefore ending the Indian problem. But the only result of all these policies was to sink the Indian further into poverty, deprive Indians of their lands, and create a class of people who remained to protect their racial integrity. For example, most reservations do not have running water nor sewage systems. The numbers of unemployment, death, and disease rate were higher than that of the general population (Lowy: Lecture, 11/6). They were left to linger in poverty in virtual concentration camp condition while food and supplies promised in treaties were sold else where. Indians in reservation suffered from hunger, lacked clothing, and lived without proper shelter. Like removal scheme, reservation appeared to be practical and humane; Indians civilization is to be achieved through the segregation. But the fact is that reservation is a way to end bloody clashes between settlers and Indian warriors. It is also a policy to continue to oppress and terminate the Indian's race. By putting the Indian away on reservations, whites will have more freedom to exploit the lands and built a transcontinental railroad through Indian territory (Lowy: Lecture 11/8). The Indian problem did not stop here. Then in 1950, to the federal government ignorance of the Indians situation, they implemented the Relocation policy to persuaded Indians to move to the urban for technology job training and better living. Once they arrived, they were dumped into ghetto housing, dead end job, and often training that failed to lead to professions and occupations. Also, this policy was originated so that the government no longer have to deal with the Indians and take the responsibility of past wrong. In 1954, Indian problems worsen when the government orginated the termination policy or withdrawing all of federal-Indians funding and supervision. As a result many Indians fall deeper into poverty, hopelessness, and it brought more confusion between the Native American and that of Euroamerican to the Indian. Under this termination policy Indian lost their right to tax exemption that was granted to them in treaties. The health, education, and untility services that they previously received at no cost ended. Termination policy has created a pocket of poverty for the Indian, forced them to sell their lands, and it robs Indians an opportunity to progress. To me, termination policy is an open door for whites to undermine and seize every last piece of Indians' lands. The difference conceptions of land use between white and Indian created so much misunderstanding of Indians. Indians viewed lands as communally "owned and used." Their relationship to the land was balance and harmonious; it is use for subsistence, not for profit, buy, or sell (Lowy: Lecture 11/6). However, because of these beliefs European viewed Indians as stupid and that they do not know how to put their lands in good use. Therefore, they felt justified in taking control of the land to "put it in good use"-buying , selling, settling, and owned as private property (Valerie: Handout). They exploited the land in any way they could to profit from it. In 1887, the Dawes Allotment Act was passed to enable Indians to become self-supporting farmer, to assimilate, and to teach Indians the white man's ways , by owning, exploiting, and profiting from the lands. However, the Act had worked badly for the Indian. Large number of Indians lost their allotment to outsider thought easy patenting, foreclosure, deceitful sales or leases, and by marriage (Lowy: Lecture 11/8). Allotment Act was to bring a rapid conclusion to the Indian problem, but it did not. Instead the way was open for exploitation of individual owners as each acquired a negotiable title and it the way to save government further expense in its relations with the Indians. According to Lemkin, "Genocide was the coordinated and planned annihilation of a national, religious, or racial group by a variety of actions. These actions included prosecution, destruction, and attacks on political, culture, {and so on} to undermine the foundation essential to the survival of the group as a group." Indeed European used all these forms and more to exterminate the Indians. One of the worse forms of genocide Indians confronted is diseases. Europeans brought with them many unknown and incurable diseases that killed and destroyed vast numbers of Indian population. These diseases spread so fast that many Indians did not realize what was happening to their people. Beside diseases, European used military technology such as cannons, swords, and guns to scare and control the Indian. They brutally attacked and executed Indians to keep the tribes quiet and not to obstruct white's expansion. The third form, legal and illegal methods of land seize. Whites use any kinds of methods to forced, trick, and rob Indians' lands. Indians were forced to move to new and harsh environment where they greatly suffered and slowly vanished. The fourth form, religion genocide, where church and school were set up to teach and convert Indians to Christianity and missionary comes to Indians with superior attitude and in the name of God to force Indians to practice Christianity. Also, Indians prisoner cannot keep their hair long because of their religion belief (Lowy: 11/8). A fifth form, educational genocide, where Indian children were forced to go to boarding schools to learn whites' morals and values. The children were severely punished if they did not speak English or follow the strict rules. A sixth form, economic genocide, Indians were deprived from using their own lands, while the whites over exploited the lands for profits. Whites also passed laws restricting Indians trading opportunities. Also, Indians lives were greatly affected by the extermination of buffalo. Yet, while Indians dependent greatly on buffalo for their main source of food, clothing, and many inedible by-products, the white destroyed them in massive number as hunting sport. A final form, cultural genocide, it explains how Indians' languages, religions, values, and cultures was lost or drastically swapped. Thanks to the Red Power Movement and many other Indians movements, their efforts have strengthened the prospects for Indian self-determination in the political, economic, education and religious realm. They have helped to make Indian people more visible to the whites and whites began to realize that Indian was our first and natural citizen. However, the government in particular, owns it to the Indians to give them an opportunity to be a full participant in economic, political, and education. They need to put into practice and to bring to fruition some of the reforms and treaties with the American Indians that are long overdue. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Individual Retirement Account.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Individual Retirement Accounts: Why bother? by William K. English 121 Mr. Frost September 22, 1996 Outline Thesis: When planning for retirement, Individual Retirement Accounts offer several benefits; however, careful planning is essential to ensure that: upon retirement there is an adequate amount of money saved, that the heirs to the IRA are chosen carefully, and that unnecessary taxes and penalties are avoided. I. Upon retirement there is an adequate amount of money saved. A. How much money necessary to retire? 1. Social Security verses retirement. 2. Savings Accounts verses retirement. 3. Advantages of starting an IRA early. II. Careful selection of the heirs to the Individual Retirement Account. A. Advantage of leaving IRA to spouse 1. Special rights as a spouse. 2. Different options the spouse has for claiming money. III. Avoiding unnecessary taxes and penalties. 1. Recoverable trust as beneficiary. 2. Taking money out before the age of 59 1/2. 3. Penalties for leaving money in too long. Many people often live their lives without considering how they plan to retire. People do not realize that the idea of living solely on the benefits of social security is not realistic. In order to secure a comfortable future, people must have some type of additional income. Sacrificing a small amount of money into an IRA at a relatively early age could make a considerable difference in the lives of people upon retirement. When planning for retirement, Individual Retirement Accounts offer several benefits; however, careful planning is essential to ensure that: upon retirement there is an adequate amount of money saved, that the heirs to the IRA are chosen carefully, and that unnecessary taxes and penalties are avoided. It is important to consider how much money will be needed for a comfortable retirement. Careful planning is essential when considering an item with such importance. Phaneuf states that, according to figures used by most financial planners, upon retirement the average person will need roughly seventy percent of their current income to continue living their present lifestyles (94). With only income from Social Security and money saved in bank accounts, most people are unable to achieve this goal. Furthermore, one must also consider, for a retirement account to be effective the account has to maintain interest rates above that of inflation. Inflation increases approximately four percent annually; and standard bank accounts barely beat this rate. In fact, at present, most savings accounts have an interest rate below four percent. Thus, regular savings accounts are not a practical method to save for retirement; however, IRA's offer deferred taxes on the interest earned until the money is withdrawn from the account. Therefore for a given amount of money, there is a considerable advantage when saving in an IRA. For example, according to Heady: if you were to save $2000 dollars a year at 6% for 30 years under the terms of a regular savings account, the total earnings would be approximately $120,900 after paying taxes; however, if you were to shelter $2000 a year at 6% in an Individual Retirement Account that amount would increase by $48,000 dollars to a total of $168,000 because of the tax-deferred feature (60). Using this example, the tax deferred feature of an IRA is easily recognized as having a considerable edge over regular savings plans. Another advantage to consider when planning an IRA is to start the account as early in life as possible. It is obviously an advantage to use the program that is going to give the best overall return; however, the advantage of starting early should not be taken lightly either. As with all savings plans, a key factor in the final results is the overall length of time that has been exhausted investing into the account. People often think that there is an age requirement to start an IRA; however, this is not the case. There are several Banks that will even allow teenagers under the age of eighteen to begin an IRA, as long as their parents cosign. The results of starting as a teenager are astonishing. According to Spears: if a 15-year-old were to begin saving $2,000 a year in an IRA for ten years and earns 10% a year, the compounded annual return on the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index for the past 60 years. Barring early withdrawals, that $20,000 investment would be worth more that $1.5 million at age 65 (55). It is easy to see that the earlier the account is started, the more interest eared over the years on the account, and the more financial stability that will be established at retirement. In addition, starting early also allows the holder to start off investing less money; thus taking off some of the burden of having to invest larger amounts of money into the IRA at later ages. Keep in mind, "This is a small price to pay to gain financial security for the rest of your life." There are also several items that must be determined when establishing an IRA. Among the most important, is careful selection of the beneficiaries. When leaving assets to a spouse, things are very simple because the spouse has special rights as an IRA beneficiary. For example, a spouse that has reached the age of 59 1/2 and wants to utilize the money in the account can remain as a beneficiary. By leaving the account under the name of the deceased, the spouse can begin withdrawing the money as a life-time allotment. The spouse also has the option of taking the money out over the next five years following the original IRA owner's death. Rowland states that the other alternative is for the spouse to convert the IRA to his or her own name. Under these terms all of the regular IRA rules will apply. The spouse will then be able to change all conditions under which the original IRA was opened. For example the beneficiaries can be changed, money can continue to be invested into the account, and the spouse may select different mutual funds if so desired (59). The disadvantage of this method is that unless the spouse wants to pay a ten percent penalty, the money will be locked under IRA terms until the he/she reaches the age of 59 1/2. Generally if the money is left to the spouse, under normal circumstances and provided he/she outlives the original holder, most of the major penalties should be avoided. In addition, when opening an Individual Retirement Account one should become very familiar with the rules and regulations. Many people leave their IRA practically untouched only to have their heirs lose the majority of it to taxes and penalties; however, if you understand the rules, most of these penalties can be avoided. To avoid paying these incredibly large taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), there are a few items one should understand. For example, when an IRA is left to someone other than a spouse, the rules change significantly. According to Rowland, If the IRA holder were to make the unfortunate mistake of changing the beneficiary to a revocable trust, the penalties are caustic. Immediately following the death of the original holder, the IRA will cease to exist. Thus causing federal and state taxes to be due immediately on the "entire" amount in the account (59). Therefore, If the IRA were to have two million dollars in the account, using the normal income tax rate of thirty percent, the value could shrink down to as little as $1,400,000. A $600,000 penalty that could have been avoided. By leaving the account to a or child, the IRA could have continued to exist "tax deferred" for several generations; this strategy would also avoid the income taxes that would otherwise be outstanding on the account. . Additionally if you take money out before the age of 59 1/2 you will receive a ten percent penalty on top of the regular income taxes. IRA's were designed as a means to save for "retirement," therefore, to avoid this penalty, simply leave the money until after retirement. Sanders states that from the age of 59 1/2 to 70 1/2 "You may withdraw as much as you like or nothing, and pay only the usual income taxes (unless the withdrawals are so large you owe a 15% savings penalty)" (202). It is a good idea to leave the money in an IRA for as long as possible; however, Sanders further explains: that there are also penalties for leaving the money in too long. When the holder reaches the age of 70 1/2 he or she must begin making annual withdrawals. Except for the first year, for which you get a three month grace period, the deadline for each years minimum withdrawal is Dec 31. So if you turn 70 1/2 on June 30, you must make a 1995 withdrawal by April 1, 1996, as well as a 1996 withdrawal by Dec, 31 1996. Withdrawing less than required in any year will cause a 50% penalty on the amount of the shortage (202). It is significantly important to stay educated about all of the possible penalties and keep track of all significant dates. The "small print" could actually cost up to several thousands of dollars in needless penalties, and the only one responsible for this knowledge is the IRA holder.. An Individual Retirement Account is a program that should be considered by all families. As long as careful planing is done, the heirs are chosen carefully and care is taken to avoid the taxes and penalties, most will find that IRA's are excellent for planning retirement. Families growing in the nineties must begin to look to the future and decide if the plan that they have established is sufficient to leave them financially stable for the rest of their lives. The cost of living is far above the level of when one could plan to retire solely on the benefits of Social Security. As times pass, many major companies are beginning to no longer offer the type of benefits that once could support a family after retirement. Therefore, It is a must that we start taking the steps necessary to ensure our own futures are filled with the dreams and livelihood we all desire. Works Cited Heady, Christy. "Your complete guide to tax-free income." Consumer Digest Nov-Dec. 1995: 22. ---. "How to retire with financial security." Consumer Digest. Sept-Oct. 1995: 60. Phaneuf, Anne M. "Start saving before it's too late (retirement savings)." Sales and Marketing Management April. 1996: 94. Rowland, Mary. "With big IRA's a wrong move can be costly." Nations Business Dec. 1995: 59. Saunders, Laura. "Endgame (IRA account management; includes related articles on taxation of such accounts)." Forbes 19 June.1995: 202. Spears, Gregory. "Making kid stuff out of IRA's (for yo f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Instilling a Childs Values.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Instilling a Child's Values Some people think that a child learns only by what his or her parents teach them, while others believe that a child is born with a set of values. In actuality, a child's values are mostly determined by the things they are taught by their parents. As parents, couples have many responsibilities toward their child; the most important responsibility is teaching them good values and judgement. A parent should behave as though they would want their child to behave, give them justifiable discipline, and, at the same time, let the child be their own person. As a child is growing up, he spends a very large part of his life with his parents. A child learns by seeing what his parents do and mimicking it, so a parent's job is very crucial to a child's acquisition of good morals. A parent must show the child the virtues of good judgement by using good judgement in their own life. If a child witnesses an unethical act performed by his parents, he will think that it is okay. The fact is that children who didn't have good parents, generally, don't grow up into very respectable adults. The old saying goes: "Monkey see, monkey do." It may sound like a cheap cliche, but there is a lot of truth to it. While raising a child, a parent might find that sometimes the child is not learning the morals that the parent is trying to instill in their child. In that case, a parent should discipline him. Discipline shows the importance of values in a whole different way. When a child is punished for something he or she did that was wrong, he or she learns not to do it in fear of being punished, but after a while the child accepts the given value for what it is. Punishment can be done several ways. Some deny their child of something such as: food, fun, attention, or television shows with gigantic, purple dinosaurs. Other parents discipline in a more physical way: spanking. Some believe spanking a child is wrong, but as long as it doesn't get out of hand, it is last resort to getting a point across. Good discipline can turn a animal-like child into a respectable, ethical person. Kids always yearn for freedom, and that is why a parent must be careful with how he teaches values. If a child is pushed too far and too hard, he may rebel the values entirely or may lose his identity. Though the parents have the obligation of instilling their child's morals, they must trust their child at times and let him learn some things for himself. Most children go through a period where they feel a new sense of independence. This is the time when parents should let go a little bit and trust the values that they have given him. In most cases, if the parents have done a good job, the freedom will only enhance the importance of the child's morals. A parent's job is never truly done, but setting by example, discipline, and freedom will make the journey through parenthood much more enjoyable and rewarding. Most people really love their parents, whether they admit it or not. Sometimes it may not show, but there is always a little bit of love. This love is a child's way of saying thanks to good, responsible parents. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\James Conant.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ James Bryant Conant believed that too many schools, both small and large, were not sufficiently challenging the academically talented. He states that "too many boys were neglecting courses in the humanities in favor of science and mathematics, and too many able girls were avoiding science, math, and foreign languages." His philosophy can be reflected in today's society and it has both negative and positive aspects. Many high schools today separate the so called "academically gifted" from the "academically challenged". They have developed special classes for both groups of students. At our high school, Crystal Lake Central High School, there were classes called E.C. classes, or extra curricular classes, for the honors students. On the other hand, there were remedial classes for the students who were a slower at learning than the other students. The biggest group of students entails the "average student" who basically takes average classes. This idea of designating certain classes for students depending on their academic abilities is good because it allows students to learn at an appropriate level. A student who can read at a speed of 125 words per minute should not be in the same English class as a person who only reads 50 words per minute. On the opposite end, there is a downfall to this idea of separation of classes. Students are put into certain groups and therefore they become stereotyped into certain categories. A person at a high intelligent level may be called a "brain" while a person at a low intelligent level may be called "stupid". The students therefore form an identity with the group they belong to and use this identity to predict their future success. For example, a person of low intelligent probably does not feel much hope for obtaining a white collar job and he probably feels he has to resort to a blue collar job based on his academic status. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\John Griffith London.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Let me put this heavy load down and take some of these bulky clothes off and I'll tell you about how I became a short story and novel writer. My name is John Griffith London. But I like to be called Jack. I was born in San Francisco in 1876. Most of my childhood I was very poor. I had to help my parents earn a living by doing odd jobs. I delivered papers, worked on ice-wagons, cleaned up bowling alleys, helped in the cannery and only made ten cents an hour. I usually worked ten hours a day. I learned what it was like being a member of the working-class and I always had a distaste for its drudgery. I kept telling myself, "Jack, some day you will be rich." I loved to read and often borrowed books of adventure, travel, and sea voyages. At fourteen, I left school to lead a wandering and adventurous life, so I thought. Jobs were hard to find but I was employed by the fish patrol in San Francisco Bay. Imagine hopping on every boat that pulls into the bay and counting the number of fish on board and having to write fines to the sailors that had too many fish. This sure wasn't a popular job in the bay area. I was smart enough to figure I could be on the other side of the law and rob and steal vessels so I became an oyster pirate. I had a real passion for the sea and so in 1893 I took a job as a common sailor aboard a sealing vessel that ventured as far as Japan. This lasted about a year. When I returned back to the bay area I drifted from job to job. I told you I liked to wander. I left the bay and headed for New York City. I went on the road and lived as a tramp. Without any place to stay I was soon jailed for vagrancy. I spent one month in jail and there I realized I needed to make something of myself. I returned to California and to school. My reading continued. Rudyard Kipling and Robert Louis Stevenson became my liteary gods and Darwin, Herbert Spencer, and Karl Marx made me a Socialist. I began writing while in college but could not find a market for my writings. In the mid-1897's I joined the Klondike gold rush. I packed 8,000 pounds of supplies and books to take with me. After a year I became very ill and had to return home without having mined an ounce of gold. Upon my return to the San Francisco area, I began to write about my experiences. My stories finally began to be accepted by magazines. My first collection of short stories, The Son of the Wolf, was bought and published in 1900 by Houghton Mifflin for $500. I was so excited to have made money from my writings, I devoted every minute to telling my colorful life. I wrote more than 50 books and made more than a million dollars on them. My first best selling novel was The Call of the Wild. In this novel I included my adventure of the Klondikes. The story dealt with the reversion of a civilized creature to the primitive state. On assignment to cover the Russo-Japanese War I was stranded in London and lived in the poverty-stricken East End. I gathered materials for my novel, People of the Abyss. I became popular outside the United States and my works were translated into eleven languages. My dream had become a reality. I was now very wealthy. I built a fantastic castle but had to write incessantly to meet my bills. I wrote The Sea Wolf based on my experiences on the sealing vessel. John Barleycorn became a novel about my struggles with alcoholism. My style-brutal, vivid, and exciting was set in localities where the struggle could be most obvious: in the wilds of Alaska, on remote Pacific Islands, on ships at sea, in industrial communities during strikes, and in the underworlds of various cities. These were the places I recounted my experiences. My life was very stormy. I had two unhappy marriages, a problem with alcohol, a fire that destroyed my castle before it was finished, and many bills to pay. So at the age of 40, I ended my own life. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Karakterer.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Karakterer Jeg har valgt å skrive denne stilen som en artikkel. Hurra, jeg fikk karakteren M+. Jeg fikk bare en G, hva kommer mamma og pappa til å si? Å nei, jeg fikk en NG, til neste prøve må jeg skjerpe meg. Karakterer, hvilket annet tema har skapt like mye diskusjon blant elever og i skoleverket de siste årene. Enkelte mener de er helt nødvendige for skolegangen, mens andre mener de ødelegger de unge. Karakterene hjelper til med å opprettholde den høye standarden norske skoler har, og hvis de uteblir vil kanskje standarden synke og norske ungdommer vil stille lavere på rangstigen over skolebarn i verden. Karakterene kan være med på å hjelpe elevene og lærerne til å se hvor hver enkelt av elevene står i de forskjellige fagene. Uten karakterer kan lærerne støte på vanskeligheter når de skal vurdere elevene etter hver termin. De har ikke noen karakterer fra tidligere i terminen som grunnlag, og de må legge stor vekt på hvor gode elevene er muntlige og hvor aktive de er i timene. Uten karakterer i skoleverket vil det også kunne bli vanskeligere å vurdere elevene rettferdig. Karakterene er også med på å motivere elevene og gi dem noe å se fram til gjennom et langt skoleår. Karakterene hjelper til slik at elevene står på hele året og ikke gjør det dårligere mot slutten. Men har man først fått et par dårlige karakterer, kan de ha motsatt virkning. Foreldrene må ha forståelse for barna deres, og ikke forvente toppkarakter hver gang. Hvis man skulle få en dårlig karakter, bør de oppmuntre og ikke kjefte. Med karakterene blir de unge blir pålagt et voldsomt forventningspress, både overfor seg selv og foreldrene. Mange av elevene opplever karakterene som en stressfaktor, mister nattesøvnen og møter trøtte opp på skolen. Før en prøve kan mange av elevene være så nervøse at de rett og slett skulker. Hvis elevene får en dårlig karakter kan de bli veldig skuffet og miste lysten på videre skolegang. Jeg husker selv en gang vi fikk en uventet lekseprøve i samfunnsfag. Jeg hadde ikke lest og fikk en dårlig karakter. Det føltes ut som om verden skulle gå under. Jeg hatet alt som hadde med skolen å gjøre og jeg hadde kun lyst til å slutte på skolen. I fag som gym, musikk og heimkunnskap kan det ofte være vanskelig å gi karakterer. Elevene har som regel ikke så mange prøver i disse fagene, og det er vanskelig å gi karakterer på kroppsarbeid. En løsning på problemet kan være å avskaffe karakterene i disse fagene og heller vurdere elevene med "deltatt" eller "ikke deltatt" Når man snakker om karakterer, kan man ikke glemme lærerne. Det er de som skal bestemme karakterene og det er ikke alltid like lett. Det er svært vanskelig å være helt rettferdig, og hvor strenge lærerne er varierer mye fra skole til skole. Jeg tror at om prestasjonene til elevene fortsatt skal bli vurdert ved hjelp av karakterer, bør det lages et nytt system som er mer rettferdig og likt over hele landet. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\KEATS.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ McCurdy 1 Robert McCurdy Mr. McMichael English 202 KEATS John Keats suffered many hardships losing his family to tuberculosis, orphaned as a child and was " mastered and enslaved by a pining, degrading lovesickness " (O'neil 51) for a woman named Fanny Brawne, whom he was never able to wed. However with all his trials and tribulations he was very passionate about his poetry. The rich, sensuous way in which he wrote demonstrates it. In some ways the "relationship with his poetry takes on all the attributes of a love affair " (D'avanzo 25). Therefore" Keats chose the passion of love for a woman as his basic metaphor for poetry" (D' avanzo 25). He chose this passion for his poetry because of his inexperience of relationships as a young poet, inspiration from other authors and his love affair with Ms. Brawne. When Keats began as a young poet he pondered on many subjects. He had never been in a romantic relationship before. As any adolesent would, he had an interest in love and relationships. " He was aware of the heady, feverish pressure of this youthful romantic sickness on his imagination" (O, Neil 53). His immagination created a picture of how this relationship should be. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\La educacion.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ En materia de educación, aunque se ha ampliado significativamente la infraestructura para que todos los niños en edad escolar cursen la escuela primaria, el país sigue teniendo un nivel relativamente bajo de escolaridad y de aprovechamiento. Más de seis millones de mexicanos de quince años en adelante son analfabetos. La población con los índices más altos de rezago educativo se encuentra en áreas y situaciones que dificultan su acceso al servicio, su permanencia a lo largo del ciclo escolar y su conclusión. Hay más de dos millones de niños de seis a catorce años que no asisten a la escuela. La eficiencia terminal nacional en primaria es de 62 por ciento. El nivel de escolaridad promedio de siete años de la población económicamente activa, ha significado un esfuerzo encomiable. Sin embargo, constituye una base precaria para impulsar aumentos sostenidos de la productividad e ingresos reales de la población; más aún ante la acelerada innovación tecnológica y la creciente competencia internacional. Los grupos de edad que reflejan la demanda escolar de educación básica (entre seis y once años para primaria, y entre doce y catorce años para secundaria) siguen un patrón marcado también por la disminución de la fecundidad. La población en edad de primaria asciende a poco más de trece millones de niños, con una tasa de crecimiento actual prácticamente nula, que comenzará a tornarse negativa a partir de 1996. Así, el monto señalado parece ser la demanda histórica más alta a que tendrá que hacer frente la impartición de educación primaria. La población en edad de instrucción secundaria asciende a 6.3 millones y sigue una tasa de crecimiento casi nulo. A partir del año 2000 se espera que comience a disminuir gradualmente en números absolutos. Se estima que la mayor demanda histórica de atención de este grupo se alcanzará en el año 2000. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\La symphonie pastorale.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Auteur André Gide André Gide est né en 1869 et il est mort en 1951. Il habitait à Paris. Son père est mort en 1880, quand André avait seulement onze ans. Il est éduqué par sa mère et sa tante. Son premier livre de poésie est de 1892 et il s'appelait "Les poésies d'André Walter". Plus tard dans sa vie il a découvri qu'il est un homosexuel, mais malgré cela il s'est marié avec sa cousine en 1896. Dans les années suivantes il a publié beaucoup de livres, comme "Les nourritures terrestres" (1897), "L'immoraliste" (1902) et "La porte étroite" (1909). En 1919 il a publié son livre le plus connu: "La symphonie pastorale". Il a écrit aussi un livre dans ce qu'il s'agit de la homosexualité. En 1947 Gide a reçu le prix Nobel. Quatre ans plus tard il meurt. Titre La symphonie pastorale Epoque 1919 Genre La symphonie pastorale est un roman psychologique et une histoire de la religion. L'histoire est psychologique car il s'agit de l'amour en toutes sortes. Comme l'amour d'un père pour son enfant et l'amour dans un sens plus romantique. Il n'y a pas beaucoup d'action mais beaucoup de dialogues. Courant littéraire Dans son style le classicisme et l'individualisme confondent. Le classicisme parce que Gide a écrit une roman vraie et l'individualisme parce que il raconte avec des éléments autobiographique. Thème Les dangers d'une libre interprêtation des Ecritures, le mensonge et l'hypocrisie. Le pasteur a failli à ses devoirs d'époux, de père et de pasteur. Il est un raté. Peut-être plus important, c'est l'amour. Il s'agit des sortes différentes de l'amour. L'amour entre le père et Gertrude et les autres enfants, l'amour entre Gertrude et Jacques et entre le pasteur et son épouse et l'amour entre le pasteur et les Ecritures. Un autre thème est l'aveuglement. Gertrude est vraiment aveugle et le pasteur est aveugle de la vérité. Il veut protéger Gertrude coûte que coûte. Personages principaux Nom: Le pasteur Fonction: Narrateur. La roman est son journal. Caractère: Il est très impulsif, il fait beaucoup sans penser. Quand, par exemple, il emmène Gertrude, il ne pense pas à les conséquences. Et la conséquence est qu'il aime Gertrude plus qu'il aime sa famille. Il est aussi très naïf parce qu'il croit qu'il peut former un personne, comme il veut. Il veut que Gertrude ne connaît pas le mal. Il est très fidèle, mais avec des sentiments mixtes, parce qu'il sait que ce n'est pas juste d'aimer une autre femme que son épouse, mais pour justifier cela il essaye de lire les Ecritures différemment. Nom: Gertrude Fonction: Enfant adoptive du pasteur Caractère: Elle a à peu près 15 ans et elle est une orpheline. Elle est aveugle et ne peut parler quand le pasteur l'a trouvé. Mais il l'enseigne. Elle est très reconnaissante pour ça. Elle aime le pasteur, parce qu'il l'a appris toutes elle sait. Mais plus tard elle découvre son amour pour Jacques. A la fin, quand elle peut voir, elle découvre que la monde n'est pas comme le pasteur a raconté. Elle est très désabusé et veut mourir. Personages secondaires Nom: Amélie Fonction: Epouse du pasteur Caractère: Elle est désabusée avec sa vie. Elle est plus réaliste que le pasteur. Par exemple, elle a déjà décrouvri la relation entre Jacques et Gertrude, avant que le pasteur l'ait découvri. Nom: Jacques Fonction: Fils du pasteur et Amélie Caractère: Il aime Gertrude, mais parce que son père ne veut pas un relation entre Gertrude et lui il se résigne à ce fait. A la fin de l'histoire il reproche le pasteur pour cela. Noms: Sarah, Charlotte et Gaspard. Fonction: Les autres enfants du pasteur. Lieu de l'action Le lieu de l'action est un petit village (La Brévine) en France. Epoque L'époque n'est pas citée, mais vraisemblement environ 1919, l'an de l'écrit de "La symphonie pastorale". L'histoire est divisée à deux parts, la première part est un retour en arrière. La deuxième part est un journal de l'auteur. Milieu social Les gens dans ce livre sont des bourgeois très fidèles, Gertrude devient fidèle aussi. Opinion de l'ouvrage Nous trouvons que l'ouvrage était assez ennuyeux, parce que rien de spécial se passait. Les choses religieuses nous ennuyent aussi beaucoup. Nous n'aimons pas cette genre des livres. Les seules choses que nous trouvons intéressante étaient les relations entre tous les personnages. C'était bien amusant, mais le style de l'auteur ne nous plaisait pas. Une citation (page 56): "Je relis encore une fois tout le chapitre. C'est le départ d'une discussion infinie. Et je tourmenterais de ces perplexités, j'assombrirais de ces nuées, le ciel lumineux de Gertrude? -Ne suis je pas plus près du Christ et ne l'y maintiens-je point elle-même, lorsque je lui enseigne et la laisse croire que le seul péché et ce qui attente au bonheur d'autrui. Ou compromet notre propre bonheur?" Le Style Le livre était vraiment difficile à lire. Il y avait beaucoup de mots difficiles. Le style est très ancien. Titre Ce titre renvoie au concert auquel le pasteur et Gertrude ont assisté un soir à Neuchâtel. C'était un jour spécial dans le développement de Gertrude. Evénement frappant Nous trouvions que l'événement le plus frappant était quand Gertrude essayait de tuer lui-même. Ça nous a frappé, parce que nous croyions qu'elle serait très heureuse, parce qu'elle pouvait voir de nouveau. Nous avons une citation de cette passage (page 69): "Il faut que je vous fasse un aveu, pasteur, car ce soir j'ai peur de mourir', dit-elle. 'Je vous ai menti ce matin... Ce n'était pas pour cueillir des fleurs... Me pardonnez-vous si je vous dis que j'ai voulu me tuer?" L'ouvrage en quelque mots Quand le pasteur a visité une vieille femme malade, il a trouvé une fille aveugle. Il l'emmenait chez soi, et la fille était appelée Gertrude. Le pasteur enseignait Gertrude de parler, les différences entre les couleurs et des autres choses importantes de savoir, mais pas les choses mauvaises dans la vie, comme la mort. Le pasteur découvrait que son fils aîné Jacques aimait Gertrude et le pasteur avait des sentiments romantiques pour Gertrude aussi. Un jour un docteur conçoirait l'idée que Gertrude est opérable, ce qui se trouvait être la vérité. L'opération avait en effet du succès. Gertrude pouvait voir maintenant! Mais elle était triste quand elle découvrait les mensognes du pasteur. Elle aime Jacques, mais il est inaccessible pour elle. Elle essayait de tuer lui-même. Elle plongeait dans l'eau. Elle ne mourait pas tout de suite, mais plus tard, à la maison, elle mourait encore. Perspective narrative L'histoire est racontée par le pasteur. L'histoire est son journal. Structure de l'ouvrage L'histoire est un journal des expériences du pasteur. L'introduction est très brève et le fin aussi. L'histoire commence et finit tout de suite, avec des événements importants. Gertrude est trouvé. Gertrude est morte... f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Lady Macbeth .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Lady Macbeth: A Wife in Support of Her Husband One of the main characters in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, has been an object of intense criticism. Although sometimes regarded as cruel and vile, evidence exists that Shakespeare did not intend for her to be judged so harshly. By evaluating her character in relation to her actions, her overall relationship with Macbeth, and her death, we can see that Shakespeare quite possibly wanted Lady Macbeth to be judged in association with the actions of Macbeth. What appears to others as ruthlessness and ambition, is really her loyalty and love for him. Just as Macbeth is ambitious for the throne, so is Lady Macbeth driven to assist him. All of her actions are done out of devotion and allegiance to Macbeth. Throughout the play, the character of Lady Macbeth is developed through her actions, which reveal her inner cravings. She plays the important role of one who gives incentive to Macbeth, as well as one who supports him through difficult times. She is the catalyst who starts Macbeth's thinking. She possesses an aspect which cares for the future of her husband, and therefore inspires him to pursue the possibilities. More important than advocating actions to take the kingship, Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to remain strong. When his weaknesses appear, she remains firm. Because of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth achieves success. Once set on attaining the crown, Lady Macbeth pushes Macbeth to remain valiant and assists him in his pursuits. The goals of Macbeth become her aspirations as well. When Macbeth informs Lady Macbeth of his new found glory, she immediately begins thinking of the possibilities that lie in the future. Her initial desire to help Macbeth take the crown becomes clear when she speaks, "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear,/And chastise with the valor of my tongue/ All that impedes thee from the golden round/ Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem/ To have thee crowned withal" (I.v.26-30). Although it appears that she is monstrous, she is expressing her care for Macbeth by wanting to assist him. She continues on to say, "Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,/ And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full/ Of direst cruelty!" (I.v.40-43). This quote is voiced with the intention to become strong to help murder Duncan for her husband's grandeur. Upon Macbeth's arrival to see her, she expresses her plan to kill Duncan, and then utters, "Only look up clear./ To alter favor ever is to fear./ Leave all the rest to me" (I.v.72-74). At this point she takes control of the assassination of the king. She has taken it upon her to aid in the murder of Duncan so Macbeth may become ruler. The support that Lady Macbeth gives to her husband is crucial in his pursuits. After returning from slaying Duncan, Macbeth is ashamed of his deed and has become weak and sullen. He says, "I am afraid to think what I have done;/ Look on't again I dare not" (II.ii.50-51). In this time of pity, Lady Macbeth remains bold, replying, "Infirm of purpose!/ Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead/ Are but as pictures. 'Tis the eye of childhood/ That fears a painted devil" (II.ii.52-55). Macbeth begins to take on the guilt of the deed, while Lady Macbeth "shame[s]/ To wear a heart so white" (II.ii.63-64). She is the stern and unfeeling influence that Macbeth needs. Once she recognizes that he is at a moment of despair, she attempts to give him a sense of boldness. She cares for his well being, and wants him to remain strong. It is this "concern" that she has for Macbeth that proves that she is not monstrous. Not only does she support him, but Lady Macbeth also covers up her husband's weaknesses. While feasting at a banquet in the palace, Macbeth's conscience overwhelms him and he undergoes a mental break down. Shortly after having Banquo murdered, Macbeth believes he sees the ghost of his once companion. He begins to speak to the apparition, which is not visible to the others. Realizing that her husband might say something connecting him with the murders of Duncan and Banquo, Lady Macbeth makes excuses for his behavior. She says to them, "My lord is often thus,/ And hath been from his youth. Pray you, keep seat./ The fit is momentary;" (III.iv.53-55). She hides her husband's insanity, and later commands the lords at the dinner to leave, stating, "Stand not upon the order of your going,/ But go at once" (III.iv.118-119). In this time when Macbeth could have revealed his associations with the previous murders, Lady Macbeth defended and stood up for him. The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth exists through their desirous schemes. There are never any intimate moments between them, so one must observe their relationship through their actions and their words to one another. While alone in the palace after the murder of Banquo had been planned, Macbeth talks of their past actions in remorse, but Lady Macbeth is there to help build his self esteem. She says, "Why do you keep alone, ... Things without all remedy/ Should be without regard: what's done is done" (III.ii.11-12). She continues to comfort him by further saying, "Gentle my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks;/ Be bright and jovial" (III.ii.27-28). She is concerned with his declining mental state and continually tries to aid him through her support. The death of Lady Macbeth is vital in understanding her mental condition. At the beginning of the play she appears to be unyielding and insensitive to all feelings, but as the play progresses her conscience continues to overcome her. When talking to Lady Macbeth's Gentlewoman, the doctor utters, " Unnatural deeds/ Do breed unnatural troubles. Infected minds/ To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets" (V.i.70-72). Her death is a result of the effects that her deterioration has. Her mental state has altered to a minimum, and has harmful side effects. She begins sleep walking, having nightmares, and talking in her sleep. Towards the end of her life a doctor analyzes her condition and reveals, "This disease is beyond my practice" (V.i.57). She wares down to a point where she is hopeless, and the only answer is suicide. The self-destruction shows that Lady Macbeth has feelings and emotions, and regrets all of her crimes. Although regarded by some as fiendishly cruel and monstrous, Lady Macbeth is not intended to be thought of that way. She cares for Macbeth as her husband, and what may look vicious to some, is her support to him. She remains faithful, staying by him until the point of her suicide. She encourages Macbeth, and stands by him in troublesome moments. Her death is evident that she has a sense of right and wrong, and that she possesses a sense of grief and sorrow. All in all, Lady Macbeth is a caring wife in full support of her husband's actions. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Elements of Literature. Ed. Robert Anderson et al. 6 volumes. Austin: Holt, 1989. 6: 254-329. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\languge is a virus.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Language is a virus A written work, whether it is a story, a poem or a song, can be as vague and indeterminable as a painting and given to many different interpretations. It gives an opportunity for the reader to use his imagination and his emotions in absorbing the writing and comprehending its meaning. The interpretation of written work varies with circumstances, such as different cultures, religions, historical times or just personal feelings. Folk tales and legends are stories that have been passed throughout generations and are being told in many parts of the world in different languages. These stories, originally written as local tales, pass the boundaries of their localities and become absorbed into the folklore of other religions and countries through publication in other languages. In many cases they are being altered to suit the tastes, customs and modes of behavior of the population to which the readers belong. In other instances the written works are absorbed in different localities, in their original forms, but even then their meaning varies in accordance with the cultural, religious and economical conditions of the country as a whole and of the reader as an individual. Obviously, a written work is a product of the period in which it is written. Unless it is a historical tale, the subjects, characters and events described, would be of a temporary nature or have a temporary outlook and appeal. Many writings are of a controversial nature and as such they appeal to some but can meet with a violent disapproval by others. Salman Rashdie has been lucky to survive the violent anger of the Muslim world. But at the same time he became popular with many segments of the population, not necessarily due to the greatness of his writing, but primarily because of the controversial subject he touches upon, the fact that he criticizes his own and that his criticism appeals to a non Muslim reader. Language is like a virus. It spreads through different media, but primarily through writing. Depending on the subject and the quality, it can spread widely, become a chronic illness (in a positive as well as a negative way) or disappear completely. It is a virus which attacks a reader as well as a writter. It should not be treated by different remedies, but it should also not be left alone. If good, it should be cherished, if bad it should be exterminated. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Leadership.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sharing Leadership Song: She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes, "Whoo, Hoo" Driving six white horses ... "Whoa Back" We'll all go out to meet her... "Hi Babe" We'll kill the old red rooster... "Hack, Hack" We'll all have chicken 'n dumplings... "Yum, Yum" We'll wear our bright red woolies... "Scratch, Scratch" -The subject of this presentation is Sharing Leadership. -I need 4 (four) volunteers. Each get a Name-tag and corresponding style card. -Now we are going to have a role-playing activity with four patrol leaders... Introduce each. -The situation which each patrol leader will lead us in is: The Scoutmaster would like your patrol to build a campfire for all of the parents who are visiting tonight. The Wolf Patrol has also challenged your patrol to a game of ultimate. What will your patrol do? -Which leader handled the situation the best? -If the Patrol Leaders' Council decided that it would be better if the troop went to a different summer camp this summer, which leader would be best to lead the group? -If young Johnny Scout needs help in setting up his tent, but the patrol leader has to go to a Patrol Leaders' Council, which leader would be best to lead the group? -If the patrol is going rock climbing and the Patrol leader is an expert, which leader would be best to lead the group? -If the patrol must decide on a design for a new patrol flag, which leader would be best to lead the group? -If the Patrol leader needs to decide on a campsite for his patrol at summer camp and he gets knows that he may not get his first choice, which leader would be best to lead the group? -Is there one leader that is best for all situations? -Does a good leader have a combination of all of these styles? -Now that we have a general idea of leadership styles, we can examine each more closely. Remember that different situations often need different types of leadership. -The Four Style of Leadership are Telling, Persuading, Consulting, and Delegating. -The First one, Telling, is sometimes called Ordering. -In this case, who identifies the problem, makes the decision, and directs the activity? (The leader) -Are the group members considered? (Sometimes yes and sometimes no) -When is telling or ordering the right leadership style? (Emergency) (Leader is and Expert) -The Next style of leadership is Persuading or Selling. -Who makes the decision in this style of leadership? (The Leader) -Once he has made the decision, what must he do then? (Sell it to the group members) -How is persuading different from telling? (Telling= group does what leader wants) (Persuading= gets the group to agree with the leader) -When is persuading the right leadership style? (Leader knows more about the situation) (Leader wants enthusiastic participation) (PLC has already made a decision that must be sold to the group) -Consulting is the third style of leadership. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Legal education in the USA.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LEGAL EDUCATION IN THE US There is no undergraduate law degree in the United States; thus, students cannot expect to study law without first completing an undergraduate degree. Basic admissions requirements for American law schools are a Bachelor's degree in any field and the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). The American law degree is called the Juris Doctor (JD) and usually requires three years of study. The JD program involves courses in American common and statute law as well as international and business law. Overseas students who are considering an American JD should note that this program focuses on preparation for US legal practice. Undergraduate Preparation for Law School No particular subject or major field of study is required at the undergraduate level. Law schools are concerned that applicants have taken courses which develop communication and analytical skills, and that they have exposed themselves to a variety of disciplines. The Prelaw Handbook (Association of American Law Schools) suggests students study some or most of the following fields but stresses that "well-developed academic ability" is preferable to intense specialization in any one field: economics, social sciences (sociology, psychology, anthropology, political science), computers, accounting, and the sciences. Most pre-law students earn their undergraduate degrees in one of the social sciences, rounding out their general preparation with courses from other disciplines. All these subjects may be studied at virtually any university. Law schools in the US do not require that students complete their Bachelor's degree in America, but because of fierce competition for places in law schools, few students are accepted from overseas universities. At the beginning of the final year of undergraduate study, JD applicants should take the LSAT. No knowledge of law is needed to do well on this exam; it is a standardized test of academic aptitude in the areas of reading comprehension and analytical and logical reasoning. Legal Education Students thinking of law study soon discover that the programs of most law schools have a great deal in common. The choice of one school over another is not easily made on the basis of catalog descriptions of the teaching methods, course offerings, and formal requirements. The similarity is natural, since most American law schools share the aim of educating lawyers for careers that may take many paths and that will frequently not be limited to any particular state or region. Although many lawyers eventually find themselves practicing within some special branch of the law, American legal education is still fundamentally an education for generalists. It emphasizes the acquisition of broad and basic knowledge of law, understanding of the functioning of the legal system, and development of analytical abilities of a high order. This common emphasis reflects the conviction that such an education is the best kind of preparation for the diverse roles that law school graduates occupy in American life and for the changing nature of the problems any individual lawyer is likely to encounter over a long career. Within this tradition some schools combine an emphasis on technical legal knowledge and professional skills with a concern for illuminating the connections between law and the social forces with which it interacts. To promote the first, schools provide students with opportunities for the application of formal knowledge to specific professional tasks, such as intensive instruction in legal research and writing during the first year, clinical education, and courses or seminars focusing on concrete problems of counseling, drafting, and litigation. The second concern is reflected in curricular offerings that devote substantial attention to relevant aspects of economics, legal history, philosophy, comparative law, psychiatry, statistics, and other disciplines. Almost all law schools offer students the opportunity to work on law reviews that are published by them but are student run and edited. The law reviews, of varying quality and influence, publish scholarly work as well as work done by law students. Most schools have a moot court program that uses simulated cases for training in brief writing and advocacy. Prudent applicants should consider the quality of a school's faculty and student body and how a school's view of legal education and its course offerings relate to their own interests and future plans (as to course offerings, more is not necessarily better). Also important are: the character of the school, formal and informal opportunities for joint degrees if the law school is part of a university, library facilities, and placement record. All of these elements, in addition to individual preferences, should be carefully weighed, but no single factor should ever be considered decisive. Graduate Legal Education To find opportunities for in-depth specialization or comparative legal study, foreign-trained lawyers should look to US graduate law programs. Short-term training programs offered by US law schools can also provide appropriate options for international lawyers and advanced law students. About one-third of the law schools approved by the American Bar Association offer graduate degree programs. Most law schools will consider admitting graduate applicants who have earned the equivalent of a JD in countries other than the United States, though some programs with a specific focus on US systems do not. Many others require knowledge of a system that is based in English common law (also known as civil law). In the US, graduate law degrees are various permutations of the LLM, the MCL and the JSD. These degrees are post graduate to the JD which is after the undergraduate degree. The LLM is a one-year Master's degree for American lawyers and for foreign lawyers and/or law graduates from common law countries. The MCL is a one-year Master's degree for civil law lawyers and graduates. The JSD is a doctoral degree, and generally law schools will only consider candidates for a JSD if they already have an LLM degree from that same law school. The most appropriate programs for foreign lawyers are the Master of Comparative Law (MCL) and the Master of Comparative Jurisprudence (MCJ). Recognizing that legal systems in many other countries differ from common law as practiced in the US, these programs acquaint lawyers from other countries with US legal institutions and relevant specialties of US law. Another possibility is the Master of Laws (LLM). During the period of study, foreign lawyers receive opportunities to observe courts and governmental agencies in the United States. Law schools arrange for foreign lawyers entering graduate study to attend an orientation to American law given by: The International Law Institute In general, higher graduate law students are qualified lawyers with several years experience. Some law schools will not consider applicants who do not have a law degree, even though they may be qualified to practice law in their own country. Other American universities do not require a law degree as long as the applicant is qualified to practice in a common law country and, in some cases, has a few years of post-qualification experience. American law schools do not usually give financial aid to foreign students for post-graduate study. A Master's degree in law requires one academic year of course work and usually a thesis. Courses are normally selected from the curriculum leading to the first American law degree, the JD, with additional seminars designed for advanced graduate students only. Students may specialize in any area of law in which the university provides courses, or they may choose not to specialize. Some areas of specialization are energy law, environmental law, banking and finance law, intellectual property law, and maritime law. Generally, but not always, the LLM is geared towards students with a Common Law background, while the MCJ or MCL is intended for students with a Civil Law background. Students are urged to consult law school catalogs for complete information on the programs offered at each institution. Doctoral programs in law are generally intended to prepare graduates for academic careers. They most commonly award the Doctor of Juridicial Science (SJD) or Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD). There is no difference between the courses of study required for these two degree titles. It is difficult for a foreign-educated lawyer to gain direct admission to a US doctoral law program. Some schools admit only those students who have already completed that particular school's master's program in law. All are likely to expect the equivalent of a master's degree in law to have been completed somewhere. Exceptionally strong academic and professional work are required. The minimum residence requirement for doctoral programs in law is usually one academic year. The remainder of the program involves independent research working toward the dissertation, which may take one to three more years. Most programs also require an oral examination. There are also short-term programs, usually about 30 days in length, which provide visits to US legal institutions. For information about these programs, contact the United States Information Agency (USIA) or the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Degree Abbreviations · LLM = Master of Laws · MCJ = Master of Comparative Jurisprudence · MLS = Master of Legal Studies · MCL = Master of Comparative Law · JSM = Master of the Science of Law · JM = Master of Jurisprudence · SJD/JSD/DJS = Doctor of the Science of Law · DCL = Doctor of Comparative Law Qualifying to Practice Law in the U.S. Permission to practice law in the US is granted by the courts of each of the various states. A summary publication "Law Schools and Bar Examinations Requirements" can be obtained from the American Bar Association. For precise details on state bar admissions requirements, the candidate must contact the law examiners in a given state. Many states require bar exam candidates to have an undergraduate degree in any field and an American JD. Graduation with a JD from an American Bar Association approved law school and the bar exam are both necessary for admission to the bar (i.e. license to practice) in most states. Students wanting information about the practice of law in the US should contact the individual State Bar Associations; addresses may be obtained from: Even if admitted to the bar, it is not likely that a non-US trained lawyer will succeed on the bar examinations. Not only is a knowledge of state law necessary, but US law relies on precedent rather than strictly on legal code as law does in most other countries, thus increasing the amount of material with which one must be familiar. Qualification for Foreign Lawyers and Law Graduates Some US legal study at an ABA-approved law school is required for a candidate with foreign credentials to sit the bar exam in most states; the exact amount will be expressed by the state bar examiners in terms of credit hours. Admission to a JD program would be the most straightforward route towards gaining this credit, and some universities may award partial credit, "advanced standing", towards the JD if the student has an undergraduate degree in law. Basically state bar examiners require evidence of three qualities in exam candidates: sufficient US legal education gained from an ABA-approved law school, sufficient general education, and sufficient knowledge of local bar requirements. While a bar review course prior to the bar exam is recommended, it is not required. Bar review courses are usually only about four weeks long and are designed as "crammers" for candidates who have an American law degree. Every American law school's career office will have information on state bar requirements, and anyone wanting to qualify to practice law in the US should obtain complete information from the state bar association to which he or she will apply. Successful completion of the bar exam does not guarantee one employment, and there is no central body in the US which handles placements for foreign lawyers. Source: Information received at IIE's international conference for student advisers in Eastern Europe, Prague 1993; "Studying US Law" printed by AMIDEAST in Washington, DC, and information available at the Moscow EIC. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Liberal Arts Education.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A Liberal Arts Education A liberal arts education provides students with a broad spectrum of information enabling them to expand knowledge and to advance society in a positive direction. This universal education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many subjects. The students can observe the strengths and capabilities, as well as the limitations of each field of study. This allows the students to find connections between diverse fields of study, to explore them, and to discover new theories, thoughts, or inventions. It allows the students to investigate areas of intrigue and create new fields of study by blending subjects that compliment each other. With these new inventions, discoveries, ideas, and new methods of problem solving, society will advance in a positive direction. Standards of living will rise with these inventions and discoveries, making society more productive and more capable of controlling its surroundings. New thoughts and theories will give insight to those who desire meaning and understanding of concepts. A liberal arts education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many fields and subjects allowing students to create new theories, inventions, and connections between fields. With this foundation, great thinkers can build and expand from what others have learned rather than wasting time and effort on what has already been discovered. While it is true that the factual information about each subject is very important, the most useful tool liberal arts students can possess is the knowledge of the strengths and capabilities of each individual field, as well as the weaknesses and restrictions. With this knowledge, the students can mesh attributes of different subjects to formulate new and more brilliant concepts; the brilliance being a function of the strengths and compatibility of the chosen subjects. As in mixing colors, a new color can only be created by mixing different colors. The brilliance of this new color depends on the shades and hues of the colors used to create it. The same is true for education. The resulting idea or innovation is a function of the aptness and compatibility of the subjects meshed to create it. For example, the invention of the transistor, one of the most important electronic devices, was developed by a team of research specialists. Specialized mathematicians, scientists, physicists, and engineers all worked together to find a quicker, more efficient way to process the overload of telephone calls. The leaders of this research team had to be highly educated in every one of those fields of study, as well as language. They had to practically translate the technical terms of each field to the other team members so each one understood the approach the team was taking. Most notably, though, the team leaders came up with an approach of improving the efficiency of the vacuum tube in the transistor, which resulted in one of the most practical electrical innovations of all time. The solution the leaders came up with was ingenious. Through this, society benefited by being able to communicate more quickly and more clearly. Businesses, armed forces, and governments today greatly depend on the rapidness of telephone calls. This high level of communication in society is a direct result of the innovative improvement of the transistor by liberal arts educated minds. A better understanding of each facet of education comes from understanding the dependence of each subject upon one another. Each subject is a branch of education and every branch stems from the same tree. Some branches diverge and have twigs and branches of their own, but everything is joined at the root. Education is very similar because each branch of knowledge relies on the other in order to advance. For example, science relies on language to document and publish experimental results. If these findings are published inaccurately, other scientists who use these publications in their own research will be misinformed. Each subject relies on another in some way. It is easier to understand each branch of the tree better if you can see how it is involved universally: where it stemmed from, and how it is dependent upon other branches; what branches stemmed from it, and how they are dependent upon it. John Henry Newman, in his "The Idea of a University", said, "true enlargement of mind ... is the power of viewing many things at once as one whole, of referring them severally to their true place in the universal system, of understanding their respective values, and determining their mutual dependence"(38). Newman is saying quite directly that in order to understand something, it must be looked at as one component of a universal picture. He is saying that when something is closely examined, there are no guidelines or basis for comparison, but when it is looked at universally, it is easier to see relationships and similarities making innovations more attainable. For example, the mathematical operations of algebra fulfill many practical needs in science. The ability to find values for unknown variables within sets of equations is a tool that science heavily relies on. The reason algebra is so conveniently practical in relation to science is because it was developed as a tool for science. The tools of algebra would not be present if Diophantus, the developer of algebra, had not been aware of the overall conditions his mathematical system needed to fulfill. Algebra serves society through science and its accomplishments. From building a nuclear reactor to altering chromosomes in a person's genetic makeup, every scientific field originates back to the basic rules of algebra. All of the groundbreaking advancements in society through science are functions of this mathematical tool developed to aid and expand science. When the students have acquired a liberal arts education, a freedom to explore new ideas and concepts comes with it. Studying under one subject restricts students to rules and regulations held within the field, which sometimes act as barriers to the students keeping them from developing unconventional or abstract ideas. Newman uses a metaphor to explain this concept of freedom: Seafaring men, for example, range from one end of the earth to the other...They sleep, and they rise up, and they find themselves now in Europe, now is Asia; they see visions of great cities, and wild regions; they are in the marts of commerce, or amid the islands of the South; they gaze on Pompey's Pillar, or on the Andes; and nothing which meets them carries them forward or backward, to any idea beyond itself. Nothing has a drift or relation; nothing has a history or a promise. Everything stands by itself, and comes and goes in its turn, like the shifting scenes of a show, which leave the spectator where he was(38). Newman is describing the lifestyle of liberal arts students in metaphorical context symbolizing exotic places as different fields of study. He is saying that the students can go any place that sparks curiosity without hesitation and without limits, and that there are no barriers or restraints that confine or restrict the students from wandering into an innovation. The students are carried by the flow of the current and that is all. Some of the greatest inventions have been discovered though the most abnormal experimental procedures. The telephone was an invention that was not invented on behalf of need, but rather a stroke of good luck combined with the innovation of a free-thinker. While working on another invention, Alexander Graham Bell heard the vibrations of a plucked wire running from one room to another and hypothesized that voices could be carried by the same method. Bell created the first working telephone just over nine months after this incident and the impact of the telephone on society over the past 120 years is immeasurable. Others may not have indulged in such a wild idea, but the result revolutionized communication and advanced society to another level. The telephone made it possible to relay and distribute knowledge and information, enjoy the sound of a loved one's far away voice, and communicate danger in any regard. It allows us to settle disputes, avoid misinterpretation, and keep up positive relations with leaders of other countries. Inventions that advance society, such as this, demonstrate the value of a liberal arts education. A liberal arts education provides students with a strong foundation of universal knowledge that allows them to think without barriers or restrictions. It allows imaginative thoughts to develop freely and blossom into discoveries and inventions which, in turn, advance society to higher levels. Society gains control, stability, and a higher standard of living with these new inventions and theories. It is evident that a liberal arts education is one of the most useful tool for advancing society in a positive direction. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\MacBeths decent into hell.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Macbeth Essay Nov.5/95 Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare. Macbeth is a man who commits a series of crimes because of persuation from his wife that will benefit mostly himself but also Lady Macbeth. The play watches Macbeth as he decents into hell it also shows the conscious mind of a murderer and how murder affects peoples minds. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is a well respected warrior by everybody. Macbeth is the thane of Glamis at the beginning of the play. Macbeth met the three witches on the way home from a battle and they tell him that he will become thane of Cawdor and eventually king and with Macbeth being superstitous he believes the witches. When he gets home the king names him thane of Cawdor and after he tells his wife about the witches predictions she persuades him to kill Duncan and blame it on the guards. After they discover that Duncan has been murdered his two sons split up so they wouldn't be killed. Then Macbeth becomes king. Later in the play Macbeth gets worried about Banquo because he thinks that Banquo might figure out what Macbeth is doing and get Macbeth murdered for treason so Macbeth hires three hitmen to kill Banquo which they did successfully also at the same time the third assassin killed the other two assassin's. Macbeth's conscience then got the best of him because he saw the 'ghost' of Banquo. It wasn't really a ghost because everyone can see ghosts and Macbeth was the only one who really saw Banquo. This shows that his mind was playing tricks on him because he felt guilty. To me his feeling guilty showed that he still cared a little for those he loved but then again if he cared he would stop killing them. Macbeth went to the witches for a new divination. Back then the witches were classified as being evil. This shows that he no longer cared if he was being evil or not. All he really wanted was to have the future look good for him. The witches called upon three apparitions which each gave a warning to Macbeth. Of these apparitions the most important was the one that said that he should not be worried of a male but of a female. He then believed that no matter what he did to MacDuff, MacDuff would not kill him. That may have been the reason as to why Macbeth had Lady MacDuff and everyone else in the house murdered. I think that Macbeth finally realized that all he had done had been wrong when Lady Macbeth killed herself. Her suicide showed that even she with all her evil and deceitful ways could not handle all of what had happened. He knew that her willpower was much stronger then his and knew that if she couldn't handle it then soon neither would he. When MacDuff finally killed Macbeth he realized that as evil as the witches were, they were right because now Banquo's children were royalty. He was no longer king. I think he may have known that he was just as evil as all those he fought in wars when he was not sinful. Macbeth's steps into hell were a great many. At the beginning he had a very strong conscience and it would have gotten the better of him if it wasn't for his wife. But he would not let his manhood be questioned so he committed the first of the many evil acts. Then he went down the flight of stairs into hell, only taking one step at a time. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Madame Bovary.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Madame Bovary From earliest infancy, an individual's character is molded by experience. In Gustave Flaubert's novel entitled Madame Bovary, Emma's unorthodox behavior during her married life can be attriuted to the illusions she maintained about life during her girlhood. These, combined with her father's disinterest in her mental happiness become the force which eventually leads Emma Bovary to commit suicide. When she was 13 years old, Pere Rouault took his daughter, Emma, to town to put her in a convent where she would receive an education. She received more than her father bargained for. All that Emma later believed love should be, she learned from books there, mostly from romance novels lent to her and the other girls by an old maid who worked for the convent. In the fine pages of those books, Emma read of parted lovers, excitement, romance, knights in armor, and ladies in white satin dresses. These novels painted a world where palm trees and pine trees lived together, where lions and tigers roamed the forest, with Roman Ruins surrounded by virgin forests and lakes full of swans. "And the shaded oil-lamp . . . lit up all these pictures of the world, which flowed by on after another, in the silence of the dormitory, to the distant sound of a late cab somewhere still rolling along the boulevards." (page 30) In short, Emma fell in love with a world that never existed anywhere. She embraced the elegance of the life in the pictures which she had hung in her dormitory, and never did anyone tell her that such realities did not exist outside those pages. Wishing for the impossible she was never satisfied with the here and now. She could not find happiness, and when Charles came along she was already depressed with life, and was looking for anything to take her away in search of the things she was looking for. Even Emma's father contributed to her future unhappiness. He didn't particularly like the idea of having Charles as a son-in-law, how could he expect her to love him as a husband? As her father, he should have not let her marry a man she could never be happy with. He thought him "weedy", however, since he was short of money, and he owed a lot to the mason, he decided that "If he asks me for her, he can have her." (page 18) Just like he might sell a horse, so he got his daughter Emma off his hands and sent her along her way. Needless to say, Charles was not the sort of person whom Emma had read about in any of her novels. No girl likes to have a guy follow her around all the time, sappy over every word she says and the smallest thing she does, and having nothing interesting to say at all. Imagine being stuck with this annoying guy instead of the dream man you had thought him to be, having to all the time conceal the disappointment from everyone. Her strong man clung to her like a baby, and held no mysteries or interesting things for her. In youth she had had illusions to keep her happy, but they had been shattered one by one. Enter Rudolphe. Emma was sad, lonely, bored; he was exciting, handsome, and interesting. Her weakness drew her to him, and he knew just how to exploit that weakness. He was an experienced lover, she was a naieve housewife. The rest is history. Coming from such dreams, her later unhappiness was inevitable. The characters from her dreams were not realistic, and by modeling her behavior after them, she could not be successful in the real world. This is why the story of Emma had to end as it did. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Managing Classroom Behavior.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MANAGING CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR REPORT #1 Managing classroom behavior can be a difficult task, especially if you have a child who is always causing disturbances. Once you have identified that there is a problem, you should ask yourself six simple questions. The first question asked is whether the problem is a result of inappropriate curriculum or teaching strategies. As teachers we have a tendency to overlook the fact that what and how we teach can contribute directly to our students behavioral problems. Secondly, ask yourself "What do I demand and prohibit - and what should I?" Teachers find it easier to specify what they will not tolerate than to specify the behavior they demand. The third question to ask is "Why do certain behaviors bother me, and what should I do about them?" As a teacher you have to decide if this is a difference in culture or upbringing and why it bothers you, is it inappropriate, is the behavior disturbing the other children? There are many things to consider when a child is acting up. As the teacher, it is your responsibility to solve these disturbances, if they are personal, you may try ignoring them, talking with them, or even living with the problem. The fourth question you need to ask your self is if this behavior is developmentally significant. Although there are other types of developmentally significant behaviors, most will fall into four primary categories: academic failure, aggression, depression, and problems with peers. The fifth question to ask is, "Should I concentrate on a behavior excess or deficiency?" A behavioral excess is something you usually want the child to stop doing. A behavior deficiency is a behavior a student should do but doesn't. The last question to ask yourself is if a resolution is met, will it solve anything else? The more difficult the management problem, the more important it is to address first things first. Keep in mind to look for key behavior, that if changed will make the greatest difference overall. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Meditation An indepth look at the 5 000 year old remedy for.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Lance In-Depth Feature- Meditation by Courtney Martin In this modern day and age, the negative effects of stress are unavoidable. People have tried various methods to help cope with stress, everything from exercise and diet to alternative methods like biofeedback. However, the most effective method to deal with stress is not one of these modern methods but rather a 5,000 year-old idea: Meditation. Meditation not only helps reduce the negative effects of stress, but also leads to a better sense of well-being by uniting mind and body. The basic principles and practices of meditation are rooted in Hinduism, an Asian religion whose followers believe that the soul is eternal and maintains an eternal relationship with God. Hindus believe that because the soul is eternal, it must reincarnate in various forms to retain this everlasting relationship. Thousands of young people flocked to the ideas of Hinduism in the 1970's to escape the drug culture of the times. As the troubled youth of the 1970's matures into the professionals of the 1990's, the practice of meditation has been incorporated into the medical field and studied for its effect on the body and mind. The physical practice of meditation slows and calms the body, lowering blood pressure and heart rate with the use of deep breathing exercises. The calming of the body in itself works to fight stress but those who meditate say that meditation also helps to replenish the mind. The mind, along with the body, needs to feel at peace. In the hustle and bustle of the technological age, we often seek out materialistic means of happiness. Some pursue hobbies that like rock climbing that present both physical and mental challenges to satisfy this need while others stretch out in front of the television to relax. We approach our search for a better sense of well-being on a superficial level instead of dealing with the issues that are the root cause of our pain. We don't really understand what happiness is and therefore spend our time and energy trying to get rid of the pain instead of confronting it. If we turn to meditation to guide us through the journey of self-awareness. If an individual is aware of the cause of his pain, he can better understand it and cope instead of letting it determine the course of his life. It is not the actual event that produces a stressful response, but rather how we react to it. Our reactions to stress, positive or negative, are selfish and block out other points of view. Meditation allows us to step outside the situation, seeing ourselves as the observer rather than the victim, and opens us up to other points of view. By broadening our perspective, we are better able to deal with those responses that are destructive. By doing so, we can learn to recognize emotional pain and not be oppressed by it. This concept is similar to the cancer patient who takes morphine to control physical pain; The drug helps control the pain but the patient is still aware of it. Meditation has been proven to be both physically and emotionally beneficial, but why hasn't this union of body and mind become so popular until recently? As the baby boomers get older, their unorthodox methods of youth have evolved into acceptance as mainstream culture. New developments in science have also forced psychiatrists to re-examine the effectiveness of medicines and have come to the conclusion that there is a limit to what they can do. A conscious effort must be made on the part of the patient as medicine can not cure everything. Individuals are assuming responsibility for their own well-being. Meditation appeals to educated people and has been very popular and successful in helping the upper classes of American society deals with stress. More recently, as meditation moves into mainstream medicine the lower income classes are also beginning to explore meditation. Andrea La Fave of the Maharishi Vedic University in Madison says the majority of her clientele are college students who want to develop a higher state of consciousness. "Every human being has the machinery to reach blissfulness. Human consciousness and connection to the body can be developed," says La Fave. "Now, western medicine has the tools to prove it." La Fave has been practicing meditation for over 25 years. As a "young, stressed out college student", La Fave heard about the benefits of meditation through a friend before organizations like the Maharishi Vedic University were available. After her first session she felt deeply settled and was hooked. La Fave says the ultimate goal of meditation is to "transcend thought all together. When that happens to your mind, your body rests but really wakes up, a restful alertness." She has seen significant long-term positive effects. She feels happier and healthier than she did in college due to the growth of consciousness. "Whatever you apply yourself to, you are more successful." La Fave says that with time and practice, the mind and body can be peaceful and potentially stressful situations no longer have power to cause the body harm. The Maharishi Vedic University is currently putting together a curriculum for the development of human consciousness that not only teaches meditation but also a healthier way of life. They are located off the capitol square at 23 N. Pickney and can be reached at (608)255-4447. La Fave encourages anyone interested in learning about meditation to call or stop by. The search for a better sense of well-being is a life-long one. What makes an individual feel satisfaction and inner peace changes as time goes by but are rarely achieved without training the mind. Meditation forces its practitioner to return to the self, to confront the obstacles of life, not push them away. Sources of information for this article were taken from: "Krishna-izing the World" by Richard Vara, "The Houston Chronicle, Feb. 2, 1991 and "Opening Up to Happiness" by Mark Epstein, M.D., "Psychology Today", July August 1993. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Mental Disorders.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mental Disorders The term mental disorder means psycological and behavioral syndromes that deviate signicantly from those typical of human beings enjoying good mental health. All that mumbo jumbo means that a person with a mental disorder was a few cards short of a full deck. This is probably not the persons fault that they are like this they were just born this way. These people are not all a like. They are not even in exact classes because all of the classes have not been seperated yet. In most cases a normal person that has no disorders is afraid of these type of people. This is because they do not want to turn out the way these people are. A common example of a mental disorder is down syndrome. There was a television program in the early 90's that featured a boy that had to live with this terrifying disorder. This show was very inspirational for all people with disorders. The boy's name was Corky who fought all aspects of the disorder. Them being from physical triumphs to just everyday kids harrassing him at school. The show was taken off the air in 1993 because of sponsers. Records of types of disorders are unknown along with many of other records of treatments to people inflicted with a disorder. This is mainly because in the early 1900's people thought that people with disorders were just stupid and they did not investigate further into the matter. The quanity of people that have a disorder is unknown. There is an estimated guess that 15% of the U.S. population has some sort of disorder but that is not factual. This is because the survey people only can estimate from the people who check theirselves into a institution, the ones who do so make up 3% of the 15% estimation. The U.S. in 1990 spent an estimated 148 billion on treating mental diorders. Childhood Disorders Several Mental disorders are evident first in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Mental retardation is characterized by the inability to learn normally and to become as an independent and socially responsible as others of the same age in the same culture. A retarded person go through a lot of emotional problems because of the society making fun of these people. A retarded person has an IQ of less than 70. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder includes conditions marked by inappropiate lack of attention, by impulsiveness, and by hyperactivity, in which the child has difficulty organizing and completing work, is unable to stick to activities or follow directions, and is excessively restless. Anxiety disorder include fear of leaving home and parents, excessive shrinking from contact with strangers, and excessive, unfocused worrying and fearful behavior. Persuasive developement disorders are characterized by distortions in several psychological functions, such as attention, perception, reality testing, and motor movement. An example is infantile autism, a condition marked by unresponsiveness to other people, bizarre responses, and gross inability to communicate to the others in the world. Paranoid Disorder The central feature of the paranoid disorders in a persons dilusion, for instance that he or she is being persecuted or conspored against. In other form, the dilusion consists of unreasonsably jealousy. the person maybe resentful, angry, sometimes violent, socially an outcast or isolated, seclusive, and eccentric. The disorder usually starts in middle or late adult life and can be seriously disrupting to social and maritalrelationship. Anxiety Disorders Anxiety is the predominant symptom in two conditions: panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. In phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders, also considered anxiety disorders, fear is experienced when an individual tries to master other symptoms. A phobia is an irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that is so intense that it interferes with everday life. Obsessions are repetitive thoughts, images, ideas, or impulses that make no sense to the person. He or she can fear being unable to avoid committing a violent act, for example, or worry over whether some small duty has been performed. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors performed dutifully to try to ward off some future event. examples of such behavior include repeated washing of the hands or counting and recounting ones belongings. Schitzophrenia The specific term for a shcitzo is a group of serios disorders beginning usually in adolescence or young adulthood. This mental disorder has a lot of different symptoms but the main ones are diturbances in thought, perception emotion and interpersonal relations. What this disorder basically means is that the person is split minded but by no means mean they have a split personality. Split personality means that the one person acts like two people or several people. This disorder always occurs before a person hits middle age. All scientists agree that there is no single cause for schitzophrenia. What is known is that LSD is one of the major causes. There is a better chance for an offspring from a parent that has the disease is more likely to get the disorder than any other Joe thats a parent does not have this horrible disorder. Schitzophrenia is has a greater chance in twins more than a single baby. The chances increase to about 35 to 58%. And that statistic takes me to my example of schitzophrenia. His name is Jimmy Sanders. If a person knew him well like I do they would just call him Cat. He is definetly a Schitzo. He dresses like a hippy! His attire is made up of the following: Red or black bandana, black straight leg jeans, white under shirt, usually a red, black, or green silk shirt buttoned half way up, jean jacket or trench coat, black combat boots, wallet with a chain, and the best of all a red silk sash. Cat also has many accesories that he struts with they are: Boom box, metal detector, and the coolest bike ever seen it is a very highly modified shwinn. It has a long, skinny body like the Cat, with a 10-speed tire on the back with a small scooter tire on the front. The exterior has a shiny chrome finish, the bike also has some sort of skull mounted to the front of it. Now if anyone would own that much weird stuff they have to have a few screws lose in their head. from long days of observing Jimmy and his behaviors I have noticed that the definition of a schitzo sums Jimmy right up. One day one can talk to Cat and not have no problems with him. Like one day I was sitting on a buddy of mines front porch waiting for Cat to walk by. Finally Jimmy walked by and I said, "Hey." Cat said,"Got any guns for sell?" My buddy replied,"No, I just bought a 357." Cat said, "That all get the job done. Now that was a pleasant conversation with Jimmy. So that scenario represents what I will call Bluegill #1. Now deep down in Jimmy's heart there is a mean side. One day down at the old football field in the small town of Clinton Earnie Simpson was doing a little running. Cat strutted down to the field and started doing some detecting with his fine metal detector. Earnie went over to Cat and said, "Finding anything?" Jimmy grabbed his knife and waved it in Earnie's face. Cat roared,"You know there is a jail in this town. Earnie said,"Uh, yal." Cat screemed, "Ya wanted go there?" Earnie replied, "What for?" "Harrassment" roared Cat. Earnie took of because he thought Cat was going to kill him with his knife. Now that situation showed the mean side of Jimmy Sanders. That mean side I will call Bluegill #2. So the short term for schitzophrenia is Split Minded and that is definetly Jimmy. Jimmy has two mindes the nice Cat (Bluegill #1) is when Jimmy is seen with not so weird clothes on and he usually is not talking to himself or nonliving objects. Jimmy mean mind (Bluegill #2) is when one sees Jimmy talking to trees and other nonliving objects. This is known because when schitzos' are really messed in the head on one certain day they are meaner than usuall. Schitzophrenia can be worse one day more than an other. So from all that I was trying to get that schitzophrenia occurs in twins more than single offsprings that there is some chance that the hippy might just possibly have an identicle twin. That would be a bless to Clinton if there was another Jimmy struttin' around town. So next time you see Cool Cat say hello. He is not a bad guy he just has a few problems in the head. Most mental disorders can be treated and in most cases there can be a 85% recovery. The only problem is to convince the person into taken medication because they think they are fine. In some cases people with a disorder think that the goverment is making them take the drugs. Mental Disorders The term mental disorder means psycological and behavioral syndromes that deviate signicantly from those typical of human beings enjoying good mental health. All that mumbo jumbo means that a person with a mental disorder was a few cards short of a full deck. This is probably not the persons fault that they are like this they were just born this way. These people are not all a like. They are not even in exact classes because all of the classes have not been seperated yet. In most cases a normal person that has no disorders is afraid of these type of people. This is because they do not want to turn out the way these people are. A common example of a mental disorder is down syndrome. There was a television program in the early 90's that featured a boy that had to live with this terrifying disorder. This show was very inspirational for all people with disorders. The boy's name was Corky who fought all aspects of the disorder. Them being from physical triumphs to just everyday kids harrassing him at school. The show was taken off the air in 1993 because of sponsers. Records of types of disorders are unknown along with many of other records of treatments to people inflicted with a disorder. This is mainly because in the early 1900's people thought that people with disorders were just stupid and they did not investigate further into the matter. The quanity of people that have a disorder is unknown. There is an estimated guess that 15% of the U.S. population has some sort of disorder but that is not factual. This is because the survey people only can estimate from the people who check theirselves into a institution, the ones who do so make up 3% of the 15% estimation. The U.S. in 1990 spent an estimated 148 billion on treating mental diorders. Childhood Disorders Several Mental disorders are evident first in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Mental retardation is characterized by the inability to learn normally and to become as an independent and socially responsible as others of the same age in the same culture. A retarded person go through a lot of emotional problems because of the society making fun of these people. A retarded person has an IQ of less than 70. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder includes conditions marked by inappropiate lack of attention, by impulsiveness, and by hyperactivity, in which the child has difficulty organizing and completing work, is unable to stick to activities or follow directions, and is excessively restless. Anxiety disorder include fear of leaving home and parents, excessive shrinking from contact with strangers, and excessive, unfocused worrying and fearful behavior. Persuasive developement disorders are characterized by distortions in several psychological functions, such as attention, perception, reality testing, and motor movement. An example is infantile autism, a condition marked by unresponsiveness to other people, bizarre responses, and gross inability to communicate to the others in the world. Paranoid Disorder The central feature of the paranoid disorders in a persons dilusion, for instance that he or she is being persecuted or conspored against. In other form, the dilusion consists of unreasonsably jealousy. the person maybe resentful, angry, sometimes violent, socially an outcast or isolated, seclusive, and eccentric. The disorder usually starts in middle or late adult life and can be seriously disrupting to social and maritalrelationship. Anxiety Disorders Anxiety is the predominant symptom in two conditions: panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. In phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders, also considered anxiety disorders, fear is experienced when an individual tries to master other symptoms. A phobia is an irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that is so intense that it interferes with everday life. Obsessions are repetitive thoughts, images, ideas, or impulses that make no sense to the person. He or she can fear being unable to avoid committing a violent act, for example, or worry over whether some small duty has been performed. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors performed dutifully to try to ward off some future event. examples of such behavior include repeated washing of the hands or counting and recounting ones belongings. Schitzophrenia The specific term for a shcitzo is a group of serios disorders beginning usually in adolescence or young adulthood. This mental disorder has a lot of different symptoms but the main ones are diturbances in thought, perception emotion and interpersonal relations. What this disorder basically means is that the person is split minded but by no means mean they have a split personality. Split personality means that the one person acts like two people or several people. This disorder always occurs before a person hits middle age. All scientists agree that there is no single cause for schitzophrenia. What is known is that LSD is one of the major causes. There is a better chance for an offspring from a parent that has the disease is more likely to get the disorder than any other Joe thats a parent does not have this horrible disorder. Schitzophrenia is has a greater chance in twins more than a single baby. The chances increase to about 35 to 58%. And that statistic takes me to my example of schitzophrenia. His name is Jimmy Sanders. If a person knew him well like I do they would just call him Cat. He is definetly a Schitzo. He dresses like a hippy! His attire is made up of the following: Red or black bandana, black straight leg jeans, white under shirt, usually a red, black, or green silk shirt buttoned half way up, jean jacket or trench coat, black combat boots, wallet with a chain, and the best of all a red silk sash. Cat also has many accesories that he struts with they are: Boom box, metal detector, and the coolest bike ever seen it is a very highly modified shwinn. It has a long, skinny body like the Cat, with a 10-speed tire on the back with a small scooter tire on the front. The exterior has a shiny chrome finish, the bike also has some sort of skull mounted to the front of it. Now if anyone would own that much weird stuff they have to have a few screws lose in their head. from long days of observing Jimmy and his behaviors I have noticed that the definition of a schitzo sums Jimmy right up. One day one can talk to Cat and not have no problems with him. Like one day I was sitting on a buddy of mines front porch waiting for Cat to walk by. Finally Jimmy walked by and I said, "Hey." Cat said,"Got any guns for sell?" My buddy replied,"No, I just bought a 357." Cat said, "That all get the job done. Now that was a pleasant conversation with Jimmy. So that scenario represents what I will call Bluegill #1. Now deep down in Jimmy's heart there is a mean side. One day down at the old football field in the small town of Clinton Earnie Simpson was doing a little running. Cat strutted down to the field and started doing some detecting with his fine metal detector. Earnie went over to Cat and said, "Finding anything?" Jimmy grabbed his knife and waved it in Earnie's face. Cat roared,"You know there is a jail in this town. Earnie said,"Uh, yal." Cat screemed, "Ya wanted go there?" Earnie replied, "What for?" "Harrassment" roared Cat. Earnie took of because he thought Cat was going to kill him with his knife. Now that situation showed the mean side of Jimmy Sanders. That mean side I will call Bluegill #2. So the short term for schitzophrenia is Split Minded and that is definetly Jimmy. Jimmy has two mindes the nice Cat (Bluegill #1) is when Jimmy is seen with not so weird clothes on and he usually is not talking to himself or nonliving objects. Jimmy mean mind (Bluegill #2) is when one sees Jimmy talking to trees and other nonliving objects. This is known because when schitzos' are really messed in the head on one certain day they are meaner than usuall. Schitzophrenia can be worse one day more than an other. So from all that I was trying to get that schitzophrenia occurs in twins more than single offsprings that there is some chance that the hippy might just possibly have an identicle twin. That would be a bless to Clinton if there was another Jimmy struttin' around town. So next time you see Cool Cat say hello. He is not a bad guy he just has a few problems in the head. Most mental disorders can be treated and in most cases there can be a 85% recovery. The only problem is to convince the person into taken medication because they think they are fine. In some cases people with a disorder think that the goverment is making them take the drugs. Mental Disorders The term mental disorder means psycological and behavioral syndromes that deviate signicantly from those typical of human beings enjoying good mental health. All that mumbo jumbo means that a person with a mental disorder was a few cards short of a full deck. This is probably not the persons fault that they are like this they were just born this way. These people are not all a like. They are not even in exact classes because all of the classes have not been seperated yet. In most cases a normal person that has no disorders is afraid of these type of people. This is because they do not want to turn out the way these people are. A common example of a mental disorder is down syndrome. There was a television program in the early 90's that featured a boy that had to live with this terrifying disorder. This show was very inspirational for all people with disorders. The boy's name was Corky who fought all aspects of the disorder. Them being from physical triumphs to just everyday kids harrassing him at school. The show was taken off the air in 1993 because of sponsers. Records of types of disorders are unknown along with many of other records of treatments to people inflicted with a disorder. This is mainly because in the early 1900's people thought that people with disorders were just stupid and they did not investigate further into the matter. The quanity of people that have a disorder is unknown. There is an estimated guess that 15% of the U.S. population has some sort of disorder but that is not factual. This is because the survey people only can estimate from the people who check theirselves into a institution, the ones who do so make up 3% of the 15% estimation. The U.S. in 1990 spent an estimated 148 billion on treating mental diorders. Childhood Disorders Several Mental disorders are evident first in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Mental retardation is characterized by the inability to learn normally and to become as an independent and socially responsible as others of the same age in the same culture. A retarded person go through a lot of emotional problems because of the society making fun of these people. A retarded person has an IQ of less than 70. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder includes conditions marked by inappropiate lack of attention, by impulsiveness, and by hyperactivity, in which the child has difficulty organizing and completing work, is unable to stick to activities or follow directions, and is excessively restless. Anxiety disorder include fear of leaving home and parents, excessive shrinking from contact with strangers, and excessive, unfocused worrying and fearful behavior. Persuasive developement disorders are characterized by distortions in several psychological functions, such as attention, perception, reality testing, and motor movement. An example is infantile autism, a condition marked by unresponsiveness to other people, bizarre responses, and gross inability to communicate to the others in the world. Paranoid Disorder The central feature of the paranoid disorders in a persons dilusion, for instance that he or she is being persecuted or conspored against. In other form, the dilusion consists of unreasonsably jealousy. the person maybe resentful, angry, sometimes violent, socially an outcast or isolated, seclusive, and eccentric. The disorder usually starts in middle or late adult life and can be seriously disrupting to social and maritalrelationship. Anxiety Disorders Anxiety is the predominant symptom in two conditions: panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. In phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders, also considered anxiety disorders, fear is experienced when an individual tries to master other symptoms. A phobia is an irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that is so intense that it interferes with everday life. Obsessions are repetitive thoughts, images, ideas, or impulses that make no sense to the person. He or she can fear being unable to avoid committing a violent act, for example, or worry over whether some small duty has been performed. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors performed dutifully to try to ward off some future event. examples of such behavior include repeated washing of the hands or counting and recounting ones belongings. Schitzophrenia The specific term for a shcitzo is a group of serios disorders beginning usually in adolescence or young adulthood. This mental disorder has a lot of different symptoms but the main ones are diturbances in thought, perception emotion and interpersonal relations. What this disorder basically means is that the person is split minded but by no means mean they have a split personality. Split personality means that the one person acts like two people or several people. This disorder always occurs before a person hits middle age. All scientists agree that there is no single cause for schitzophrenia. What is known is that LSD is one of the major causes. There is a better chance for an offspring from a parent that has the disease is more likely to get the disorder than any other Joe thats a parent does not have this horrible disorder. Schitzophrenia is has a greater chance in twins more than a single baby. The chances increase to about 35 to 58%. And that statistic takes me to my example of schitzophrenia. His name is Jimmy Sanders. If a person knew him well like I do they would just call him Cat. He is definetly a Schitzo. He dresses like a hippy! His attire is made up of the following: Red or black bandana, black straight leg jeans, white under shirt, usually a red, black, or green silk shirt buttoned half way up, jean jacket or trench coat, black combat boots, wallet with a chain, and the best of all a red silk sash. Cat also has many accesories that he struts with they are: Boom box, metal detector, and the coolest bike ever seen it is a very highly modified shwinn. It has a long, skinny body like the Cat, with a 10-speed tire on the back with a small scooter tire on the front. The exterior has a shiny chrome finish, the bike also has some sort of skull mounted to the front of it. Now if anyone would own that much weird stuff they have to have a few screws lose in their head. from long days of observing Jimmy and his behaviors I have noticed that the definition of a schitzo sums Jimmy right up. One day one can talk to Cat and not have no problems with him. Like one day I was sitting on a buddy of mines front porch waiting for Cat to walk by. Finally Jimmy walked by and I said, "Hey." Cat said,"Got any guns for sell?" My buddy replied,"No, I just bought a 357." Cat said, "That all get the job done. Now that was a pleasant conversation with Jimmy. So that scenario represents what I will call Bluegill #1. Now deep down in Jimmy's heart there is a mean side. One day down at the old football field in the small town of Clinton Earnie Simpson was doing a little running. Cat strutted down to the field and started doing some detecting with his fine metal detector. Earnie went over to Cat and said, "Finding anything?" Jimmy grabbed his knife and waved it in Earnie's face. Cat roared,"You know there is a jail in this town. Earnie said,"Uh, yal." Cat screemed, "Ya wanted go there?" Earnie replied, "What for?" "Harrassment" roared Cat. Earnie took of because he thought Cat was going to kill him with his knife. Now that situation showed the mean side of Jimmy Sanders. That mean side I will call Bluegill #2. So the short term for schitzophrenia is Split Minded and that is definetly Jimmy. Jimmy has two mindes the nice Cat (Bluegill #1) is when Jimmy is seen with not so weird clothes on and he usually is not talking to himself or nonliving objects. Jimmy mean mind (Bluegill #2) is when one sees Jimmy talking to trees and other nonliving objects. This is known because when schitzos' are really messed in the head on one certain day they are meaner than usuall. Schitzophrenia can be worse one day more than an other. So from all that I was trying to get that schitzophrenia occurs in twins more than single offsprings that there is some chance that the hippy might just possibly have an identicle twin. That would be a bless to Clinton if there was another Jimmy struttin' around town. So next time you see Cool Cat say hello. He is not a bad guy he just has a few problems in the head. Most mental disorders can be treated and in most cases there can be a 85% recovery. The only problem is to convince the person into taken medication because they think they are fine. In some cases people with a disorder think that the goverment is making them take the drugs. Mental Disorders The term mental disorder means psycological and behavioral syndromes that deviate signicantly from those typical of human beings enjoying good mental health. All that mumbo jumbo means that a person with a mental disorder was a few cards short of a full deck. This is probably not the persons fault that they are like this they were just born this way. These people are not all a like. They are not even in exact classes because all of the classes have not been seperated yet. In most cases a normal person that has no disorders is afraid of these type of people. This is because they do not want to turn out the way these people are. A common example of a mental disorder is down syndrome. There was a television program in the early 90's that featured a boy that had to live with this terrifying disorder. This show was very inspirational for all people with disorders. The boy's name was Corky who fought all aspects of the disorder. Them being from physical triumphs to just everyday kids harrassing him at school. The show was taken off the air in 1993 because of sponsers. Records of types of disorders are unknown along with many of other records of treatments to people inflicted with a disorder. This is mainly because in the early 1900's people thought that people with disorders were just stupid and they did not investigate further into the matter. The quanity of people that have a disorder is unknown. There is an estimated guess that 15% of the U.S. population has some sort of disorder but that is not factual. This is because the survey people only can estimate from the people who check theirselves into a institution, the ones who do so make up 3% of the 15% estimation. The U.S. in 1990 spent an estimated 148 billion on treating mental diorders. Childhood Disorders Several Mental disorders are evident first in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Mental retardation is characterized by the inability to learn normally and to become as an independent and socially responsible as others of the same age in the same culture. A retarded person go through a lot of emotional problems because of the society making fun of these people. A retarded person has an IQ of less than 70. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder includes conditions marked by inappropiate lack of attention, by impulsiveness, and by hyperactivity, in which the child has difficulty organizing and completing work, is unable to stick to activities or follow directions, and is excessively restless. Anxiety disorder include fear of leaving home and parents, excessive shrinking from contact with strangers, and excessive, unfocused worrying and fearful behavior. Persuasive developement disorders are characterized by distortions in several psychological functions, such as attention, perception, reality testing, and motor movement. An example is infantile autism, a condition marked by unresponsiveness to other people, bizarre responses, and gross inability to communicate to the others in the world. Paranoid Disorder The central feature of the paranoid disorders in a persons dilusion, for instance that he or she is being persecuted or conspored against. In other form, the dilusion consists of unreasonsably jealousy. the person maybe resentful, angry, sometimes violent, socially an outcast or isolated, seclusive, and eccentric. The disorder usually starts in middle or late adult life and c f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Moll Flanders.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Three recurring themes in Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe are greed, vanity, and repentance. Theme is defined as an underlying or essential subject of artistic representation. These three themes play an important role in the development of the story of Moll Flanders. The first theme, greed, is shown in Moll's acts of prostitution. Moll turns to thievery in many instances to support herself. She also allows her morals to disintegrate; a result of her greediness. Moll's first act of prostitution is thrust upon her unknowingly. In the beginning of the story, she is living with a gentle woman and her family. One of the brothers takes interest in Moll and seduces her into becoming his lover. "He took these freedoms with me... when this was over he stayed but a little while, but he put almost a handful of gold in my hand..." (Defoe 26). Moll lets down her guard and meets with the brother frequently. "... so putting the purse into my bosom, I made no more resistance to him, but let him do just what he pleased and as often as he pleased..." (Defoe 30). Later in the story, Moll becomes acquainted with a woman who persuades Moll to work for her as a prostitute. Even though Moll is now married, she agrees to sell her body for profit. "I found presently that whether I was a whore or a wife, I was to pass for a whore here..." (Defoe 144). Moll's acts of prostitution show that she will carry out illegal practices in order to get money. Moll's many instances involving thievery also express the theme of greed. At the end of the story, Moll gives her son a stolen watch. "... I stole it from a gentlewoman's side at a meeting house in London" (Defoe 297). Moll says this is the only thing of value she has to give him. One Christmas Day Moll discovers an unattended silversmith's shop. "I went boldly in and was just going to lay my hand upon a piece of plate, and might have done it and carried it clear off..." (Defoe 238). Moll resists the temptation to steal because a nearby shopkeeper rushes over after having seen her enter the empty store. While Moll is living with the old governess she has some luck swindling a man at a gaming-house who seems "...to be of more than ordinary fashion..." (Defoe 230). Moll wins him some money and secretly keeps a part for herself each time. "...he divided it with me, and I brought away 30 (sic) guineas besides about forty-three which I had stole privately..." (Defoe 231-232). Much like her prostitution, Moll's acts of thievery bring out her sense of greed. Moll seems to lose her morals while trying feverishly to gain assets. For example, when Moll decides to let Robin take freedoms with her, she admits self annihilation. "... I finished my own destruction at once... being forsaken of my virtue and my modesty, I had nothing of value left to recommend me, either to God's blessing on man's assistance" (Defoe 30). As Moll is contemplating Robin's true feelings for her, she comments about how proud she is of the money she has received as his mistress. "As for the gold, I spent whole hours in looking upon it; I told the guineas over a thousand times a day" (Defoe 27). Moll has decided that marriage does not really matter, as long as she has enough money. She allows Robin's kind words and offerings of gold to suffice her greediness and destroy her character. " I had a most unbounded stock of vanity and pride, and but very little stock of virtue... but thought of nothing but the fine words and the gold" (Defoe 26-27). Moll allows her morals to disintegrate while trying to fulfill her need for money. Moll's prostitution, thievery, and periods of moral disintegration play a major role in developing the theme of greed in Moll Flanders. An important theme of Moll Flanders is vanity. Growing up, Moll was constantly being told how pretty she was. Most of Moll's actions in the story are almost always a result of her vanity. She is also easily seduced because she thinks any man could fall in love with her because she is so beautiful. Moll pleads with others after her to be aware of their actions. She warns that if a young woman thinks she is beautiful, she will never doubt any man that tells her he loves her. "...guard themselves against the knowledge of her own beauty" (Defoe 25). At one point in the story, Moll's fortune has been outrageously blown out of proportion and she feels compelled to lie about it. Moll thinks that being wealthy and beautiful will help her find a suitor. "I, that was a great fortune and passed for such, was above being asked how much my estate was; and my false friend,... had raised it from F500 to F5000 (sic) and by the time she came into the country... F15000" (Defoe 127). While Moll is living with Robin's family, she discovers that withdrawing from family activities in order to leave room for the sisters, was not necessary. "I heard abundance of fine things said of myself which prompted my vanity..." (Defoe 23). Moll finds herself extremely attractive. This vanity leads to her being easily seduced by men. Moll reflects on her first meeting with Robin. "I my truly say I was not myself to have such a gentleman talk to me of being in love with me and of my being such a charming creature, as he told me I was" (Defoe 24). Moll allows herself to be taken hostage by Robin's kindness towards her. "...I found he was very thoughtful, and that though he was very kind to me, and kissed me a thousand times and more I believe, and gave me money too..." (Defoe 35). Moll continues to let her morals go and comes to the conclusion that marriage is not very important. She believes Robin can love her without being married to her. "...[I] was taken up only with the pride of my beauty and of being beloved by such a gentleman" (Defoe 27). Another important theme in Moll Flanders is repentance. Moll shows the desire to repent on many occasions, but it often seems forced. Until the end of the story Moll's repentance seem insincere, although she does show moral strength. Moll's first repentance appears when Robin proposes marriage. "I was now in a dreadful condition indeed, and now I have repented heartily my easiness with the eldest brother; not from any reflection of conscience, for I was a stranger to those things, but I could not think of being a whore to one brother and a wife to the other" (Defoe 31). Moll shows strong character when she chooses to continue with this relationship. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Multicultural Educaiton Piecing Together the Puzzle.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Multicultural Education: Piecing Together the Puzzle When a child opens his (or her) first puzzle and the pieces fall to the ground, it may seem very confusing. What are they to do with this pile of shapes in front of them? It often takes a parent to explain to them that all the different pieces fit together into one whole picture. Although every piece is different and unique, when they are all put into their place they form one whole picture. In the same way, teachers can teach multiculturalism in the classroom. Although every member of our society is unique, with different cultural backgrounds, we all fit together to form one unit. As stated by Noel (1995), "Understanding our own identity and the culture of our community requires knowledge and recognition of our cultures and communities and how they have shaped us" (p. 267). By adding a multicultural component to their curriculums, teachers can help students see how each individual fits into the big picture. There are, however, arguments against multicultural education (Banks, 1995). For example, some critics believe that multicultural education is directed toward only minority groups, thus discriminating against middle class, white, heterosexual males. Others believe that multiculturalism is against Western and democratic ideals. A final argument is the claim that multiculturalism will divide our presumably united nation. Although critics of multicultural education may feel they have valid arguments against the issue, I feel that the goals of multicultural education make it an important part of the curriculum that every student should experience. I agree with Wurzel (1988) and Noel (1995) when they stress awareness as a key component to multiculturalism. Students must become aware of their own culture and how they are similar and different from others. Awareness also involves an understanding of issues involving differences in culture and a knowledge of which of these issues are present in their community. After becoming aware of these issues, students often react emotionally. With an awareness of the richness and variety of cultures in their community and a personal emotional reaction, students can take social action, another goal of multicultural education (Noel, 1995). Noel says that students would take "action aimed at positive multicultural change"(p. 272). I feel that these goals are proof that the arguments against multicultural education are invalid (Banks, 1995). Multiculturalism promotes positive change for persons of all cultures. It involves not only teaching majority groups about minorities, but also teaching minority groups about the majority groups. It has its base in democratic ideals such as equality, freedom, and justice. Multiculturalism will unite our divided nation into one unit which will have no mainstream culture, but many diverse subcultures which will cooperate for the good of everyone, not just the majority or the minority. I feel very strongly that multiculturalism should be included in all curricula. My school experience (until college) didn't include multicultural perspectives and I feel as if I missed out on some important things. I often feel a little clueless when confronted with situations involving people different from me. Without some knowledge of our surroundings, how can we be expected to survive in society? This question reveals one of the purposes of education, survival. Learning about the other people who share our community is an essential part of this survival in modern society. Multiculturalism becomes increasingly important as our society becomes more diverse. In the past (Lynch, 1989), efforts to provide multicultural content to students have, as critics feared, created more diversity and tension among groups. However, more recent methods are aimed at creating relations based on commonalities. Lynch (1989) suggests providing "a basis of common knowledge, skills, and insights about the things that all human societies should hold in common" (p. 43). Stressing similarities will unify groups with differences. Davidman (1994) defines the goals of multicultural education as: "(1) educational equity; (2) empowerment of students and their parents; (3) cultural pluralism in society; (4) ...understanding and harmony in the classroom, school, and community; (5) an expanded knowledge of various cultural and ethnic groups; and (6) the development of students, parents, and practitioners...guided by an informed and inquisitive multicultural perspective" (p.2). Just as the goals stated by other crusaders for multiculturalism, Davidson's goals follow a specific order and stress knowledge, understanding, and equality. I believe that it is very necessary and completely conceivable for our education systems to move toward a multicultural curriculum. By following the goals I have mentioned, we can finally understand how the many pieces of our society fit together into one big picture. References Banks, J. A.(1995). Multicultural Education: Development, Dimensions, and Challenges. In Noll, J. W. (Ed.), Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Educational Issues (pp. 84-93). Guilford, CT: The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc. Chavez, L.(1995). Demystifying Multiculturalism. In Noll, J. W. (Ed.), Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Educational Issues (pp. 94-98). Guilford, CT: The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc. Davidman, L. (with Davidman, P.T.) (1994). Teaching With a Multicultural Perspective: A Practical Guide. White Plains, NY: Longman Publishing Group. Lynch, J. (1989). Multicultural Education in a Global Society. Bristol, PA: The Falmer Press. Noel, J.R. (1995). Multicultural Teacher Education: From Awareness Through Emotions to Action. Journal of Teacher Education, 46, 267-272. Noll, J.W. (1995). Should Multiculturalism Permeate the Curriculum? Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Educational Issues (pp. 82-83). Guilford, CT: The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc. Senese, G.B., Tozer, S.E., & Violas, P.C. (1995). School and Society: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. New York: McGraw-Hill. Wurzel, J.S. (1988). Toward Multiculturalism: A Reader in Multicultural Education. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\My College Plan.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My College Plan Business Computer Applications 7th Period Sunday, March 30, 1997 Created By: My College Plan At first I never had wanted to go to college because I didn't like school, but now as I get older I realize that I will need a college education to make it in life. So when the question came up what college would I like to go to? I knew right away that I wanted to go to the University of Kentucky. It is the only college that I would ever considering going to, I love this college with a deep passion. They have my favorite basketball team and the also represent Kentucky (The state in which I was born.). From its modest beginnings in 1865, when it was known as a State College, the University of Kentucky has grown into one of the nation's most outstanding institutions of higher learning. As a comprehensive land-grant university, UK offers an educational experience that cannot be matched anywhere in the Commonwealth. The Lexington campus consist of 764 acres and 24,200 students. It also employs 1,796 full-time faculty members. UK ranks among the top 100 research institutions in the nation. When I was asked the question what I wanted to be when I grow up I really didn't know, until my Sophomore year of high school. It wasn't till then when I decided that I wanted to be a journalist. I guess I just hadn't had my call until then. This was the year that probably changed my whole life. It was the year that I took my first year of newspaper class. I really chose the class not knowing what I was about to encounter. But, after I got to know everyone and how the class worked I knew that I found my calling. I really enjoyed the class that year because I really liked the teacher and the student editor. They made learning how the newspaper class worked and how to work together as a team fun. I am now in my second year of the Pacer Post and looking forward to another year ahead of me. Hopefully when I graduate I will have 3 years of high school newspaper class plus, I would like to have some on the job training. I already have a lot of experience with all kinds of computer programs such as: Microsoft Works, Microsoft Word, Adobe Pagemaker 6.0, Corel 6.0, Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Windows 95. I think that the combination of all these things plus a college degree will make for a good career in journalism. When I attend the University of Kentucky I will not have to work through college because my father said that if I decide to go to college he will pay for it. I also plan to study some other courses in college that will also make a good career. That is so if my journalism career falls through I will have something else to fall back on. I will live on campus in a dorm and will probably do a little of the partying that goes on at colleges all over the world. But, I think that I am responsible enough to know when it is time for me to get serious about my education. I really cannot wait to go to college. But, also I would like to enjoy my Senior year of high school while doing so. Go Big Blue f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\My own.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ By Anthony Chan 10A Romeo & Juliet. Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's plays about tragedy. It is about two lovers who commit suicide when their feuding famillies prevent them from being together. The play has many characters, each with its own role in keeping the plot line. Some characters have very little to do with the plot but some have the plot revolving around them. Friar Lawrence does not have very much time on stage but the time he does have is crucial to the plot line. Through his words Friar Lawrence demonstrates the he is a good intentioned, yet sometimes short-sighted, man who is not afraid to take risks to help others One of Friar Lawrences most favourable traits is how good intentioned he is. He may do something out of the ordinary if he thinks the outcome will help someone he cares for. For example, when he says "In one respect I'll thy assistant be; for this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households rancour to pure love."(Act 2, Scene 3), he is saying that the only reason he will marry Romeo and Juliet is because he hopes that the marriage will end the hostilities between the two houses. When he says "Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift, and hither shall he come; and he and I shall watch thy waking, and that very night shall Romeo bear thee to Mantua." (Act 4, Scene 1), he tells Juliet how everything will be all right. Unfortunately, for all his good intentions the play still ends in tragedy. Friar Lawrence is a man who is not afraid to take risks when he feels it is neccesary to help someone. For example in Act 2, Scene 6, when he marries Romeo and Juliet, he is risking his reputation as a Friar so he can help the two lovers. Also, when he says "Take thou this vial, being then in bed, and this distilled liquor drink though off;" (Act 4, Scene 1), he is suggesting that Juliet drink a potion so that she might feighn her own death and avoid marrying Paris. This is an extremely risky thing to do because anything might happen to Juliet while she unconscious. Even after all Friar did to help Romeo and Juliet the play still ended in tragedy because of Friar Lawrences' short sightedness. When the Friar married Romeo Juliet in secrecy, he did not think of all the complications that would arise but instead went on with the marriage because at that time he thought it was the right thing to do. In Act 4, Scene 1, he gave Juliet a sleeping potion without thinking of the possible outcomes of such an outrages plan. He admits that much of the fault of the tragedy lies in his hands when he says "And her I stand both to impeach and purge myself condemned and myself excused", and when he say "Her nurse is privy; and, if aught in this miscarried by myself..." (Act 5, Scene 3). Although Friar Lawrence does not have an especially large role, his role is none the less important. It is because of his good intentions that he was willing to help his friends that Romeo and Juliet were married - a key event in the play. It is because of his willingness to take risks for his friends that Juliet aqquired the sleeping potion - another key event in the play. Finally, it was the shortsightedness of his actions that in part led to the deaths of the two lead characters. This demonstartes that Friar Lawrence was a man who was a man with good intentions who was willing to take risks to help his frieneds. If he had been any other way, the play might not have turned out the way it did. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\My Quality Education.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My Quality Education For years I¹ve heard that in order to succeed one has to receive a quality education. It¹s kind of funny though, with all the talk about the need for this great quality education nobody ever says exactly what it is. While examining this strange phenomenon I¹ve discovered the basic universal elements of a ³quality education². I¹ve also learned that everyone has different standards by which they judge what is and what isn¹t a quality education, different groups are treated differently, the importance of home education and the effects that my own pursuits of education have had on me. Depending upon who you ask you will almost always receive a different response as to what the qualities of a good education are. However, most will agree that there are four basic elements to a quality education. The first and most important to our survival is the ability to compete in the job market. Without this many, if not all of us would find it impossible to play a significant role in society. Also included, but often ignored element of education is our ability to interact with others. Every day of our lives we will be required to interact with another person or many people. School provides us with the perfect opportunity to learn how to get along with others with minimal conflict. This could perhaps be the single most element of education. Education also provides us with an education of our own culture. In a school setting the extent of the information often varies depending on which culture is being studied. Much of the time, if not all, the primary focus is on European and Western civilization. Asian, African, Indian, and South American civilization ten to be ignored in comparison to European cultures which we are required to learn from the time we enter school and many times beyond the time we leave school. Since these cultures are often ignored much of the cultural knowledge for ³minorities² is provided by family and passed on from generation to generation through oral stories like ³corn mother² and through artifacts. The standards of a quality education are defined by many different institutions, each of them having their own definition of what an education should be. Take the employer for example. The employer sees a good education as having the proper training to perform the job correctly in the workplace, we place a significant amount of importance in the knowledge of ourselves. This is valued so much that often one who is ignorant of their history can be labeled a ³sell-out² or something similar. People from other culture have their own standards of education. For instance, if one were to meet a person from culture and were insensitive to their customs, disrespectful, and showed no appreciation whatsoever for their culture, they could very easily be viewed as ignorant. In essence everyone makes the rules of what a good education is. Many of these rules differ which is why it is so vital that everyone of us receives the best education possible. No matter where we turn our education is constantly being scrutinized and tested. Many groups are treated differently under the different standards of education. Women often have to acquire an education that is twice as good as their male counterparts in order to accomplish the same goals. The same also goes for minorities which are many times provided with sub-standard learning facilities. One group that I personally am guilty of treating differently are those who speak languages other than English. Often I encounter people who speak little or no English and many times I have to remind myself that they are not stupid, instead they just don¹t speak my language just as I don¹t speak theirs. The elderly and youth are also very often treated differently. Both are many times viewed as being ignorant to the world around them and not in touch with the current state of the world. I personally find home education to one of the most important elements of education. As a black male, most of my life was spent in predominately white school systems. If it weren¹t for the education I received at home I would most likely have very little sense of self. I¹ve grown to deeply appreciate the accomplishments of my ancestors, many of whom were never mentioned in school. The basic principles of language were also learned at home. By listening to the conversations of others and trying to speak myself, I became fluent in English before I attended school. Home education is also important in the teaching of customs. Many schools do not teach the customs of other cultures, however this is being corrected. ³A Bid To Redefine Indian Education² illustrates this. By operating schools which emphasize the cultural need of Indian students that have long been ignored, the students are finally being given a chance to learn in a structured environment without having to feel ashamed of their culture. My own pursuits (non-pursuits) of education have effected me significantly. Until recently I have never pursued education very much feeling that it was forced upon me. During elementary and high school I never felt the need to do homework feeling that I have much better things to do than homework and studying, but wouldn¹t be able to do any of them if I didn¹t study. There are many different opinions of what a quality education is, who has one, and where one can be obtained. I guess that all a quality education really is depends on your lifestyle, culture, and who is judging it. Education is relative. What might be great to one person could be useless to another. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\My Summer Off.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My Summer Off Memory can be so fickle. Like some great book that is slowly loosing its pages, you begin with an entire novel full of details and descriptions and, if you're not careful, you end up with nothing more than the cover and the brief synopsis on the back page. My novel on the subject of the end of summer school debate has lost its share of pages but the back-cover synopsis, the essence of the entire experience, is still with me. "We are about to begin our annual debating tournament," the instructor beamed with an enthusiasm that let each of us know how happy he was that we had made it this far. "It will be the culmination of your six weeks of learning and will count as a considerable part of your grade for the course. We will begin at eight tomorrow morning. Get some practice, get some sleep, see you there." I don't know what drew me to the course but I can remember my parents telling me they felt I should go to summer school. I was opposed to the concept of summer school right up to the moment I was issued the dictum "go to school or get a job", at which point I became the world's greatest advocate of off-season learning. Besides, I was only fifteen and the workplace just wasn't ready for me. So I thumbed through the course book, singing a chorus of no's until I arrived on the Debate and Public Speaking page. There resided a large photograph of a boy confidently standing behind an ornate podium, clearly frozen in the middle of some captivating and influential argument. I read the passage describing the course and was immediately sold. How could a stuffy math class or a trivial course in art compare to "a course that teaches students the skills and techniques of competitive debate, culminating in a week long tournament?" So I filled out the forms and mailed them and before I knew It I was sitting in a lecture hall, learning the skills and techniques of competitive debate. As I have said, I was only fifteen and perhaps this debating course was not yet ready for me either. I was both the youngest and least experienced of the lot. Little could be done to gain ground on the former adversity, but I set about rectifying th latter by filling a notebook with all the wisdom that the teacher could impart to us during the hour long periods. When it was time for the first debate, I studied up on my notes, reviewed my speech, marched over to the outdoor amphitheater and was summarily destroyed by a girl would surely go on to be a lawyer, if she wasn't one already. Two days later I was bludgeoned by a boy who lied to the judge so convincingly that all my facts were forgotten, he would be a politician. And so the sorry sequence continued, the opponents kept changing but the results remained the same. I grew bitter and frustrated but I did not walk away. Instead I compiled lists, long lists, of what I had done wrong and how to do better. With each debate the lists grew longer, until their growth was halted by the teacher's announcement that the tournament would begin in a day and we were to get some rest. That night I studied and review my lists, reliving the anguish that accompanied each pointer: "Don't let your speech blow away in the wind. Look the judge in the eye. Breath deeply. Don't stutter." The following morning I went into the debate and rambled through a mediocre speech in a mediocre tone. When I had delivered my mediocre conclusion, I waited for the judge's decision because it is the polite thing to do, not because I needed further confirmation of my imminent loss. So I sat there In my chair adding to the list as the judge announced that each of us had garnered the same number of points, but, because ties were not allowed, he had awarded the debate to me. I was dumbfounded but I concealed my disbelief so the judge would think me deserving of his accolade. When I shook hands with my opponent, it felt different than it had previously, maybe it is because this time I was giving the hand shake rather than receiving it. I had taken the grand prize and that hand shake was merely his consolation gift. I erased each of the points I had added to the list, I was becoming better at debate, but I was not ready to argue with success. Maybe the list now covered every possible pitfall, making loss an impossibility, but I doubted it. I am proud to say that I was giving the hand shake at the end of each of the next four rounds, placing myself in the semi-finals. I never assumed that a debate was going to be easy, but when the politician walked into the room and shook my hand, I knew this match would be a challenge. He won the coin toss and chose the affirmative side, which gave him the power to define the terms of the debate. The resolution given to him was "be it resolved that two heads are better than one." With all the shrewdness he had employed in our previous debate, he defined the terms as "sexual reproduction is better than asexual reproduction" and proceeded to present a convincing case as to why life is better because of sex. I probably spoke for two minutes before I could think up a proper response. but I did. I based my case on the lower rate of birth defects in asexual reproduction, the process of grafting lost limbs back on to plants and the ability of populations of asexual reproducers to row at astonishing rates. My words flowed cleanly a smoothly, the speech was well organized and the logic made sense. I knew I had won and the judge confirmed this assertion. So out of 50 people, myself being the youngest and least experienced, I had made it to the final round of a double elimination tournament without a single loss. I shook his hand and sped home in an elated state. The following day the final match occurred. It was held in outdoors in the amphitheater and a crowd of thirty people had gathered to watch. I was so confidant from the last match that I had not even looked over my sacred list of debate follies. The sun was shinning and it was going to be a hot day but a pleasant breeze kept the weather pleasant. I stepped up to the same ornate podium that was in the photograph and tried to look as convincing and composed as the boy in the catalogue. As I read the definitions and began to argue,the breeze, like some malicious hand, snatched my notes from the podium and hurled them to the ground. I paused and picked them up but the mood was broken and, for reasons I am still not sure of, the audience turned on me. At first there was an isolated taunting from a few people in the back rows. But the heckling spread like a cancer until the entire audience was not listening to me for my case but instead probing for mistakes to harp on. I lost my cool, began to breath faster and even stuttered a few times. It was an act of supreme mercy that time expired before I was able to plunge the dagger any deeper into my chances of winning. When it came time for the audience to vote on which side they thought had won, I did not receive a single vote. I had my hand shaken by my opponent and received a cup for my other consolation prize. Though the cup looked empty I will always remember it as full of a humiliation with a twist of humbling. Even today, I still keep the folly list and review it before each debate. Sometimes I want nothing more than to forget that humiliating expierence but one positive result did come of that fateful day. I continued to debate long after summer school was over, and still pursue the activity today. I was unwilling to end my debating career on such a sour note so I joined the Loomis Debate Society and have yet to endure a loss quite as punishing as the summer school debacle. It was liberating to know that no matter how bad I did on my first debate for the school, it would be an improvement over my previous encounter. Since then I have gone to national tournaments, become president of the Debate Society and had my share of victories and losses, not bad for a career born in humiliation and a summer off from work. Written on the back of that book cover, long past when all the pages have fallen out, will always be the beginning of an enjoyable activity and one of the most emotionally trying moments of my life. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\MYSTIFICATION ACCORDING TO MCNIEL.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Educational Studies Mystification According to McNeil, mystification is a technique used by teachers who are not fully informed on the topic in which they are instructed to teach. Teachers often use mystification when teaching a complex, or controversial topic. They mystify the topic by making it appear very important, but unknowable, thus leaving the student with a sense of wonder, or mystery. Mystification does count as a form of knowledge control because mystification makes it impossible for a student to gain a full understanding of a topic from inside the classroom. Mystification could be a way for students to get out of the classroom. This would allow them to get out on their own to learn more about topics they are learning about in school. Gene Anyon would enjoy the idea of mystification. Mystification would encourage students to work outside of the "boring" classroom and learn more extensively about a subject on their own. Mystification could be used to spark students interest in a subject, and leave them with enough mystery for them to seek an answer, or conclusion that otherwise would not have been covered in the classroom. Mystification would be an easy way to ease the corruptness of the school on the student. Getting out of the classroom would also teach the student not to rely on the school as there only main source of education and would also teach them to think on a higher level, thinking and questioning more independently. Would this not broaden a the education of a child? It is often known that what children do not know, or what they find mysterious, they often seek to find. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Nellie McClung A Canadian Feminist.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Nellie McClung Helen "Nellie" Laetitia Mooney was born October 20, 1873 in a log cabin on Garafraxa Road, two kilometers from Chatsworth, Ontario. She and her family moved to Manitoba when she was six years old. One of Nellie's best influences was her mother. Her family's influence was no doubt the reason she became an activist. Her mother thought that every child had the right to an education, and her whole family encouraged her to learn all she could. (9, Wright) Nellie at age ten, went to school at Northfield School. This is where her education started. Nellie's dream was to be a teacher like her sister Hannah. Teaching was one of the few jobs open to women. She started her 'voyage' at age fifteen by passing the Second Class Teachers' Examination. She went on to earn a higher teaching certificate at Winnipeg Collegiate in 1893. She went on to teach at Hazel Public School near Manitou, Manitoba. We study Nellie McClung because she was an internationally celebrated feminist and social activist. Her success as a platform speaker was legendary. Her earliest success was achieved as a writer, and during her lengthy career she authored four novels, two novellas, three collections of short stories, a two-volume autobiography and various collections of speeches, articles and wartime writing, to a total of sixteen volumes. Two of her most famous books are: Clearing In The West and The Stream Runs Fast. All this served as a "pulpit" from which McClung could preach her gospel of feminist activism and social transformation. She was convinced that God's intention for creation was a "Fair Deal" for everyone; and that Canada, particularly the prairie West, was a perfect place to begin to bring that about. Women's suffrage, temperance and the ordination of women were keystones in the battle - engaged. In contrast to contemporary stereotypes, with a wit and compelling humor that won over enemies as it delighted her allies. Nellie was a curious girl, she was always asking questions. This was not commonly seen among girls in her time. As a small child she would want to participate in sports with the boys, although she was always told she wasn't allowed. "I was hoping there would be a race for girls under ten, or that girls might enter with the boys. But the whole question of girls competing in races was frowned on. Skirts would fly upward and legs would show! And it was not nice for little girls, or big ones either, to show their legs."(2, Wright) As many great philosophers do, Nellie would always ask: Why? It seemed as though she always had to get an answer. She loved to think, dream about one day seeing men and women as equals. Nellie was always trying to make everybody equal. During her teaching days, she would organize football (as well as other sports) and let the girls participate along side with the boys. Nellie was first introduced to the feminist movement by a woman named Annie McClung. It was Annie who first inspired Nellie to take a stand for women's rights. (16, Wright) Annie's son (Wesley) was also the man who Nellie married. She married at the age of 23 in a Presbyterian Church in Wawanesa, Manitoba. Nellie shortly after her marriage, devoted her life to helping women fight for a better world. She saw too many women being mistreated by their drunken husbands. She saw alcohol as a major problem, husbands would get drunk and then assault the women. Nellie though that if women obtained the right to vote, they could succeed in changing the liquor laws. Nellie was not alone in this view. In Britain and the United States, as well as in Canada, the demand for women's suffrage was closely linked with the demand for prohibition. (24, Benham) One of the reasons why prohibition was linked to the struggle for women's rights in the early 1900s was that a wife had almost no legal control then over how a husband spent his pay. Tragically, some husbands spent it on liquor rather than on food and clothing for their family. Nellie later joined the W.C.T.U. (Women's Christian Temperance Union). The purpose of the W.C.T.U. was to fight the abuse of alcohol. Nellie's intelligence and wit helped her greatly throughout her long political career. Her favorite reading was a set of books by the great English novelist, Charles Dickens. Nellie's brother Will had given her Dickens' novels. She admired Dickens as a writer and she dreamed of doing for the people around her what Dickens had done for his people. She wanted to open the eyes of Canadians to the sad situation of those among them who were being taken advantage of and unfairly treated. Most people thought that a woman's place was in the home and that a woman's role was to attract a husband. But in marriage a wife had no legal rights. It was not just Nellie that was fighting for women's rights, many people in other countries were as well. One of the other major countries was Britain, which started the most important organization to fight for women's suffrage: Women's Social and Political Union. It was formed in 1903 by Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst. The struggle for women's suffrage became more militant after 1905.(37, Benham) Some women were allowed in Britain to vote in 1918. Ten years later all female British citizens finally received the same right to vote as men. (40, Benham) By the same year American women had obtained equal voting rights with men in fifteen of the United Sates. Nellie worked hard to get the vote for women. The Premier of Manitoba disagreed with Nellie's views. He stated that 'nice women' did not want the vote. In response to this she was quoted saying to the premier (Rodmond Roblin) "By nice women ... you probably mean selfish women who have no more thought for the underprivileged overworked women than a pussycat in a sunny window for the starving kitten in the street. Now in that sense I am not a nice woman for I do care." ( 50, Wright) Finally on January 10, 1916 a bill to give the vote to the women of Manitoba was introduced into the provincial legislature. Manitoba had become the first province to enact a bill for women's suffrage.(57, Wright) This was largely due to Nellie's efforts, as well as many petitions. She was not content with this major achievement but wanted to help all the women of Canada. Four years later Nellie McClung captivated an audience in Montreal with a well-argued and witty speech. Eventually, in 1918 the federal government gave to most women of Quebec, the right to vote in federal elections. (58, Wright) Another quote of Nellie's was ... "Another trouble is that if men start to vote they will vote too much. Politics unsettles men, and unsettled men mean unsettled bills - broken furniture, broken vows, and - divorce ..." (54, Wright) After women obtained more rights, over time, it paved the way to the acceptance of women in political jobs. Nellie McClung had been elected a Liberal member of the Alberta provincial legislature in 1921. Unfortunately in 1926 she was defeated in an election. In 1936 she became the only woman member appointed to the Board of Governors of the CBC. Also, in 1938 at the age of 65, she was the only Canadian woman delegate to the League of Nations. Sir Robert Borden, Canadian prime minister, recognized Nellie's contributions to Canada when he appointed her the only woman member of the Dominion War Council. Nellie did many things as a feminist, and in addition to her impressive resume she also raised five children. All her life Nellie took a strong interest in the welfare of human beings. This interest was reflected in her love of peace and fear of war. As she entered old age, Nellie suffered a series of heart attacks. She unfortunately passed away in 1951, at age 78. Right up until the end of her life Nellie remained interested in women's rights. Shortly before her death she said confidently: "I believe the day is coming when all bars will be let down and all opportunities thrown open to women." (68, Wright) Nellie McClung proved women were capable of being responsible, useful members of society while still remaining loving mother and wives at the same time. She is a shining example of the determination, strength and courage which our Canadian women possess. (29, McCarthy) One woman can make a difference! Works Cited McClung, Nellie In Times Like These University of Toronto Press, Toronto: 1972. ISBN 0-8020-1823-8 Warne, Randi R. Literature as Pulpit: the Christian social activism of Nellie L. McClung, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, Toronto: 1993. ISBN 0-88920-235-4 Wright, Helen K. Nellie McClung and Women's Rights, The Book Society of Canada Ltd., 1980. ISBN 0-7725-5290-8 McCarthy, Tom Nellie McClung, The Girl Who Liked To Ask Questions, Benham, Mary Lile The Canadians: Nellie McClung, Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd. , Don Mills, Ontario, 1975. ISBN 0-88902-219-4 2 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\New Age of Technology.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Technology and computers are increasing factors in the collision repair industry. With time being a concern for customers in many cases, the work we do has become easier to manage and faster to produce because of technology. Over the past ten years, equipment technology has increased our productivity. Today, a computerized management system helps you to quickly process repair orders, job costing, and management reporting. Some examples of this new technology are the Shark, Pro Spot PR-10, Magna Rack III, and HVLP. The first example, the Shark, is a computer driven measuring system designed to be operated electronically. Shark is not a modified mechanical or laser system. This is a totally new measuring system designed to be computer driven using ultrasound technology. Unlike mechanical or laser systems, the beam does not need to be level or parallel when it is placed under the vehicle The intelligence of the system automatically calibrates its position in relation to the points being measured. The system re-calibrates itself to the vehicle every time you measure. If you reposition the beam after the first measurement, or if the car moves, the beam will automatically re-calibrate from its new position, still producing the same measurement results. Before repairs, Shark provides you with the ability to prove existing damage. This information is good to the vehicle owner and insurance company because it not only explains the cost of repair, but eliminates unnecessary work and surprises. During the straightening procedure, Shark will monitor selected underbody and upperbody reference points. Shark then calculates deviations from the manufactures specifications. You can view the whole pulling process, as it happens, live on the colored monitor. When the job is complete, you may command Shark to store or print a report in a variety of formats that you can select, recording the condition of the vehicle as it leaves your shop. Another example is the revolutionary, Pro Spot PR-10 resistance spot welding system that can add increased profitability and flexibility to any collision repair shop. By pressing the trigger button, the PR-10 electronically provides precise control of the squeeze time, current sensing pre-heat, weld deviation, hold time, cool down and duty cycle. Within seconds, this cycle is completed and you can begin another weld. There is no possibility of an operator rushing a weld because of the pre-timed programming. The operator must wait until the green light has turned on before doing the next weld. The PR-10 assures you of consistent, properly timed welds whether it is the first weld or the hundred and fiftieth weld. With the PR-10 there is no shielding gas or wire to replace and dark glasses and hoods are a thing of the past. Now you can have clear safety glasses and actually see the work as it is in process. Next to be introduced is the Magna Rack III. This is engineered to perform repairs on damaged light framed and unibodied vehicles with the hydraulic tilt fixture. With the full-sized platform, everything from unitized vehicles to pickup trucks and vans fit nicely. Loading ramps can stay attached to the platform or be removed quickly for unproved vehicle access. The system has two working heights to choose from. Magna Rack III adds to your productivity with its full open oval design; you have complete access to the vehicle. The Magna Rack III performs combination front, rear or side correction pulls easily. When you need to work on the underside of the vehicle, the long center opening allows easy access for anchoring, measuring and welding procedures. Magna Rack III conveniently fits into a standard size working bay, while enabling you to perform controlled pulling techniques anywhere around the vehicle. You get maximum flexibility with the Magna Rack III pulling towers. Each tower assembly easily moves 360 degrees around the Magna Rack III's oval platform. Next is the HVLP, or High Volume, Low Pressure gun. The HVLP gun has a design that features hogged-out passages which cause the pressure to drop. However, there is enough air volume to transfer paint to the surface of a car. While high solids and waterborne finishes are advancements and are produced in an effort to reduce damage to the environment from paint and solvents, there is no more effective VOC reduction tool than HVLP spraygun. The High volume, low pressure gun design puts a higher percentage of material on the car because the lower air pressure limits the scattered spray and bounce-back tendencies of standard equipment. This reduces the waste which ends up on your exhaust filters and in the atmosphere. The lower pressures used by HVLP equipment does not develop the strength to create the small droplets the conventional guns do. Consequently, the finishes can appear "peely". This condition can be helped with a combination of proper set-up, longer flash times, slower gun travel and slower reducers. A slower reducer will allow the material to remain as a liquid for a longer period of time allowing the paint film to flow. However, the newest generation of HVLP sprayguns outperform the early versions of the equipment with regard to atomization. So, one may find it unnecessary to slow the drying with reducers. Cost saving with use of HVLP equipment are as great as 30 percent, and less masking is required. A primer-surface application usually requires complete protection from the overspray. However, an application with HVLP equipment can be performed with as little as 18 inches of masking surrounding the repair, saving money. Conventional equipment gives the glass-like finishes our customers have come to expect. The droplets are smaller and the pressure is enough to slam them into submission. However, more material gets bounced off the surface of the car than remains on its surface. Since the droplets in the paint film are larger with HVLP, the finish can appear "peely". Lower air pressure can not shear the paint droplets as effectively. The longer the paint is wet, the better it flows. However, the longer the paint is wet, the greater the chance of runs. Coordination of temperatures, flash times and reducers is a must. This new age of technology has increased so rapidly in the past few years. It has kept us up to date and has increased all productivity. The old body man's way of doing things along with the strain and sweat are a thing of the past f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\no title you name it.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ It has been said that all people are not equal in their intelligence or character so should it be just that all people have the same rights. There are many people who say yes but this paper is going to explain why everyone should have different rights. Not only is this paper going to discuss why but is already in effect (in some cases). The mentally ill should have different rights because their caretakers abuse them. Why? They did something the caretakers thought was wrong. Some mentally challenged people can not even say there own name. But are supposed to remember social rules and manners? They are human beings are they not. They were born into this world and at least have their natural rights. The criminals already have different rights. But they should have less than they have now. The felons should not be able to walk the streets in plain clothes. They should have to wear a bright red or orange. Most of the felons when released go back to what they do best. The felons are not supposed to have a firearm in their possession some abide by this rule and some do not. There possession should be searched through on a regular basis. Illegal Aliens are a big problem in the United States at the time being. If they do stay they should pay taxes like the average citizen. And should not be able to draw welfare. The laws restricting illegal immigrants should be enforced. And all illegals that do not pay taxes should be sent back to their place of origin. There are many types of people and should be many types of laws and ultimatly rights. This paper has only discussed three types of people there are hundreds more. Let the people of the United States decide if there should be different rights and laws for the many different types of people. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\None.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Throughout life, clothing and body language are often utilized as sources of emotional expression. These emotions can also be portrayed in literaray works and artisitic displays, such as those of Poe, Baudelaire, Manet, and Warhol. In Poe's "Man of the Crowd," there are several descriptions of different types of people based on their appearances, but one particular man is focused on by the narrator due to his unique appearance. Baudelaire's "The Painter of Modern Life" emphasizes the emotional expressions of beauty and fashion expressed in art. Manet is an artist who paints scenes to his liking. All of his works were done in his studio and set up the way that he wanted them. He holds a particular focus on men and women and the relationship between them. The positions and clothing that the men and women are set up in hold strong emotional implications about their feelings towards one another and the emotions involved in the social setting. The opening of "The Man of the Crowd," describes the emotions involved in untold secrets and the deepest of crimes; there are internal conflicts, struggles, anxieties, and agonous results due to the horror of the unsolvable crimes. The possibility of these crimes is introduced through the man of the crowd through his unseemingly unidentifiable expression The narrator describes his thoughts of this man as: There arose confusedly and paradoxically within my mind, the ideas of vast mental power, of caution, of penuriousness, of avarice, of coolness, of malice, of blood-thirtstiness, of triumph, of merriment, of excessive terror, of intense - of supreme despair. I felt singularly aroused, startled, fascinated. "How wild a history," I said to myself, "is written within that bosom!" Although the narrator had never spoken to this man of the crowd, he was compelled to follow him based on his expression that had never been viewed by the narrator. He continued to follow the man of the crowd, noticing his patterns of following people by the mass and his shambled cloting and he concluded that he "[was] the type and genious of deep crime. He refuses to be alone." Prior to viewing the man of the crowd, the narrator observed several different types of people, all of which were able to be "read" through their outward appearances.. The most numerous amount of individuals were business men. The first type of business men "[had] brows [that\ were knit, and their eyes rolled quickly." They were also not distracted nor distraught when they were pushed around by men of their sort. It was concluded by the narrator from these characteristics that those men were content and "seemed to be thinking only of making their way through the press." The second type of business men conveyed a different type of body language; they were restless, had flushed faces, and talked and motioned to thesmselves. Their motions would increase in number in addition to an overdone smile, when they were jostled and they would bow apologetically to the jostlers. Their movements indicated to the narrator that they felt alone as a result of the large crowd surrounding them. These movements sounded to me as though the business men were insecure in their actions and motioned to themselves for purposes of reassurement. Their apologetic motions were for purposes of acceptance of themselves to the rest of the crowd. Both types of businessmen were concluded to be independent, "decent," and men who were responsible for conducting their own business. These men's professions were also identified as noblemen, merchants, attorneys, tradesmen, and stock-jobbers through their actions and body language. Clerks were other individuals who were able to be recognized through their outward appearances. The "junior" clerks were "young gentlemen with tight coats, bright boots, well - oiled hair, and supercilious lips." They were also perceived as frequently working at desks and it was concluded that they "were the cast - off graces of the gentry." These men appear to be well groomed and wearing the latest fashions. They are trying to impress others and the "deskism" described by the narrator shows that they are hard workers. The supercilious lips of the clerks places an emphasis upon the clerk's mouths. This is important because the clerks use the words from their mouths to sell and to make an impression upon others. They appear to be aggresive because of their supercilious lips and their bold clothing. They also appear to be ambitious due to the appearance of them constantly working at desks. The "upper clerks" were "known by their coats and pantaloons of black or brown, made to sit comfortably, with white cravats and waistcoats, broad solid looking shoes, and thick hose or gaiters. They had all slightly bald heads, from which the right ears, long used to pen holding, had an odd habit of standing off on end." They also always used both hands when handling their hars, and "wore watches, with short gold chains of a substantial and ancient pattern." The "upper" clerks are older men and also wear older clothing. Because their pants were "made to sit comfortably," they appear to be relaxed men. Their "solid looking shoes" imply that they want good durability and that they are sensible in their clothing, and probably in life. Their overall appearance is one of responsibility and stability; they don't need new clothing because they have already established themselves. The gamblers were easily identified through their clothing and body language. The first type of gamblers wore the clothing of "the desperate, thimble - rig bully, with velvet waistcoat, fancy neckerchief, gilt chains, and filagreed buttons." They also had "long locks and smiles." The clothing of the first type of gambler was seen as "desperate," thus describing a negative emotion of gamblers. Their elaborate clothing can be viewed as an effort to display their ostentatiousness and a method of hiding their shame. The second type of gambler was described as "that of the scrupulously inornate clergyman." He is probably one who is more reserved and possibly less fascinated with the night life of gambling or less willing to show his involvement in gambling. Both types of gamblers were able to be "distinguished by a certain sodden swarthiness of complexion, a filthy dimness of eye, and pallor and compression of lip." The gambler's complexion can be thought of as showing the sulleness of their whereabouts. The compression of their lips can be viewed as a repression of decency. The other characteristics identified with the gamblers were "a guarded lowness of tone in conversation, and a more than ordinary extension of the thumb in a direction at right angles with the fingers." These characterisitics appear to be defensive motions, thus showing their wariness of others. Like Poe, Baudelaire also describes emotions through body language and clothing. In addtition, beauty is a trait that is heavily focused upon. The beauty of the soldier is described because: "Accustomed as he is to surprises, the soldier does not easily lose his composure. Thus, in this case, beauty will consist of a carefree, martial air, a strange mixture of calm and boldness; it is a form of beauty that comes from the need to be ready to die at any moment. But the face of the ideal military man must be stamped with a great air of simplicity; ... soldiers are, in many matters, as simple as children; and like children, once duty has been done, they are easy to amuse, and given to boisterous forms of fun." The beauty that the soldier possesses is primarily through his emotional qualities. The soldier has a facade of courageousness, peacefulness, and lightheartedness. Baudelaire also mentions the "martial air" of the soldier, which emphasizes the setting and the clothing of the soldier. He also states that the "ideal" military man must have a "simple" facial expression. Although it is difficult to determine the wants and needs of a "simple" face, Baudelaire does so by determining the personalities and thoughts of the soldier and by comparing him with a child. Earlier on in "The Painter of Modern Life," Baudelaire describes children with praise as living life as though they are drunk, with a certain kind of happiness. The soldier is identified with this hapinness because of his simple facial expression. The description of the facial expression is dexcribed more specifically by Baudelaire as he observes one of the drawings of the soldier. Baudelaire is unsure of what mission the soldier is on, but describes him as "the steadfast audacious character, even in repose, of all these sun-tanned, weather-beaten faces." Baudelaire then states that this is the expression molded by hard work, afflicted pain, and firmness. He then describes the clothing as: "trousers turned up and tucked into gaiters, great-coats tarnished by dust and vaguely discolored, the whole equipment in fact has itself taken on the indestructible appearance of beings that have returned from afar, and have experienced strange adventures." The clothing is characterisitic of the soldier; the tarnished and dusty clothing adds to the soldier's experiences in the battlefield and to the distances that the soldier has travelled. The emotional characteristics of the soldiers are thus bounded by their clothing and facial expressions. Soldiers have a beauty that is very evident to Baudelaire, but women possess a different type of beauty. In order to elaborate their beauty it is essential for women to wear makeup. Without makeup, women look natural and Baudelaire states that nature portrays all of the evils in humans. Nature is vicious and "counsels crime." Makeup brings out the goodness in women and hides the evils of nature. Baudelaire describes virtue as "artificial" and "superficial". He also says that "evil is done without effort, naturally, it is the working of fate; good is always the product of an art." He believes that applying makeup is an art and it is thus decent for women to wear. He also describes makeup as "fostering a magic and supernatural aura about her appearance." He also says that they must: borrow, from all the arts, the means of rising above nature, in order the better to conquer the hearts and impress the minds of men. It matters very little that the ruse and artifice be known of all, if their success is certain, and the effect always irresistible. Thus makeup is necessary to attract men in a way that almost tricks them without them even knowing it. Baudelaire describes rice powder as conceiling all of blemishes that nature delivers to women and "creat[ing] an abstract unity of texture and colour in the skin," and questions if woman then becomes a "divine or superior being." Black eye pencils and rouge add to the dramatic effects of the colors of red and black. The black gives women " a deeper and stranger look" and red "gives to a woman's face the mysterious passion of a priestess." Makeup is thus adding a divine or religious appeal to women due to its degradation of nature. Baudelaire also states that makeup is not meant to be applied naturally and should be used as a method of exhibition of their beauty. Although Baudelaire does not describe the actions of women in the section of makeup, he clearly praises women who wear makeup because of their holy nature and uncriticalness. Monet is able to express several emotions through his paintings, particularly through the arrangement and the depiction of the subjects in his work. In In The Conservatory, Manet focuses on the relationship between the man and the woman. The woman is properly dressed with buttons vertically lined up through her dress, thus constricting her presense. She has a fixed gaze and is not looking at the man. Although she is sitting comfortably, the woman has a rigid appearance. The man is leaning over towards her and is dressed like a dandy. The expressions on their faces and the way the man is leaning over the woman and looking at her appears as though he is pleading for forgiveness or attention. The rims of her eyes are red adding the possibility of her crying and an emphasis is placed upon their hands, which both contain wedding rings, suggesting that they are a married couple with problems. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Nucelar Enargy.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ nuclear reactor nuclear reactor, device for producing NUCLEAR ENERGY by controlled nuclear reactions. It can be used for either research or power production. The reactor is so constructed that the fission of atomic nuclei produces a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, in which the produced neutrons are able to split other nuclei. A fission reactor consists basically of (1) a fuel, usually uranium or plutonium, enclosed in shielding; (2) a moderator-a substance such as graphite, beryllium, or heavy water-that slows down the neutrons so that they may be more easily captured by the fissionable atoms; and (3) a cooling system that extracts the heat energy produced. The fuel is sometimes enriched-i.e., its concentration of fissionable isotopes is artificially increased-to increase the frequency of neutron capture. The breeder reactor is a special type of reactor that produces more fissionable atoms than it consumes by using surplus neutrons to transmute certain nonfissionable atoms into fissionable atoms. The design of fusion reactors is still in an experimental stage because of the problems involved in containing the plasma fuel and attaining the high temperatures needed to initiate the reaction. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\OBE Restructuring of the American Society.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OBE: The Restructuring Of American Society. There has been a concern for some time throughout America regarding the quality of public education. Students are graduating from highschool without adequate knowledge of the three R's. Universities are recruiting a multitude of incompetent pseudo-scholars. Employers don't understand why the new generation of workers do not possess the basic skills to perform the job. It would appear that American students are not learning as much as their parents did. And yet, teachers are still teaching, taxes are still being paid, and more funds than ever are being appropriated for public education. What's going on in America's classrooms? Up until the 1980's most schools used a standards based curriculum. In the traditional classroom setting, educators focused on the input side of education, teaching a specific body of knowledge. Students were graded against predefined standards and passed or failed based on their ability to meet those standards. This method of teaching produced a graduate with a well rounded education, and prepared him for further development of career skills. With the exception of those who did not apply themselves, the system worked. Today America's educators take a new approach in the classroom. The focus of education has moved to measuring what students can do, rather than what they understand. This is the core principle of Outcomes Based Education (OBE). An outcome, by definition, is something that follows as a result or consequence. So OBE then, is an approach to education where the end result is the most important factor. This is very important in understanding what OBE is, and what it intends to do. In the OBE classroom, every aspect of the curriculum is geared toward achieving a small group of specific goals. To gain an insight into OBE, it is necessary to learn something about its origins and those promoting it. B. F. Skinner, a psychologist and learning theorist, developed the techniques of learning (operant conditioning) based on conditioning phenomena first analyzed scientifically by Pavlov. Skinner called his technique his "teaching machine." Skinner thus developed the principles on which "Mastery Learning" was developed by Benjamin Bloom. Mastery Learning was the original name for the process known today as Outcome Based Education, also known as Performance Based Education, or Restructuring. Educational theories used in OBE are based on Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. A curriculum, according to Bloom, "...may be thought of as a plan for changing student behavior." (p 14 of Ron Sunseri's book OBE: Understanding the Truth about Education Reform, Questar Publishers, P.O. Box 1720, Sisters, OR 97759) Bloom called it "Mastery Learning." Techniques for his new style of education, based on Skinnerian behavioral psychology, focus on stimulus-response conditioning. Bloom said the mission of education is to change the thoughts, actions and feelings of students. He held that the desired outcome is "...formulating subjective judgment as the end product resulting in personal values/opinions with no real right or wrong answer." With no absolutes, the goal of teaching is to modify the "thoughts, feelings and actions" of the student to some replacement system supplied by the educational system. William Spady, Director of the High Success Network and Director of the International Center on Outcome-Based Restructuring, is the "father" of OBE. He works with the federal government, foundations, states and school districts helping them implement OBE. According to Spady, we are faced with "a fragile and vulnerable global environment that requires altering economic consumption patterns and quality of life standards, and taking collective responsibility for promoting health and wellness." The goal of education, Spady says, has to be to prepare students for that future. Learning results are what is important, and his premise is that all students can learn. It is not important how long it takes, as long as the desired learning takes place. Since all will learn, grades are irrelevant in the new system. All get an "A". Competition in schools in his estimation is a negative influence impairing learning. Spady's definition of an outcome is "the acceptable culminating demonstration of a significant learning behavior." Subject knowledge and concepts are not valid outcomes. In 1982 he observed that one of the four main goals of Mastery Learning is a "system of supervision and control which restrains behavior of kids. The outcome of the hidden agenda should be the fostering of social responsibility and compliance." These goals "transcend academics," and deal with attitudes and feelings. However, Spady rejected the term "Mastery Learning" because of its monumental failures, renaming it so that the system of OBE would not be rejected out of hand. But how exactly does OBE work? In OBE, a student must demonstrate an approved behavior defined by the state as the required outcome of the educational process. The state: 1. Sets a standard for "mastery" of a specified goal. 2. Tests to verify that the goal has been achieved. 3. Remediates a student who fails to meet the standard until he does. The required outcomes are attitudinal, not academically based. They set outcome attitudes towards and behavioral capacity for adaptability to change, ethical judgment, family living, environment, understanding and appreciating others, and good citizenship (defined as active participation in and support of civic government). The rhetoric of OBE says that children will proceed at their own pace and not be judged by "seat time." In practice, because of emphasis upon group learning strategies, all children in a group must achieve the goals before the group may move on, which puts tremendous pressure on a non-conformist to conform. This group orientation makes OBE a system for education of the group, not the individual. It is "collective" education in which competition is discouraged and the individual learns that the group is more important than the individual. There are four stages in implementing outcome-based education. The transition from one stage of OBE to the next is accomplished through gradualism. Bill Spady defines the stages as follows: STAGE 1: TRADITIONAL OBE Here OBE retains its traditional focus on subject area knowledge (math, science, reading, etc.), outcome-based instruction is applied to the traditional disciplines. A shift is made to A,B,I grading (eighty percent = mastery; incomplete (I) doesn't count on grade point average). The teacher takes the role of coach or facilitator. STAGE 2: LOW TRANSITIONAL OBE The focus remains on academic subject areas with some OBE processes such as group collaboration, self assessment on performance terms using open-ended tests and demonstrations with scoring (rubrics) developed by the teacher. A,B,I grading continues. STAGE 3: HIGH TRANSITIONAL OBE The instructional focus now shifts entirely to processes and competencies, using subject matter in hands-on, real-life experience situations. Future-driven competence outcomes from spheres of the psychological, sociological, political, using authentic, exit outcome-based performance assessments (portfolios, projects, etc.) The curriculum now becomes interdisciplinary (thematic, traditional disciplines integrated). STAGE 4: TRANSFORMATIONAL OBE Here the educational focus points to functioning in life-roles. What we now have are future conditions-driven life-role performance outcomes involving authentic role performances (apprenticeship, community service, working in community), with academic subject matters fully integrated into and effectively downgraded, emptied of much content (content is estimated by OBE authorities to be approximately 10 percent of traditional content), and submerged within thematic future-driven curriculum. The outcomes are scored by student- and expert-created rubrics (business and industry will assess and validate competencies through authentic life-role performances), awarding certificates of mastery leading to entry into the workforce. Carnegie units are abandoned and criterion validation replaces grading with descriptions of competencies at each level. Criticisms of OBE on the basis of external criteria are argumentive and arbitrary as far as supporters of OBE are concerned. But internal criticisms are telling. Ask: How do you measure outcomes? For example, the desired outcome of self esteem. How do you score it? How much self esteem is enough? Too much? The only way of measuring such things is by psychological tests, which are illegal. Yet the government has set a standard which a student must meet in attitudes, values and beliefs. Examples: On assessment test the pupil is asked: What is your least favorite country? What is your least favorite religious denomination? Such questions expose a pupil's attitudes and feelings about other people, and tell nothing of his knowledge about the world. Crucial to the system is the facilitator establishing and maintaining a "Locus of Control." The child must learn to go along with the group. If not, the process must create a conflict in the child that will lead to a change in that behavior. This operant conditioning technique becomes part of teacher retraining. The real goal of OBE, it thus becomes clear, is just what the experts say it is in their research journals. It is to condition the populace to rapid adaptability to change without protest. The outcome sought is a compliant, willing, unquestioning worker used to and desiring to cooperate with his fellows working in the global society.. Goals 2000 is a federal blueprint for education, over-riding local control and establishing a mandatory curriculum from the top down. It has no concern for academics. It was developed by Chester Finn. The Goals 2000, Educate America Act, signed by Bill Clinton, is legislation specifying: 1. School based clinics. The ultimate goal is to provide life-long services to the child and his family, making the data developed by these clinics part of the total package of information on pupils and families. 2. OBE, with computer data tracking ultimately extending from birth to death. 3. Parents as teachers, requiring "experts" to come into the home to show parents how to bring up their children with the approved attitudes and values. Those who object or fail to cooperate will be labeled as child abusers and be liable for prosecution and loss of their children to the state. This is part of the guideline that "all kids will arrive at school ready to learn." This gives "experts" an entry into home from birth to graduation of child. If parents refuse to let the experts into the home, they are labeled "at risk" and may be penalized. 4. Race norming of testing. Those of different race, color or income status will be scored differently, recognizing that (at least at the outset) they cannot score as well as middle-class Anglos. 5. No parental privacy, no parental input to the schools. The child belongs to the state and the family is an open book to the state. 6. Establishes a new National School Board, which will: a. Install uniform national curriculum and testing. b. Develop mandatory national outcome standards. c. Implement data tracking on an individual basis, with that data made available to other agencies and employers. 7. Mandatory school standards relative to the number of teachers and their salaries, computers, etc. 8. National Educational Goals Panel , which will issue reports on how well each district is meeting the above 7 goals. The Goals 2000 legislation thus established two new layers of educational bureaucracy at the Federal level: the National Educational Goals Panel, and the National Standards and Improvements Council. The first establishes the common educational goals, the second establishes the detailed standards and tests to assure compliance --- all on a national basis. B. K. Eakman, in Educating for the New World Order (Halcyon House, Portland, OR 1991, pp 258-9), quotes William Bonner, Attorney for the Rutherford Institute: "While the public has assumed it retains its historic input into education on a local school district level, in fact education has been progressively federalized, with the bold new America 2000 as the ultimate expression of the consolidation of power over education directed from Washington. The revised Chapters 3, 5, and 6 respond to Washington's demand that the states effect strict compliance with federal regulation in exchange for federal dollars. Freedom, diversity and local control are being increasingly sacrificed in that exchange. "Undergirding this federalization of education has been a massive invasion of the family and the rights of individual students through curricula utilizing psychological programming and experimentation, as well as a broad spectrum of behavior modification techniques. Data periodically gathered through invasive testing within the affective domain has then, through the illegal demand for students' social security numbers...been compiled on computer systems storing vast amounts of intimate and private information on our children and youth, in violation of their constitutional rights... "The traditional interests and rights of parents have been trampled upon, as educators have proceeded on the proposition that professionals know better than parents how to raise children...." f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Ode to a Grecian Urn.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ When you go to bed you see that it is dark outside, but when you wake you see light. The light and dark of the day is very dissent, but they are very closely related. Dark and light are the fares things from each other, while you can't have light without dark meeting. In the "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and "Sailing to Byzantium" we see these differences. The difference in the "Ode on Grecian Urn" and " Sailing to Byzantium" are very distinctive especially in the themes of art verses nature in the battle between immortality. "Sailing to Byzantium" has themes such as art verses nature while "Ode on a Grecian Urn" relies mainly on the battle of immortality in life. This can also be said about "Sailing to Byzantium." We will start with "Sailing to Byzantium to show the strive for immortality. This theme of immortality as I go thoughtout this poem: "That is no country for old men. The young in one other arms, bids in the tree. Those dying generations of their song." (1,2,3) Imortality hit you in the face start off these lines. It talks about old becoming young and birds and trees. This makes you think of spring and vegetation and animals and life. Yates uses vivified examples such as "An Aged Man is but a patty thing, a tattered coat upon a stick." (9,10) Yates is describing a scarecrow or what you might call death. He also talks about a maniacal bird in lines thirty and thirty-one. This is something that isn't dying and will go on forever. These two images life and death help insure the complexity of these poems. The images of life and death is also repesented in Keats "Ode on a Grecian Urn." "What leap-fringd Latin haults about they shap of deities or mortials or both." (5,6) As you can see through reading these lines life and death are big aspects in this poem. One the other side this poem is very different from Sailing to Byzantium." In "Ode on a Grecian Urn" there is just one aspect that is really representatives here. This aspect of death is talked about so vivialy in this poem. Keats talks about death all through this poem. "Through winning Near the Goal-yet do not greive, she can not save, through threw has not the bliss."(18,19) When you die you fade away. This tone is all through this poem. Death is a huge aspect and a way of life. The vivid way that keats talks about death "With Forest Branches and the trodian leaves." (43) Death can get you any where death can streach out and grab you like a weed or branch. As you can see the difference between Keats and Yates writing's. while Yates is a victorian writer and Keats is a romantic writer. Keats in his "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is talking about death, while "Sailing to Byzantim" by Yates is a poem that talks about both life and death. The distengished between life and death makes the differences in these two while Keats and Yates poems are different they are also alike in the way they talk abour death. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\ONeils arguement on education.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Eng 102 project 1 4/8/1997 O'Neill's Debate on Education Students are not getting the Basic Knowledge needed today due to the poor upbringing and lack of respect for the need of education. In O'Neills editorial his reason for this was because the students as a whole did not want their ignorance exposed. However, he forgot to include that teachers are just as ignorant as the student. Give a teacher the same test and see hoe much they remember about what they we taught some odd number of years ago. It's not safe to assume that because a person can't remember who the 31st president was, that they don't have the basics of gobble history . How many teachers know the basics, if asked on the spot. Lets Examine another quote from O'Neill's editorial in his opine Charie Chaplin a classic movie star, and that because when asked about him no one know who he was, Well , if the students didn't watch old TV shows on the late night TV channels then how would they know of Charlie? They don't cover a class in classic television. There fore that question would be unfair to pit on the test. O'Neill's just assume that everyone is raised in the same back ground as him. Charles Darwin did not create gravity but he did believe in evolution. The concept that we were originated from organs to monkeys then humans. In church we stray away from that kind of talk "that is the devil trying to score your mind" that's what they would say. O'Neill says "I broke the rules of this time-honored gam when I presented my English-composition students with an 86 question test the first day of class." Know that all students think of doing the first day of class. Concentrating on a 86 question test is a common students retinal. The student always for every question read it through out and back and forward. O'Neill told the students that the students that it wouldn't be graded. Any time you tell students that, automatically that means just fill it out. As long as it get done. You can't go by a test like that for the simple fact that there is know evidence each and every one gave it a true try. Sure they finished the test but did they even read it. When students in the hall where stopped and asked to fill out the questions stated on the handout the results where the same. Charles Darwin invented electricity. Christ was born around Elvis's birthday. The geographical part of the test was outstandingly wrong. The samples given out were to prove student don't take that stuff serious. They see words with answers. Students just want to get the test over and move on. When the questioners were told a free candy bar ( only 5 people were ask told this.) if they could score majority right. do you know 3 of them got 10 out of 15 questions right. They took time and really thought about it. Students did learn the lesson then it was taught in school. All they had to do was stay out of trouble and not interrupt the often students with there learning. When a student is kick out of school and at home what are they doing to replace to time spent out of school. They either not at home or getting ready to leave. Their parents don't bother to physically correct them. They figure why bother they probly do it again. Then the parents give up hope and with out the parents help of confidence the student modifies change from suicides to get by. More and more student are just getting by they don't bother learn to remember for good. They remember for know. Just enough to get them through the year then they for get every thing they where tested on. Even if they got A's on the test they for get over half of it. Your whole life your learning things that every one says you are going to need to know that. It's hard to comprehend what you need to know to get by and what you need to know. The funny thing is youth today are not getting the knowledge they need but they are doing the best with the know how they got to work with. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Palestinians Peace in Jeopardy.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Name" Global Studies Period 3 "Teachers name" February 24, 1997 "Palestinians: Peace in Jeopardy" The Associated Press Ibrahim Barzak Saturday. February 22, 1997 Page 1 Nations: Israel and Palestine Region: Middle East World Issue: War and Peace The focus of this article is on the political aspect of this region: 1.) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Friday that he will go ahead with construction of the 6,500-home Jewish neighborhood of Har Homa despite fierce Palestinian opposition, the Israeli radio said. 2.) The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem, captured by Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war, as a future capital. Israel considers the entire city its capital. Based on the following, there is reason to believe that the articles focus is negative: 1.) Palestinian officials were warned Saturday that Israeli plans to build a new Jewish neighborhood in east Jerusalem could destroy the whole Middle East peace process 2.) "Jerusalem is a fireball, and it will burn everything if the Israeli side continues with its stubborn ways," said Ahmed Abdel Rahman, one of Yasser Arfat's secretaries. 3.) "Any settlement activity or expansion of what exists is considered a real blow to the peace process." Prime Minister Abdul-Karim Kabariti said in the capital , Amman. This article written by Ibrahim Barzak for The Associated Press describes the recent events going on in Jerusalem concerning the Israeli's decision of the construction of the 6500- home Jewish neighborhood of Har Homa despite Palestine's fierce opposition. Netanyhu has also promised to build homes for Jerusalem's Arabs residents. The Yediot Ahronot newspaper said that the Israeli government would build 1,000 apartments for residents of the Palestinian district of Umm Touba, next to Har Homa. The construction of these sites would begin at the same time but the Palestinian officials rejected these compromise offers made by Israel. In September, 80 people died in Israeli-Palestinian clashes after Israel opened a tourist tunnel in Jerusalem along the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site. Arafat said that he was not able to control the anger of Palestinians or Palestinian troops who joined in the fighting. As to whatsgoing on there now, Prime Minister Abdul-Karim Kabariti said that " Any settlement activity or expansion of what exists is considered as a real blow to the peace process." The clinton admistration has said construction projects in east Jerusalem are not conductive to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. Israeli-Palestinian talks on the future of Jerusalem, and other unresolved issues are to begin soon and scheduled to be concluded by 1999. After one of its meetings the Palestinian Cabinet stated that Jerusalem was "a red line which should not and cannot be crossed." It accused Israel of trying to "create new demographic realities on the ground before the final status on peace negotiations. Prime Minster Abdul-Karim Kabariti said there would be no regional settlement if the "Palestinians were not given all their legitimate rights on their national soil." I Chose War and Peace for this article written by Ibrahim Barzak because of the talk of fighting that might occur if the Israel's carry out their decision on the construction of the 6500- home Jewish neighborhood. The Palestinians Officials warned the Israel's the construction of the new Jewish neighborhood could destroy the whole Middle East peace process, but the Israel's are not listening therefore another civil war could start between the two nations. Netanyhu said he was committed to starting the project but has avoided setting a date, apparenty for fear of igniting renewed conflict with the Palestinians. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\peoms.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ English 3 The Sky is Filled With Laughter The sky is filled with laughter Like a little kid at a fair With streaks of blue and white It paints a canvas of happiness The day it all turned gray And the rain came out to play The sun was hidden for many days But once again the sky turned blue And all the little children came out To play, with the sky so blue With its pretty picture of laughter Haiku I went on a walk And saw all that I can see From flowers to trees ------------------------------ The grass was bright green And the flowers were bright yellow Everything was calm ------------------------------ The green grass grows all... Around all around and the... Green grass grows all day. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Perception.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Seeing is Believing Since the times when the earth was believed to be a flat object, man has had a lust and curiosity about space and the bodies that exist in it. Early astronomers trying to grasp the incomprehensible mysteries of the universe would study the patterns of the stars and planets to try to put this massive puzzle together. In their studies history has recorded sightings of objects that didn't hold to any pattern or set movement supposedly proved to be correct. Objects that moved freely in the sky in any way, shape or form they pleased. Having no further explanation for these dilemmas of space, they were dubbed "UFO's". The acronym UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object. Modern electronics and science have helped us in the search for an explanation of these mysterious floating objects. In actuality they haven't gotten us much further on the mission for proof of other living beings in the universe. But in a universe so incomprehensibly large that we no not even a boundary, I sincerely doubt that the human race is the only form of life. It seems certain scientists have come up with other hypotheses concerning UFO's. While all astronomers yearn for a concrete explanation on UFO's, their beliefs on their origin contrast. Many looking for a more scientific definition disregard UFO's as nothing more than a mere misinterpretation of a plane, weather balloon, or meteor. Some have gone so far as to say that specific witnesses to UFO's have seen nothing more than a hallucination and "wanted" to see a UFO so their minds adapted that idea into an illusion to satisfy the urge. Personally, I have had two encounters with unexplainable objects in the sky and to disregard them as a misinterpretation or hallucination is an impossibility. Witnesses who were with me on one of the occasions saw exactly what I did and we concluded it impossible to be anything but unexplainable. Numerous other people out there have also had personal experiences with UFO's and have proof of what they saw. Some people lucky enough have had cameras and home video recorders with them at the time of the encounter caught them on tape. Further analysis of the tapes and photos have proved them to be real, strengthening the believers point of view on alien existence. The strongest piece of evidence on alien existence is the efforts the government makes to cover up the proof on UFO's. The most famous example of this is a building compound found out in the deserts of Nevada called Area 51. Employees of this top secret alien research compound have talked out on the amazing evidence this structure keeps hidden from the public. Bodies of aliens and pieces of ships from supposed UFO crashes are brought here for research. When alien researchers caught wind of Area 51, they soared over the desert searching for it and came back with pictures and videos of a large warehouse like structure believed to be Area 51. On a second mission there, after knowing the exact latitude and longitude of it, they found everything gone, almost as if the desert swallowed it up. The government, knowing that Area 51 had gone public, had the entire building destroyed and all evidence inside moved to another secret compound, so say informants from Area 51. With all the indisputable proof of government cover up, photos, and videos of alien existence, not a doubt in my mind exists that this is very real. Stubborn scientists will tell you differently for the simple fact that they don't want to tarnish their reputation in the scientific fields by admitting their curiosity toward UFO's. Government officials will tell you the same in fear of a nationwide panic over the existence of extraterrestrial beings. The truth lies in all the books, research, sightings, and government employees tired of lying to everyone about UFO's. Proof can't lie and with the thousands of pages, pictures, people and actual alien objects to be found with a little research, alien existence and UFO sightings can be easily proven real. Euro. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Police Brutality.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Police Brutality By Matt Howard Composition Peroid 1 Mrs. Kolar December 20, 1996 Work Cited Brancato, Gilda and Elliot E. Polebaum The Rights Of Police Officers New york, A.C.L.U. 1981 Streisand, Betsy " L.A. Chooses Sides : Cops vs. Aliens " U.S. News and World Report Aprill 1996 10 Bruning, Fred " Rogue Cops and Civillan Beatings" Newsday April, 1996 : 15. Daher, Kate "Justice For Jonny" {htpp://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pshell/gammage/flyer.htlm October 1995. Winters, Paul A. Policing The Police Greenville: David Benner,1991 A.C.L.U. " We were following are training as L.A.P.D. officers," said officer Stacey Koon who was one of four officers accused of using excessive force against Rodney King. {Brutality in Los Angles 7 } Koon along with fellow officers Timothy Wind, Lawrence Powell, and Theodore Brines chased King through downtown Los Angles. King had allegedly committed numerous traffic violations and was thought to be high on PCP. After a hour King pulled his car over and the officers swarmed in to arrest him. King began to struggle then the beating began. Little did the officers know a bystander was filming the whole thing.{Brutality in Los Angles 8} The officers were tried for using active force and the tape were reviewed by experts who found that king was struck with over 50 blows to the body by the officers. {Brutality in Los Angles7} The officers were found not guilty of using excessive force against Rodney King. This sparked a week long riot in Los Angles. There was looting and building being torched. {Burning 14} Following the riots it was announced that two officers Stacey Koon And Lawrence Powell would stand trial yet again, but this time in federal court for violating Rodney Kings civil rights. Both were convicted and sentenced to prison terms {Brutality In Los Angles 7} The Rodney King video and trial sparked a question in many peoples mind through out the nation, "How big of a problem is police brutality? Little did they know that this would be the beginning of a streak of police related violence. Sandra Antor a Miami, Florida residence was driving through South Carolina heading north on vacation. When she was stopped by a South Carolina Highway Patrol officer. {Bruning 15} He dragged her from the car and cursed at her. Once she was out of the car He forced Ms. Antor to lay on the pavement handcuffed like a common thief , all because she had had failed to see him with his lights on behind her . His on board camera recorded the whole incident. {Bruning 15} A couple weeks later we saw a example of police brutality again. This time a truck full of illegal aliens from Mexico. Deputies in Riverside chased the pickup on the freeway. The illegal immigrants threw beer bottles at the deputies. When the truck finally stopped, the immigrant in the back of the truck fled. Three Riverside Deputies then went after the driver and his passenger. The driver was thrown against the hood and handcuffed. The passenger, a pregnant women was grabbed when she did not stop running, was clubbed repeatedly with a nightstick. The officers didn't even notice that a news helicopter was hovering above them recording everything live on television. {Streisand 10} Not every police beating is fortunate enough not to end without any major injuries. Take Jonny Gammage for example, a cousin of Pittsburgh Steeler Defensive End Ray Seals. Gammage had just finished having lunch with his cousin Seals. Seals let Gammage borrow his brand new Jaguar to pick his mother up in Pittsburgh. While driving through downtown Pittsburgh Gammage got out of the car and began to argue with the officers. He allegedly was beaten to death by them. What makes it ironic is the only reason Gammage was stopped is because he was riding his brakes to prevent from speeding. {Daher 1} A tow tuck driver named Frank Beljack was a eyewitness to the beating. Beljack said " I noticed they were hitting on him. It looked like one of the officers was on his back hitting him. The officers are on trial now for involuntary man slaughter. {Daher 2} Although police beatings like this have no logical explanation why they happen, some cops have described a feeling of excitement during a high speed pursuit. This feeling now has a name. It is called High-Speed Pursuit Syndrome. High-Speed Syndrome is described as a mix between fear, excitement, and adrenaline. This syndrome cause the officer to vent all these emotions on the suspect at the end of the pursuit.{A.C.L.U. 1} Police departments now are training their officers how to control their emotions in the event of a high speed chase.{A.C.L.U. 2} Three of the four police beatings above involved high speed pursuits. The purpose of this research paper is took look at some police brutality cases and try to determine how big of a problem it is. This is just four cases of thousands of cases all over the world. So the answer is police brutality is a big problem and should be stopped by whatever means necessary. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Political Correctness In The Classroom.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Schools in Canada have recently become the battleground for the fight over how much political correctness should be allowed to infiltrate grade school classrooms. One can take two sides when dealing with such issues as violent toys, "good clean fun", the benefits and disadvantages of political correctness. There is much controversy about violent toys which are far from being considered politically correct. The toys that enter many grade school classrooms throughout the country may also seem offensive to people who try to be as politically correct as possible. I can remember an incident involving myself, a water gun and a teacher back in grade four. What had happened was that I pondered onto school grounds with a tiny plastic watergun. As I proceeded down the hallway a teacher took notice of my "water-squirting" device. She approached me and ceased the toy from my hands . Many elementary school educators believe that violent toys can lead, and often do lead to violence if the children are allowed to play with the toys in an unsupervised environment. Something that used to be considered good clean fun has become a constant frustration to teachers and parents everywhere. Many educators on recess duty who have observed children at play have come to believe that rough play which might look innocent can and often does lead to real violence. The goodness of teaching political correctness in the classroom is its ability to protect our children from violence, discrimination, and the unfairness that exist in this world. Political correctness is a good thing for kids to learn. I think that being politically correct is just being polite and considerate for the feelings of others. I encourage parents and teachers to teach children about the fairness and equality that political correctness implies. However If teachers and parents allow political correctness to dictate the educational process, schools will no longer work toward educating, but instead will shift their focus towards altering the attitudes and minds of students. It's not always beneficial for a teacher to over-emphasize political correctness in the classroom because it limits the students' ability to learn. It's not right to isolate children from the books, toys, and games that let them learn and have fun for the sake of being considered politically correct. Nearly all of us grew up and experienced political incorrectness; with dolls such as Barbie, fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood or Cinderella, toy guns and cartoons. This is especially evident since the vast majority of adults grew up to be decent human beings who can form their own opinions. In our multicultural, racially diverse, opinionated nation we, as teachers, parents and students need to adjust the grade school curriculum in order to keep up with the changes that are taking place every day. Main goal for the educators and teachers it to challenge students to think, reason and to consider the views of others and eventually come to their own conclusions on political correctness. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Positive aspests of fraternities.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Positive Aspects Of Fraternities A college fraternity exists on the premise that a man is by nature a social being and needs the companionship with his fellow man. A fraternity provides a structure, and an environment in which close friendships can flourish, Bringing each of the fraternity members closer to themselves. It is by no means the only organization in which a student might mature and develop life long friends. Just one of the many in which minds are shaped and imaginations flourish within its setteings. The fraternity, not unlike any other human institution, encourages it members to make a commitment to something outside themselves, such as paticipating in charity events, events to benefit the homeless, raise money for the poor and commit themselves to learn about one another.As a student makes these commitments to a fraternity, the fraternity provides a structure within where these commitments can be acted out, in such things as rituals of pledging and initiation. A ritual is only one way of expressing a fraternities ideals and aspirations. A fraternities name, tradition, and history carries much symbolic importance to all who are apart of it. This is all important to the personoining because it eiil only help the to better themselves by growin into he fraternity. With all these commitments and traditions, or rituals, one could see that fraternity life has a lot behind it and the members take it very seriously. Though at times the fraternity becomes very social and yes alcohol may be consumed, is not , however, the focus of the fraternity. Fraternities offer numerous benefits and building blocks for developing an independent and successful life with many close friends. such as paticipating in charity events, events to benefit the homeless, raise money fo the poor and commit themselves to learn After all is said and done, friendship and brotherhood in the context of meaningful, close group relationships are what a fraternity is all about. Not, as many people see them, a year long party with drunk "frat boys" chasing around scantily clad women. It should come as no surprise that fraternities remarkable capacity to foster the making of friends is the chief reason for their existence and the best assurance for their survival. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Post Plowden Legacy.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FOUNDATION COURSE THEMES - BAES Year 1 Subject: Primary Education & Post Plowden Legacy Tutor: Alastair Horbury Assignment: Critique of given text - Chapter 6, 'Pupils at Work.' Due: Mon 14 Nov 94 INTRODUCTION The task assigned was to read all six chapters provided, select one and produce a critique on the subject matter. The chapter selected was number six which analysed pupils' and 'work'. Firstly I wish to briefly summarise the entire chapter, highlighting the areas which I considered to be the most important, these areas will then be examined in depth and their merits or shortcomings discussed. Firstly a summary of the chapter is needed to put into context the areas that will be discussed later. The whole chapter can be split into two main areas of discourse:- relationships and 'work' and negotiation. As there has been little research into pupils' approaches to schoolwork, the author's chief concern is that of the pupils perceptions of , and approaches to, schoolwork, and the first point s/he makes is that there are differences between teachers' and pupils' ideas of what constitutes worthwhile work. The author sets out to define 'the meaning of work' and in doing so draws our attention to differences between 'pleasurable work' and 'labour'. Workmanship, it is argued, has been replaced by unskilled labour and people now work as a means to an end seeking enjoyment through other avenues such as hobbies and recreation. Teaching methods and school ethos' in general are seen as outmoded and alien to the cultural and social influences on pupils. Therefore, there is greater responsibility on the teacher to make work seem more utilitarian and attractive. Research revealed that many pupils felt that work was pointless and invalid unless it was undertaken in preparation for forthcoming exams. However, work that may be deemed pointless or onerous by both sets of pupils (exam and non-exam) could be given validity by the teaching strategy employed. Pupils seemed to be more concerned with the status of the work and their personal relationship with the teacher, therefore the pupil reaction to any given task depended heavily on these two criteria. It is identified that pupil-teacher relationships are extremely important and they contain many concealed aspects which will be discussed in Part 1. A prevalent feature of pupil-teacher relationships is the negotiation that takes place and teachers will offer incentives to pupils in order to encourage the process of work. It is interesting to look at the way in which teachers can utilise their experience and maturity to manipulate or cajole pupils into performing a given task, and this will be examined in Part 2. PART 1 - RELATIONSHIPS & WORK The first key issue in this chapter that I wish to examine is that of pupil relationships with teachers, and how they affect classroom behaviour and the amount of work produced. I mentioned earlier that because of deep-rooted cultural influences many adults regard work to hold little or no satisfaction, and this notion permeates through to their children. This notion combined with pupils' own perception of themselves as having to be forced to work creates an arduous environment for the teacher. However, it must be said that work that is found unpleasurable to pupils is often that of the purely academic type which does not permit any creative license. Although academic work is of far more value, teachers often find themselves having to offer incentives or punishment in order to motivate pupils whereas the work with little or no academic value is seen, generally, as enjoyable i.e games and arts. The author places great emphasis on trust. S/he asserts that many children cannot foresee the long-term advantages of doing work in schools and that many simply believe or disbelieve the teacher when s/he says it will be of benefit.. The point made may be valid but perhaps only in primary schools. I propose that in today's secondary school this idea has very little bearing and children are now more acutely aware than ever before of social and economic factors that dictate the need to do well in school. In some respects certain aspects of the author's argument are negated, those pupils who can foresee the need to do well have their own motivation, and negotiation and relationships are less important. Having said that, to those pupils who do not possess such foresight the building up of relationships and the constant negotiation processes are an essential part of their schooling. Anecdotal evidence as well as secondary research support the idea that pupils work better for those teachers they actually 'like'. Whether a teacher is liked or disliked by his pupils is dependant upon many factors. For instance the teachers personal outlook - does s/he even want to be liked?, do s/he care?, are they simply interested in meeting targets? If the teacher's personal motivation is lacklustre then how are pupils to be motivated? Ideally, teachers would be able to identify the different levels of motivation among their pupils and build relationships accordingly. This, however, is not a realistic goal and much valuable class time can be spent chastising, persuading and offering incentives. Of course there is a danger that a teacher may become too preoccupied with the establishment of relationships and other areas such discipline may be ignored. The points above are interesting but we are chiefly concerned with those teachers who are motivated and use negotiation as a means of encouraging pupils to work, and I now wish to look at these negotiation processes in a little more depth. PART 2 - WORK & NEGOTIATION One of the most interesting points made in the chapter is that of the collusion often formed by teachers and pupils against a higher authority, this higher authority could be the headmaster for instance. This type of collusion could be of extreme value to teachers in forming relationships and as a way of getting pupils 'on side', as well as relinquishing any responsibility for the type of work and the amount required. With the majority of the blame lying at the feet of a higher authority the teacher could begin to build a system of almost conspiratory negotiation based on reciprocity - 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours'. Let us look at the author's idea of negotiation. Firstly s/he identifies four experiences that typified the pupils in his/her study school. The four categories are thus;- 'hard work', 'open negotiation', 'closed negotiation' and 'work avoidance'. The two extremes of the categories are self-explanatory, 'hard work' being total pupil commitment and 'work avoidance' being not only a total lack of commitment, but also a conscious and resourceful effort to avoid participating in any school work Most pupils are to be found in the two middle categories of 'open' and 'closed' negotiation and as such teachers must become keen negotiators if they are to succeed. It should be pointed out that control must be the predominant feature within negotiation - teachers must dictate the concessions that are to be made. The author's 'open' negotiation idea consists of the teacher and pupils making certain concessions, and is dependant to a large extent on mutual goodwill and a congenial atmosphere within the classroom. It is an activity in which both pupil and teacher participate and each party bargains for what they perceive to be the better deal. The basic idea being that a teacher will permit a certain amount of digression in return for a certain amount of 'work', and the class hold the 'general' consensus that this is acceptable. I have used the word 'general' because in the next paragraph I wish to look at those pupils who do not subscribe to the general consensus and are typified as 'closed' negotiation pupils. Another interesting point made was that a predominant feature in those teachers who were more 'liked' by their pupils was the fact that they often included games into the work. The author concludes that games humanised the work and made it vastly more enjoyable. In a perfect world teacher and pupil would be in complete harmony and all decisions made about the type and amount of work to be done would be completely unanimous. However, in reality a teacher who uses negotiation must submit to the general consensus. What, then, of the pupils who have not concurred with the general consensus but are still forced to 'go along with it'? The author typifies these pupils as being in the 'closed' negotiation category. This category of pupils will flourish further if the teacher is not prepared to negotiate, and within this teacher dictated atmosphere the counter-productive and unruly element of pupils will come into being. CONCLUSION By drawing together the main points made in this critique it is apparent that pupils' perceptions of the validity of the work they are undertaking is of paramount importance.Teachers must strive to make work less alien and more relevant to the pupils social perspective and this can be achieved in several ways. Collusion, as well as a system of negotiation and concessions could be used in order to overcome pupil's natural recalcitrance. Teachers must care enough to become diagnosticians of their classes on the whole as well as identifying individual pupil needs. Of course the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, but if teachers understand the needs of the few it will empower them in the negotiation process. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\POW 12 Black Knight Switch.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ POW #12 THE BIG KNIGHT SWITCH PROBLEM STATEMENT: For POW 12, I am asked if four knight's, (two black and two white) can switch places, while perpendicular to each other, (meaning two black knights are on one side of a 3x3 chess board with two white knights adjacent to them. They, were feeling restless and decided to attempt to see if this were possible. Keeping in mind the following guidelines: · No two pieces can occupy the same square · Knight's can pass or jump over each other · The can only move two square forward and one to the right or one forward and two to the right · Nothing is mentioned about proper turns, i.e. white first, then black, then white....etc.... With those guidelines I was set to attempt to find if it were possible for the knights to switch places with each other, following only the guidelines above. PROCESS: In first approaching this POW, I reviewed for what it was exactly this POW was asking for, making a clear mental image of the POW embed itself into my mind. After carefully re-reading the POW and its guidelines, I had a somewhat solid idea of how to approach it. I first made a custom 3x3 chess board, and included the chess pieces (two black and two white). I placed each in their appropriate sections and proceeded to attempt to solve the problem. I calculated it to take each piece a minimal of four moves to reach the other side of the board so I instantly knew I would require 16 boxes for my diagram. But rather then going through that process, I decided to take a much easier one, that being by simply drawing a 3x3 chess board with the chess pieces. After completing it, I began by simply plotting the points and attempting to figure out the process through which I would go through to solve this POW. I was quickly amazed when I found the answer only minutes after originally starting. I re-tracked my steps and made the diagram included. Since, I already knew, prior to starting, that each would require four moves before reaching the other side, I traced the route each would follow and devised a method in which the could move one after the other and not interfere with each other which soon brought me to my conclusion. SOLUTION: The solution to POW 12, which is probable that is now evident is 16 moves which shows that they can do it, switching places that is. I know that the least amount of moves or the smallest number of moves is 16 because it would take each individual knight four moves to move to the other side of the board, which means 4 multiplied by 4 is 16 moves total. The diagram I provided explains how I reached this thoroughly through expression of art... (lol). Using the known fact of it taking a knight to move to the other side four moves is reason enough for me to believe that 16 moves it the minimal amount of possible moves totaled. EXTENSIONS: An extension to this weeks POW, would be to consider a POW in which you were attempting to move or switch the places of four knight's on a 8x8 or 4x4 chess board. To go in even further, consider the minimal moves, if possible, to switch four bishops or rocks on a 6x6 chess board, if possible. To simplify would be to merely increase the chessboard size for this weeks POW. EVALUATION: As a final evaluation for POW 12, I thought the overall thinking required might have been somewhat of a decrease from other POW's we've had. I found this POW straight-forward and somewhat self-explanatory. I found it easy, with little question. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Private Education.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Nelson, J.L., Carlson, K., & Palonsky, S.B. (1993). Private schools: Essential or undemocratic. In Critical issues in education (pp. 63-78). New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. The first position of chapter three is supportive of private schools. This position feels that private schools prevent the public schools from having a total monopoly over education by offering the community an alternative choice. This choice also produces competition with public schools for student enrollment. This position views public schools as something a student must accept as the only option if his or her parents can not afford a private school education. This is an obvious short coming to private schools, since they do not operate on the taxpayers' funds. However, some private schools do provide scholarships to poorer families. However, one distinct advantage of private schools is their abilities to satisfy their students' special needs. A military academy, for example, provides the strict discipline that some students need. Basically, a private school works for the students' desires, while a public school demands that its students work for their designated needs. The intellectual climate at a private school is more academically oriented than public schools. Private education provides students with a broader education that accepts diversity. Public education, however, does not have as much diversity due to strict public control that tries to avoid offending others. Private schools are considered to be more experimental because they try and accept new ideas faster. The American public generally seems to support private education, according to this position. The second position of chapter three favors public schools. This position feels that private schools are an unnecessary burden and expense to the public. Private schools have the tendency to tarnish the image and reputations of good public schools. Magnet, or theme-oriented, schools are public schools that provide various, specific programs of study for their students to choose from. An example of a magnet school is the dance school on the television program Fame. Despite some criticism, public schools are still a strong force in America. This is in part because public schools bring together different races into one school building. Private schools are intended for the wealthy, according to this position. The isolation created by a wealthy-only atmosphere prevents students from being exposed to reality. A controversial topic regarding private schools is that parents can obtain vouchers to send their children there. This is another free ride for the wealthy, the very people who do not need governmental assistance. Overall, this position views private schools as privilege available and dedicated to the wealthy. My personal opinion of chapter three favors private education. Despite the fact that I attended a public school, I feel that private schools have as much right to exist and operate as do public schools. Even though they are sometimes a luxury out of the financial reach of some families, I agree with the idea of having an alternate choice available to public education. I honestly feel sorry for those who can not manage to afford private education for their children, but this should not be the grounds for prohibiting those who can afford it from sending their children there. I agree with the second position on the point that if parents decide to send their children to a private school, they should be solely responsible for the payments. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Public School Finance Prospectus Paper .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Public School Finance: Prospectus Paper Oklahoma utility companies are currently protesting the amount of taxes that they must pay. The dispute came about because of the difference between what utility companies and other commercial properties and other entities such as railroads and airlines must pay. The utility companies originally protested all of the taxes that they had to pay. They are now protesting the percentage of taxes that they must pay above what the commercial properties pay. The money is currently going into escrow accounts until a decision over the taxes has been made. According to Oklahoma Tax Commission estimates, the protests could affect more than $63 million in funding for schools and counties across the state. The money will not be allocated into the schools until the dispute has been settled. A large group of Oklahoma superintendents has been meeting with the big four utility companies (Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Natural Gas, Oklahoma Gas and Electric and Southwestern Bell) to try to reach a compromise. The most recent meeting occurred on Monday, November 28, 1994. At that meeting Marvin Stokes, Superintendent of Byng Schools, proposed that the utility companies be assessed at 25 mills and that commercial properties be assessed at 20 mills. This would generate around $100 million in new revenue for Oklahoma schools. Eugene Chitwood, Okemah County Assessor, suggested that public service companies be assessed at 23 mills and that commercial properties be assessed at 15-19 mills. This would generate around $50 million in new revenue for Oklahoma schools. The utility companies are currently paying 22.85 mills and commercial properties are paying 11 mills. Private advalorem property is assessed at 11-14 mills. The utility companies were receptive to the suggestions. They do not care if their taxes are increased as long as commercial properties are assessed at a higher level as well. Another idea proposed to the utility companies for their tax rate to decrease to 21.85 mills. This would free up around 58 million dollars immediately if the utility companies agree. The group of Oklahoma superintendents will meet with Glen Johnson ,Speaker of the House, on Monday, December 5, 1995. The superintendents feel that it would be to their advantage to have there concerns heard by the House even though the State Equity board has the final say. The State Equity Board is comprised of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Superintendent of Schools, State Treasurer, the State Auditor, and the State Secretary of Agricultural. In order to get a measure passed by the State Equity Board, a measure must receive four of the 7 votes. Dale Wells, State Representative for Oklahoma, feels like the decision will end up on the legislature in February and that it will be one of the first items discussed. It is advantageous to the schools to have this matter settled as quickly as possible. Some school districts who rely on the taxes from local utilities for the majority of their funding are concerned as to whether they can keep their school going past February of 1995 without the revenue derived from utility taxes. In most districts, money from local utility companies accounts for as least 40% of their fixed expenses. Schools who have to pay off bonds rely heavily on the income gained from utility companies. If the matter is not settled quickly, our schools could be in serious trouble. Court ordered judgements could result against schools and counties which cannot pay their bills. Funding for all schools will be reduced as State Aid is redistributed to help replace the lost local/county ad valorem funding. Bond ratings of schools could be adversely affected. Finally, schools and county governments could be forced into consolidation. I think that we are following a bad trend if we allow the utility companies to lower the amount of taxes they pay once again. The utility companies have not had an increase in there taxes in the past few years (since 1991). The utility companies in Oklahoma in effect assess their own properties. If they wanted to say that they were worth a lot less than they actually were, we would have no way of knowing. Utility companies also choose the sites in which they build around schools with lower millage rates - if the rates rise, they can simply move their sites. The utility companies do not pay their taxes, the consumer does. The utility companies make a profit regardless of the amount of taxes that they must pay. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Queen Mab Speech.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wenesday November 6, 1996 "Queen Mab Speech" - Revised Draft I see that Queen Mab has been with you. She is the faries midwife, and her body is no bigger than agate stone that is on index finger of a alderman. She is drawn from a team of small atomies over mens noses as they sleep. Her spokes are made of long spider legs, the cover is made from the wing of a grasshopper and her traces is the smallest of spider webs. Her collar is made of watery moonbeams, her whip is a cricket bone and her lash is made of a light film. Her driver is a small grey coated gnat, not half as big as a little round worm. That has been picked off the fingers of a virgin. Her Chariot is a empty hazel nut, made by the joiner squirell, they have been the coach makers for the faries. She goes through lovers brains, making them dream of love. Galloping over courtier knees, that they may dream proper curtsies and over lawyers fingers, who dream of money. She gallops over ladies lips, who dream of kissing their lovers. This angers Queen Mab, plaguing thier lips because they are tainted with sweetmeats. Sometimes she comes over a courtiers nose. Who dream of the desire to gain office with the king, and sometimes she may come with a pigs tail, tickling parson's noses as he/she sleep. Then he dreams of another lucrative church appointment. Sometimes she gallops over a soliders neck, he then dreams of cutting foreigh thoats, give farthoms deep. Then she drums in his ear, at when he wakes up frightened and says a prayer or two. Then falls back asleep. This is the same Queen Mab that knots the horses mane at night. That mats and cakes the tangles in your hair, said to be put their by elves, once untangled, misfortune will occur. This is the burden of all virgins, when ladies lie on their backs she makes them learn how to bear children. This she is .... f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\R O V s and Submersibles.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ An ROV is a remotely operated vehicle which is a robot that moves in response to commands given by a human operator or a computer from a distance. Rov's mainly consist of a frame, a control system, a propulsion system, a tether management system and some usually have an on board camera. ROV's have been used for the last thirty years. They have been doing tasks that divers can't, do to Economical and safety reasons. A Submersible is a piece of machinery designed to do an underwater function. Submersible's and rov's are important to Marine biologists so they can study underwater creatures. Geologists can use them to find out more about the evolution of the Earth by studying the ocean floor. The ocean holds some minerals that are becoming scarce on the Earth's surface. If we can set up mining stations under the water it would also provide many jobs. Undersea manufacturing plants would be practical if located close to materials needed that are in the sea. Crops such as seaweed could be harvested to make animal food and could also be used for human diets. Oil is running low on the Earths surface and many oil platforms are becoming more and more important. Already 30% of oil used comes from those platforms. In another few years it will become about 50%.The Military could use submersible and Rov's to locate and retrieve sunken pieces of bombs, ships, etc. that belong to them Deep sea exploration is The investigation of physical, chemical and biological conditions at the bottom of the ocean floor. Deep sea exploration can be used in Scientific and commercial purposes. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\racism.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RACISM "...Everybody jumped on him, beat the hell out of him... Everybody was hitting him or kicking him. One guy was kicking at his spine. Another guy hitting on the side of the face... He was unconscious. He was bleeding. Everybody had blood on their forearms. We ran back up the hill laughing... He should have died... He lost so much blood he turned white. He got what he deserved" (Ridgeway 167.) The skinheads who performed this random act of racial violence in 1990, had no reason to brutally beat their victim other than the fact that he was Mexican (Ridgeway 167). Racism is objectively defined as any practice of ethnic discrimination or segregation. Fortunately, racial violence is steadily declining as the turn of the century approaches. Now a new form of racism, covert racism, has recently sprung from the pressures of political correctness. This new form of racism, although slowly declining, still shows signs of strong support (Piazza 86). Covert racism assumes a form of civil disobedience against politically correct thought and speech. Essentially, covert racism is a "hidden" racism, or a racism not easily detected (Piazza 78). "Racism is still strongly prevalent in today's society" (Gudorf 3). The three different basic forms of racism, open racism, violent racism, and covert racism all express forms of hatred towards distinct ethnic groups (Bender 47). These basic forms of racism, although different in form, all have the same main purpose, to promote racism. Open racism expresses freedom of racial thought and speech. Open racists promote their views through strictly persuasionary tactics. This form of racism is allowed in our society because of the First Amendment. Open racism is currently almost nonexistent and steadily declining, because it is considered politically incorrect and socially unacceptable. Violent racism promotes racism through violence, fear, and persuasionary tactics (Leone 49) This form of racism is not protected by the First Amendment because it promotes violence to express its ideas. Unfortunately many violent racial groups claim they do not promote violence, and therefore these groups are protected by the First Amendment because not enough sufficient evidence exists to prove their violent intent (Ridgeway 123). Covert racism expresses ideas of racism in disguised forms; sometimes the covert racist is not even aware of the fact that he is racist. "Racism, it is asserted, is no longer blatant: people nowadays are reluctant to express openly their dislike of and contempt for minorities, indeed are not prepared to express publicly a sentiment that could be interpretted as racist. Racism, it is said, is subtle: it is disguised, kept out of sight" (Enrlich 73) "The suggestion that there is a new racism--a racism that has a new strength precisely because it doesn't appear to be racism--deserves serious consideration" (Piazza 66). Avoiding minorities on the street and denial of a public benefit to a minority which would be awarded to a white are examples of covert racism. "Since it is no longer politically correct to openly express one's racist views, people therefore favor disguised, indirect ways to express their bigotry" (Piazza 68). Covert racism is the most abundant form of racism in our society today. What causes racism? Unfortunately, the answer is much longer and detailed than the question. The three main causes for racism are: racism has become part of our heritage, right-wing racial and political groups, and pride in one's own race. Practically since the dawn of man's existence man has undoubtedly noticed differences between races. "Racism's presence throughout the formation of our culture is quite evident" (Tucker 17). Frequently throughout history the ethnic group with the most power has assumed that its race and culture are superior to others. The same incident even occurred in America with the introduction of slaves. Throughout American history, racism has been strongly prevalent. "Racism's roots lie deep within the foundation of our society" (Tucker 19). These roots undoubtedly are the source for a great many of the racist groups and covert racism ideas found throughout our society. Extremist social and political groups, particularly those advocating right-wing policies of racial inequality, promote racism as well. These groups serve as the epitome of racial thought and speech (Ridgeway 10). The following represent various racist groups found throughout the United States: John Birch Society, Ku Klux Klan, Knights of the KKK, Invisible Empire, NAAWP, White Aryan Resistance, American Front, Nazi Skinheads, Posse Comitatus, Aryan Nations, The Order, and National Alliance (Ridgeway 15). All of these groups are given the freedom to express their ideas of racism because of the First Amendment (CIEQ 16). Although the First Amendment protects the speech of these groups, many none the less find it necessary to use violence to promote their cause. Racist groups now make extensive use of covert racism to extend their message of racism throughout our society. This form of racism has proven quite effective, in the past ten years, at persuading others to adopt racist ideas (Piazza 69). These groups serve as a symbol of racism itself to many in our society (Ridgeway 29). A large source of the racism present in our society stems from one's pride in his own race. Many people, especially those associated with racist groups, find it necessary to put down other ethnic groups in an attempt to strengthen their own (Bender 113). This mode of thought and reasoning usually results in extreme hatred of other races and an overall sense of bigotry. Reasoning in this manner equates to many associated with racist groups. Pride in one's race may eventually lead to covert racism thought (Piazza 87). Covert racism affects our society in a variety of different manners. "Indeed it should be said that covert racism has permanently scarred our society, both politically and socially" (Piazza 1). Racial politics have changed since the era of the civil rights movement, when the issue of race, at its heart, came down fundamentally to whether whites were prepared to accept other races as their equals (Bloom 29). "Now, however, the issue of race has become more complex^×more complex because there are now multiple agendas including affirmative action, quotas, and set-asides" (Piazza 34). The main agenda revolves around affirmative action, steps taken by an employer, school, or other institution to expand oppurtunities for blacks, hispanic people, women or other minority groups. "The clear implications of the most recent Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action programs is that such programs will be upheld in certain circumstances to remedy past discrimination" (Bloom 48). However, many whites view this special treatment of minorities for past discrimination as discrimination towards themselves. This "reverse discrimination" has lead to many debates and controversies concerning race and racial politics (Piazza 30). Unfortunately this sort of political environment encourages covert racism in many whites as a counterattack against affirmative action. Our political system must first become racially unbiased before our society may become more ethnically diverse. If all men are created equal, then why should differences in race matter? Unfortunately our society has not lived up to the standards set by its forefathers. Racism, especially covert racism, still affects our society socially. Covert racism is a form of civil disobedience for racists to spread ideas of racism throughout our society (Piazza 68). f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Responsible Driving.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Responsible Driving "Imagine a crowd of 44,000 people in the stands at a World Series or Super Bowl game. A television camera scans the individual faces --- some exuberant, some anxious --- all sports fans out for a good time. As many people as are in that crowd will die in highway accidents this year. More than half of those accidents will involve alcohol, alone or in combination with other drugs. A disproportionate number of the dead will be young, between the ages of 15 and 24. One group, 16 year olds, will be in 40% of all the singl-car, alcohol related crashes" (Knox 19). This statement shows the high risk and number of fatalities due to driving. It is very important to learn safe and responsible driving skills, which is why I am giving this speech. If you are prepared and know all of your stuff before your behind the wheel youll probobly do a better job and know the correct manerisms and etiquites of driving. The main purpose of this speech is to let you know how to drive responsibly and safely. I will first review the dangers and risks of driving to let you know what your getting into if you use illegal substances or drive improperly. Then I will go into the basic signs,signals and rules of driving to inform you of the current laws and regulations. Finally I will go through a step-by-step process of driving, from getting out of the drive way to turning onto a highway. Accident risk is the chance of injury to yourself or others and the chance of damage to vehicles and property. All driving involves risk. You have tonotice that risk always exists and can sneak up on you at any time. 85% of all collisions are the drivers first collision. 49% of vehicle crashes involve only one car. The liklihood of being in a collision any year is only 1/5 people.The chances of suffering an injury that is serious enough to disable you is 1/83 people (Kenel, 8) . As you can see risk is always very high and should never be forgot. One huge risk in driving is to be under the influence of an illegal substance or drug. There are many kinds of drugs that affect you perception and driving skills. They include Over the counter drugs, Prescription drugs, Depressants, Stimulants, Hallucinogens and Narcotics. Over the counter drugs are drugs that dont need a prescription and are not illegal. They cure common illness's but almost always affect your driving greatly(Kenel,47). Illegal drugs such as marijuana make you drowsy. Drugs have an affect on driving but Alcohol is much more abused while driving. 45% of all auto-deaths are teens. Of those 60% had been drinking. Alcohol slows down reaction time, and blurs judgement rendering the driver incapable of operating a vehicle safely (Knox 22). Alcohol is not thought of as a drug but it is...actualy its one of the most powerful. It changes the way people think and feel and if you become addicted can cause major problems in your life. Alcohol is often forced upon by peer presure. If it happens to you just say NO and leave. Also you never want to drive with someone you know whos drunk. I you cant get another ride call someone else, remeber this is your life at stake (Kenel 22). If alcohol is used with other combinations of any drug, the effects are multiplied by the regular effects. Drugs arent the only thing that effect your driving. Emocions also greatly affect your ability to drive. If you have to drive at an emmocional time learn to control them. Maintain a mature attitude, Identify bad sittuations, plan ahead, expect the other person to make a mistake and never get mad at another driver because of something else that made you upset or depressed. All emocions such as anger, fear, joy, or sadness have the power to focus all your attention on one thing. Whatever the emocion is, it can interfere with your driving by taking your attention from the road (Kenel 24-26). Now that you know the risks of driving and what can happen if you disobey or stray from thte law, I will tell you the basic traffic signs, signals, and rules. One of the more popular laws which you may have heard of is called Right of Way. Right of Way is not always a set written law that in a certain cituation you must do this. In most it is but its also common sense. Like at a 4 way stop you either let the car to your right go first or whoever got to the intersection. If your turning, yield to any cars or pedestrians that could come into your path. In general things that you must yield to would be Ambulance and emergency vehicles, blind persons, and any other pedestrians (O'neil 43). Right of Way is most often used in intersections but when your on the open straight road there are important laws too. The most important is probobly the speed limits. There are three kinds. Fixed, Advisory, and Day/Night Speed limits which are all posted on different type speed limit signs. Speed limits reflect the max speed at which you can drive under the best conditions. If you are in, for example, a rain storm you will want to decrease your speed to almost half the advisory speed limit. Weather, visibility, traction, and many other aspects affect the speed you should be going compared to the posted limit. If one of these factors is present your speed should be slowed dramatically (O'neil 44-45). Travel signs, which are abundently used on the highway systems, are signs that give regulatory information, warnings, or direction. They are a big part in the Highway Transportaion System (HTS) because they give you all the info you need without you having to take your eyes off the road. Regualatory signs tell you what you must do and what you must not do.In almost all cases you have to follow them.Warning signs alert you to changes in the use and/or condition of the road ahead. These just advise you what to do. Route markers include signs for interstates, highways, freeways, and turnoffs. Guide signs include destination/milage, roadside services, and recreational areas. All warning signs are either yellow or orange with black symbols and letters. Most are diamond shaped. Rgulatory signs usually only have 5 color schemes. Red, white, black, green and white, or white and black. (O'neil 47-51). There are two other aspects pertaining to road markings. Pavement markings and lights. Pavement markings are either yellow or white. Yellow lines determine if passing is prohibited on 2 lane streets and also serve as the left or right boundry marking on freeways. White lines indicate passing and lane seperation on main highways (Kenel 70-71). There are many different kinds of traffic lights. Traffic lights must alwaays be followed unless a police official is directing you. There are pedestrian, Lane use and traffic control lights. Pededtrian lights include steady walk, steady dont walk , and flashing dont walk. Lane use lights are for lanes that change direction at different times of the day, for example the chesepeake bay bridge. They include red x for lane closed, green arrow for lane open, yellow x for about to turn red, and flashing yellow x, which means used for left turns only (Kenel 75). Traffic control signals are mainly used to safely and efficiently control traffic at intersections. They include Red, yellow, green, flashing red and yellow, and green yellow red turning signals (O'neil 57). Know that you know what rules and signs to obey when driving all you have to know now is how to phisically start the car and use its features. I am going to explain an almost step by step explanation of how drive a car. You must first go through a sort of checklist in your head before starting or even getting into your car. Before entering you should quickly but effieciently check the surrounding area, the wheels, under the car and every once in a while under the hood. Now you can get into the car (Kenel 110-111). First close and lock all doors. This is to prevent carjacking and theft, although its uncommon in this area. Place the key in the igniton but dont turn it yet. Adjust your seat, headrest and mirrors if needed. Put on your seat belt and check the perimeter of your car for animals, kids or any other objects (Kenel 111-112). Now put the gear selector in Park. Check the parking brake and set auto choke if necessary. Some older cars you have to press the accelerator lightly and then turn the ignition to start the car. As engine idles check the guages (Kenel 118). Now you can put the car in motion. You press firmly on the brake so the car wont role, use the right hand to shift to drive or reverse and release the parking brake. Turn on directional signal if nessecary and check all mirros and blind spot. Remove your foot from the brake to role back if in reverse. Apply pressure to accelerator ,with same foot as used with the brake ,as needed (Kenel 119). Now you also have to know the baasics of steering before you start driving. You can steer in a straight line or steer to turn. Tecniques for turning are hand over hand and the push pull method. Whichever way feels most comfortable to you. Also when turning use blinkers and slow down a bit (Handbook). Tracking is how you keep your car on a chosen path. Track smoothly while going fast to prevent accidents (Handbook). The final two things to knowing how to drive is braking and stopping. In bracking you should know the amount of pressure needed to brake the car your driving. Also you always want to keep an adequate braking distance between you and the car ahead (Kenel 120). When stopping check for following cars, apply firm, steady pressure on the brakes and come to a complete stop. Leave the transmission in drive if you plan to move ahead in the next minute (Kenel 121). That pretty much wraps up my how to drive instructions. I hope that I have informed you of many new things that you didnt know. If you understood what I have said you are guarenteed to be a little ahead when its your time to go to driving school. I didnt know some of the trivial details ,involving laws and signals , before but now I do. I also know that every thing about driving is important because your life and others are always at risk. So for now ,bye and happy driving. :) this is by Xavius and i hand over all copyrights of it to Jens Shriver f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Risk Taking.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Risk Taking In our lives, it is important to exercise self-command. However, we should not be so concerned with the future that we stifle the present. The question becomes what balance should we strike between self-command and risks? What kinds of risks are acceptable or unacceptable? In this essay, we will use two examples of risks to show the distinction between the two and arrive at a conclusion as to the balance one should have between risk and self command. The first example we will use is of a person who spends his life savings on a lottery ticket and does not win the lottery. The second is of a person who spends his life savings on a hunch regarding a cure for AIDS, a hunch that is false. Before we make this distinction, however, it is necessary to define the terms acceptable and unacceptable risks. Acceptable and Unacceptable Risks There are several ways in which one could define which risks are acceptable. One could say, for example, that the only acceptable risk is one for which the odds of success are greater than the odds of failure. Another definition of acceptable risk might be a risk that does not harm one's future. We might also say that the only acceptable risk is one where the aggregate happiness is increased, thus increasing the moral good of the risk, an idea which is based on John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism. Finally, we might define a morally good risk in a Kantian way by saying that the only acceptable risk is one which is rationally thought out (Thomas, lecture). Now that we have several definitions of acceptable risks, we may ask how these definitions, which seem piecemeal and unrelated, can all combine to form one definition of acceptable risk. The best way to do this is to examine the two cases that lie before us and relate the definitions to them. In the process of doing so, we will determine which risk is acceptable and which is not. Risks in the example: the lottery and the AIDS cure If the average person on the street were presented with the case of spending one's life savings on a lottery ticket and losing or spending the same sum on a false hunch regarding an AIDS cure, he or she would probably come up with several answers. For the most part though, all the answers would be consistent with one idea: the AIDS cure is simply "worth" more and thus is a more acceptable risk. There might be several reasons for this. One could assume, for example, that the only person who would attempt to cure AIDS would be a doctor with sufficient experience in the field. It would follow, then, that the odds of finding a cure for AIDS would be much greater than the odds of winning the lottery. To win the lottery, one has to draw 6 numbers out of 46 (a probability that is very low). However, curing AIDS with medical experience is a less risky endeavor. In this instance, trying to cure AIDS would be a greater moral good because it is less risk involved in it than in trying to win the lottery. This case, although quite valid, is not very interesting. In fact, we have solved it rather rapidly. The more interesting case, and the one we will consider in depth here, is the case in which one has no medical experience whatsoever, but still attempts to find a cure. Furthermore, we will set the odds such that one has a better chance of winning the lottery than finding a cure for AIDS. Yet, I will still show that, regardless of the greater chance of failure, the attempt at an AIDS cure is still has more moral worth than the purchase of the lottery ticket, even though both result in failure. Why does the spending one's life savings on an AIDS cure have more moral worth (which makes it a more acceptable risk) than spending the same sum on a lottery ticket, when the numerical odds of being successful are the same? Why bother, since in the end, the result is the same? The answer lies in Mill's definition of a moral good, that which is done to increase the common happiness (Mill, Utilitarianism). The AIDS cure is something that will increase the common happiness, while a person winning the lottery generally will only increase his or her happiness. This is almost obvious. Certainly, if I was to win the lottery, I would increase my happiness greatly, but the increase in the general happiness would be negligible. However, if I were to find a cure for AIDS, it would greatly increase the general happiness. Masses of suffering people and their loved ones would be much happier. Even though my attempt was unsuccessful, it would still be greatly appreciated. Just the thought of a cure would have given hope to what could otherwise be a bleak existence. The mere possibility of being saved from an almost certain death would increase several victims' happiness. We see this today, when, each time a new drug that delays the progression of AIDS is approved, people flock to it. That such things are not cures and that some of them do not offer guarantees (indeed, many are experimental) is almost insignificant. People still try them. Why? Because they offer a hope of continuing what humans treasure most: life. Similarly, my AIDS cure would offer some hope to patients who are assured an eventual long, painful death. Maybe the cure might work for them. If not, that it did not would be almost insignificant. Spending my life's savings on an AIDS cure would almost certainly increase the general happiness, as it would provide hope. That, in the end, it is a failure is of little, if any, significance. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\scarlet letter.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1-19-97 period 3 Scarlet Letter Who should punish a sinner? Should it be religion, society, or the individual? In Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter all three affect the main character Hester Prynne. Religion punishes her with the Scarlet Letter, society ostracizes her as punishment, and individually she was able to move on in life but still returned to her haunting past where she died. Religion plays a big part in the Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne wore the Scarlet Letter to remind her of the mistake ahe made. Instaed of taking Pearl away the people wanted her to wear the "A" for adultry. Hester brought up her child forcing the the thought of the heavenily father. Hester's whole lifestyle was altered. She obeyed everyone and for seven years was cursed by standing on the scaffold. The people's beliefs strongly enforced the idea that Hester would wear the Scarlet Letter, so she did. It constantly forced the tought of the sin she had commited and would haunt her for good. "I have thought have death," said she, - "have wished for it, - would even have prayed for it, were it fit that such as I should pray for anything." Society was an influence on the scarlet letter. People of the town believed that Hester was a witch as well as sinner. Society ostracized her because no one in the town had ever delt with any kind of sin as adultry so they looked at her as a witch. The people in a way wanted to ruin her life because people actually thought she was bad. One of the real canadites that wanted to ruin Hester was Mistress Hibbins. Through out the whole story Mistress Hibbins constantly gives Hester her piece of mind. "Thou thyself wilt see it, one time or another. They say, child, thou art of the lineage of the Prince of the Air! Wilt thou ride with me, some fine night, to see thy father." Individually she was ostracized and critizied no matter where she went. As time went on she helped the people proving there was a true side to Hester Prynne. That led to the "A" no longer standing for adultry but for able. When all had been coming together for Hester it proved that her punnishment from the people had turned to a compliament. This shows that individually she was able to handle the heat of the people. When she became real strong she was able to move on with life but she faced the fact that her life would never be the same if she didn't move back to her haunted town full of dreadful memories. So she did, and that's were she died. "I know not! I know not!" she hurridly repeated. "Better? Yea; so we may both die, and little pearl die with us!" As we know the conclusion Hester did indeed die and lay next to the one she loved, the minister. Who should punish a sinner? Should it be religion, society, or the individual? In Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter all three affect the main character Hester Prynne. Religion punishes her with the scarlet letter, society ostracizes her as punishment, and individually she was able to move on in life but still returned to her haunting past where she died. It proves that individually a person hurts themself more then anything. Hester could live on anywhere else, her life wouldn't be the same. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\schlisingers canon vs my high schools canon.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Schlesinger's Canon Vs. My High School's Canon" In school, whether it be at the high school or college levels, there are usually lists of books thought as being essential reading. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.--a Pulitzer Prize winning historian--calls this list in his book The Disuniting of America, a "canon" or "canonical literature." A problem exists with this canon, at least Schlesinger claims there is. He states that the canon is being used "as an instrument of European oppression enforcing the hegemony of the white race, the male sex, and the capitalist class..." From my high school experience, I believe this is not true. At my high school, teachers encourage students to read not only standard English literature, but also to study the great writers of other cultures. There is a great deal of European influence in American society and in American education. Some people, like the Afrocentrists, feel that this influence is too heavy and that schools should also be teaching about other cultures in their classes. Schlesinger states in his book that he "believes in the importance of teaching Americans the history of other cultures-East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Polynesia." Since we live in a multicultural society, we should be teaching a multicultural curriculum. At my high school, I feel as if I received this type of education. The teachers encourage students to read not only standard English literature, but also to study the great writers of other ethnicities. My high school is a private college preparatory institution in San Francisco. Some authors whose works we read in our English classes consisted of Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Jane Austen, Ovid, Maya Angelou, Chaim Potok, John Steinbeck, Amy Tan, Chinua Achebe, and C. S. Lewis. This curriculum is not at all what Schlesinger claims to be the current "American literary canon: Emerson, Jefferson, Melville, Whitman, Hawthorne, Thoreau, Lincoln, Twain, Dickinson, William and Henry James, Henry Adams, Holmes, Dreiser, Faulknner, O' Neill." We touched on most of these people also, but not nearly as in depth as we did the other authors. Schlesinger's list seems to point out his fact that the canon is being used for European oppression and he deliberately chooses to add to his list only those "white male" authors. But they are not the only authors we study, at least at my school. He deliberately, or so it seems, to neglect current successful authors, like Maya Angelou- who is both female and black- whose books, like her autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," are being used in English classes all around the country. Chaim Potok, another current author we studied is also neither European nor "white." He was born in New York City and is Jewish. Mr. Potok was educated at Yeshiva University as well as the University of Pennsylvania. He was also trained as a rabbi. His first book "The Chosen" deals with two generations of Brooklyn Hasidic Jews. We also studied the African writer Chinua Achebe and his book "Things Fall Apart." This novel is set in an Ibo village in Nigeria. It recreates the village's first encounter with white male colonialism, their Christianity, and the breaking down of old ways. As I closely examine the canon at my high school, though, I start to notice some parallels. Through research, I have discovered that a lot of the books we read and their authors had similarities. For instance, Maya Angelou served as the Northern Coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 1959 to 1960. Jane Austen was the daughter of Reverend George Austen. C. S. Lewis is widely known for his popular religious and moral writings- pertaining to Christianity. Also in novels we read, such as the collection of stories Metamorphoses by Ovid--which was favored by the public in the pagan Rome but disapproved by the Christian Church--had Christian issues. In the epic novel Beowulf, there are strong threads of Christian commentary running throughout the poem. What is culture? The dictionary defines it as "the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions and all other products of human work and thought." Does this not constitute religion? If so, then there might be a problem with the literary canon at my high school. If their literary canon is to be "multicultural," they must also teach about different religions and what role they play in different cultures. Teaching students about different religions can be used to strengthen their own religious beliefs, by examining points in different religions that could actually be harmful to one's spirituality. There were times, like during the reading of Ovid's Metamorphoses when we touched on different world views-such as monotheism and polytheism, but we always had to compare it to Christianity and what we were taught in our religion classes. The teachers made it clear that these stories were superstitions and tales of gods that we were viewing for their imagery and imagination. Instead, if we studied the society that this novel was written for- a pagan Rome- and how and why the stories and the author were disapproved by the Christian Church, I feel it would have benefited us more than just studying the use of imagery. The teachers at my high school did encourage us to read authors of different races, but their literary canon has a religious bias. At first it seems as though the curriculum at my high school is multicultural, and in a way it is. We did not focus only on European influenced literature and studies, but read a lot of authors of different ethnicity. Even though we did read authors of different ethnicity, there was a lack of viewing other types of religions from the world, and their authors. This lack of not reading from different religions is a big hole in what is culture. Because of this, we did not receive a complete multicultural education. Bibliography 1. "culture." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Third Edition. 1992. 2. Drabble, Margaret. The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985. 2. Perkins, George and Barbara, and Phillip Leininger. Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1991. 3. Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr. The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. New York: W. W. Norton and Co., 1992. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Scholarship Essay.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This year many students will apply for scholarships but the number of scholarships will not even approach the demand of the students. In this situation it is up to the scholarship agencies to decide who is the most deserving of these funds. I believe that I am the most qualified applicant for the R.C. Easley National Scholarship. I have displayed excellence in the classroom, in extra-curricular activities, and I believe with the education I receive I will benefit society greatly. Throughout my high school career I have prided myself on a difficult class load and consistently good grades. While at Horicon High School I feel I have challenged myself more than any other student. Instead of taking the usual study hall I have elected to fill that time with another class. I will graduate this summer with a total of 31.25 credits; more than any of my classmates. I have maintained a GPA of 3.938 during school while taking difficult courses such as physics, calculus, AP microeconomics, AP macroeconomics, and computer science. Even though I carry a heavy load of classes I have found time for extra-curricular activities. I have been involved in golf, Science Olympiad, math team, Business World, T.E.A.M.S., and I have been involved in various band functions. I also have had a part-time job at the local grocery store since the summer after my sophomore year. I usually work approximately 20 hours a week during the school year. With the education I will receive while attending a world-class university I am sure I will have a positive effect on society. Being an engineer I will be involved in designing many products that affect everyone. I will use my acquired skills to make sure every product I work on is the most beneficial to society. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\school uniforms.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SCHOOL UNIFORMS Currently in America an on going debate continues regarding a uniform policy suggested to public and private schools. This develops into a controversial issue because valid argument exist on both sides. Giving this issue much thought has lead me to believe that making school uniforms mandatory would help the school systems. School uniforms would help unruly classrooms, also students would not have to buy expensive clothes and students would not get killed over tennis shoes. Schools that have adopted uniforms have reported several advantages. Some school systems including ones in Miami, Detroit, and Los Angeles have adopted a voluntary uniform policy. Under this plan schools do not require students to wear their uniform, but most students cooperate. In the fall of 1994, the Long Beach Unified School District became the first in the nation to require uniforms, hoping to improve the overall conduct and scholastic records of their students. This school system feels that dressing students the same would eliminate the pressure of fitting in, build up students self-esteem, and augment student moral. Parents, teachers, and students agree that wearing uniforms would decrease arguments that begin over expensive clothing and sneakers. School systems hope uniforms will help to eliminate gang violence caused by students wearing rival gang colors. Uniforms would also prevent the wealthier students from picking on their less fortunate classmates because they can not afford to dress the same. Although no evidence confirms that the uniform policy will improve academic achievement, the Long Beach Unified School District reported a 50% decline in the number of disturbances at school and bus stops in their district. Overall, the Long Beach Unified School District has set an example for other schools planning to adopt the uniform policy by showing noticeable improvements in specific areas of its educational environment. Opponents of the uniform policy say it comes with disadvantages. Not all students want to fit in. Instead, they value their freedom and individuality. Students feel that making school uniforms mandatory takes away their right to self-expression. Opponents feel that uniforms are just a new gimmick that will have little effect on education. Also, school uniforms would prove costly for the students. On the other hand some people argue that uniforms are cheaper than buying children street clothing. However, opponents still feel that uniforms should not become a requirement. Most of the schools adopting uniforms are choosing so many other reforms that they will have difficulty proving that uniforms deserve praise. Skepticism, economics, and students reluctance to wear uniforms will continue to further decrease the popularity of uniforms in our schools system. In conclusion, making uniforms mandatory in schools definitaly has its pros and cons, which makes the issue very difficult to agree on. Uniforms might improve the overall behavior of students by lifting school spirit and decreasing altercations caused over expensive articles of clothing, but no evidence exists that links uniforms to any aspect of education. Furthermore wearing school uniforms takes away a students right to self-expression and will cost parents a fortune. But as President Bill Clinton stated in his State of the Union Address, maybe schools should be allowed to require uniforms if it would mean teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Sex Education Does It Really Work.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sex Education: Does it Really Work? "Forty percent of today's fourteen year old girls will become pregnant by the time they are nineteen" (qtd. in "The Effects" 632). This statistic may indicate that the sex education programs in the United States are not controlling the effects of sex by teens. "The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate of developed countries" ("The Effects" 632). I believe that the people of this nation need to look at the current sex education programs and see if they are properly addressing the problems that sex education was intended to stop. The three major reasons why sex education is taught in our schools are: 1) to discourage teens from having sex at younger and younger ages; 2) to stop the spread of AIDS and other STDs; and 3) to prevent teenage pregnancy. I believe that the sex education programs being used today are not effective at controlling these three problems. Today's sex education programs are abstinence based. "Washington has spent some $31.7 million developing abstinence only curricula" (Shapiro 56). By looking at the problems sex education tries to solve, we can improve the sex education programs by putting the problems in order of importance. This will prove that teens having sex at a younger age is the reason for the failure of sex education in this country. To counteract this problem abstinence should be taught to children under the age of 16. Then when the children reach the age of 16 they need to be taught AIDS and condom education. AIDS and other STDs are an important reason we have sex education. AIDS education is supported in all fifty states: "Sex education is only formally required or recommended in 47 states" (Gibbs 61). This shows that AIDS education is considered 1-Peters 2-Peters more important than sex education. AIDS can be spread by the transfer of bodily fluids such as blood or semen from an infected person to one who is not. This includes sexual activity, intravenous drug use, and blood transfusions. Many people are still contracting AIDS through sexual contact even though there has been a nationwide awareness program. It is a fact that "2.5 million teenagers are affected by sexually transmitted diseases each year" ("The Effects" 632). This statistic does not take into account AIDS cases. That is a large number of teens that are missing the message about safe sex and abstinence. This shows how poorly our current system of sex education is working. Because if it was effective, these numbers would be much lower than what they are. Condoms can prevent the spread of AIDS sexually, but the use of condoms requires a change in one's sexual habits. "Once patterns of sexual intercourse and contraceptive use are established, they may be difficult to change" (qtd. in Whitehead 69). "One survey shows that among sexually active 15 year olds, only 26 percent of boys and 48 percent of girls had sex education by the time they had first intercourse" (Shapiro 58). This is one reason that AIDS education has not been totally successful. It relies on sex education to stress condom use, but many young teens are forming their patterns of contraceptive use or nonuse before they are educated enough to make the right decision. Another major problem sex education tries to solve is teen pregnancy. "American teenage females experience about one million unplanned pregnancies each year" ("The Effects" 632). "About thirty-seven percent of teenage pregnancies end in abortion and about fourteen percent in miscarriage" (Whitehead 73). The social consequences of teens having children are great. If a teenage mother does not finish high school or become married there is a seventy-nine percent chance that the mother and the child will be poor (Whitehead 73). Teenage girls have greater control over their fertility today than they had 3-Peters in the past, and yet the percentage of births to unwed mothers continues to rise (Whitehead 73). This shows that sex education has failed to slow the rate of teen pregnancy. Teens in this country are having sex at a younger and younger age. "In 1970, five percent of fifteen year old girls and 32 percent of seventeen year old girls reported having had sex; by 1988 the figures had increased to twenty-six percent of fifteen year old girls and fifty-one percent of seventeen year olds" (Whitehead 72). Another survey by the Centers for Disease Control also came up with similar numbers. They reported 40% of 15 year olds reported having sex in 1993; but in 1970 only 10% of 15 year olds reported having sex (Shapiro 57). This shows how dramatic the increase of young sexually active teen girls is. This may not seem like a problem at first glance, but when you look at the circumstances surrounding young girls having sex the problem becomes clear. "The younger a girl is when she begins to have sex, the more vulnerable she is to its risks. She is less likely than an older teenager to be in a steady relationship, to plan her first intercourse, or to use contraception" (Whitehead 74.) As a result, girls who had their first intercourse at age fifteen or younger are almost twice as likely as eighteen year olds to become pregnant within the first six months of sexual activity (Whitehead 74). Some researchers believe that teenage girls are at greater risk for STDs than adult women because their cervical lining is not yet fully mature and is therefore more vulnerable to pathogens (Whitehead 73). These facts indicate that young teens engaging in sex are not protecting themselves properly. This proves that teens having sex at a younger age are more vulnerable to AIDS and pregnancy. Summarizing, I feel that sex education does not effectively protect teens from the consequences of having sex. I also feel that because teens are having sex at a younger age 4-Peters than ever before, they are outrunning the sex education programs. These programs were not designed for teens that are having sex at the age of twelve. This causes sex education to fail because many teens are having sex before they are receiving sex education in the high schools. Also, many of the sex education programs are abstinence based, and teens are having sex. Without proper knowledge of how to use a condom, many teens are left unprotected from diseases and pregnancy. To solve these problems a number of changes in the sex education system need to be made. Sex education needs to be taught in schools at a younger age. Sex education also should teach teens how to use a condom and teach AIDS education. First, sex education needs to be taught in schools. Many parents do not know the facts about AIDS or diseases. Having parents teaching their children sex education at home is only going to put strain on the parents, and it will leave some teens uneducated about sex. Many parents would choose not to teach their children about sex education, because they feel uncomfortable talking to their children about sex. Public opinion agrees that sex education should be taught in schools. "Nine in 10 Americans agree: Schools should teach kids about sex" (Shapiro 56). What Americans disagree on is what form of education should be taught in schools. I believe that parents should be offered the opportunity to come to the sex education class's with their children, so they can learn what information their child is receiving. That way the schools could act as a beginning point for the parents and child to talk about sex comfortably in their home. It would also solve the problem of parents who disagree about what should be taught. I believe that their should be two different levels of sex education for children of different age groups. Children under the age of 16 should only be taught abstinence. This would slow the trend of 13, 14, 15 year olds having sex. It would also decrease the 5-Peters numbers of teen pregnancy because these girls are the most likely to become pregnant. Teen girls of this age group are also more likely to get a sexually transmitted disease, because they are more likely to have sex with older more experienced teenagers. In a survey 75% of women had first intercourse with a partner older than themselves, and 51% of these partners were already sexually experienced (Sex Education 900). Teaching abstinence to these young teens would encourage them to say no. I also think that teens over the age of 16 should be taught condom and AIDS education. This would allow older teens that engage in sex the protection they need. It would decrease the threat of AIDS and pregnancy. The key to the age separation is that at some time eventually nearly everyone has sex. By not teaching teens in school about AIDS and birth control they would not have received much of the information they need to know about the risks of sex and how to protect yourself. First abstinence training needs to be taught in school at the age of 10. This is a young enough age that all the children should be in the program before they make and uneducated decision about sex. The children should be taught some type of abstinence training every year at least and once a semester would be better. The classes would have to be 30-40 minutes long 5 days a week for about 2-4 weeks. That would be enough time to make the programs effective. These classes should teach the young teens how to say no to an over aggressive partner, what the risks of having sex are, and how healthy relationships work. This would provide the young teens a way to examine their relationships and determine the quality of them before they have sex. One boy told Sheehan this, "I'd like to hear more stories....how they met....how they kept the love alive" (Sheehan 11). This proves that many teens want to learn about relationships. They 6-Peters want to learn about what makes a good relationship and how to maintain it and this is the perfect age to start teaching these skills to the young teens. The second part of sex education should include AIDS and condom education. This program would be taught at the age of 16 and up. I think these classes should also be taught once a year because at the high school level it is harder to find time for sex education classes. This program should be 4 weeks long and 45 minutes a day. It should be taught very interactively not as a lecture. There should be a lot of time devoted for discussion of the issues covered each day and for questions. There should also be a private councilor available to the students that need it. The AIDS education portion of the class would discuss how AIDS is spread. It should also discuss the effects AIDS has on your body when you contract the disease and teach people to be sensitive to people who have AIDS. Along with AIDS education condom education must be taught. Condoms use is the only way that AIDS can be prevented sexually besides abstinence. Without good condom education AIDS will spread out of control by sexual intercourse. The condom education program should stress that condoms are the best contraceptive devise for most teens sexual patterns. Condoms prevent the spread of disease, and they also prevent pregnancy. Condoms education should also stress that condoms are not 100% effective. "Changes in temperature, rough handling or age can cause the latex to weaken or become gummy, it is important to store condoms properly and handle them with care" (qtd. in Whetstone 98). The program should teach teens the proper way to use a condom and the proper way to store them. This would decrease teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases too. I also think that the relationship aspect that would be taught to the earlier age group should also be taught to this age group. The teens at this age would already have a good idea of what they would like in a relationship and the program could 7-Peters go more in depth that way. This step of the sex education process would really focus on getting teens ready to handle a sexual relationship in their adult lives. This program would not just include condom and AIDS education but it would include life skills. In conclusion I feel that sex education should be taught in schools at the age of 10. Some teens are having sex at age 12 or younger so sex education needs to be taught at a very early age. Sex education should include abstinence training for teens under the age of 16 and condom and AIDS education for teens over the age of 16. The abstinence portion of the program would discourage teens under the age of 16 from having sex. This is the highest risk group for the risk of pregnancy and the spread of disease. The second part of the program would teach older teens the relationship skills they will need in the future and stress condom use and AIDS education. Together the 2 parts of this program with produce the desired results that other sex education programs in the past have failed to produce. 8-Peters Works Cited Gibbs, Nancy R. "How Should We Teach Our Children About Sex?" Time 41 (May 24 '93): 60-6. Shapiro, Joseph P. "Teenage Sex: Just Say 'Wait'." U.S. News &World Report 115 (July 26 '93): 56-9. "Sex Education in Schools: Peers to the Rescue." Lancet 344 (Oct. 1 '94): 899-900. Sheehan, Sharon A. "Another Kind of Sex Ed." Newsweek 120 (Oct. '94): 10-11. "The Effects of Three Abstinence Sex Education Programs on Student Attitudes Towards Sexual Activity." Adolescence 26 (Fall '91): 631-41. Whetstone, Muriel L. "How Safe Is Safe Sex." Ebony 49 (July '94): 96-8. Whitehead, Barbara Dafoe. "The Failure of Sex Education." Atlantic Monthly 274 (Oct. '94): 55-80. Roy Peters f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Should a homosexual course be set up in the school .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Should homosexual ideas be taught in school ? Nowadays, homosexuality is becoming more and more popular in the society. According to some experts, homosexuals are born homosexuals, and they do not have the choice. Because of this, these people should not be discriminated since it is not their will to be homosexual. However, not many people understand this idea, and they should be educated so that they have some knowledges about this subject. Thus, a course is needed to be set up in the school to educate students. There are three main purposes of the course which show the importance of teaching students homosexual ideas. The first and primary purpose of the course is to educate those people who have no knowledge about homosexuality. Homosexuality is a very hot topic in the modern world, and people should not be unaware of it. They should not be ignorant to something that happen in their surroundings. Regardless of the subject, people should always learn more new things, as this is one of our goals of living. To learn about homosexuality, for example, is just as important as to learn history. It just enriches one's knowledge, and the one who benefits is himself. For this reason, setting up a homosexual course is surely advantageous. Beside the contribution of knowledges, a homosexual course can also prevent people from misunderstanding homosexuality. There are many people in the society who do not really comprehend the nature of homosexuality; therefore, they make fun and discriminate the homosexualists. This is an unhealthy condition. The solution of this is to set up a homosexual course in the school so that people can learn to make allowances for the problems of the homosexualists. This is very important because in the modern society, equality is a major premise. Racism, sexism, and the discrimination of people should be totally abolished. Also, human rights are meant to be preserved; therefore, nobody in the world should be presecuted, including the homosexualists. Apparently, establishing a homosexual course is a useful way to spread this information out. The other purpose of the course is to give an opportunity for the people to exchange ideas. Through a homosexual course, people can both give and receive opinions among each other. They can discuss the positive and negative side of homosexuality, and from that they can comprehend the topic more thoroughly. As people are having better communication, the barrier among them will disappear. Nobody will ever discriminate the homosexualists again, and the distance between a normal person and a homosexualist will be shortened until there is no distinction between them. What then follows is a flawless world where discrimination is absolutely exterminated. The establishment of a homosexual course is proved by the three reasons to be benefitial. It helps student to understand the basic concepts of homosexuality. Also, it prevents the discrimination of homosexualist, and it provides a good medium for people to exchange ideas. Therefore, it is necessary to set up a homosexual course in school. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Skin Cancer.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Of all different kinds of cancer, skin cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States. Skin cancer is a disease which cancer cells are found on the outer layers of the skin. Your skin protects the body from heat, infection, light, injury and infection. It also stores fat, water, and vitamin D. The skin has two layers and several different kinds of cells. With a certain lifestyle these cells can become cancerous.(Prodigy Web Browser: An Introduction to skin Cancer {NET}, 1997) Melanoma is associated with the highest case-fatality rate of all skin cancers.(Mortality and Morbility Weekly Report Vol. 45/No. 17 , {MMWR}, 1996) Numerous studies have delineated the natural history of skin cancers. Some cell carcinomas tend to grow and invade slowly and steadily. Certain subtypes are more aggressive, and certain sites of occurrence (scalp, shoulders and nose) are associated with worse cases. Malignant melanoma may have a thin stage, in which survival rates are excellent. The length of thin, or radial, growth phase may be months to years. If untreated at some point melanoma enters a quick growth phase. When this occurs the survival rates plummet.(Brandt, 1996) Skin Cancer can be avoided. A change in lifestyle can reduce the risk of skin cancer. This includes awareness of the reality of skin cancer, avoiding the sun, and self- examination and screening. Most of the time when people think of a serious disease they think of things like lung cancer, heart disease, sexually transmitted diseases, and other hot topic diseases of that nature. Skin cancer awareness and the seriousness of skin cancer is far less emphasized. The MMWR did a survey of knowledge of and awareness about melanoma in the united states in 1995. In 1996, an estimated 38,300 cases of melanoma were diagnosed, and an approximately 7300 melanoma deaths would occur . Intervention strategies can be developed with information and public awareness of melanoma. (MMWR) To help awareness and public knowledge about melanoma, the American Academy of Dermatology conducted a nation wide survey in 1995. (shown in appendix A) This report summarizes the survey findings, which indicate that a high proportion (42%) of respondents had no knowledge about melanoma. The level of awareness was lowest among persons aged 18 to 24 years of age.(MMWR) Respondents were asked "Can you tell me what melanoma is?"; 55% knew it was a type of cancer, 34% knew it was a type of skin cancer and 42% did not know about melanoma. After being informed on melanoma, they identified at least one risk factor of it. Most identified the risk involved with exposure to the sun. Awareness also was varied substantially by demographic factors including sex, race, age, education, income, and religion. (MMWR) In recent decades worshipping the sun has become a cult. A deep tan and is popularly regarded as a sign of robust health and beauty. Some go as far as using artificial tanning milk if they can't get one naturally. While millions bask in the sun and follow the sun far south in winter, artificially produced tanning rays can give people their tan at home.(Brody, 1982) Unfortunately, ultra violent rays are a trouble maker. A good appreciation for the sun's harm is long overdue. Most people won't abandon their sun god overnight, dermatologist hope that a better understanding on the sun's harm will inspire a safer form of worship.(Brody) The lack of understanding has spawned fatal and very morbid cases of skin cancer. Certain factors such as skin type and time of exposure also determine the risk of cancer. There are certain precautions than can be taken to help lesson the affects of sun exposure. Use of sun blocking agents such as sunscreens, hats and protective apparel other can reduce the risks substantially. Sunscreens, not to be confused with tanning oils, come in different degree's of protection. According to skin type and time of day determine what level of sunscreen is sufficient protection.(Brody) It is smart to apply sunscreen with an at least SPF-15 or higher, to all areas of the body that are exposed to the sun. Apply again every two hours, even on cloudy days. Also after swimming or perspiring. Avoid exposure to ultra violent rays such as sun lamps or tanning parlors. Keep children protected from excessive sun exposure especially when the sun is the strongest (10:00AM and 3:00PM).(NET) Always consult a physician with questions concerning health affects to ultra violent exposure. The third change in lifestyle is self-examination and screening. There should be no excuse for it when a safe, inexpensive screening test exist and when a person can learn what to look for at home. Screening is most helpful when the disease is highly prevalent, and a natural history of the disease is known.(Brandt) Self-examination requires no time. A person should look for black spots on the skin and rapid growth of moles and freckles.(Brandt) Skin cancer is a terrible disease that causes fatal and morbid results. I seems as if it is a topic that is left alone and that makes the disease even more dangerous. It is sad to think that so many people suffer from a cancer that could have been so easily prevented with proper precautions and education that require none to little effort what so ever. Just a small adjustment in one's lifestyle. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Societys Influence on Morals.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Society's Influence on Morals The atrocities of the Holocaust have prompted much inquiry by researchers to understand how humans can behave so cruelly toward their fellow man. Theories have been formed that cite the men of Battalion 101 as "exceptions" or men with "faulty personalities," when, in fact, they were ordinary men. The people who attempted to perform a genocide were the same people as you and me with the only difference being the environment in which they worked. The behavior of the men in Battalion 101 was not abnormal human behavior, rather, their actions are testament to the premise that when humans are exposed to certain environmental and psychological conditions, extreme brutality is highly apt to occur. The members of the Police Battalion 101 had the same ideas and influences as the rest of the German citizens. Because of the racist teachings produced by the German government, the entire German society was uniform under the belief that they were the master race. The German were taught that anyone different from their own kind (white Anglo-Saxon Protestant) needed to be removed from their society in order for it to prosper. The Police Battalion men shared the same beliefs as everyone else, but they had to perform the dirty work of killing approximately 83,000 Jews. Christopher Browning states in his book, Ordinary Men, that, "...the men of Reserve Police Battalion 101, like most of the German society, was immersed in a deluge of racist and anti-Semitic propaganda" (Browning 184). Unless placed in the Battalion men's situation, one can not fathom how a population of people can so evilly turn against another. People in every culture are susceptible to the ideas and beliefs brought upon them by propaganda. Whenever an idea is accepted as the 'norm', people will find a way to justify it and follow it despite the evil implications it might entail. Humans have faced these situations throughout the last two centuries numerous times. For example, the American slave trading was totally acceptable to the southerners because the blacks were perceived to be lesser human beings. The slave owners did not mind controlling and abusing a slave like it was an animal since in their mind the slave was comparable to an animal. This was true in Germany with the only difference being that the Anti-Semitics thought the Jews should be eliminated. A more recent example would be the American's attitudes toward the Russians during the Cold War. Children were taught that the Russians were evil and while the Russian children were being taught the same ideas about the Americans. Propaganda was used by our government to make us believe that we were the good side while they were the bad side. Before anyone had time to sit back and think about the situation rationally, our entire society hated the Communists. The same situation applied for the German citizens except, their attitudes illustrated the effectiveness of propaganda even when it has the evilest of implications. It must be understood that the men who transported or participated in the killings of 83,000 Jews were not selected as men who were thought to be capable of acting inhuman. They were ordinary men in their 30's and 40's who were too old to fight in the war but they were still capable of carrying out orders. Before the war, the men worked as businessmen, truck drivers, medical workers, and even teachers who came from middle to lower class backgrounds. It is difficult to imagine an individual, such as a teacher, who dedicated his life to the enhancement of a child's education and well-being, participated and tolerated the killing of thousands of children. But it is true that the same men, who the Jewish society trusted as workers and professionals, willfully tried to kill them off. The political environment which surrounded the Police Battalion made their vicious job less difficult. But those men who did not wish to partake in the killings could be given a different assignment. In fact, a minority did walk a way from the slaughters, but the remaining 80% to 90% carried out their orders. Reich, in his summary of Ordinary men, suggests that, "For many, the pressure to conform to a group, and not to seem like cowards, played a major role in their continuing to shoot" (Reich 1B). If a minority group differs from a majority group that has the same beliefs, they are looked upon with shame and disdain. If a soldier were to disagree with their orders, they were the object of ridicule and scrutiny. It is much easier for a person to follow the beliefs of their society or else they will stand out. An example of the fear to follow your beliefs if they differ from the norm, is an account from Tim O'Brien's true story titled, "On The Rainy River." After being drafted for the Vietnam War, he wanted to flee to Canada to avoid being sent to the war. O'Brien recalls before he was about to swim to the shores of Canada that "My conscience told me to run, but some irrational and powerful force was resisting, like a weight pushing me toward the war" (O'Brien 54). Like some members of the Police Battalion, O'Brien wanted to follow his conscience and leave the situation, but instead he chose to go to the war and follow the 'norm' where he would be like everyone else. Following the views that your particular society accepts is much easier than standing out and practicing the opposite. For the Battalion men, responsible decision making was hindered among the wartime chaos. Many soldiers found their task to be psychologically burdening until they found ways to overcome their uneasiness. Killing Jews even became a routine chore for the Battalion men. Eventually, one kill was the same as the next so it really did not have an affect on the shooters. After the Battalion men got adjusted to the initial shock of the extreme gore and disgust from shooting Jews at point blank range, their job was habitual. Their job even became fun when the police could participate in "Jew hunt" (Browning 123) which was exactly what the name implies. Jews who managed to escape from their camps were hunted by the police who would shoot them for target practice. Browning quotes an officer named Adolph Bittner as saying "'In summary one could perhaps say that in small [hunts], when not so many shooters were needed, there were always enough volunteers available'" (128). The "Jew Hunts" represent the extreme desensitizing that the war causes. When victims, like the Jews, are dehumanized, the aggressor can feel less disturbed by ending its life. The Jews were numbered and gathered like a herd of sheep going to a slaughterhouse (Jacobs). For the Battalion 101 group, it was much easier to kill with the mentality that their victims were less significant and even detrimental to the human race. The men who transported the Jews to the death camps felt at ease because they were not doing the actual killings. Even the men who directed the Jews into the gas chambers did not feel responsible because they were not doing the actual killings first hand. Reich concludes that, "Each of these factors helped the policemen feel that they were not violating, or violating only because it was necessary, their moral codes" (Reich 1D). When choices are presented that are morally burdening, it is human nature to find ways to rationalize their decisions. For many of the Police Battalion 101, rationalization for their brutal actions occurred repeatedly. Despite the evil propaganda that was spread about the Jews, there are examples of how ordinary people took it upon themselves to help the desperate Jews hide from the Germans. Among the brutal wartime chaos, certain groups of people rose above the mainstream beliefs of their society to show that human courage and morality can prevail when all odds are against them. In his book, Conscience and Courage, Eva Fogelman terms these types of people as "moral rescuers" (161). These are people who follow their own conscience despite the pressures from their surroundings to do what they believe is morally correct. Fogelman states in his book that, "Their values were self sustaining, not dependent on the approval of others. To them, what mattered most was behaving in a way that maintained their integrity" (162). In both Le Chambon, France and Denmark, accounts have been made of groups of people following their consciences and doing what necessary to save another person's life. The civilians living in the small town of Le Chambon successfully hid over 5,000 Jews from the Germans. Their heroic effort to save the Jews' lives is a perfect example of how the human conscience is capable of making morally correct decisions even during a time of war. In the movie, "Weapons of the Spirit", the effort put forth by the Chambonais was not a town endeavor but an individual undertaking by each individual family. The families were only acting on what they believed was the morally correct thing to do. This example is similar to the Danish people who found it their patriotic duty to save their own people from the wrath of the Germans. In her magazine article titled, "Dallas Honors a Righteous Nation", Rachel Amado Bortnick tells of the Danish effort to save the Jews. The Danish did not separate the Jews in their minds from the rest of the Danes. It was never taught or led by example that the Jews were different from the rest of the Danish community, therefore, children were never exposed to the Anti-Semetism that the German children were exposed. In Bortnick's article, Mr. Petersen explains that "'What we did for the Jews wasn't any different than what we would have done if the Germans had decided they were going to deport all postmen or people who wore glasses or who had red hair'". This mentality was obviously on the opposite end of the spectrum from the citizens of Germany. In Browning's book, Ervin Staub made the assertion that "'cruelty is social in its origin much more than it is characterological'...most people 'slip' into the roles society provides them..." (167). Evil ideas and beliefs are molded onto a person by their surroundings rather than inherent in their personalities. With such a strong influence on our behavior, propaganda can lead a society to think and belief the unimaginable. The men of Police Battalion 101 are a testament to the idea that people are capable of not only thinking the unimaginable, but they can act upon it. Works Cited Bortnick, Rachel Amado. "Dallas Honors a Righteous Nation." Dallas Jewish Life Nov. 1993. Browning, Christopher R. Ordinary Men. New York: Aaron Asher Books/HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1993. Fogelman, Eva. Conscience and Courage. New York: Anchor Books Doubleday, 1994. Jacobs, Mike. Speech to Class. Dallas, 31 Mar. 1997. Reich, Walter. "The Men Who Pulled the Triggers." The New York Times 12 Apr. 1992. Weapons of the Spirit. Writ./Dir. Pierre Sauvage. The Friends of Le Chambon. 1988. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Societys Problems and my role in helping it.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Is helping solve the problems of society everyone's job, or no one's job. What role would you hope to play, based on your interests and developing skills, in the solution of one or more specific problems? Society's Problems and my role in helping it As the problems in society arise, it is the duty of every individual to ease the burden by helping to solve these problems. Too often, individuals pass off that responsibility with the hope that others will pick up the slack. The problem is that too many shrug their responsibility leaving an insurmountable degree of perils. It is everyone's obligation to help solve the problems because everyone has a stake in society. Not enough people see the whole picture when it comes to society's problems. If something hurts the society, it hurts the individual. For example, the problem of homelessness is not just the problem of those who are without residence. Their plight effects us all. Homelessness hurts the local businessman whose customers are frightened away by the homeless man living on the corner. It hurts those who have to commute to work via public transportation and must deal with the panhandlers. It hurts those whose homes are burglarized by the homeless man looking for money to feed his family. There is no isolated problem in society and each problem has a ripple effect that eventually hurts everyone. Even if only for selfish reasons, every individual should help to solve the problems of society. A parallel that I can draw to further illustrate my point is the team play of former NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson. When asked why he is such a team player, he responded that he was a very selfish man. He wanted to win so much that he was willing to do whatever it took to succeed. I hope that in my later life I have every opportunity to help those who need it. I try to help out as much as I can now. Due to my commitments at school, I have little spare time, but I still attempt to help. During Thanksgiving I help out with my school's Thanksgiving Food Drive. I also volunteer as a tutor for those who need help with their academics. On smaller scales, I always donate my loose change to the various charity boxes that are strategically placed at the counters of all the local stores and I always recycle my recyclables. At college, I look forward to the opportunity to further assist in improving society. Beyond college, I hope to eventually make a real difference in society. I have chosen business management and/or marketing as my career of choice, but I would eventually like to throw my hat into the ring of politics. My goal is to become a successful businessman and set myself up comfortably. If I become well off, which I hope to, I will give back to the society that helped me reach that point. I will do so by donating both my time and money to various charitable services. I then hope to run for local office. My desire to be a politician is for only altruistic reasons. I want to change many things about the way our government is run and the way it handles the problems of society. If I run for office, it will not be to gain financially or to make a name for myself. I want to make a difference, and I feel that through the medium of politics I could. I feel that the single most important institution in our nation is the educational system. Without a strong educated population, the United States will never return to its former economic prosperity and standing among the nations of the world. More important than pumping money into defense and the military, we should be focusing our time, money and effort on educating the youth. I feel that this starts by decreasing the class size at the grade school level. Children who are neglected at home need the assurance and support of their teacher. The teacher cannot possibly do that for thirty-five students. A young child's mind is a blank slate and can be influenced very easily. It is very important that the child is instilled with proper values and strong sense of confidence in himself. That is why the school has to get to the child before the local drug dealers can corrupt him. I also feel that more money needs to be spent on the educational growth of the child from kindergarten through college. Teaching is, in my estimation, the most important profession in our nation and the attitude towards them does not reflect that statement. Better conditions and higher salaries would attract more dedicated and educated people into the field of education. I hope that one day, I have enough money that I can donate large sums to various institutions of higher learning so that children who would not have otherwise had the opportunity to receive an education will be able to. There are many other changes I would like to see instituted. I am for more radical programs such as the legalization of gambling, prostitution and drugs. It sounds like I am suggesting a total moral defabrication of our society, but in reality, past the negative perception, such programs would be very beneficial. Legalized gambling, under state control, would allow the state to make huge profits. Besides the capital raised from the casinos, tourism would increase. That would be beneficial for all surrounding businesses. Legalized prostitution would make an already practiced institution safer, reducing the spread of HIV. An educated businessman could run the brothel allowing an honest individual to make the profit. It would also lower the instances of physical abuse between the prostitute and the patron. The legalization of drugs would put the dealers out of business. Young children would no longer have the option of selling drugs and would be forced to get an education. Without drug dealers, there are no turf wars and fewer gun related murders. The drugs could then be sold in a pharmacy where upon an honest business man could make the profit. This would reduce the sharing of IV needles and reduce the spread of HIV. By legalizing the drug, the rebel element is taken away and it is my belief there would be fewer abusers. These are just a few programs that I would like to push for should I ever be given the chance. If individuals do not soon understand the importance of helping out in our society, the problems will become too great for us to handle. I would like to close with a little story my mother used to tell me when I was little: "This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done." f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Some Times a shining moment.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In the book Sometimes a Shining Moment: Eliot Wiginton had a student that talked about a teacher who takes time to recognize students as an individual and not just part of a group. The student went on to say "I had one particular teacher that I would never forget. Once when the teacher gave back an essay I found that she had complimented my essay, the topic, and even me." I had a teacher that that was just like the teacher that one of the juniors or seniors had. The teacher that I remember the best was my twelfth grade English teacher, Mrs. Oehler was a type of teacher that always involved every one in the class discussion. She took the time to realize me as a individual and not just a student that showed up for her class every day. Every day when I went to class I was excited to be their. We never knew what Mrs. Oehler had up her sleeve, but we knew that we would have a good time. When I showed up at room 124 on the first day of class I did not know what to expect. You see I never had Mrs. Oehler in my previous three years of high school. I thought she would be a nice person to have as teacher, but I never knew that she would be the best teacher that I ever had. I first noticed that Mrs. Oehler was a special kind of person when she came over to my desk and out of the clear blue she asked me about my story I was writing for her class. I was surprised to here her say "so Matt how do you like you story so far". She did not ask any body else in the class, just me. It was those little things that she did that impressed me. She always made time in class for each and every one of us to state our opinion about the days topic. Some days when we were reading a story she would turn it into a theatrical performance. She always keep us interested in what we were reading, and turned an ordinary assignment that would of been boring with any other teacher into a fun and rewarding experience. We read the Adromenal Strain a story that dealt with a deadly virus from outer space and the use of the atomic bomb to rid the earth of this deadly infection. Our class was mixed with different emotions about using the atomic bomb. We discussed the effects and devastation that the bomb could bring and compared them to the good possibilities that could occur from bombing the city that had been hit with this infections virus. In order to make this debate more interesting than before Mrs. Oehler declared every one in the class congressmen. We were then required to write a letter of recommendation to the President of the United States of America. The topic of the letter was to persuade the president to drop or not to drop the bomb. I took this assignment to heart, I tried to make the letter look so official and realistic as possible. That night when I went home I turned on the computer and created a letter head to match the letter head of this letter that I got from Congressman John Kaisch. I did such a good job that Mrs. Oehler showed it off to the whole entire class. When one of her students in her class did some thing that was extremely outstanding she would take notice and share it with the class. It was things like that she did that made her class a fun learning experience. Another student from Wiginton's book said: "I had a teacher who was always willing to stay after class and talk to you. He would always help straighten things out. If I did something wrong he'll tell me. I really appreciated the fact that he cared the that much." My art teacher Mrs. Lenher was like that. She was a very nice person and every one in the school knew it, even the other teachers. When ever I had a problem she would take time out of her very busy day to help. I remember last fall one of my friend was in trouble with the law. This really brought me down because my friend was in a high speed chase and he got away. He then came over to my house to hide from the police. Some how the police received a tip from another friend that he was at my house. The police came to my house and, I was forced to turn him in. After that I was extremely confused and afraid that I would lose a friend because I turned him in. The next day I told Mrs. Lenher about what happened. We talked for about and hour and discus the good and the bad that could happen to my friend and our friend ship. She helped me come to a conclusion that I did the right thing and that my friend should be thankful for what I did. My friend is now out of trouble and we are still friends so I feel that I did do the right thing by not letting him keep running from the law. With out Mrs. Lenher's help I would still feel guilty. She was also their for me when I was trying to win a scholarship to an art school in Pittsburgh. I remember she stayed up very late one night to write a letter of recommendation for me. She called me on the phone around 10:00 o'clock that night to tell me that she was almost done with the letter. She cleared up some things that she was not sure about then we talked about my portfolio. I thought it was funny that my teacher called me a my house, I never had a teacher that did that before. I think that every one should have a teacher like Mrs. Leaner to talk to when you need to talk. The thing that really gets to me is when a teacher favors certain people over the rest of the group. One of the students from Some Times a Shining Moment also said the same thing. The student said "what gripes me the most is teachers picking out one or two students to have as "pets". It is not only unfair to the other students, and really childish for adults to do; it really doesn't help the child you are being nice to. Did you ever stop to think that what it does to a kid to get too much attention? Well, I'll tell you. They at first will be envied by her friends. But pretty soon the awe wears thin and the resentment sets in. The poor kid that was at first popular and friendly soon loses friends." I definitely can relate to this story. I've have had two teachers that had "pets" I hated the teachers that did that and I ended up not liking the "pets". My math teacher was also the football and the basketball coach. He favored the kids that were on his teams. In class he would try to be their best friend while the rest of the class got neglected. I felt unnoticed and did not want to be in his class because I felt very uncomfortable in a class with a teacher that did not care about me. My biology teacher was a pervert and his class "pets" were any girls that wore a skirt. If you were a girl you would get an "A" for the year with out trying very hard. Since I am a male I had to work hard for a good grade. My teacher would never look at the tests and the home work, he would grade our papers by what he thought we deserved. I got an "B" for the year only because I worked very hard and protested my grades after he handed back the papers. Now that I look back and think about him, I believe that he a very special grading system of his own. Girls get an "A", boys get a "B or C" and smokers get "F's". It was very unfair and I did not like some of the girls in that class that year because of the grade that they got that they did not earn. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Speeding Is A Dead End.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Speeding Is A Dead End Part of being a human being is learning from our mistakes. It is a natural process that we all experience at various periods of our lives. For instance, throughout the process of learning how to solve mathematics problems, the only method is to practice solving the problems. During this process of solving the problems, it is only natural to make mistakes. By comparison, in life in general, the only way to learn to become a better person is by correcting the mistakes that were previously experienced. During the past eighteen years, I have learned many lessons as a result of primarily making mistakes. My mother always told me to obey the speed limit because one day I will unexpectedly have to pay the price. Not only could I kill myself by speeding, I could kill other innocent people that could have been involved. Moreover, not only did I not comply with the speed limit, I did not obey my mother. Unfortunately, I learned my lesson one gloomy day when I got caught for speeding on a city street by a police officer. It was the typical setting to be accused for a driving offense. The clouds were gray, the roads were slick due to a recent rainfall and there was not many cars on the road encouraging me to drive faster. I had just gone through a yellow light at a major intersection and when I looked straight ahead, there was not a car in sight. Due to the fact that the road was "all mine", I was encouraged to travel twenty-five kilometers over the speed limit. Admittedly, I almost heard my mother telling me to slow down. After my increase in velocity, I noticed I was approaching a downhill. Since I was driving downhill, I was forced to pick up speed and I reached approximately 100 km/h. When I reached the level road again, I was able to see the road ahead. To my surprise, I noticed an old, rotten car parked on the shoulder of the road and a person wearing a hat getting out of it. As I drew nearer, I noticed that it was a police officer directing me to stop the car and park on the shoulder of the road. I automatically remembered my mother warning me to obey the speed limit or else I will be captured when I least expect it. Nevertheless, I saw the officer stand near my door and so I rolled down my window. He first asked me for my license and registration of the car. I timidly handed them to him. He told me that he caught me speeding at a speed of 105 km/h on a city street with a speed limit of 60 km/h. He presented me a ticket with a value of $110.00 for speeding on a city street. He also told me that I must attend a court hearing because speeding is considered a serious driving offense. He told me to be careful on the roads because if I was caught again in the next six months, I would have my license suspended. Therefore, I would have to admit that I learned my lesson dearly because after that unexpected incident and until this day, I comply with the rules of the road. In short, I never thought I would be caught for speeding but, I must admit, getting caught by a police officer taught me a significant lesson. Not only could I have killed myself, but most importantly, I could have killed innocent lives. Hence, after I made this mistake I understand why my mother always told me not to excel the speed limit. Thus, committing this mistake was only natural in the process of learning a lesson for a human being like me. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\storyteling.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sophia Chen Ecomp 100 Essay #5 24 Oct 1996 Story-Telling Storytelling has helped humankind evolve into a wiser species by allowing those with enough attentiveness and intelligence to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors. The Chinese culture, like many others world wide, base their beliefs largely on stories passed down from generation to generation. Because stories are told and retold, alterations and even new versions appear. Such is the case in " Fa Mu Lan," for more than one version is known to exist to this day. Many times the changes in a story are to put its message on a certain level for an individual to understand. If the change is to keep the message updated with society, the version would be a modernized one. These stories affect the stories with a flavor of their own personal character. In The Woman Warrior Maxine Hong Kingston utilizes stories told to her by her mother as a device to introduce readers to some aspect of her life. Kingston's mother pass down to her the wisdom she has acquired from her mistakes throughout her life along with best hopes and wishes. The Woman Warrior is a story about the life of Maxine Hong Kingston. It is easy to see her identity from those memorable occurrences that she mentions throughout her book, especially the stories her mother told her. The story of "Fa Mu Lan", for example, teaches women to strive to be the best they can be. It is a story about a woman warrior who takes place of her father in battle and returns in victory as a heroine. It evidently shows that her mother tells this story with her sincerest hopes and passions for her. Her mother wishes her to become more than what it was hope for . Even though woman in old China only grow up to be wives and slaves, she hopes and even dilutions of grandeurs for her daughters thrive in their hearts. Story-telling has been an essential part of their childhood. Maxine Hong Kingston was told that her aunt who committed adultery and brought shame, bad luck along with destruction to her family. She committed suicide because she could not face their families not tell who the father of the children is. The shame brought about by the incident was too much for her to bare. The story was told to warn the girls from having a child before getting married, as can be arrived at from this statement in The Woman Warrior: " Whenever she [her mother] had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one, a story to grow up on. She tested out strength to establish realities"(Kingston 5) referring to her aunt. Hong did not reveal the father of her daughter, possibly a rape or a forbidden love. From the story, the listener can examine those mistakes make by the earlier generation and avoid possible similar situations. The Woman Warrior is a book about lives of Chinese American women, their struggles, hardships, hopes and joy. Hong's story, however focuses on the stories her mother had told her in her youth. Hong tell these stories to shed light on the Chinese culture, mind set, etiquette. This is a book of the bibliography of a woman through the ups and downs of her mothers tales. She provided the reader and opportunity to experience those same stories that affected her so much in her childhood. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Student Rights.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Student's Rights by Q.T.M. McConnell Are you in the mood for some good reading? The other day I was in the Guidance Office looking for guidance when I saw an unassuming three page packet. Having nothing else to do, I picked one up and began reading. I learned that the name of this little manual is the Student's Rights and Responsibilities Bill. I thought to myself, "my, what a great place is La Follette, that I can simply walk into my guidance office and learn my rights as a student. But wait, why must I pursue this information on my own? Why isn't this information in my handy handbook issued to me at the beginning of the school year? I ought to read this!" So I read. Soon I realized why our School Board may not want students realizing what we are actually entitled to. Right away in the Preamble, it states "students have the responsibility to respect rights of all persons involved in the educational process and exercise the highest degree of self-discipline in observing and adhering to legitimate rules." The first thing I thought was "WOW! That sounds great! The School Board really trusts me as a free-thinking individual to respect people and be respected. I love this school!" But wait. Before we all stage an "I love Cheryl Wilhoyte" love-fest, let's take a look at what these "legitimate rules" are, particularly as they apply to freedom of speech, expression, and something they like to call "material disruption of the educational environment." The first item on the list is literature, specifically a student's right to post it. It reads "Students shall have the right to post any literature of a non-commercial nature without prior censorship or approval by the Administration or School Board in any designated posting area, provided, however, the designated representative shall be accorded the right to remove posted material s/he considers obscene, libelous or will cause material disruption to the educational environment." Let's stop and think a bit. I have the right to post whatever I want so long as my Administrators agree with it? Whose rights are we really talking about here? Well, I began to think and it occurred to me that maybe my Administrators and School Board representatives aren't so concerned that I express myself however I like. But, I can see their point; after all, I probably wouldn't want fifteen hundred students posting whatever they wanted to either. They might start to see the world outside these walls. I proceeded reading. The next civil liberties violation I came across is stated as such: "Students shall have the right to wear buttons. . .and other symbolic expression provided these expressions are not obscene, libelous, or cause material disruption of the educational environment." So if I, Joe Student, am actively pro-life and I want to wear a button with a picture of an aborted fetus, I can't because someone is offended? Isn't that the point of democracy? To believe in something no matter what other people say and being able to voice an opinion? Am I expected to compromise my beliefs because someone doesn't agree with me? I hope not. Next on the list of Administrator's--oops, I mean student's--rights is clothing and conduct. According to our elected school officials, we the students have "the right to choose (our) own dress, conduct, and personal appearance, insofar as (it does) not substantially disrupt, pose a clear and present danger to school operations, present an obscene appearance, or endanger health." Well, lovely. Perhaps I'm just reading this wrong, but it seems to me that this bill of rights says that (paraphrased) "students can do what their administrators deem appropriate." Personally, I'm insulted that the School Board and our Administrators, the very people that are supposed to be helping us become intelligent, free-thinking adults, really give themselves the right to make me change my clothes or remove symbols of my beliefs because it may rub someone the wrong way. It's getting to the point where the WASPS downtown who have a very small idea what the students are really thinking make decisions for us on basic fundamental things, like our dress and expression of beliefs. Isn't the whole preamble of this bill saying that they trust us to be responsible to make our own choices with respect for others? When we arrive, or when any group of people arrive at a place where a student can't dress himself without fear of administrational reprimand, things need to change. Where I think we need to be, whether it's Libertarian or purely Utopian, is at a place where unless I'm infringing on a person's rights and abilities to live as they desire, as long as I respect them there's nothing wrong. If Mr. Man (or Woman) sitting in his (or her) office doesn't like my shirt, DON'T LOOK AT IT! What makes his (or her) opinion more valid than mine? What our Administrators ought to be doing is not to restrict rights but to empower individuality, work so a student can post literature to educate other people without prior consent from anyone. Whether someone posts literature that I agree with or not, at least I can choose a position and stand with it. As it is now, most everyone just walks to class, mutes out the teacher, walks to the next class and so on. If I was to read a pamphlet in the commons that encourages pot smoking, I may or may not agree with it, but the information is there for me to see and I can decide whether I want to smoke pot or not, whereas now, the information isn't even there, so I either get to find the information myself or remain ignorant. If public education is supposed to be about anything, shouldn't it be the opportunity for me to learn what I wish with the support, or at least passive non-support, of my educators? Now, about that "material disruption" stuff. The generous folks downtown have bestowed upon me the sacred privilege of wearing what they see as appropriate, behaving as they see appropriate, and just generally being appropriate. For example, tee-shirts and other clothing: When I see someone with a tee-shirt advertising something, I think "Oh, that person likes beer, that person likes Marilyn Manson, that person likes having no fear and that person likes his Big Johnson! Great for him!" But not once have I ever thought "That tee-shirt makes me want to skip school, cause unrest, drink beer with Marilyn Manson or fearlessly play with my Big Johnson!" You know why? IT'S ONLY A SHIRT! The same thing applies to hats. If I wear a hat and someone decides to try to beat me up because of it, isn't there a bigger issue to deal with than hats? Aren't our elected officials perhaps examining the wrong problem? I, a partially educated 17-year old, has never thought things like that, but apparently our college educated Administrators do, or at least think so little of us that they expect us to. They seem to think that a shirt or a poster or the way I conduct myself will cause such a furor that the school can't continue to function. They seem really wrong to me. Don't get me wrong. I have great respect for our Administrators and I know that they have very difficult jobs to do. They didn't write the Student's Bill of Rights, but they do have some room to move under the established rules. Why not take the whole issue to a vote? Why not have the students decide what we want and don't want in our school? Isn't that conducive to "Success for All" and our basic system of Democracy? Oh, just a few asides: Kudos to Dr.Jenkins for writing a piece for the last issue of The Lance. Whether you agree with him or not, at least one of our Administrators took the time to voice his opinion and let the student body know a little bit about him. Boo hiss to the St. Valentines Day massacres that happened a few weeks back. I can think of no better way to get the friendly gun-toting police officers--excuse me,"Educational Resource Officers"-- out of the halls of La Follette than a few good bare knuckle brawls. I'm also just a bit curious about the awards convocation (party) last month. Do our grade principals really know so little about us that they can't pronounce our names correctly? f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Student Roles and Responsibilities for the Masters of Counsel.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Roles and Responsibilities Student Roles and Responsibilities for the Master of Counseling Marriage, Family and Child Therapy Specialty Daniel Kimball May 4, 1996 HCS 500 Introduction to Graduate Studies Instructor: Mark A. Nichols Student Roles and Responsibilities for the Masters of Counseling Marriage, Family and Child Therapy Specialty The student roles and responsibilities of the Masters of Counseling in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy (MC\MFCT) at the University of Phoenix are to advance competent and ethical practitioners in family, couple and individual therapy in a variety of settings. By following the program's defined curriculum for professional role development, the successful graduate will be able to provide counseling services "in accordance with the highest ethical and professional standards" (Master of Counseling - Program Handbook, p. 7). To achieve this end, the student must adopt and synthesize the professional and ethical standards of the program into his own academic and personal development. He must develop and demonstrate a broad base of theoretical knowledge and therapeutic skills combined with his own ethical judgment and counseling expertise. The student is responsible for maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better to indicate a foundation of behavioral and social sciences, developmental theories as well as principles and practices for planning, initiating and evaluating therapeutic roles. In addition, a GPA of 3.0 or better must be maintained in all clinical courses to display excellence in standards and competence as a counseling professional. Failure to maintain the expected grading requirement will result in academic probation. In addition to the above criteria, the student must demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills, group participation, interpersonal skills, analysis and problem solving skills, counseling skills, and professional development specific to the program objectives. These areas are addressed and evaluated in three portfolio review courses, each of which is pass/fail. The student's leadership, interpersonal skills, self-direction, self-awareness and personal growth should reflect the program's philosophical and ethical principles to ensure his development as a competent professional. (University of Phoenix Handbook, 1996). Ethical standards and the responsibility of protecting the rights of clients must follow the AAMFT Code of Ethics and be reflected in the student's own actions and belief system. (University of Phoenix Handbook, 1995). Students are to maintain client confidentiality, and understand that clinical data should only be used to aid in the learning process. Students must develop and maintain appropriate confidentiality in creating, storing, and disposing of records as well as in written or communicated information to others (HCS500, Ethical Standards, 1988). Summary The U of P MC\MFCT roles and responsibilities are to promote excellence in ethical standards and professional development within the MC\MFCT graduate. They are trained in providing couple family and individual assessment and counseling with diverse populations. They are trained in family systems, consultation, research and intervention services to advance profession of the marriage, family and child therapy specialty. References Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (4th ed.). (1995). Washington, DC. American Psychological Association. HCS 500 Introduction to Graduate Studies (1996) Ethical Standards(1988, March) [pp. 1-4]. University of Phoenix (1995). Program handbook. Master of Counseling: UMBX, p. 2-38. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\stupidity.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE ADVANTAGES OF STUPIDITY Most people say being stupid will lead no where. They claim that it is the worst possible condition in which to spend one's life, and if possible, it should be completely avoided. They would even suggest if the symptoms of stupidity are caught in the early stages, it could easily be treated by a surgeon. The most effective method used to do this is the chainsaw technique, later described in volume two. Yet, perhaps if people took a closer look at some of the advantages stupidity had to offer, they wouldn't have such a negative attitude toward it. After reading this paper, one will understand the advantages of stupidity. Admittedly, stupidity has certain disadvantages. Life isn't a bowl of cherries. And being stupid doesn't make it any fruitier. Being stupid can annoy even the most sensitive people. If one acts stupid, and does it in the wrong crowd, like a group of adults, it will seem more immature than funny. If one is forced to act stupid while dealing with lower life forms, for example, high school teachers, one may encounter barriers such as cruelty and insensitivity, with the utterance of statements like, "Think with your head straight!" or, "You have a brain, use it." Yet these are all true, there are still many advantages to stupidity. The first advantage is very easy to understand. Stupid people are never asked to do a lot. Many have noticed that people tend to steer away from someone they feel may be stupid. This is for a very good reason. The stupidity which they posses makes a name for themselves, a name which can be very difficult to shake. Possibly, it is a word which describes the working habits of the person, such as "crappy". Yet, this creates a positive situation for the stupid person. They will have a lot of free time on their hands for more of lifes truly meaningful pleasures. Some of these activities are combing facial hair, and counting the pixels on a Sony TV. Now, there has been a rumour going around that suggests that stupid people have low expectations. This is true. They are so stupid that they don't realize great from O.K. They could have a Sanyo cordless phone, but would probably choose instead a Pierre Cardin alarm clock telephone, because it comes free with their sensamatic folding bed. And someone with the "advantage" of stupidity might have a hard time doing certain tasks, or setting things up. Yet this isn't all bad. For example, if a stupid person leaves the chore, and comes back to it later, no one will be able to understand it. Would they get fired from their job? No. For the very simple reason that no one would understand their work except for them. The job would have to be given back to the stupid person, perhaps with a higher salary, or someone would do it for them, leaving them with even more free time! Free time is great for brainstorming (Admittedly this seems to be a bad choice of words!). Yet the ideas stupid people create tend to be original. For example, when was the last time someone stupid said something, and made one think about it? It seems that people are always talking about someone elses dumb idea. An example of such an idea would be, "How many stories will that english teacher drop before having a stroke?" This would suggest that stupid people may have the upper hand when it comes to thinking up original ideas. In fact, the next time someone wants an original idea for something, they should try talking to their local, community stupid person. The reason for this is that while a stupid person thinks with his head, he does not do so an organized manner. This is why they have so much creativity. By thinking in this fashion, their ideas have a natural tendency to flow more easily, without the interruptions which occur from the editing of thoughts that logical people would have normally. Thus if someone else should say to one, "That was a stupid idea!" one should merely look that person straight in the eye, and say, "Thank-you!" This also means that the claim, "Stupid minds think alike." is not true. All stupid minds have different ideas, each idea being original. One of the final advantages of stupidity is that stupid people are always remembered, even after graduation day. It has been noticed how a quiet person is always hard to detect, and often remains anonymous. There is a very good reason for this. The mind has a hard time keeping quiet people in its memory track. But it is much easier and pleasing for the mind to remember someone really stupid. Anyways, when was the last time one laughed at an idiot in ones grade 12 class? When was the last time one laughed at the little kid at the back of the room? The evidence here proves how stupid people last longer in someones thoughts. The largest advantage which arises from stupidity is that it takes up 2/3 of DNA storage space, which is excellent for keeping stupidity in the family. Thus, stupidity clearly has many advantages, as long as someone is smart enough to use them! It is important to understand that stupid people are like all other humans physically. Yet, because of the difference between smart and stupid people, smart human beings should give them some breathing space. Teachers can learn that someone graced with stupidity, deserves more respect. After all, they are special. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Symbolism.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Colors in Symbolism Colors can symbolize many different things. Artists use colors in their paintings when they want you to see what they are trying to express. Like if an artist is trying to express sorrow or death he often uses blacks blues, and grays basically he uses dreary colors. You automatically feel what the artist is trying to express. When the artist uses bright colors you feel warm and you feel happiness. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald is like an artist. He uses colors to symbolize the many different intangible ideas in the book. He uses the color yellow to symbolize moral decay decadence and death. Then he uses the color white to symbolize innocence. He also uses the color green to express hope. Fitzgerald's use of the color green the strongest. Although these are not the only colors that Fitzgerald uses for symbolism, they are the ones that he expresses the most. This book is a very colorful book in the sense that it uses colors to cover so many different aspects of peoples lives. Fitzgerald uses the color yellow to symbolize moral decay. On (Page 18) he writes " The lamp-light, bright on his boots and dull on the autumn-leaf yellow of her hair." He is talking about Tom and Jordan Baker, and he is suggesting that tom might be heading for moral decay. In the book there are several things that Tom does that might prove this. First of all Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson. A second thing is that he does not like Gatsby, and several times he tries to prove that he is not who he says he is. Tom even hires a detective to prove this. Gatsby had a Rolls Royce that was yellow "His station wagon scampered like a yellow brisk-bug . . ." (Page 39). Gatsby's car was referred to many times in the book, but it was always referred to as "The yellow car" (Page 157). The color yellow was used most frequently when there was a death. One of the first things that Fitzgerald wrote about when Myrtle died was when they laid her on a table in the garage. He wrote "The garage, which was lit only by a yellow light in a swinging wire basket overhead" page . Wilson her husband was in a dazed state, and kept referring to his car only as the "Yellow car" (Page157) "That big yellow car" (Page141). That car led to Gatsby's demise. Just before Gatsby was shot by Wilson, Gatsby decided he was going to take a swim in his pool. He had not used it all summer. The chauffeur helped Gatsby fill up a mattress he was going to use in the pool. "Gatsby shouldered the mattress and started for the pool. Once he stopped and shifted it a little, and the chauffeur asked him if he needed help, but he shook his head and in a moment disappeared among the yellowing trees." Page (161-162) Perhaps another sign of his demise. Green is a very strong color in this book. It symbolizes hope. Gatsby and Daisy had met for a short time before he went off to war. When he returned he knew that Daisy had married Tom. He desperately wanted to get back together with her. So much so that he bought a house where he could see Daisy's house from his. Gatsby was able to pick out a green light at the end of her dock, and often looked toward it. I feel that green was symbolized as the deepest feeling in this book. Gatsby was so close to his dream of being with Daisy. He worked hard to get where he was, but before he could achieve his dream his life was ended. Another color that was used frequently was white. It symbolized innocence. (Page 75) Jordan Baker talks about Daisy, "She dressed in white and drove a little white roadster . . ." I think what Fitzgerald is saying is that when Daisy was younger she symbolized innocence. He also expressed that thought when he says she had a white girlhood on (Page 20). He also talks about the steps to Gatsby's house as being white. Maybe what he was saying was that on the outside it looked innocent, but on the inside it was not. Fitzgerald also uses many other colors such as silver, gray, pink, lavender, brown and black to symbolize the many other feelings. In this book he shows us how society uses colors to express our feelings. We use black at funerals, white at weddings, and red with war and love. Many people use colors to express their feelings, and don't even realize what they are doing. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Talking Reading listening.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Talking Reading listening Writing 7 6. REFERENCES 14 Basil Blackwell (1985) Guide for Authors. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1985. Bower et al. (1994) "Protocol, Etiquette, and Responsibilities of Reviewers in Fi-nance" , Financial Practice and Education, Fall/Winter 199418-24. Davis, John (1940) "The the Argument of an Appeal" from American Bar Association Journal, December 1940, 26: 895-899. Fowler, H. (1965) A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, Second Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965. Halmos, Paul (1970) "How to Write Mathematics" L'Enseignement Mathematique. May/June 1970. 16, 2: 123-152. Harman Eleanor (1975), "Hints on Poofreading" Scholarly Publishing, pp. 151-157 (January 1975). McCloskey, Donald (1985) "Economical Writing" Economic Inquiry. April 1985. 24, 2: 187-222. "The University of Chicago. Starting Research Early" Harry Roberts and Roman Weil. (August 14, 1970) Sonnenschein, Hugo & Dorothy Hodges (1980) "Manual for Econometrica Authors", Econometrica 48: 1073-1081 (July 1980). Stigler, George (1977) "The Conference Handbook", Journal of Political Economy, 85: 441-443. Strunk, William & E. White (1959) The Elements of Style. New York: Macmillan, 1959. Tufte, Edward (1983) The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Chesire, Conn.: Graphics Press, 1983. Weiner, E. (1984) The Oxford Guide to the English Language. Oxford: Oxford Uni-versity Press, 1984. 14 Eric Rasmusen, Indiana University School of Business, Rm. 456, 1309 E 10th Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405-1701. Office: (812) 855-9219. Fax: 812-855-3354. Email: Erasmuse@Indiana.edu. Web: http://ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu/erasmuse. Revised, June 26, 1996 2 2. WRITING 1 1. To overcome writer's block, put together an outline of the points you want to make, in any order. Then, order them. Start writing without worrying about style, and later revise heavily or start over. Starting twice today is better than waiting three months and starting once. It is better, a fortiori, than waiting forever. 2. Xerox your paper before you give it to anyone, or, better still, retain two copies on disk, in separate locations (for fear of fire). 3. Number each page of text, so the reader can comment on particular pages. Num-ber each equation in drafts on which you want comments. If you have appropriate software, label each line. 4. The title page should always have (1) the date, (2) your address, (3) your phone number, and (4) your e-mail address. You might as well put your fax number down too. 5. A paper over five pages long should include a half-page summary of its main point. Depending on your audience, call this an abstract or an executive summary. In gen-eral, write your paper so that someone can decide within three minutes whether he wants to read it.Usually, you do not get the benefit of the doubt. 6. It is often useful to divide the paper into short sections using boldface headings, especially if you have trouble making the structure clear to the reader. 7. Technical papers should present their results as Propositions (theinteresting results, stated in words), Corollaries (subsidiary ideas or special cases which flow directly from the propositions), Lemmas (points which need to be proved to prove the propo-sitions, but usually have no instrinsic interest) and Proofs. Lemmas and Proofs can be purely mathematical, but Propositions and Corollaries should be intelligible to some-one who flips directly to them when he picks up the paper.That means they must be intelligible to someone who does not know the paper's notation. A reader must be able to decide whether the paper is worth reading just by reading the propositions. 8. It is best to present the model in as short a space as possible, before pausing to explain the assumptions. That way, the experienced reader can grasp what the model is all about, and all readers can flip back and find the notation all in one place. It is okay, and even desirable, however, to separate the model and the analysis of the equilibrium. 9. Do not introduce new facts in your concluding section. Instead, (a) summarize your findings, or (b) suggest future research. 1 Eric Rasmusen, Indiana University School of Business, Rm. 456, 1309 E 10th Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405-1701. Office: (812) 855-9219. Fax: 812-855-3354. Email: Erasmuse@Indiana.edu. Web: http://ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu/erasmuse. Revised July 2, 1996. Writing 3 10. Even a working paper should have a list of references, and these should be at the very end, after the appendices and diagrams, so the reader can flip to them easily. Law reviews do not publish lists of references, but you should have one anyway for the working paper version, including separately a list of cases and statutes cited, with, if you want to be especially helpful, a phrase of explanation. Example: United States v. O'Brien, 391 U.S. 367 (1968) (upholding the conviction of a draft card burner). 11. Be content if your paper has one contribution to make. That is one more than most published articles. If you include too many points, the reader may not be able to locate the best one. Beware of listing too many results as propositions. Three propo-sitions to an article is plenty; a paper with ten propositions clearly has nothing to say. But don't follow the example of the author who had eight propositions and eight theorems so he could avoid double-digit numbering! 12. Please don't shoot the reader; he's doing his best. The reader, like the customer, is always right. That is not to be taken literally, but it is true in the sense that if the reader has trouble, the writer should pay attention to why, and not immediately blame the reader. Copyeditors are a different matter. Especially at law reviews and scholarly journals, they are often pedantic young college grads who rely on rules and ignore clarity. (In my experience, book copyeditors are much better.) 13. In dealing with journals, remember that the editor, and even the referee, is usually much smarter than you are. They often get things wrong, but that is because they are in a hurry or feel obligated to give objective reasons for rejecting a paper when the real reason is that it is trivial or boring. If a referee has given some thought to the paper, he is probably correct when he suggests changes. Suggesting changes is a sign that he has indeed given some thought to it; referees who have just skimmed the paper usually do not suggest any changes. 14. Reading your paper out loud is the best way to catch awkward phrasing and typos. Have someone else proofread the final version for you. 15. It is very useful to set aside a paper for a week or a month before going back to revise it. 16. Serious papers require many drafts (five to twenty-five). Coursework does not, but you should be aware of the difference from professional academic standards. 17. Look at published papers to get a guide for the accepted formats for academic papers. 18. Scholarly references to ideas can be in parenthetic form, like (Rasmusen [1988]), instead of in footnotes. 2 Footnotes are suitable for tangential comments, citation of specific facts (e.g., the ratio of inventories to final sales is 2.6), or explanations 2 Like this: Rasmusen, Eric (1988) "Stock Banks and Mutual Banks." Journal of Law and Economics. October 1988, 31: 395-422. Word Count: 1178 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Teacher Certification.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The whole issue of teacher certification is one of great importance and when discussed must be done in a delicate and thoughtful manner. The reason for this increasing importance is because the education of our nation's teachers is important to the creation of an ideal education system, which is one of the goals of our national government and State governments. Over the years the whole educational reform movement has become an increasingly "hot" topic. Reforms in the administration of school systems and in curriculum theory and practice have been asked for and a4re currently being put into effect. Recently, reform of the education of teachers is being added to the lo9ng list of reforms needed. Many reform activists feel that direct changes need to be made on the methods of training and certifying the teachers of our country. Before looking at the reform movement, however, one must first look at the so called problem of inconsistency in teacher certification. In our country today there is a general consistency among the requirements for state certification of teachers. Most states require their teacher institutions to establish a teacher education program that includes coursework and fieldwork. The coursework includes those courses that prepare a student to become a professional teacher and those classes that include major and minor fields of specialization. Fieldwork, which is probably the most important of the two forms of requirements, involves the individual interested in being a teacher going out and observing, practicing, and preparing to enter the educational world as an instructor. There is no argument that all schools in every state has these basic requirements of teacher certification. However, the inconsistency lies within how the numerous institutions go about in teaching these requirements. Each post-secondary school is given the jurisdiction to choose how they are going to go about meeting these basic teacher certification requirements. For example, many states require a different amount of field hours. An inconsistency can also be seen in the various models of teacher education that are used throughout the nation. Two education researchers, Howey and Zimpher conducted a study on this variety of models in 1989. They came up with three different attempts of teacher training. The first, known as the teacher's college model, involves certification students entering a separate school within a university that is a "teacher's college". The second approach is called the liberal arts model by the researchers, and is a method that requires and individual to become specialized in a certain liberal arts subject in order to create "capable and cultured human beings". The third and final model discussed by Howley and Zimpher is entitled the competency-based model. This method trains individuals in the arts o motivation and understanding. As one can see by this case study, there have been a variety of approaches to teacher certification. An inconsistency can similarly be detected by looking at the various new and innovative ideas in teacher education. Among these include the alternative route, a topic discussed earlier, and the five-year degree program, and issue to be discussed shortly in this section. Altogether, one could state that there is some inconsistency in teacher certification, and this inconsistency brings about a small problem in the educational spectrum of our world. In my opinion, there is no national and universal set of requirements for teacher certification. The variety of different methods and forms of teacher education programs is causing an inconsistency in how teachers are being trained nationwide. When this is realized, the whole issue of reforming teacher certification becomes very relevant to our society. As stated earlier, reforms in the training of future teachers are beginning to really be requested by the general public. Various groups have met to discuss the various issues surrounding the reform movement. Among the most notable are the Holmes Group, the Association of American Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE), the Education Commission of the States (ECS), and Goodlad's group. These various groups and many others have come up with a variety of reforms and new standards that most likely should and will be integrated into the current teacher certification requirements. One certain similarity that all of these recommendations have with each other is that they all call for higher regulations and an increase in the education of future teachers. Many of the group0s called for an increase in providing individuals knowledge on the profession of teachi8ng, and some groups also called for a more intense training in the various fields under a liberal arts education. Increases in the amount of fieldwork required seems to also be a major issue discussed by the reform groups. The issue of selection under standardized testing was also discussed, with respect to increasing the required SAT/ACT or GRE scores. Finally, the research groups came up with various new ideas involving the creation of professional teaching schools or tiered systems that would require a teacher to go through more training even after they received their bachelor's degree. All in all, these reform groups have come up with some very unique and interesting ideas to change teacher certification for the better. It is the best interest of our nation to make changes in our current teacher education program, for, in this case, change would be for the better. To conclude, I would like to take a brief but in depth look at an innovative idea established by the Maine State Department of Education in conjunction with the University of Southern Maine. This program, entitled the Extended Teacher Education Program, involves future teachers continuing on for a fifth year after completing their undergraduate studies. This fifth year involves the individual taking part in internships. These internships give the future teachers a chance at more fieldwork in order to gain more experiences before they become full fledged teachers. Nonetheless, the results of the initial year of the program seem to indicate that the idea around this new program is a successful one. Those individuals who took part in the program obtained various skills and understandings that all ideal teachers should have. The excellent outcomes of this program leads one to believe that it might be a good idea to implement this structure nationwide. The idea of creating professional schools for teachers has become a popular one in recent times. After all if doctors and lawyers have to go to a professional school, then shouldn't teachers as well? In conclusion, the issue of teacher training and certification brings up many questions, especially in reference to reforming. The inconsistent and somewhat outdated education of teachers today needs change, in order to create an ideal educational system. Numerous reforms have been discussed and recommended by various research organizations and now is the time to take action and implement some of these reforms before our education systems continue to fall downwards into the depths of degradation. Change I needed and change must come now. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Technology is Changing Education.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Fernando Leigh English Composition and Rhetoric Research Paper Technology is Changing Education The best method for improving educational standards is to utilize every tool available, including state-of-the-art technology. Computers and the Internet have expanded the way in which education can be delivered to the students of today. Today's networking technologies provide a valuable opportunity to the practice of learning techniques. Educators are discovering that computers and multi-based educational tools are facilitating learning and enhancing social interaction. Computer based telecommunications can offer enormous instructional opportunities, but educators will need to adapt current lesson plan to incorporate this new medium into all the classrooms. The only problem is that some of today's schools are hindered by an under-powered technology based curriculum and, in order to stay competitive, the American educational system must do a better job of integrating. Computers have made a fundamental change in most industries, providing a competitive advantage that has come to be essential to stay in business. Therefore, education must also use technology to improve the educational process instead of simply applying it to existing structures. School systems often consider acquiring an enterprise computer network, but justify its purchase by applying it to routine administrative tasks, or take period by period attendance. Although these tasks are important, they only represent a small part of what technology can do for an educational institution. Technology must go beyond just keeping attendance, it must focus on keeping students interested and productive. "Curriculum improvement is the best strategy to prevent dropouts; technology is especially useful in this regard" (Kinnaman 78). Technology can provide a unique and compelling curriculum resource, that challenges every student. The Clinton administration has taken steps towards improving educational standards via its "Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994" (Thornburg 23). However, several interpretations of the Act never mention the use of technology. Advocates of the Act need to realize that Internet linked computers can provide more current information than what is found in today's "exciting" textbooks. For example, science textbooks and history textbooks are notoriously out of date. In contrast, the Internet offers students a vast pool of current scientific data. Most of the time the Internet makes learning fun, unlike the plain fashion of the "almighty" textbook. Computers and other technology can also heighten the learning process by actively engaging students in the task of exploring data. Some students may be tempted to simply download information from the Internet that does not have anything to do with a particular subject that they were asked to research. This shows that the Internet may have a greater impact to education than to learn that information from a typical textbook. Since computers and the Internet have expanded the way with which education can be delivered to students, it is currently possible to engage in distance education on specialized subject and fields through the Internet. Distance education involves audio- video linkage of teachers to many students and even in remote areas. Video conferencing allows groups to communicate with each other. Desktop video conferencing promises to bring student together from geographic and cultural distances face to face via computer. Students in New York City will be able to learn about a Chinese culture, not only through books, but also from Chinese students. Not only will the teacher talk to the students but the students will be able to interact with each other. This will make the students more interested and fascinated with learning about another culture. Not only does the Internet, and video conferencing help education, also Microsoft has created new programs for designed for educational purposes, Some of these are "Encarta World Atlas" and "Encarta Encyclopedia." "These two particular programs make learning easier and more enjoyable, all because of the use of the CD- ROM device" (Keen 100). Instead of looking for a particular country and simply finding out where it is in a regular atlas, students can type in the name of that country, and not only will they find out where it is faster, but they will obtain more information about that particular country. Instead of having volumes and volumes of heavy encyclopedias, Microsoft has place all of these massive books into one light CD. This CD is much simpler than the unpleasant job of flipping page by page just to read about an uninteresting topic, such as history. But, with the use of this CD, not only do you receive regular information, but you may also view videos about certain people and battles. This makes education an enjoyable task. With "Microsoft Works" student will be able to cut and paste their way to make interesting multimedia research documents. Writing reports on a type-writer was a displeasing way to write term papers especially if that student runs out of white-out. This computer program offers a spell-check, thesaurus, and other helpful features which make writing that term paper easier. These particular programs by Microsoft are only a few of the educational programs available to students. "The successful use of technology in a few classrooms is not enough, because developing a successful technology using school requires careful planning and must be a school wide priority with broad support from the community" (Dyril & Kinnaman 48). The traditional top-down, uniform distribution approach is almost never the best way because it limits innovation and development fails to provide equity and does not reflect the characteristics of the school community. Most educational boards should be open to any new idea that technology has to offer. It would not be fair for a student in a particular city to get a better education than another student in a another city. Technology is not meant to replace teachers, it is there only to serve students to make tedious tasks easier. Therefore, this technology should be offered to every student trying to get ahead of the competition. In doing this, it not only needs the support of teachers, but it also requires support from communities. If technology in schools receives the support from entire communities, students in any area would be able to keep up with the competition. Some of today's schools are hindered by an under-powered technology based curriculum and, in order to stay competitive, the American educational system must do a better job of integrating. Teachers must take a leadership position in designing and implementing a technology powered classroom curriculum, investing time and energy to become familiar with available resources. The faculty at most schools should create a set of individual goals, including developing basic skills, defining core content and thinking creatively and clearly. Technology enriches curriculum by increasing the value and power of traditional classroom techniques within the boundaries of school structure and schedules. Technology can also improve writing with the use of new word processing programs that provide easy to use tools that are not normally available in the classroom. Technology is able to help students in a variety of ways. By making learning more enjoyable and less tedious, student will want to learn and will not see education as such a difficult responsibility. Works Cited Dyril, Odvard. "Technology in Education: Getting the Upper Hand." Technology & Leaning. January 1995. Vol. 15, pp. 38-46 Holzberg, Carol. "Technology in Special Education." Technology & Learning. February 1995. Vol. 15, pp.18-23 Keen, Peter. "Network Computers: Do it for the Children." Computerworld. 16 December 1996. Vol.30, pp. 100 Kinnaman, Daniel. "Taking Attendance is not the Goal." Technology & Learning. October 1995. Vol. 16, pp. 78 Mehlinger, Howard. "Technology Takeover Attenuated" Education Digest. May 1996. Vol. 61, pp. 25-29 Thornburg, David. "An Active Agreement." Electronic Learning. October 1994. Vol.14, Vol. 14, pp. 22-24 Leigh 1 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Television and its Affects on Children.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ TELEVISION AND IT'S EFFECTS ON CHILDREN Have you ever wondered how television effects your children? The average child watches television 2 hours per week and most of this viewing is of violence or sexual acts. During this time there is a violent act shown every 6 minutes and on Saturday mornings there is 20 to 25 violent acts shown every hour on prime time t.v. especially in cartoons or animated programs. So no matter what your child is watching it is damaging their sense of imagination and creativity. Now there is no need for children to use their imagination and creativity anymore, television has even taken that away from them. In today's generation television has a great influence on children. Unfortunately most of the programs watched by children have a negative impact and give the wrong impression of what really happens in everyday life. It also influences their development and their behaviours. "In fact childhood development experts say infants as young as 14 months old imitate behaviour they see on t.v and children up to the age of 5 lack the cognitive ability to distinguish fact from fantasy"(Internet; Children and television violence) Therefore what they see on t.v is what they are most likely to imitate. Cartoons are even showing numerous acts of violence and most of this violence is done by the "good guys". For example, Power Rangers; how do they get rid of the bad guys? by fighting . During the whole episode you see the "Rangers" kicking, punching and attacking the bad guys. Other shows like X-men, Sailor Moon, Looney Tones, and even Care Bears show violence towards others. It's no wonder children think it's okay to act this way when even their "Super Heroes" who are supposed to be the good guys are hurting others. They see the good guys doing these things and think it's appropriate. I've notice even with my own cousin that when he has finished watching an episode of Power Rangers he tends to get aggressive and hyper-active. He copies the exact same moves that the Power Rangers use. It's almost like he believes he is one of them. He believes that when he punches people or kicks them that it doesn't hurt because that's what he sees on t.v. It's not like you see the characters ever show any pain. Even when he plays with his friends they pretend that they are Power Rangers vs. the bad guys and fight each other. Shows like this even have the use of guns, which I don't believe in. In schools, teachers have noticed the difference between children who watch television excessively and those who don't. "The watchers fidget in their chairs, eye contact is less stable and their attention to stories is significantly shortened".(George Hottecker; The Big Picture pg1) Children who watch t.v find it harder to stay focused on one activity more then a child who doesn't. This can make them have problems with group activities and act out negative behaviour towards others. Although all this sounds bad you can fix the problem by simply eliminating the watching of so much television and getting the to do more creative things like . Some examples are painting, reading books, acting out stories with puppets, dancing, and just getting them to interact with other children their own age in a safe and positive way. George Hottecker mentions these examples as positive ways of changing their behaviours and that "television just numbs the brain!"(The Big Picture; Internet; George Hottecker) So what you once thought was a good idea by letting your children watch television has turned out to be a bad one. You thought that letting them watch television would make them smarter, but it only made them more violent and have less creativity and imagination. Breaking the cycle of violence begins with children learning to interact with each other in positive ways and with little or no violence. If we can accomplish this then our children are more likely to send the same message to their children and spend quality time with them. In the future don't let the television be the babysitter. TELEVISION AND IT'S EFFECTS ON CHILDREN f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Television ed .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ March 25, 1997 Essay #2 p. 178 #8.c. "TV is justly called 'the boob tube'." I disagree, in my opinion, television has many positive and informational uses. Television is now being used more in school because it is proven that students remember and comprehend better than from a regular class lecture. Television has always been good for spreading the news of current world events but it is now being used for more educational and informational documentaries. Television is becoming more and more an educational essential for children. Before they start school, children learn many basic and fundamental tools from television. Most kids learn the alphabet and how to count from shows like Sesame Street and Barney. As children get older there are many story-telling shows that either feature stories with good morals or they tell masterpiece stories like Hercules, Hunchback of Notre Dame, etc.. Some of these stories are now a part of our culture and children know and understand them because of television. As people grow older, television, at least for recent generations, plays a large role in socialization. On many sitcoms and talk shows one can learn of problems of today like teenage pregnancy, poverty, drugs, etc.. Television also seems to support somewhat decent morals, a very religious person may not think so but television still follows the good guy-hero, bad guy-loser theme. From certain shows on TV one can learn what sort of things are socially acceptable for instance fashion, behavior and hobbies. Television features many "how-to" shows like gardening, painting, cooking, etc.. It also has many documentaries on foreign lands and historic events. Television is also an inexpensive form of entertainment. There are many movies and sporting events shown on television. In my opinion there are many positive things associated with television but you can get too much of a good thing. A very important thing to remember is to watch television in moderation, when used correctly television can be a very useful tool. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Televisons Positive Affects on Society.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Nichole VanSickle Richard Zlogar Fr. Eng. Comp. 101-18 31 October 1996 Television's Positive Effects on Society According to Marie Winn and her essay "The Plug-In Drug," television has various negative effects on our society today. In her essay Winn explores the ways in which television has harmfully caused disruptions with the quality of family life, rituals, and values. She recognizes there is a problem with our society and the way in which it is consistently influenced by television. I am able to agree with Winn on this point, but I do not feel that the totality of the influence is negative. Television today has a lot of positive effects and influences on our society and our American culture. Television gives us helpful information, various forms of education, and entertainment which are all a part of the positive effects that television has on our society. On a day to day basis, the television keeps us informed with plenty of helpful information. We are informed through the television of the latest news, weather, and information which are important in our daily lives. The television often acts as an almanac, dictionary, and an eye into the world around us. It informs us of the most recent happenings around the world within seconds. Such as the O.J. Simpson trial, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the wars taking place in the Middle East. Through TV we can be warned about almost anything from a hurricane approaching to the fact that the stock market is falling. The television in today's society has become one of our most basic resources for information. We use the TV as a convenient way to find out some of the simplest information such as the date, time, and what is going to be on channel 11 at 9:30. Our American society has designed its lifestyle around the convenience of the TV and the fact that it is so easily accessible. The television has other purposes besides convenience. It is a great way of educating the people throughout society with the important issues that affect our everyday lives. Be it social, political, economical, or medical, there is always something new to be told, and the television is the quickest way to get it out to the people. Not only is the television fast, but it is also very accurate and in depth as well. The television takes the time to do the research that most Americans are too lazy to do themselves. Through various news programs and documentaries, the television keeps us educated, and on the right track so that we as Americans are not left out in the dark when it comes to the current events around the nation. For example, being that it is an election year, we are constantly being informed about the candidates, their whereabouts, and the debates. The reason for this is because, this is an important piece of education when it comes to the American people. We need to know these things, or we along with our government will suffer. Along with informational and educational purposes, television serves as an entertainer as well. When television was first developed, entertainment was not one of its main purposes. As time went on people began to sit and watch the television for that reason. Soon after came the development of sitcoms, and special programs which served as entertainment purposes. Throughout the years, entertainment on TV has become much more popular among Americans. The television has become an important part of our entertainment today. Not only is it more convenient than going to movies, plays, concerts, or sporting events but it is also a lot cheaper. With modern day television people do not have to leave their houses, and get dressed up to drive to see what they could be watching on their own TV sets at home. This is why the television companies have adapted to meet the needs of the American people by supplying access to movies, plays, concerts, and the most popular sporting events. This past summer the TV proved its convenience for entertainment. Many Americans were able to sit back and watch the Olympics in their own homes, and still be able to get the feel of being there in Atlanta. Throughout the years, the American people have come to rely on the television and all it has to offer. The television with its multi-purposes has positively effected our society through its means of information, education, and entertainment. We as Americans have become a part of a society which is greatly influenced by the television. Although, this influence has been proven to affect the quality of family life, as Winn mentions in "The Plug-In Drug." The positive effects of television on our society as a whole, and the knowledge it provides is far greater than this quality of life that she mentions. I must admit that there are both positive and negative aspects that come out of our televisions today, but I feel that the positive effects definitely out weigh the negatives when it comes to the importance of information, education, and entertainment for our society. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Advantages of American Educational System.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Advantages of American Educational System Parents and the older generation Americans always complain about the educational system of the country. They assert that their children's knowledge and skills are below average as compared to their counterparts in other countries. The American educational system is not inferior to other systems in any other way. Instead, it is just teaching some other factors that are considered more significant than simply basic knowledge and skills. The American educational system tries to develop freedom and creativity among its students. From an American point of view, only in this way can the students contribute maximally to the future society. Freedom is the trademark of America. Americans are admired by people in other countries because they have the freedom to do whatever they wish without worrying about the negative consequences. Therefore, the American educational system must be in congruence with this trademark. According to this system, children can learn effectively only when they are allowed to explore freely with their ideas, "without this they will not really be able to think or believe in themselves" . When children are forced to memorize some materials, they will remember the materials for a few days. However, they would have forgotten everything after a summer vacation. On the other hand, when children are allowed to think of their own ways of learning the concepts, they will tend to remember them longer and apply them appropriately since they are their own ideas. In addition to promoting freedom, the American educational system also fosters creativity among its students. The system believes that brilliant and bright students are those students that have creative and unique ideas. In order to develop creativity, it neglects good academic performance that most systems treasure and tries to promote creativity among students and place academic performance on the second place. An example of how different systems teach the plays of Shakespeare demonstrates the point. The traditional system would require students to memorize Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy without any mistakes. Under the influence of the American system, however, students are assigned to write a love letter to Juliet instead of straight memorization. In this way, students are encouraged to express their ideas with creativity and hence promote the atmosphere that learning is indeed a fun activity. All in all, one can say that the American educational system is different from other educational systems. However, one cannot express the idea that the American system is worse than any other system. This is because the different systems are promoting very different concerns for their students and it is this difference that causes many critics to label the American system as inferior. Contrary to most systems, the American educational system develops freedom and creativity among its students. The system is convinced that this will help promote success in the students' future. Also, it is not going to change its teaching method in spite of the strong criticism it had received. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The American Education System Cause for Rebellion .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kevin Stenger EN 102-07 Nov. 29, 1996 The American Education System; Cause for Rebellion If America's Schools are to meet the needs of the twenty first century, they must be reinvented. It is not enough to try to fix the schools; they must be reconstructed in both fundamental and radical ways. The school system must be restructured. The future of the American public school system is significant because the maintenance of an informed and productive citizenry is vital to the future of this country. Historically Americans have strongly asserted the importance of public schools in a democracy and despite growing disdain for the perceived value of the school system, public schools remain central to democracy in the United States. For more than a century, America's public schools have been an indispensable source of the country's strength. Public education has allowed citizens to become productive members of society by providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary for the labor force. Schools prepare students to be literate, informed and reasoning citizens. According to Philip Schlechty, author of Schools for the twenty-first century, "Public schools are the ties that bind this pluralistic society into a nation. Our Nation's thirty-sixth president, Lyndon B. Johnson, also believed that there is no institution more fundamental to American society and democracy than its public schools."(36) Public schools are the cornerstone of America's future. The development of youth's knowledge, skills and social dispositions has always been critical to the country's success. In the next century, America's youth will play an increasingly important role in the country's survival and well-being. By the year 2025, one out of five Americans will be 65 or older, and by the year 2040, one out of four Americans will be 65. In less than 15 years, the first baby boomers will reach the age of 65 (Peterson 64). It is clear that the economic success of America will be in the hands of youth to unprecedented extent. It is time to invest in education in order to maintain the American way of life. In the competitive knowledge-based world of the twenty-first century, the education of America's youth will be more important than ever. More responsibility will be placed on schools because of greater diversity in classrooms, languages, preparedness, motivation, and the dynamics of the future workplace. Schools also must assume more responsibility because of increasing enrollment. Entering the 1996-1997 school year, there is an all time high enrollment of 51.7 million students in public schools throughout the country (Good 6). Because of enhanced enrollment and technological advances, there is more material that needs to be taught if students are to be competitive and productive in the future job market. Since there are more students and more that needs to be taught, public schools are more important and have more responsibility now than at any previous time. Despite the need to develop youth as fully as possible, society treats youth in careless and irresponsible ways. American schools are currently failing to provide students with an adequate education. Many public school facilities are out of date, underfunded, and not prepared to handle growing student populations and the advent of modern technology in the classroom. The United States General Accounting Office estimates that about one third of American students, about fourteen million children nationwide, attend "inadequate" schools (Schlechty 91). Along with crumbling facilities, Schools face a variety of academic and disciplinary hardships. According to a recent USA Today poll, seventy-two percent of Americans cite drugs and violence as serious problems in their local schools. Sixty-one percent believe that academic standards are too low. Lack of discipline and low graduation rates also ranked as one of the biggest problems facing public schools (Edmunds A2). Nowhere in this country are the problems facing schools more evident than in the nations largest school system. The New York City Public School system handles approximately 1.1 million students in the city's 1,085 schools. Many of those schools are old and in serious disrepair. In 1994 the graduation rate After four years of high school was a dismal 44.3%. That same year, more than half of New York's children scored below their grade level in reading, and almost half scored below their grade level in math. The overall dropout rate for all students was 18.7% (Mandel 52). With the education system in serious trouble, education is becoming a more and more important political issue in this country. It seems that in every election no matter how big or small, education is always an important issue. Both President Clinton and President Bush before him said before their election to office that they would be "The education president" (Good 4). Politicians often promise more educational programs and more funding for schools, but in unfortunate contrast to their promises, policymakers seem to view spending money on schools as an irritating cost rather than an important investment. In the 1995 federal budget, Healthy Start funds for young children were slashed from $104.2 million to $93 million; in the same budget, military spending increased by $1.9 billion to $264.3 billion. (Pear A3). Support for public schools is in serious decline. According to a 1996 Newsweek survey, education is the most serious concern of Americans, above crime, the environment, and the economy (Smith 41). Because of the public school system's failure to provide children with an adequate and effective education, citizens are beginning to question the value of the schools. Americans are becoming fed up with their public schools. Businesses complain that too many job applicants can't read, write, or do simple arithmetic. Parents fear that schools have become violent cesspools where gangs run amok and that teachers are more concerned with their pensions than their classrooms. Economists fret that a weak school system is hurting the ability of the U.S. to compete in the global economy. And despite modest improvements in test scores, U.S. students rank far behind most of their international peers in science and math (Mandel 66). With so many complaints about the current state of public schools accompanied by widespread disapproval of the national education system, it is not difficult to predict a rebellion concerning this aspect of society. If the situation does not drastically improve in the near future, there will be an education revolution in this country. Parents will no longer allow their children to be deprived of a quality education. They will demand better schools and or seek alternative ways to alternative ways to educate their children. Private schools will become more important in education, but private schools are not a practical solution because not all families can afford sending their children to private schools. Since the government guarantees the right of a quality education to all people, whatever their financial situation may be, the government will be forced to take some form of action and either improve the existing system or attempt to revolutionize public education in this country completely. At the 1996 National Education Summit the view that American schools were failing was widely endorsed and call for action was proclaimed: "Swift action must be taken to address the current issues facing public schools. While we commend those states and school districts that have provided leadership to improve student performance, we urge greater progress, and for others, increased effort. We believe that standards can be effective only if they represent what parents, employers, educators, and community members believe children should learn and be able to do. However the current rate of change needs to be accelerated, and no process or time line should deter us from the results" (Good 5). The problems facing the education system in this country are not going to just go away. In order to fix the broken parts of the system and improve education, there must be drastic change in the system itself and throughout society. A social rebellion will have to take place in order to persuade the government to act on restructuring the education system. To achieve the quality of education that society will demand, the government will have to reinvent the system of public schools. This will revolutionize the way in which Americans are formally educated. Works Cited Edmunds, Patricia. "Children Get Poorer Nation Gets Richer" USA Today 17 August 1996: A2. Good, Thomas. "Educational Researchers Comment on the Education Summit" Educational Researcher September 1996: 4-6. Mandel, Michael. "Education in New York City" Phi Delta Kappan December 1995: 52-56. Pear, Robert. "With New Budget, Domestic Spending is Cut" New York Times 27 April 1996: A3. Peterson, Paul. "Will America Grow Up Before it Grows Old" Education Monthly March 1996: 62-69. Schlechty, Philip C. Schools for the Twenty-first Century San Francisco : Josey-Bass, 1995. Smith, Carolyn. "How Americans View Public Schools" Newsweek 17 April 1996: 41-43. The American Education System; Cause For Rebellion Kevin Stenger December 2, 1996 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\THE BEAUTY OF RAINBOWS.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Beauty of Rainbows Have you ever wondered if there is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? Maybe you have or maybe you've even tried to find it. In this article you will find out how rainbows are formed, the colors in a rainbow, and other interesting facts about rainbows. First of all a rainbow is a curve of colored light which is seen in the sky. Rainbows can be seen in moonlight or in artificial light. They are caused by the sun shining through tiny drops of water in the air. A rainbow's brightness depends on how large the drops are. The larger the drops are the brighter the rainbow will be. Many people think that a rainbow is only made of six colors, but it is really make of seven. The colors in order are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. A primary rainbow is a rainbow with red on the outside and violet on the inside. The largest rainbow visible to observers on land is a semicircle, but many times you can only see half of a semicircle. If you were in a plane or helicopter you might be able to see a full circle rainbow. You may or may not believe there is gold at the end of a rainbow, but the beauty itself is worth alot. Hopefully this article has answered some of your questions and got you interested in rainbows. For more information you may check out books at you local library. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Bible.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ An Essay for Humanities Courses The Bible PART A MARK'S THEOLOGY REFLECTED IN WRITING Mark and the other evangelists used basically five ways to change, edit or enhance Jesus' sayings to reflect their own views of Christianity. According to the Five Gospels Book, plagiarism and changing of writing was not a crime, but actually very common Mark's time. Besides, Mark never knew Jesus first-hand, he somehow had to make a 'story' from basically Hearsay! Mark groups different parables and sayings of Jesus by topic; making a false impression that these things happened in order. This may have little effect on changing the meaning of the lesson, however it illustrates the fact that Mark was trying to author a "readable" story for people, rather than a book of facts. The best example would be in Mark 10:17-31 (Jesus Counsel to the Rich) & (Parable of The Camel and the Eye of a Needle). It is doubtful that these things happened at the same time; however, they are GREY in The Five Gospels anyway ... and probably didn't happen as Mark describes. This brings us to Mark's writing style. Mark seems to "tack-on" sentences to Jesus' teachings to make them more "Christian." This really changes the meaning more than any other tactic! Who knows what Mark may have edited-out to accomplish what he wanted to impress upon his readers? In this, he tries to interpret the meaning of Jesus' actions ... and does this in a misleading way! For example: Mark 2:19, Jesus regarding Fasting. Jesus makes a strong statement against importance to fasting, but Mark (in 2:20) tags on: "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and they will fast in those days." This blatantly shows that Mark held higher regard for the Old Traditions of Fasting rather than Jesus' new teachings! This is also an example of "Christianizing Jesus" according to traditions that have already earned respect from Jews in their tradition. (Wow, this is starting to sound like a fight between Today's Political Parties, isn't it?! [Jesus = Liberal Politics / Judaism = Conservative Politics]). Finally, Mark likes to "soften the blow" of Jesus' Hard sayings. He does this for probably the same reason Paul preached that Circumcision was not required for Christians. A good example is The Unforgivable Sin (Mark 3:28-). Jesus clearly states that words against the Holy Spirit are unforgivable. However, Mark adds that "all things are possible with God," which softens this harsh rule! MARK & THE PAROUSIA Mark lived during the Jewish War of 66-70 ADE. Unlike the later evangelists, Matthew and Luke, Mark believed the Parousia was upon us, about to happen at any time! And, for obvious reason: he lived in an extremely troubled time for the Jews, and he had not been worried yet by the Parousia's delay as were later evangelists. Mark 13:4 - 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?' According to Mark's writing, Jesus first predicts the destruction of the Temple. However, Mark had written after the destruction of the Temple in 70 ADE! This tactic agrees with The Five Gospels: writing apocalyptic sayings of Jesus after they have already been "fulfilled." I would suppose he did this to give credit to his writing of the second coming of God. An example is the parable of The Fig Tree in Mark 13:28-37. This addition, obviously written by Mark and not said by Jesus, shows the urgency in which Mark expected the parousia: "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." You can easily see why the other evangelists, Matthew, Luke & John, re-wrote Mark's apocalyptic writing to be more of a "Sacred Time," and less definite. Mark used a common tactic of quoting scripture (especially Dan, Isa, Mic & some Psalms) for his apocalyptic writing. We also saw this in Paul's letters years before. People regarded scripture as fact, therefore a perfect tool to give credit to Mark's & Paul's new writing! Our own culture today is wrapped-up in tradition and Bible quotes as undisputable fact, even though people twist these things to promote their own interests! My own family justifies their hatred for gays by quoting the Bible; they justify a "Woman's Place" by using the Bible; they justify their racism through the Bible (saying that "Love your Brother" could only possibly refer to people of your own color, because your brother could not possibly be of another color); they justify violent punishment for criminals by using the Bible; they choose their political party according to their actions being as conservative as the Bible. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish that my own community was not still living in the dark-ages. PART B THE PARABLE: THE UNFORGIVING SLAVE This parable reflects a part of our American Lifestyle that is very Un-Jesus! Our culture, our government and our judiciary system thrives on punishment; at least we don't still have debtors' prison! Contrary to Mark's interpretation of this parable, I belive it represents a type of perfect love for one's neighbor that is reflected in Jesus' Kingdom of God. Rather than forcing a rule upon the reader, as Mark does, Jesus meant it to be a story where the listener may choose an appropriate mode of behavior; for forgiveness cannot be compromised without undesirable consequences. Instead, Mark adds a Threat to the end of the parable (which is obviously NOT the words of Jesus)! "That's what your heavenly Father will do to you, unless you find it in your heart to forgive ..." I find in many examples that Jesus wanted to have his followers think for themselves, and make choices according to their own conscious; He only made sayings and parables to aid followers in finding the truth for themselves (much like Socrate's tactic for the finding of Truth or Justice). Mark, for his own reasons, felt that it was his duty to attach every saying of Jesus with a command or threat ... therefore making God seem vindictive! CONCLUSION: COMPARISON TO MY FIRST PAPER I remember that when I wrote my first paper, I made a point to discuss quotes from Jesus that seemed foreign to my traditional feeling for Jesus. I wanted to see something in Jesus that I never knew before! Well, I was surprised to find that these same quotes turned- up to be mostly Pink in the Five Gospels (some grey, but no black)! My first quote of Jesus was from Matthew 12:49-50; Jesus refers to the multitudes as his mother and brothers. This turned-up pink in the Five Gospels. I thought that this quote represented Jesus as a God on a equal level with his followers, creating a sense of community (I think that if Jesus were around today (and wasn't in an asylum), he would be a Communist). To me, this contradicts today's church of authority, having Bishops, Deacons, etc. Next, I quoted a few of Jesus' words to live by in chapters 6 and 7 of Matthew. Most of these quotes turned up pink, however a few were mixed with grey, showing the additions of Matthew's redaction. I noted in my paper that I felt these rules were simple & logical ways to lead a happy and loving lifestyle, rather than hard rules that we are used to. The next two quotes I used (Matthew 12:13 - Jesus Breaking the Sabbath) (Mark 15:1-15 - Jesus' dealing with P. Pilate) were grey and black in the Five Gospels. The interesting point to this is that these are the two quotes in which I criticized Jesus' actions. I made points that I thought Jesus was a hypocrite in preaching to keep Jewish Law, and at the same time, break the Sabbath! I also seriously questioned Matthew's interpretation that P. Pilate tried to save Jesus, knowing that Pilate was not a friend to the Jews! It is refreshing to me to find these quotes in grey & black, because they were very confusing to me in forming an opinion about Jesus. I have enjoyed this assignment because I really feel like I am getting to understand the Historical New Testament! I tested my knowledge of Jesus by reading his quotes from my New King James Version Bible, and tried to spot additions that were not Jesus', and by guessing the color of some of his quotes. In checking back with The Five Gospels, I found myself to be pretty darn accurate! Amazing! f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Black CatA Comparison between the movie and the book.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Black Cat There are major differences between the film we saw in class and The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe. The film had added effects to get the viewer's attention. The film also let out important parts that were in the short story. The short story gave the reader a better background for character analysis. Although the story was much more enticing because the reader knew the main character better. In the short story the man(abusive husband) is described as a loving and caring husband, who is very fond of animals. He describes to the reader how his obsession with alcohol is like a disease. He gets more irritable everyday because his cravings for alcohol become greater and greater. He was often physically abusive to his wife. One night the man came home very drunk and violent so Pluto(the black cat) scratched him out of fear. then the man lost his temper and cut out the cat's eye with his penknife. One morning the man hanged the cat from a tree limb with a noose around its neck. That night his house burnt to the ground. In the morning he found a petrified white cat with a rope around its neck in the charred remains. A few days later the man saw a black cat with a white chest and he liked it so much he let the cat follow him home. The cat made itself at home but the man avoided it because of a sense of shame for his former deed. The next day the man noticed that the cat was missing an eye just as Pluto. His wife pointed out that the white spot on its chest resembled the Gallows! The cat made the man trip in his basement one day. So he picked up an ax to kill the cat, and his wife stepped in the way and he put the ax through her brains. The man decided to hide the body and the cat behind a bricked up wall in the basement. The police came and looked at everything. Just before they left, they heard a noise from the basement wall. So they tore the bricks down. Thus they discovered the body and the black cat. The film hints that the man was once a loving and caring husband. The wife told her husband he was not the same man she married. The film shows how the alcohol made the man abuse his wife for more drinking money. There is no hint of affection for animals shown. The man's wife is having an affair because she doesn't love her husband anymore. When the man finds out what his wife is doing he poisons his wife and her boyfriend. Then he bricks them up behind a wall in the basement along with the black cat he hated. Based on this information the critic can see these two story plots are completely different. They even describe the man differently. There is one similarity between the two plots. "A guilty conscious never feels secure." The man experiences the truth of this statement because he basically gives the murder away when the cat is heard. Although the two story plots were different, Poe's unique style of writing can entice anyone. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Case an original mystery.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Ring . . . Ring" screamed the phone. "Damn who could that be . . . its almost seven a.m. on a Saturday . . . . hold on Allison it will only take a minute . . . Hello?" detective Pat said. " Hey sorry Sergeant McGurn but we need you to come down to the station as soon as possible . . . there's more trouble over at Gibbons. Meet me there." "Hey sugar I have to go down to Gibbons there's more trouble, do you need a ride someplace?" said the exasperated homicide detective. "It's always something with you Pat . . . every time I come over you either get called in or you're so drunk that you can't even remember who I am . . . It's over Pat!" and then she left. "Come on car . . . Please work . . . Just this once . . . There you go. No matter what anyone says your the best three tone Buick I've ever had." See he was a real cheap skate, spent all his money on St. Ides and Old English 64oz.ers. He was always borrowing money too. He still owes me seven hundred ninety eight dollars and ninety five cents, plus tax. For a Harvard graduate he sure is a wash up. The only thing he could afford to drive was the car the police station gave him. It was a 1986 Buick with a green trunk, maroon body, and a navy blue hood. The thing took about three minutes to start and another five to warm up, and that was in the summer. Ten minutes later he showed up at my desk. I could still smell her perfume on him. He looked terrible, like usual, man he was such a good guy, but he didn't have a lucky bone in his body. "So what's up now Steve? . . . another vending machine robbery . . . more scuff marks?" Pat looked like a detective, you know what I mean, the way the detectives looked in those old movies. He had a bad suit on, with a tie loosened and hanging down and his shirt opened up, and he usually was sleeping at his desk with the light dimmed and his feet up. The hat he had on looked like it had really been worn by a detective out of an old movie, it was all dirty and had a fold like somebody sat on it. "No not this time Pat . . . Its a little worse . . . there's been a murder." Pat froze, then as calm as can be he sat down and said "Give me the who, what, when, and where's about it. You know, the faster we get moving, the fresher the scent is." "Yeah I know you always say that . . . to bad it hardly ever works . . . we haven't cracked a case since you got involved that Richter girl . . . she's bad news . . . you should get rid of her as soon as possible." "Too late for that . . . right after you called she threw a fit and left . . . too bad I was just starting to like her . . . oh well lets get down to business" "I don't know how to break this to you Pat, but at six thirty Jim Collins phoned me at the station . . . he sounded very upset, never heard him talk like this before . . . and it didn't really sound like him, he had to identify himself . . . he might even have been crying." "No way . . . not Jim." "Well it wasn't Jim. I had Mrs. Page phone him, and he was home sleeping at six thirty, it was his day off." "That explains why you didn't recognize him on the phone." "As I was saying, he said 'Steve we need you to come as soon as you can, Mr. Chank and Mrs. Hartnett were found dead on the ground in room one.' I asked if there was anything that looked funny to him, but just then I heard the fire alarm go off and the connection was lost." "That's funny the fire alarm has no bearing on the phones" "Well we looked into that and when we got here we found that the main switch was turned off. Jim's office has both of those controls and those were the controls that were used. We also found out that when the fire alarm goes off it over loads the video system, the cameras fold into the fire proof boxes in the wall." "I'd like to take a closer look, hey I wonder how much that cost?" When ever I told him something he always had this annoying way of needing to check just in case I in fact screwed up, but he never found anything wrong with what I did. After about ten minutes Pat came out and said to me "We're gonna need to get Chank's room finger printed and Jim's office printed too . . . and see if there is any tape from the video cameras. I'm going to breakfast can you lend me ten?" "I'm broke . . . I already looked into the camera situation. They leave the cameras rolling at night and they were taping, but because of the alarm they didn't catch the murderer on the film . . . I made sure of it checked everything myself. The culprit must of known that the cameras withdrew when the alarms went off. And there is no one available to print right now have to call back later." "Were do they keep the monitors and the VCRs with the tapes in them?" "Two places one in Brother Mark's secret lair and one in Ms. Cervo's office" "We'll what are we waiting for lets go and check them out . . . between you and me, I think it might have been an inside job. You know people don't like when others are too powerful and pushy." "Yeah I know that feeling." Little did Pat know that I was referring to our relationship. I was getting rather sick of him pushing me around, hey I have just as much experience as him, so what if he's a lieutenant and I'm just a lowly assistant, he's not so smart. He has just started toward Br. Staniecki and is about to start his line of questioning on him. I wonder if Brother is going to let us into his secret lair? Brother never really liked me, he just had to tolerate me because I wasn't bad enough to kick out or maybe I should say I never got caught. Anyway I don't want to blow our chances of getting into the room, so I'd better stay out of the conversation. But I made sure to stay in ear shot of the conversation, I didn't want to miss anything. "Good afternoon Brother . . . sorry to have to speak with you on such a bad terms, but what can you do?" "You guys could start by getting off your lazy @$$es and start working . . . just look at Greeley standing over there with his thumb up his butt, why isn't he finger printing or questioning or investigating?" "Brother I know this is tough on you but its tough on us too, we're doing all we can for the moment . . . Bother we have to wait until the finger printers and photographers get here to do those kind of things, Steve is checking possible links between the scuff marks, the vending machine thefts and the murders. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. Brother, what we need now is to take a look at your secret lair" just then Brother cut him off and remarked. "No Way that is out of the Question!" but Pat answered with. "Brother the only way we are going to get this case solved is if we have your complete cooperation, this could be vital to our investigation. You can even blind fold us until we get there. Is it a deal?" "I guess so, but only for the victims sake." "Thank you! You won't regret it Brother. Steve come on lets go out to the car and get our stuff. And Brother one more question . . . Did you hear anything unusual or something I should know that others failed to mention?" "Well . . . I did hear Mrs. Hartnett singing if that's any use to you." "Steve follow me" When we got out in to the hallway away from Brother he said to me 'I think we'll find something useful in there I just know it.' and I asked him if he thought Brother had something to do with it but he said no. I wonder what it could be that would interest him. When we went outside he told me "Go to the station and get Jimmy to come down and dust the room for prints and take some pictures of the crime scene" "Why do I need to go all the way down town, why don't I just call him" "He doesn't have a car" "He can use his black and white, can't he" "He could but I need you to go down to Slick's and get some sandwiches . . . I want a roast beef with mayo on rye . . . and get a six of St. Ides." "We're on duty!" "Its not for now its for later" "Well do you have any money? Or should I just put this on your tab?" "Don't get like this man . . . listen if its a problem I'll just do it myself." I don't know why I let him talk me into it, he already owes about a thousand dollars. I don't plan to get any of it back but it would be nice for him to pick up lunch just once, he makes twice as much money as I do anyway. Anyhow, when he said Jimmy he was referring to his older brother. He's kind of a dead beat. If he's not working at the station he's usually there locked up, but it never sticks. He is Schenectady's version of "Teflon Don", sometimes I think he might be involved in the mob or something, but Pat tells me he's just a trouble maker. Maybe I can get a few bucks off him, but it's highly unlikely he owes me about five hundred dollars himself. Their tabs go all the way back to senior year, those were the good old days. When I pulled up to the station Jimmy was outside smoking, so I just parked in front of him and shouted out the window "Yo Jimmy . . . Pat needs you down at Gibbons . . . we need some pictures and prints . . . and bring some money for lunch." "Hold on I be right back . . . I need to go get the dust." That's what they call the finger printing kits, kind of corny if you ask me. "Where we getting lunch?" As someone opened the door and got in, it was a familiar voice but I just couldn't seem to place it with out turning around. "No way Walker . . . get out we don't need any blues with us today the unmarked is bad enough." It was Sean Walker he was a rookie and he was always trying to tag along, he was the crookedest cop in town, he beat up a few to many and pinched money too often to have him tagging along. If the Captain saw us together that would be the end of my dreams of being promoted to a detective. See I wasn't a full blown detective just a temporary arrangement the Captain, Mr. Lazzarri, set up. He said he wanted to see what I was made of before I got the promotion. "Why don't yous guys let me come with yous anymore . . . remember when we were back in Gibbons how come we can't hang any more?" "Because you don't always do things by the book and we're on a big case, if its blown I can kiss my promotion good bye and then I'd be a beat cop again like you. Two years of that is enough for me." "What ever but if yous guys go out tonight then give me a call." And then he jumped out and started to talk to Jimmy, but Jimmy just opened the car door and said to me. "Drive . . . I hate talking to that punk. I could only find a ten spot" and he held it up to show me. "Thanks that'll do" and I snatched it. "Hey man that's all I got till Friday . . . give me five back man" "Jimmy were going to Slick's for sandwiches what do you want?" "It's only ten in the morning . . . Let me guess Pat told you we're eating here?" "Shut up man I have to kiss his butt, f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Comparison of Karl Mark and Matthew Arnold.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Through their writing, Karl Marx and Matthew Arnold show their opposing views on the importance of internal and external functions of culture. In the first chapter of Culture and Anarchy, "Sweetness and Light", Arnold describes culture as being responsible for the progress of politics and society and as "the best knowledge and thought of the time" (19). Matthew Arnold's culture is based on two main aspects, religion and education. Karl Marx, however, strongly contrasts Arnold's ideas. Marx views culture as being derived from the advancement of the sciences. Matthew Arnold's definition of culture comes from "a mid-nineteenth-century Germanic notion of culture which is founded upon his study of Goethe and Schiller" (19). He believed many other cultures are based on the thought of curiosity and on scientific expansion. Arnold believed culture was based on the expansion of the individual's mind; only through education can a perfect culture be reached. In his writings, Arnold stated that for a man to be cultured he has to be versed in both religion and classic literature. Although Arnold's culture sought the advancement of the human mind; he did not want people to get wrapped up in technology. "Faith in machinery is, I said, our besetting danger; often in machinery most absurdly disproportioned to the end which this machinery" (23). Arnold believes his culture is "more interesting and more far-reaching than that other, which is founded solely on the scientific passion for knowing" (21). Arnold believed that culture dealt with perfection; as he stated in "Sweetness and Light", "Culture is then properly describe not as having its origin in curiosity, but as having its origin in the love of perfection; it is a study of perfection" (21). Arnold also says that culture is the endeavor to make the moral and social characteristics of individuals prevail. Because culture is a study of perfection, then it is also an "inward condition of the mind and spirit, not in an outward set of circumstances" (Arnold 23). Arnold states that, "In thus making sweetness and light to be characters of perfection, culture is of like spirit with poetry..." (25). Matthew Arnold felt that religion was an important aspect of culture. Arnold felt that when the reason of God prevailed all society will be cultured. As Arnold states, "Now, then, is the moment for culture to be of service, culture which believes in making reason and the will of God prevail, believes in perfection, is the study of perfection,..." (21). Marx states that the ruling class of culture would be the intellectual and material force, he makes no mention of the religious aspects. In Karl Marx's culture, on the other hand, there would not be enough time to devote to the enrichment of the individual's religious mind. This is caused by his strong devotion to technological advancement. The view Marx has toward religion and culture as a whole vividly portrays his feelings toward the internal aspect of culture. Marx thought the culture of a nation derived from the economic situation of the nation. His writings show he is more inclined toward the external aspect of culture. This external view of culture includes the thoughts of production, industry, and scientific breakthroughs. Another aspect of Marx's focus on external culture is his lack of focus on the development of religion and education. The focus on Marx's culture was the advancement of technology and power. The writings of Marx and Arnold strongly oppose each other. The vast differences between Marx's and Arnold's opinion on culture are well noted in their writings. Marx's view of religion and education being non-important in his perfect culture contradicts the view of Matthew Arnold. Arnold believed that culture was a study of perfection in the mind of the individual. These contradicting views are an example of culture's various definitions in the world. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Counseling Profession.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Clients often come to counselors to change their lives in some way, such as to become more assertive. As likely, clients seek counseling as a result of some change, prehaps a death or different working conditions. Clients ofren find themselves in the midsyt of some change they do not understand or over which they have little control. In its most general form, counseling provides a context for such change. How to evplain any change, how to assess its direction or to predictg irs effects, and how to understand the meaning any change may have for the client are questions the effective counselor must ask. The counselor relies on the concepts of human development to assess the client's level of functioning and uses different developmental theories as lenses through which to view the client. The professional counselor appreciates that people are different but users knowledge of developmental theory to understand these differences within the context of a universal human process. Because so much of their work involves making decisions related to human development, counselors need to understand the assumptions upon which such decisions are made. Counselors need to understand all developmental theories and how these theories are applied to counseling to be effective. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE EDUCATION SYSTEM The education system in my country is different from U.S education; mostly it is similar to France education system. The education system in my country is very restricted and it is not easy to graduate from high school. I have been attending US colleges for almost four years now. I finished high school in my country and never get a chance to attend college in there. In this essay I would like to compare and contrast the differences between my high school education system and US education system. Even though, I never attend high school in US but I have some friends who told me about high school system. One of the differences is that in my country all high school students had to ware school uniform, but in here the high school student they can wear what ever they want. Second, there was no choice for us to take those classes that we want we had to take what was offered, in contrast in US high schools students can take a lest those classes that they like. Third, the exams in my country was pretty the same as US system. First of all, in my county all high students we had to wear uniform. We had to wear black skirts, white tops, black shoes and black tights. The good thing about uniform was that it wasn't expensive for parents to get uniform for their children each year, second, it was good for students to concentrate only on there classes and third it was very organized. For instance, in my family three person went to high school and parents bought us uniforms only once a year which was not very expensive, second every day when we waked up we didn't had to worry about what to wear and worrying that we don't have enough clothes. Therefor, wearing uniform was very good so most of our concentration was on our classes not on clothing. Finally, wearing uniform was very organize when we passed the rode everyone know that we were high school students. In contrast, in America high school students can wear any thing they want and there is no restriction. In my opinion, it is very expensive for parents to prepare different clothes for their children everyday. May be it is no problem for some parents, but in most of the cases like single working parent that has to work full time and have other expenses it is not easy to buy clothes for their children every day. For example, one of my friend's daughter goes to high school and her mother works full time she is not making enough money to buy new clothes for her daughter every day. Therefor, the good thing about uniform is that it is not expensive for parents to get uniform for their children and beside that it is more organize too for the students. Secondly, in my education system we didn't had a chance to take those classes that we liked. For example there was 14 subjects such as History, Geography, Biology, Physic, Chemistry, Political science, Cooking, English and etc. We had to take all of these classes every year and it was not easy to pass all these classes. Sometime I didn't want to study all these math classes since I had no choice I had to pass that class there for had kill myself and learn them. In contrast, in US education system it is pretty much up to individual to pick their interested classes and learn those classes. Therefor, I really like this system because every one can concentrate on their interested subject and they learn that subject really good. Third, the exams between my education system and US system were not very different. Except, we had only two exams during a semester or every six-month. But in hear teachers always get quizzes that counts for the final grading which is really good, but in my country we only had two exams that were comprehensive and the added all these points together to get the final grad. The US grading system is much better than our system because they give you more chances to pass a class by giving you quizzes and midterms. At the end the teachers add all these points up and a student can finish a class with a good grad. Beside that by giving these midterms and quizzes it divide the book in to sections which is very helpful for the student to remember the materials otherwise it is hard to remember the whole book for final. Finally, there are many differences between education system in the world and there are many similarities between them too. My country education system is very different than American education. The uniform, the classes and the grading system I hope one day each system could look at the each others system and find out what is good and what is better for students and change their old system to a better and new system. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The First Day.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The First Day By : Sarah Johns It was a bright sunny day, the sky was a soft shade of blue and there was a slight breeze in the air. I stepped out of my moms red shiny CRX as she said 'Good Luck' to me. I forced up a weak smile as I shoved the door, and it made a woosh noise as it closed. I took a deep breathe and started walking towards the man entrance. I thought to myself, 'Why does the school have all the buildings seperated?' I slowly walked forward as I started looking at all the other kids, most were in groups and all talking laughing and smiling. I felt very small, like I was an alien who had just landed on planet Earth. I thought to myself, 'I should be at home, with my friends talking and laughing'. But I wasn't, I was in Rocklin, California. Id moved here at the begging of August. And I'd hated it ever since. But I was willing to give Rocklin a shot, even though ever kid I'd met in town so far had said 'Rocklin is the worst school'. As I walked forward with the white scrunched up piece of paper that told me my classes, I tried to look like I fit in. As I looked around for my class, I noticed I was on the wrong side of the building. 'At least I know where the main building is,' I said to myself. The main building looked bright and cheery, like the sun. I trudged over to the main building trying not to look at anyone, the pavement looked really white. When I got to the main building I walked up to a Miss Kerby, sitting behind a desk and asked her if she could tell me where this building was. Instead I felt like I had just been arrested for murder. I was bombarded with about 5 questions all at once. I answered them all, and with a negative tone she told me 'I cant help you, you need your mom to go sign these'. I felt shocked and a huge amount of anger mounting up inside me. I walked straight out of the building. I didn't need to get crap from some lady when I was trying to get used to a state that I had never been too. I walked home and slammed the front door shut, and screamed at the top of my lungs 'I hate it here, I am moving back to Illinois with my dad!' And ran upstairs to my room, slammed the door shut. Bang bang bang, went the door as my foot thudded against it. Each hit relieved a lot of anger. But I had to go to school. And with all the courage I had in me I went back to that school that had slammed the door in my face, and gave it a second shot. I went to each class feeling like a freak, as everyone stared at me because I didn't dress like them. I thought to myself 'I don't think you like me, well I hate you as well'. I felt like I was on display at the local circus show. I thought someone would come and say 'hello' to me. To this day, I am still waiting. No one has taken the time here to get to know me or like me. I know they all judged me, as I also judged them. I trudged to each class and found two of the teachers actually impressed me, which surprised me, I didn't think anyone in Rocklin, or the whole state of California would impress me. At the end of the day, I was still hating the new school, missing all my old friends. To this day, it still takes a lot of courage for me to show up at Rocklin High School. Some days I just cant even go. I have now learned to go to school. And I hope to graduate with good grades this year, as I did at my other school (straight A's and B's may I add). I have learned that I have courage and strength and I will succeed this year ever if I am in someplace I don't like. I have learned I can succeed even if everything isn't the way I like it. And with this courage, I will graduate. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Future of NASA.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Future of NASA One hundred years from now, NASA's space program will not be so far advanced that people will be able to beam around the Universe or travel through time. However, unless something goes terribly wrong with the world, it is expected to advance tremendously. New, high-tech designs for rockets will make them more environmentally safe. Rockets will also be recycled and reused. Systems retrieving parts of rockets that are today, left behind in space, will be created. Astronauts will be well on their way to exploring Mars from a hands-on perspective. Because of the overpopulated Earth, scientists may even be considering ways to alter life on Mars, so that people would be able to live there some day. Some products developed in NASA's space program that we now incorporate in our daily lives include the vacuum cleaner, pacemaker, pens that can write upside-down, and the zero-gravity training system. The vacuum cleaner was originally a great tool for astronauts in outer space. It is now a very helpful tool for cleaning our homes. The pacemaker is a form of life-support on spacecrafts, helping astronomers' hearts pump while they are outside of the Earth's atmosphere. It is used, on Earth, for those who's hearts have problems with pumping blood. Pens that write upside-down are used in space, where there is no gravity and writing with pens would otherwise be impossible. They are convenient tools on Earth when we are trying to write on vertical surfaces. A zero-gravity training system is used to help astronauts become more comfortable with the conditions in space. It is used in places such as Sportsland, for kids to twirl around in. In the future, telephones with picture screens, much like those used to see astronauts in space with, will become common on Earth. Rooms with no gravity may become a part of amusement parks. More solar-powered energy sources will also be available. Space Internet may be created, so that astronomers and anyone else that happens to be in space can upload pictures and chat with the rest of the world while they are actually in outer space. In general, there is a bright future in store for NASA, with new and advanced technology waiting around the bend of the twenty-first century. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Gateway to The Soul.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I MADE A MISTAKE: THIS WAS AN "A" BUT IT IS FROM GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS>>>MY FLOPPY FOR THE OTHER DIED!!! SORRY Metaphors that Justify War by Kevin Steiner Truth Uncloaked Do you think we had all the information that was at the President's disposal when he made the decision to deploy our troops in the Gulf? Do you think having that information might have made you feel more comfortable about our involvement? Should our government decide what we get to know and what we don't? By in large, we hear exactly what our government wants us to hear. Knowing this, at no other time paralleled in history, we want the truth; we thirst for it like those traveling through the desert without water and we are tired of being manipulated and deceived by those we elect to serve our interests. However, more often than not, we settle for what is given to us. Our truth is wrapped by the media and promoted as gospel without hesitation or moral reservation. Our acceptance of and reliance upon the media for sensitive, truthful, information brings a sense of security and knowledge of world affairs that satisfies our internal push for social involvement (even if it is at the point of acknowledgment only). We are happy with the knowledge because there is no discernible contradictions and seldom question its relevancy, focus or content. Then later, a contradictory report erupts in the media and we begin to question even what we see. The short footage shown by the media concerning the beating of Rodney King was out of context. Who is responsible for the disparity? The media. They decide what we hear and see. They manipulate to dramatize for the dollar. Gossip, murder, rape, political espionage, treason, drug deals, incest, wife battering, muggings, immoral behavior of all sizes shapes and volumes seem to appeal to human interest and the Networks use it to build their ratings while claiming they proclaim truth for all (double effect). These people and their focus gave us the Gulf War everyday, around the clock. Would it be surprising to know that the media not only reports the news they help facilitate public approval that could justify a war through the use of metaphors alone? The use of metaphors in war and everyday life is common and an important method employed to eventually arrive at a position of approval for military action. Before the use of metaphors is discussed it is necessary to understand specific conditions in which any war is justified. Conditions Necessary to Justify a War Two specific conditions are necessary to justify war. First, direct aggression against the United States, our allies, or those who are unable to protect themselves against direct aggression. Second, indirect aggression against the U.S.. During both conditions the moral correctness, realistic threat and potential harm would be assessed to determine an appropriate response. After a decision has been made from those premises, war could morally be justified and action should be taken. However, indirect aggression is the most difficult premise to evaluate. Its relevancy to our nation and allies is difficult to determine succinctly. In order to understand how we would deal with such a condition to engage in a war built on this premise one must understand U.S. ideology. Current U. S. ideology insists that direct aggression be met with self defense. Under this condition, the main concerns are the safety of its citizens, the freedom to exercise their rights and proportional intervention against the aggressor to ensure such safety and freedom. An example of U. S. policy for this situation occurred on December 7, 1941. The United States declared war on Japan in self defense. U.S. response was considered necessary and imminent. Indirect aggression on the other hand, it is not so easy to establish a just war. Every war fought after W.W. II rested on the U.S. response to indirect aggression. Capitalism and democracy is directly opposed to dictatorship and communism. The fear of such tyrannical rule made most Americans shudder. Any possibility of communistic rule or influence was perceived as a direct threat and destroyed, if by no other reason, by fear.. The thought established in the 1950' sheds a great amount of light on U.S. policy as it relates to communism. The cold war was a reality. Commercials were made over the radio about the need for bomb shelters and the possible attack that would be launched from Russia. People fear anything that is unfamiliar. Communism was heralded as a terrible disease that would spread like the plague and American policy was a direct reflection of that fear. Any opportunity to defeat communism or to prevent it's capture of other nations was considered a just venture that would elevate a potential threat to our nation. The Vietnam war was fought against communism and so was the Korean conflict. New Policy-World Responsibility and the Protection of Human Rights The Wall fell in the late 80's and the cold war disappeared. American policy had to make several adjustments to the new world order and our responsibility to it. Another concept was developed in addition to a just war fought on indirect and direct aggression against us: The protection of others who could not protect themselves (not an ally) against an unjust enemy. The U S could not make a connection of indirect aggression against us but it had another card to play. A poll was released by several news papers and magazines asking Americans what reasons did they think we could use to justify coming to the aid of Kuwait. The results: They would not support our involvement based upon indirect aggression. However, they would support the other position offered by the Bush administration in support of human rights. Political and economic considerations are always woven into every military action and considered in-depth relating to the cost of war in both areas of concern. The Public was not politically or economically sagacious in the terms of justifying action. No one questioned the use of two scenarios. Why did the government give us two options? Was our involvement so questionable or were there more reasons? Studying the reasons for the use of metaphors might help and knowing how the President approached the situation. Old Policy-Create Empathy to Gain Approval for Justifying a War How did the President justify a war? It's simple--gain public support. If the public believes going to war is morally correct (even if they do not know all the facts) the war is universally justified and the President can wash his hands at the expense of public interest. The public makes its determination several ways. In reference to the Gulf crisis, the involvement of the state initiates involvement of the media and the media passes on information to the public and the public makes the decision that justifies of condemns military action. Since the President had already deployed the military he counted on the media to educate the people on the injustice Kuwait had suffered and support his decision to deploy and possibly go to war if need be. Eventually, public thought would be reflected by congressional vote. Strategy of the State and the Role of the Media Since information from the media is the central player in this decision it should be examined closely. There are three specific functions of the media during a war. "Delivering the facts" concept of the media serves three larger purposes for the state. First, the media will be giving information to the people and the people are needed to gain a firm vote in congress. This is not as simple as it appears you must put yourself in the shoes of the President. He has put his political career in jeopardy if he does not gain support (it is election year). If he is forced to withdraw military support after he has deployed US looks like a red-headed step-child in the face of world opinion. So it would follow that large amount of information and many meetings would be conducted before he would take such action based upon information that the public is not privileged to see. The three things he needs from the public in order to gain full support for his actions are: Capture the interest of the voters; promote empathy for Kuwait; and make the public feel that US involvement is necessary to the point of answering polls ect.... The media would ensure that American's got everything that the White House had to offer including passing on every intercepted electronic impulse that passed from the scene of the potential conflict. Almost every briefing and commentary had at least one thing in common-metaphors. The Use of Metaphors The use of metaphors by the state was launched again and again throughout history. It is nothing new and it serves its purpose well. First, metaphors are a very powerful tool capable of the worst acts imaginable. "Metaphors can kill. The discourse over whether to go to war in the gulf was a pana- rama of metaphor. Secretary of State Baker saw Saddam Hussein as 'sitting on our economic lifeline.' President Bush portrayed him as having a 'stranglehold' on our economy. General Schwartzkopf characterized the occupation of Kuwait as a 'rape' that was ongoing." (Lakoff, 1991) The Legalists Paradigm-The Bridge to Empathy It is obvious to see the "legalistic paradigm" that Walzer discusses in his theory at work here (Walzer, 1977). The idea of course it to gain support of the public and maybe even convince themselves what they are doing is right. Public support is gained by getting them to empathize. Empathy is always bridged by what we hold as common between parties. So the use of metaphors is the bridge that we use to establish that common ground. Metaphors provide us with a view that is not foreign to our understanding and way of life. They assign meaning to our everyday lifestyle by forming together clustered amounts of information and their systems into a short title. For example: when the word rape is mentioned many things come to mind and an emotional response probably accompanies it. When speaking about a war, metaphors are often hurled around like popcorn at a movie theater bulging with teenagers. Metaphors like rape and the like, which threaten by their very nature, cause us to rally and promote action. Metaphors are extremely powerful when used to explain events, especially if reciprocation is in question. According to Lakoff, "The most natural way to justify a war on moral grounds is to [use a metaphor] (Lakoff, 1991). Many of our current uses of metaphors are a direct result of Carl von Clausewitz view on war. U.S. Ideology and Foreign Policy According to, a Prussian General, when the costs of war exceeds the political gains, the war should cease or never be entered. Another one of his points is if at anytime a war would prove beneficial for the state it should be pursued. His "views on war became dominant in American foreign policy circles during the Vietnam War" (Lakoff, 1991). He has continued to influence us even recently: "The New York Times, on November 12, 1990, ran a front-page story announcing that 'a national debate ha[d] begun as to whether the United States should go to war in the Persian Gulf. The Times described the debate as defined by Clausewitz's metaphor on a literal level of understanding and then the poised the questions: 'What then in the nation's political objective in the gulf and what level of sacrifice is it worth?'" The emphasis wasn't directed at the metaphors but at the costs. The influence of metaphors should not be understated. They are an intrinsic element within any strategist's mind and often follow in close relation to one's personal rights. The-State-as-Person System Metaphor The first metaphor under consideration is "The State-as-Person System," more commonly referred to as the legalist paradigm which is built upon the domestic analogy (Walzer, 1977). The state is the person who is living a normal life in society. The area in which he lives is considered his home (Country). Of course he lives with his friends and family and scattered around are enemies he may have to face. His enemies represent the aggressive state(s) that attempt to ruin, change or destroy those whom he cares for, has respect for, or destroy his possessions or seek his destruction. In other words disrupt his manner of life. The Fairy Tale Metaphor The next metaphor under consideration is the "Fairy Tale of the Just War." "The scenario: A crime is committed by the villain against an innocent victim (typically an assault, theft, or kidnapping). The offense occurs due to an imbalance of power and creates a moral imbalance. The hero makes scarifies; he undergoes difficulties, typically making an arduous journey...The villain is inherently evil... and thus reasoning with him is out of the question. The hero is left with no choice but to engage in battle. The hero defeats the villain and rescues the victim. The moral balance is restored. The enemy-as-[a]-demon metaphor arises as a consequence of the fact that we understand what a just war is in terms of a fairy tale" (Lakoff, 1991). From our youth stories like this have brought about the intense feeling of justice- good always wins. These stories capture the imagination and paint a picture of those who employ it as the heroes no doubt. This was one of the analogies used by the Bush administration in a poll that gained the largest public backing (Metaphorical Definition p. 2). The Violent Crime Metaphor The last Metaphor under consideration is "War as Violent Crime." This metaphor is dualistic in its approach. War is, in reality, violence and incorporates "murder, assault, kidnapping, arson... and theft" (Lakoff, 1991), and at the same time could be viewed from the point of peace and a terrible domestic crime. Iraq represents the evil criminal and the coalition represents the hero who will triumph and stop the criminal from committing unlawful acts. All the while the coalition is doing the same under the cloak of justice. It boils down to who did it first. Reaction is in the same manner could be justified in the name of a rescue and self-defense. These are only some of the main analogies used during the Gulf War to gain political support for an approval of U. S. commitment. Conclusion No, we don't know all the facts and that is a certainty we must realize even when witnessed by a camera. We have a new role that has yet to be fully understood and planned for so it would not be considered wild for us to be involved in just about anything until we make our position clear. It remain certain however when the use of metaphors crop up in the media and at press conferences the aim is for your empathy and support without knowing the whole story. There would be no need for the use of metaphors when talking about war if there was nothing to hide. The metaphorical options used by the government assured voter confidence and a "no-lose" situation for the President's decision about the Gulf War. New York Times. November 12, 1990. Walzer, Michael Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Information. Basic Books: HarperCollins, USA, 1977. Lakoff, George. Metaphor and War: The Metaphor System Used to Justify War in the Gulf. November, 1991; UC Berkeley CA. Metaphors that Justify a War Kevin T. Steiner GVMT 403 Dr. T. Gerald Term II, 1996 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Giver.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Giver (Report) Jonas: The story starts as Jonas, a twelve- year-old boy, who is waiting for his life assignment. When he is given his assignment, he is chosen to be the Receiver of Memory. As the Receiver he has to get every memory from all over the world from the old Receiver he calls The Giver. The Giver: The Giver is the man who is the old Receiver. He is also the one who gives Jonas the memories. In the community were Jonas lives is everything is controlled, even people's memory. The Giver is the only one who is not controlled. It is the Receiver's job to store the memories of the community and pass them on to the next Receiver. Gabe: Gabe is an infant who was part of Jonas's father's work that Jonas's father brought home so he won't be released from the community(killed). Jonas's Family: Jonas's family is not like our idea of a family. They don't love each of there family members like we love ours. There is no privacy between anybody. They shared there dreams at breakfast and there day at dinner. Introduction of Characters: Lowry introduces Jonas and his family, with Gabe, plus The Giver. Rising Action: Jonas receives the assignment of Receiver of Memory. Complication: Jonas finds out that not all memories are nice. Conflict: The conflict is man vs. man. Jonas can't turn down his assignment without being released. Climax: Jonas runs away from the perfect community so that Gabe won't be released. Falling Action: People search for Jonas and Gabe. Resolution: Finally Jonas and Gabe make it elsewhere, and they were safe. The Giver Setting #1: "Now the landscape was changing. It was a subtle change, hard to identify at first. The road was narrower, and bumpy, apparently no longer tended to by road crews. It was harder suddenly, to balance on a bike, as the front wheel wobbled over stones and ruts." #2: "Standing in the freezing mound that was thickening around his numb feet, Jonas opened his own tunic, held Gabe to his bare chest, and tied the torn and dirty blanket around them both. Gabe moved feebly against and whimpered briefly into the silence that surrounded them. Dimly, from a nearly forgotten perception as the blurred as the substance itself. Jonas recalled what the witness was, "It's called snow, Gabe, Jonas whispered." The Giver Theme/Readers Response Theme: 1. A perfect thing to one is not perfect to another. 2. Sometimes freedom is better than over protectivness. Readers Response: A part of the book I didn't like was that people didn't have to make any choices. I also didn't like how people didn't have any emotions. I don't think they should have a perfect community. The part of the book I did like was that the community had no violence and pollution and no murder. Overall I really enjoyed the book! The Giver (Report) Jonas: The story starts as Jonas, a twelve- year-old boy, who is waiting for his life assignment. When he is given his assignment, he is chosen to be the Receiver of Memory. As the Receiver he has to get every memory from all over the world from the old Receiver he calls The Giver. The Giver: The Giver is the man who is the old Receiver. He is also the one who gives Jonas the memories. In the community were Jonas lives is everything is controlled, even people's memory. The Giver is the only one who is not controlled. It is the Receiver's job to store the memories of the community and pass them on to the next Receiver. Gabe: Gabe is an infant who was part of Jonas's father's work that Jonas's father brought home so he won't be released from the community(killed). Jonas's Family: Jonas's family is not like our idea of a family. They don't love each of there family members like we love ours. There is no privacy between anybody. They shared there dreams at breakfast and there day at dinner. Introduction of Characters: Lowry introduces Jonas and his family, with Gabe, plus The Giver. Rising Action: Jonas receives the assignment of Receiver of Memory. Complication: Jonas finds out that not all memories are nice. Conflict: The conflict is man vs. man. Jonas can't turn down his assignment without being released. Climax: Jonas runs away from the perfect community so that Gabe won't be released. Falling Action: People search for Jonas and Gabe. Resolution: Finally Jonas and Gabe make it elsewhere, and they were safe. The Giver Setting #1: "Now the landscape was changing. It was a subtle change, hard to identify at first. The road was narrower, and bumpy, apparently no longer tended to by road crews. It was harder suddenly, to balance on a bike, as the front wheel wobbled over stones and ruts." #2: "Standing in the freezing mound that was thickening around his numb feet, Jonas opened his own tunic, held Gabe to his bare chest, and tied the torn and dirty blanket around them both. Gabe moved feebly against and whimpered briefly into the silence that surrounded them. Dimly, from a nearly forgotten perception as the blurred as the substance itself. Jonas recalled what the witness was, "It's called snow, Gabe, Jonas whispered." The Giver Theme/Readers Response Theme: 1. A perfect thing to one is not perfect to another. 2. Sometimes freedom is better than over protectivness. Readers Response: A part of the book I didn't like was that people didn't have to make any choices. I also didn't like how people didn't have any emotions. I don't think they should have a perfect community. The part of the book I did like was that the community had no violence and pollution and no murder. Overall I really enjoyed the book! The Giver (Report) Jonas: The story starts as Jonas, a twelve- year-old boy, who is waiting for his life assignment. When he is given his assignment, he is chosen to be the Receiver of Memory. As the Receiver he has to get every memory from all over the world from the old Receiver he calls The Giver. The Giver: The Giver is the man who is the old Receiver. He is also the one who gives Jonas the memories. In the community were Jonas lives is everything is controlled, even people's memory. The Giver is the only one who is not controlled. It is the Receiver's job to store the memories of the community and pass them on to the next Receiver. Gabe: Gabe is an infant who was part of Jonas's father's work that Jonas's father brought home so he won't be released from the community(killed). Jonas's Family: Jonas's family is not like our idea of a family. They don't love each of there family members like we love ours. There is no privacy between anybody. They shared there dreams at breakfast and there day at dinner. Introduction of Characters: Lowry introduces Jonas and his family, with Gabe, plus The Giver. Rising Action: Jonas receives the assignment of Receiver of Memory. Complication: Jonas finds out that not all memories are nice. Conflict: The conflict is man vs. man. Jonas can't turn down his assignment without being released. Climax: Jonas runs away from the perfect community so that Gabe won't be released. Falling Action: People search for Jonas and Gabe. Resolution: Finally Jonas and Gabe make it elsewhere, and they were safe. The Giver Setting #1: "Now the landscape was changing. It was a subtle change, hard to identify at first. The road was narrower, and bumpy, apparently no longer tended to by road crews. It was harder suddenly, to balance on a bike, as the front wheel wobbled over stones and ruts." #2: "Standing in the freezing mound that was thickening around his numb feet, Jonas opened his own tunic, held Gabe to his bare chest, and tied the torn and dirty blanket around them both. Gabe moved feebly against and whimpered briefly into the silence that surrounded them. Dimly, from a nearly forgotten perception as the blurred as the substance itself. Jonas recalled what the witness was, "It's called snow, Gabe, Jonas whispered." The Giver Theme/Readers Response Theme: 1. A perfect thing to one is not perfect to another. 2. Sometimes freedom is better than over protectivness. Readers Response: A part of the book I didn't like was that people didn't have to make any choices. I also didn't like how people didn't have any emotions. I don't think they should have a perfect community. The part of the book I did like was that the community had no violence and pollution and no murder. Overall I really enjoyed the book! The Giver (Report) Jonas: The story starts as Jonas, a twelve- year-old boy, who is waiting for his life assignment. When he is given his assignment, he is chosen to be the Receiver of Memory. As the Receiver he has to get every memory from all over the world from the old Receiver he calls The Giver. The Giver: The Giver is the man who is the old Receiver. He is also the one who gives Jonas the memories. In the community were Jonas lives is everything is controlled, even people's memory. The Giver is the only one who is not controlled. It is the Receiver's job to store the memories of the community and pass them on to the next Receiver. Gabe: Gabe is an infant who was part of Jonas's father's work that Jonas's father brought home so he won't be released from the community(killed). Jonas's Family: Jonas's family is not like our idea of a family. They don't love each of there family members like we love ours. There is no privacy between anybody. They shared there dreams at breakfast and there day at dinner. Introduction of Characters: Lowry introduces Jonas and his family, with Gabe, plus The Giver. Rising Action: Jonas receives the assignment of Receiver of Memory. Complication: Jonas finds out that not all memories are nice. Conflict: The conflict is man vs. man. Jonas can't turn down his assignment without being released. Climax: Jonas runs away from the perfect community so that Gabe won't be released. Falling Action: f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Great Gatsby.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Adam Shane English 11-1 1-28-96 The Great Gatsby In the novel, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby did not fit into the lifestyle of Daisy and her friends. Because of his background, his dreams were destined to be shattered even before he tried to achieve them. Jay Gatsby's nouveau riche lifestyle was not of the ways of the old rich. Jay Gatsby killed James Gatz at the age of seventeen as he boarded Dan Cody's yacht. It was "...James Gatz who had been loafing along the beach that afternoon...but it was already Jay Gatsby who borrowed a rowboat...and informed Cody that a wind might catch him and break him up..." (ch. 4, pp. 98-9). When he got on the yacht he was forever known as Jay Gatsby. Gatsby thought he left his past behind him. James Gatz came from North Dakota. His parents "...were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people..." (ch. 4, p. 99). Gatsby made his money very mysteriously, while the rest of the group inherited their money. This background put Jay Gatsby on a different level than the group he was trying to become a part of. Therefore he was never really accepted as one of the group. In an effort to be accepted by the group, Gatsby tried to show off his valuables and gave elaborate parties. He tried to make an impression on these people. Many to these people went to these parties "...without having met Gatsby at all" (ch. 3,p. 41). Gatsby did not have a formal education. His background did not support the background of the old wealth. He lived in West Egg, "...the less fashionable of the two..." (ch. 1, p. 5). The old rich would not live there. Jay Gatsby could have never in his life been a part of the old rich. Even with changing his names and and lifestyle, he could have never changed his interior. He would always been James Gatz. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Importance of Literacy.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Try and imagine our society without a common language. This could be quite a hard idea to fathom. Allow me to assist you. If this hypothetical idea were in fact true, a typical conversation between two individuals would be as follows: one of the two would begin the conversation by making noises representing their language, the other person would not understand these noises and respond with unrecognizable noises to the first individual. As you can well imagine, this would get quite frustrating. Rita Mae Brown describes literacy as, "a social contract, an agreed upon representation of certain symbols" (420). If the symbol's (letters) meanings are not agreed upon by those attempting to communicate, then interpreting one another becomes difficult. Simply stated, literacy is very important. Society has proven time and time again, it will reward those individuals who are competent and impede those who are not, whether expressed in terms of employment opportunities (job success) or just on a social level. One need look no further than their everyday activities in order to realize how important literary skills are. Without adequate literary skills one may not be able to identify on a label the correct amount of medicine to give a child, or read and interpret a sign giving instructions on what to do in case of a fire. These two examples bring perspective to literacy's importance. Nevertheless, recent surveys have indicated that, "4.5 million Canadians, representing 24 percent of the eighteen-and-over group, can be considered illiterate" ("Adult Illiteracy" 5). Illiteracy is truly a problem within Canada. Although many groups are working to render the problem of illiteracy, much work still lies ahead. As our society moves on into the next century literacy is proving vital to economic performance. Without basic literary skills in one's possession they will become lost in our rapidly changing society. The modern worker must be able to adapt to the changing job-scene. This often means gathering new skills and knowledge from printed material, whether instruction manuals, computer programs, or classroom training (text books). It is quite commonly the case that highly skilled jobs require a high level of literacy. Therefore, literary skill level is an important factor in predicting an individual's economic success. It will affect an individual's income, their employment stability and whether they even receive employment opportunities. Presently, our world revolves around literacy. Simply being literate allows one to continuously upgrade one's literary skills to a higher level. It allows one to stay informed of happenings in and around the world through mediums such as newspapers and magazines. Knowing current news about what is going on in this ever changing world of ours is the key to staying ahead. Another thought to ponder is this, we rely on those with high literacy levels to record and document findings and happenings for future generations to reflect on. These writings would most likely be dull and inaccurate or would not exist at all without our current levels of literacy. When viewed from a social standpoint, literacy remains just as important as when viewed from the economic standpoint. Linda Macleod of the National Associations Active in Criminal Justice, points out that, "65 percent of people entering Canadian prisons for the first time have trouble reading and writing, low literacy is part of a constellation of problems that can limit choices in life and thus lead people to criminal activity" (20). Somebody in possession of a high level of literacy will most likely be well informed and tend to make wiser decisions. By obtaining this level of literacy they have also gathered a large vocabulary giving them many words to choose from to express their ideas and feelings. Conversely, many would agree that a conversation with one who has a good grasp of the English language is always more delightful than with one who is less educated. Literacy can act as a window, opening one's view to the world. Presently, we are being bombarded with information, news, trivia and gossip (not that this is always a positive feature in our lives). Without sufficient literary skills one cannot even absorb any of this information. These people will miss out on many of life's benefits, socially as well as economically. Without sufficient literary skills one would have a tremendously difficult time functioning in our current world. Think about your average day, consider how many times you refer to your literary skills to aid you, could you function without those skills? Finding an address, reading a map, reading a menu, performing a bank transaction, these are just a few common tasks that require your literary skills. Also, when looking at the importance of literacy to our nation, its value is evident. High levels of literacy throughout all sectors of Canada's workforce are necessary, "low literacy levels of workers' affect Canada's ability to perform in the increasingly competitive international marketplace" ("Literacy" 7). Literary skills become building blocks. First creating a well-educated society, then a highly skilled labour force which can compete and adapt to the changing market. These factors lead to an increase in economic growth within the nation which in turn, results in a higher standard of living for its people. As our society moves forward into the future, a higher level of literacy will become more important to one's level of success. Where would our society be without our ability to exchange knowledge and information? How many times have you made a purchase that read on the outside - instructions inside? You and I think nothing of this, and in a sense take our gift for granted. For many, deciphering written instructions is a near impossible task, asking for assistance does little more than to further lower their self esteem. Literacy is important. To truly seize the benefits possible in one's life it has to be accepted that literacy is the key. Society will continue to reward skilled individuals and disadvantage those who are not. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Internet .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The big essay is due day after tomorrow, and you haven't even began to gather information on your topic. Your family didn't bother to buy a set of encyclopedias, and there is no way to get to a library before the essay is due. There is no hope of getting a passing grade, right? But wait, you have a computer, a modem, and the internet! You are saved! All you have to do is log on the internet, type in a keyword about your topic, and search. Instantly, you can get tons of information about your topic. The internet links people together into a web of networks and shared software using computer terminals and telephone lines or wireless radio connections.The basic internet was formed about 4 or 5 years ago by the United States government with the idea to pass information between themselves rapidly and efficently. Groups like the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and NASA all used the internet to communicate, and still do today. One of the keypoints that make the internet a good tool for anybody is communication. The internet provides a cheap, convienient, and quick source of it communication. Ways to communicate on the internet include "Telnet sites," which lets users chat with other internet users. Since there are a large variety of users from around the world, these sites allow one to learn about people and different cultures from around the world. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Levels of Agriculture.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Levels of the FFA The first level of the FFA is the local level. The local level is our school, Baren County High. Our local level belongs to a larger group called the Chapter. Our chapter is Barren County. There are 12 local levels in the Barren County Chapter. The next level is the Regoinal level. The Regional level is a bunch of the chapters from one part of the state. The regional level is then brought up with the other regional levels that make up the state. The state is one of the 54 states of the National Level(including the USA states, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico). There are over 450,000 members in the FFA from the USA. These Levels are similar because they each have officers, they each have a set of rules, they each have programs for the members. The officers are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasuser, Advisor, Reporter, Sentinal, and Parliamenitarian. The rules or guidelines are basically the same in all of the levels. The programs differ according to the chapters, and how they want to run their program of events. These levels are different becaue they have different officers and the condition of the state. Each officer and advisor would have different opinions about a program in Florida than an officer and advisor in Colorado. The condition of a state might not allow one chapter to do a certain event that another state would let it do. That is basically about all there is to tell about the levels of the FFA. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The need for Government Intervention in Education Reform .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Need for Federal Government Involvement in Education Reform by ____________ Political Science 2301 Federal and State Government OVERVIEW For centuries, generations of families have congregated in the same community or in the same general region of the country. Children grew up expecting to earn a living much like their fathers and mothers or other adults in their community. Any advanced skills they required beyond the three R's (Readin', Ritin' and Rithmatik) were determined by the local community and incorporated into the curriculum of the local schools. These advanced skills were taught to the up-and-coming generation so they could become a vital part of their community. The last several decades has greatly expanded the bounds of the "community" to almost anywhere in the country or anywhere in the world for that matter. Advances in transportation and communication has made the world a much smaller place then the world we knew as children. The skills our children need to realize parents' perpetual dream of "their children having a better life" are no longer limited to those seen in the local area. It is becoming more and more apparent that the education system of yesterday cannot adequately prepare students for life and work in the 21st Century. These concerns have prompted people across the country to take a hard look at our education system and to organize their efforts to chance the education system as we know it. WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE? There are two major movements in recent years whose focus is to enhance the education of future generations. The "Standards" movement focuses on educational content and raising the standards of traditional teaching and measurement means and methods. The "Outcome Based Education" (OBE) movement is exploring new ways of designing education and changing the way we measure the effectiveness of education by focusing on results or outcomes. STANDARDS MOVEMENT In September 1989, President Bush and the nation's governors called an Education Summit in Charlottesville, Virginia. At this summit, President Bush and the nation s governors, including then-governor Bill Clinton, agreed on six broad goals for education to be reached by the year 2000. Two of those goals (3 and 4) related specifically to academic achievement: * Goal 3: By the year 2000, American students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated competency in challenging subject matter including English, mathematics, science, history, and geography; and every school in America will ensure that all students learn to use their minds well, so they may be prepared for responsible citizenship, further learning, and productive employment in our modern economy. * Goal 4: By the year 2000, U.S. students will be first in the world in science and mathematics achievement. Soon after the summit, two groups were established to implement the new educational goals: the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) and the National Council on Education Standards and Testing (NCEST). Together, these two groups were charged with addressing unprecedented questions regarding American education such as: What is the subject matter to be addressed? What types of assessments should be used? What standards of performance should be set? The summit and its aftermath engendered a flurry of activity from national subject matter organizations to establish standards in their respective areas. Many of these groups looked for guidance from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics who publishing the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics in 1989. The NCTM standards "redefined the study of math so that topics and concepts would be introduced at an earlier age, and students would view math as a relevant problem-solving discipline rather than as a set of obscure formulas to be memorized." The National Science Teachers Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science quickly launched independent attempts to identify standards in science. Efforts soon followed in the fields of civics, dance, theater, music, art, language arts, history, and social studies, to name a few. OUTCOME BASED EDUCATION MOVEMENT The decade of the 80s brought numerous education reforms, but few of them were a dramatic shift from what has gone on before. Outcome-based education (OBE) is one of those that is new, even revolutionary, and is now being promoted as the panacea for America's educational woes. This reform has been driven by educators in response to demands for greater accountability by taxpayers and as a vehicle for breaking with traditional ideas about how we teach our children. If implemented, this approach to curriculum development could change our schools more than any other reform proposal in the last thirty years. The focus of past and present curriculum has been on content, on the knowledge to be acquired by each student. Our language, literature, history, customs, traditions, and morals, often called Western civilization, dominated the learning process through secondary school. If students learned the information and performed well on tests and assignments, they received credit for the course and moved on to the next class. The point here is that the curriculum centered on the content to be learned; its purpose was to produce academically competent students. The daily schedule in a school was organized around the content. Each hour was devoted to a given topic; some students responded well to the instruction, and some did not. Outcome-based education will change the focus of schools from the content to the student. Three facts drive this new approach to creating school curricula: * Fact 1: All students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day or in the same way. * Fact 2: Each success by a student breeds more success. * Fact 3: Schools control the conditions of success. In other words, students are seen as totally malleable creatures. If we create the right environment, any student can be prepared for any academic or vocational career. The key is to custom fit the schools to each student's learning style and abilities. The resulting schools will be vastly different from the ones recent generations attended. Yearly and daily schedules will change, teaching responsibilities will change, classroom activities will change, the evaluation of student performance will change, and most importantly, our perception of what it means to be an educated person will change. Common Arguments in Favor of Outcome-Based Education * Promotes high expectations and greater learning for all students. * Prepares students for life and work in the 21st Century. * Fosters more authentic forms of assessment (i.e., students write to show they know how to use English well, or complete math problems to demonstrate their ability to solve problems). * Encourages decision making regarding curriculum, teaching methods, school structure and management at each school or district level. Common Arguments Against Outcome-Based Education * Conflicts with admission requirements and practices of most colleges and universities, which rely on credit hours and standardized test scores * Some outcomes focus too much on feelings, values, attitudes and beliefs, and not enough on the attainment of factual knowledge * Relies on subjective evaluation, rather than objective tests and measurements. * Undermines local control. NATIONAL STANDARDS Both the "Standards" movement and "OBE" movement have particular strengths and weaknesses. Their means and methods are different however, their objective is the same -- To improve the education of future generations. We all remember the profound statements our parents repeated to us as we grew up. One of my favorites was, "You can't get anywhere if you're not moving". Years can be spent arguing if "OBE" is better then "Standards" and vice versa. They both are heading toward the same destination so let's get moving and we'll argue on the way. It is time for the Federal Government to take the lead and start the nation down the road. One of the fundamental principles of our nation should be the paramount concern of this Government body. EQUALITY! In this case equality is achieved through standards. STANDARDS IN EDUCATION General standards in education have existed formally for over a century but as time went on, local school systems have expanded their curriculum to meet the needs of the local community. National standards must be established to alleviate variances from community to community and state to state in order for all citizens to have an equal chance in the global society. THE NEED FOR CURRICULUM STANDARDS From the 1940s until the mid-1970s, the emphasis on serving the interests of individual children generated a expansion of the number of courses that constituted the high school curriculum. By the mid 1970s, the U.S. Office of Education reported that more than 2,100 different courses were being offered in American high schools. The content covered and the manner in which time is spent was at one time fairly uniform in American education, today there is little consistency in how much time students spend on a given subject or the knowledge and skills covered within that subject area. THE NEED FOR EVALUATION STANDARDS Perhaps the most compelling argument for organizing educational reform around standards is the shift in emphasis from what schools put into the process of schooling to what we get out of schools that is, a shift from educational "inputs" to educational "outputs". Chester Finn describes this shift in perspective in terms of an emerging paradigm for education. Under the old conception education was thought of as process and system, effort and intention, investment and hope. To improve education meant to try harder, to engage in more activity, to magnify one's plans, to give people more services, and to become more efficient in delivering them. Under the new definition, now struggling to be born, education is the result achieved, the learning that takes root when the process has been effective. Only if the process succeeds and learning occurs will we say that education happened. The U.S. Office of Education was commissioned by Congress to conduct a major study of the quality of educational opportunity. The result was the celebrated "Coleman Report" (after chief author and researcher, James Coleman), which was released in 1966. The report concluded that input variables might not actually have all that much to do with educational equality when equality was conceived of in terms of what students actually learned as opposed to the time, money, and energy that were expended. In summary, the new, more efficient and accountable view of education is output-based. Outputs defined in terms of specific student learnings, in terms of specific standards. THE NEED FOR GRADING STANDARDS Most assume that grades are precise indicators of what students know and can do with a subject area. In addition, most people assume that current grading practices are the result of a careful study of the most effective ways of reporting achievement and progress. In fact, current grading practices developed in a fairly serendipitous way. Mark Durm provides a detailed description of the history of grading practices in America, beginning in the 1780s when Yale University first started using a four-point scale. By 1897, Mount Holyoke College began using the letter grade system that is so widely used in education today. For the most part, this 100-year-old system is still in place today. Unfortunately, even though the system has been in place for a century, there is still not much agreement as to the exact meaning of letter grades. This was rather dramatically illustrated in a nationwide study by Robinson & Craver (1988) that involved over 800 school districts randomly drawn from the 11,305 school districts with 300 or more students. One of their major conclusions was that districts stress different elements in their grades. While all districts include academic achievement, they also include other significant elements such as effort, behavior, and attendance. There is great discrepancy in the factors teachers consider when they construct grades. We have a situation in which grades given by one teacher might mean something entirely different from grades given by another teacher even though the teachers are presiding over two identical classes with identical students who do identical work. Where one teacher might count effort and cooperation as 25% of a grade, another teacher might not count these variables at all. CONCLUSION Nearly all countries we want to emulate rely on policies and structures that are fundamentally standards based in nature. For example, in their study of standards-setting efforts in other countries, Resnick and Nolan (1995) note that Many countries whose schools have achieved academic excellence have a national curriculum. "Many educators maintain that a single curriculum naturally leads to high performance, but the fact that the United States values local control of schools precludes such a national curriculum." Although they caution that a well articulated national curriculum is not a guarantee of high academic achievement, Resnick and Nolan offer some powerful illustrations of the effectiveness of identifying academic standards and aligning curriculum and assessments with those standards. France is a particularly salient example: * In texts and exams, the influence of the national curriculum is obvious. For example, a French math text for 16-year-olds begins by spelling out the national curriculum for * the year so that all 16-year-olds know what they are expected to study. The book's similar table of contents shows that the text developers referred to the curriculum. * Moreover, the text makes frequent references to math exams the regional school districts have given in the past. Students practice on these exams to help them prepare for the exam they will face; they know where to concentrate to meet the standard. (p. 9) In a similar vein, a report published by NESIC, the National Education Standards and Improvement Council (1993), details the highly centralized manner in which standards are established in other countries. For example, in China, standards are set for the entire country and for all levels of the school system by the State Education Commission in Beijing. In England, standard setting was considered the responsibility of local schools until 1988, when the Education Reform Act mandated and outlined the process for establishing a national curriculum. The School Examinations and Assessment Council was established to carry out this process. In Japan, the ministry of education in Tokyo (Manibushi) sets the standards for schools, but allows each of the 47 prefectures (Ken) some latitude in adapting those standards. According to the NESIC report, "Most countries embody their content standards in curriculum guides issued by the ministries of education or their equivalents." (pc-51) Additionally, "A national examination system provides a further mechanism for setting standards through specifications of examinations, syllabuses and regulations, preparations of tests, grading of answers, and establishment of cutoff points." (pc-51) If our children are to survive and excel in the emerging global society, we must give them the tools they need to compete. Whether future generations receive these tools via the "Standards" movement or the "OBE" movement is irrelevant. It is how well our children can compete with other countries of the world that will insure the United States remains a world leader, a nation united and strong. If this is not a role for the Federal Government, I don't know what is? f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Outsiders.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INTRODUCTION: "The Outsiders" by S. E Hinton is an early novel based on two waring juvenile gangs, divided by economical and social background, the lower East side Greasers and the upper West side Socs. The novel is set in 1966 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a novel written in first person by a 14 year old Greaser, Ponyboy Curtis who allows us an insight into the lifestyles of these distinct worlds. I chose the novel "The Outsiders" as a text for year 10 for the following reasons: It is a novel which draws the reader in and allows the reader to understand a lifestyle alien to them. Even though the novel is set in 1966, it is a novel that's theme can be found in any society and time period. The student can relate to this novel as the narrator of the story is of their own age group and reflects many issues that they themselves may face. The language of the text is easily understood as are the themes in the story. It contains themes that would interest a young mind, showing many students the seedier side of life. What it would be like to live under such circumstances in constant fear of their lives. It deals with gang warfare, alcohol, drugs, child abuse, murder, survival and growing up. These are areas that a pubescent teenager can easily lose themselves in. It forces the reader to realise that in many cases teenagers have no choice in what lifestyles that are born into in this case either becoming the rich kid or the kid from the wrong side of the tracks. The novel has been incorporated into a Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 movie adaptation, starring many popular young actors of our time. The use of both text and movie creates a more vivid understanding and appreciation of the novel for there are no major variations between the two texts. I believe "The Outsiders" is a relevant novel to study as in today's society the concept of violence is an ever present theme. It is a theme that dominates adolescents all over the world. As to survive in today's society many adolescents are faced with the turbulence of growing up in a volatile society and many face the prospect of dealing with some form violence or gang warfare or know of a friend who has. I believe students would enjoy this novel because it is about "people roughly their own age, contemporary time, the obvious, but none the less potent, parental relationships, challenging authority, establishing ones own personality and future relationship with peers and sex" (Aidan Chambers, Booktalk, Bodley Head, London, 1985.) STUDENTS AIMS This unit of work of 4-6 weeks is apart of the Junior Secondary English Program. It is designed as a series of lessons that involves student's language skills through written and oral tasks around a focus of interest. The aims of this unit are to look at what the teacher directs the student's learning towards. 1) Developing student's ability in understanding language and language issues through the areas of - everyday communication - personal expression - literature - media 2) Students must read the set novel by S.E Hinton 3) Students must view the set movie. 4) Students must complete 3 pieces of assessment (Explain in detail later) p.10 5) Recognise and understand relevant themes introduced by the unit of work. 6) Encourage development in creative and analytical writing. 7) Encourage small group work and peer encouragement. 8) Develop English language proficiency across the unit enabling them to develop listening and speaking by - role play - dramatised reading - participation in group/class/individual discussion - share personal writing - analyse visual representative of the novel - analyse and compare visual to written text - analyse and compare to other texts of relevant themes - encourage reading and writing effectively and clearly in a wide range of contexts 9) Use resources to stimulate their thought processes. STUDENT'S OBJECTIVES - (What the students will achieve from the study of this unit). Students will be able to- 1) develop students enjoyment in the English language and language learning 2) Able to express understanding and recognise relevant themes found in the text and be able to relate these to life as well as developing an understanding of how context (including cultural context) shapes spoken, written and visual text. 3) express confidence in English 4) recognise, enjoy, broaden and exercise control over their oral language. 5) understand and relate the issues to a wide range of literature- written and visual genres, in relation to the relevant area being studied. 6) communicate a narrative account of their own writing in relationship to the unit of work. 7) deconstruct the set text and other relevant texts. 8) organise ideas and present them coherently, confidently and fluently. TEACHERS AIMS- (What the teacher themselves hope to learn) 1) To recognise where each student is at. 2) To discover the weaknesses and strengths of individual students. 3) To recognise the individual's needs of each student. 4) To discover if the students have any learning difficulties or problems. 5) to realise a students personal background interferes with their academic learning. OBJECTIVES OF THE TEACHER - (What the Teacher hopes to achieve.) 1)Encourage students to express individual initiative. 2)Help students achieve a greater learning ability. 3)Find appropriate help for students who have learning difficulties or problems. 4)Direct students to appropriate areas of help for those with family problems. ADAPTATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS The class that this unit has been designed for is a mixed ability class. The unit of work allows for the incorporation of class/group and individual work. However, it is an area that could possess some problems as the set texts deals with social conflicts and violence - an early instance of gang warfare that in today's society extends to racial areas and genders. I intended to use a range of resources from many eras and cultures. As "The Outsiders" is a late 1960's version of gang warfare. I want to relate this to a more modern text such as the 1993 Romper Stomper an Australian film of neo-Nazism vs Asians or the film Boys in the Hood, Negro gang warfare in American in the 1990's. This might pose a problem if ethnicity or racial discrimination existed in the classroom. Another obvious problem would be is if gangs existed in the mythical school, however both problems do not occur. The only problem to deal with is gender as females do not tend to dominate in gang warfare, they are considered as the prize of a gang or a reason to cause a war. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The personal Exprience.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Life Who would have thought that a night out with a church group could turn into a deadly accident? En route to a spring break camp, one of our van was hit by a 18 wheelers' truck; creating a night we wouldn't forget. The story began with a trip to summer retreat. It was ticket to bring me back to reality, and also tickets for some people to heaven. We loaded our luggage into the back of the vans, and we headed off toward our destination. It is about one or one and half hour later, one of our van stop at the stop sign, when the driver of that van saw no car was coming, (some blind spot cover the area that the driver can't see) he step the paddles and drive off, but a on coming truck was driving too fast and didn't saw one of our van, it crushes the van into three different pieces, everyone in our van saw it happened and everyone is shocked of that terrible scene. Few minutes later, the cops and the ambulances quickly arrived. We heard the loud noise come from the police and ask us to help them, we quickly got off the van and helping the fire fighters and the cops to pull people out of that vans, I saw lot of our church friend got burned to death and some other just crushed by Small pieces. Everyone is in tears including the police and fire fighters. After the rescue, we find out most of people in that van died, but some in serious condition. After that accident, I learned that life is meaningless, and learned that we should help others while we can. My goal was to let God into my life. It was one of the most relaxing and peaceful things I have ever done. Because we all inspired by God, he helps us when we really needed him. He brings us out of the nightmare that no one will ever forget. We gather all our church friend in a small meeting every Friday, every time we meet, we would have small group meetings and share anything that came to mind. We prayed for people to find God in their life, and for everything that needed assistance. We also planned the prayer service, meal plans, and chores for the next day. We saw God comes in our life and helps us while we have trouble of doing some stuff that we just cannot understand. He gives us power to think and solve the problem successively. I was more conscious of how scripture relates to my life. I feel the purpose of the meetings was accomplished. Not only were the participants reunited themselves with God, they were also led into the direction by God. Before the meetings, many of us didn't even know exactly why we were and where we were, and where we would go next, cause we are upset of what happened. After this I learned that every story has two sides, bright side and dark side. The dark side is people died in that accident, but the bright side is we built strong relationship with God and we have the strong faith than before. It opens my mind with the different choice that we can choose in life. Because of this meeting, I have become more spiritual in my daily life, and I have set certain goals of reading some of the Bible every time I need to work out a situation. Throughout the meetings, we kept teasing each other about where our parents were, and that started many inside jokes. These jokes were just the beginning of a special bond I found in our friendship. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Portuguese ManofWar.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Man-of-War The Portuguese man-of-war if a member of the Kingdom Animalia, phylum Cnidaria(1), class Hydrozoa, order Siphonophra, the genus Physalia, and the species Physalia(2). The man-of-war is not an actual jellyfish, but a Siphonophor. Also the man-of-war is not a single organism. It is made up of many different organisms that work together. These organisms are called polyps. The Portuguese man-of-war is usually found in the Northern Atlantic gulf stream. It can also be found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The man-of-war will usually travel in groups, that may contain up to one thousand members. The main portion of the man-of-war's body is an oblong gas-filled bladder. The bladder is usually nine to thirty centimeters long, and is a translucent pink, blue, or purple. On top of the bladder is a crest. This is to catch the wind, and move the man-of-war along. Below the bladder, hang long stringy tentacles, that can reach a length of up to fifty meters. The tentacles are made-up of three different types of polyps. The names of these three polyps are: dactylozooid, gonozooid, and gastrozooid. The polyps are the parts that: capture prey, digest prey, and reproduce. The dactylozooids have cells called nematocysts(3). The nematocysts release a toxin(4) into anything that they come into contact with. The gastrozooids then attach to the dead/stunned victim, and spread over it. They digest it, and transfer food to the rest of the man-of-war. Last, the gonozooids create other polyps. The means by which the man-of-war reproduces, however, is not yet understood. The fish Nomeus gronvii lives among the tentacles of the man-of-war. This fish, which is eight centimeters long, is mostly immune to the man-of-war's toxin. It will eat the tentacles, which will grow back, as its main source of food. Although it is mostly immune to the man-of-war's toxin, the man-of-war will sometimes end up eating it. The enemies of the man-of-war are the Nomeus gronvii, and the loggerhead turtle. If you were to get stung by a man-of-war, you would experience a very painful sensation where you got stung. The toxin that the man-of-war uses blocks nerve conduction. This causes a severe systematic syndrome. This is accompanied by a fever, possibly shock, and interference with heart and lung functions. Bibliography "Portuguese man-of-war," Encyclopedia Britannica. 1988, University of Chicago: Vol. IX, p.634-35 "Portuguese man-of-war," Animal Kingdom. 1972, United States of America: Vol. XVIII, p.88-93 Caras, Roger. Venomous Animals of the World. United States of America: 1974, p. 17-18 hillside.sowashco.k12.mn.us, http://hillside.sowashco.k12.mn.us/kaipo/invertebrate/welcomeinv.html, United States of America: hillside.sowashco.k12.mn.us, 1997 Microsoft Encarta 1996. Silicon Valley Ca., Microsoft Corporation, 1997 1 Cnidaria and Celenorates are two interchangeable names for this Phylum. 2 Multiple sources were researched including the Encyclopedia Britannica, World Book, Encyclopedia Americana, Microsoft Encarta, and Internet searches through Yahoo, Altavista, and HotBot; however, no reference to Family was provided. 3 A capsule within specialized cells of certain coelenterates, such as jellyfish, containing a barbed, threadlike tube that delivers a paralyzing sting when propelled into attackers and prey. 4 A poisonous substance, especially a protein, that is produced by living cells or organisms and is capable of causing disease when introduced into the body tissues but is often also capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies or antitoxins. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Rule.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Rule When one turns eighteen years old they are looked at, by many, as an adult. They can vote, probably stay out later, receive more responsibilities because now those responsibilities can be handled. They will soon leave home and start a journey to college. They will be on their own, free to make their own decisions. They will rely on no one but themselves. If we are given in college the freedom to do as we please then why are their rules when we get there? I am not talking about drinking, or smoking in the rooms. Or how much noise we can make after a certain hour. Colleges have to be strict on those issues because they can be unsafe to the individual or people around them. By keeping the noise down we are only being considerate to other people. The rule that I feel is ridiculous is the visitation rule. Why can a guy be in a girls room all day, or a girl be in a guys room all day, but must leave at night? Their is no harm being done if he or she stays. If your roommate doesn't mind then their shouldn't be a problem. If we are told that we are responsible enough to go and live away from home, then why does it matter who we live with? Why aren't we trusted when it comes to that issue? I feel that one should be trusted until one proves otherwise. The rule may forbid boyfriends, girlfriends, or just friends to stay in a room, but why family members? Have a heart. Your family member drives all the way to your school to see you and they must sleep some where else, why? Didn't your brother or sister come to visit you in college? Didn't you want him or her to stay with you? If they were a younger sibling wouldn't it make you feel safer if they were by your side all night? Listen, I am not attacking your decision pertaining to this issue. I am simply asking reasonable questions and stating reasonable ideas on why I feel this rule should be changed, or at least thought about. If we are said to be adults, and are expected to act like adults, then I feel we should be treated like one in all aspects. It's hard growing up. The challenge of moving away from home can be hard for some people. But to grow one must step forward, take risks and challenges, and be given a chance. Having someone by your side through the day and night can make it a lot easier. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In the short story of the Secret World Of Walter Mitty. His life sucks. His wife uses him and picks on him. People around him put him down. And just about everyone thinks he's a whimp," accept for him." Poor Mitty, his life will probably always suck. His wife is always nagging him. She thinks he's always sick. She likes it because she can control him. She want's him to be at her feet. And she wants him to think she's superior. The lady on the street thought he was crazy. She probably thought he was a sick, big, wimp, and a loser. Maybe she thought that that was a guy who never scored in his life. To put it in another word he was just a funny looking, crazy, sick, loser of a guy. The parking attendant thought he was dangerous in a car. He thought Mitty could be pushed around. And should be walking instead of driving," but even then he could be dangerous at that." He thought Mitty was a wuss and all around wimp. Walter Mittys life sucks. Everyone thinks he sucks. Even the lady on the street thought he was a loser. But what must really bite his own wife thinks he a loser. To bad he lets everyone push him around. Walter Mittys life will probably always suck. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Struggles of EMTs and EMS Workers.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Struggles of EMT's and EMS Workers In a perfect world, violence, plane crashes floods and other disasters would not occur. Disease and illness would be non-existent. Emergency medical services would not have a basis for fruition. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect place. EMT's and other EMS workers are vital to all societies globally. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, the definition of an emergency services is, " Emergency services are those health care services provided to evaluate and treat medical conditions of recent onset and severity that would lead a prudent layperson, possessing an average knowledge of medicine and health, to believe that urgent and/ or unscheduled medical care is required." The following pages will illustrate the struggles of an emergency medical technician and other emergency medical service workers. Deciding to become apart of an EMS workforce is a life changing decision. One must take into consideration many factors that may hamper one's effort to perform the job correctly. Violence against emergency workers continues to emerge (Anderson 1991). In recent years, EMT's and EMS workers have become targets in urban areas. EMS workers enter urban war zones daily and face many man made dangers. One peril an EMT may face is the continuing growth of gangs. Gangs have branched out from big cities into smaller towns (Staten 1991). Frequently, EMS responders are attacked without provocation. In most cases, the EMS workers are responding to a call when they are ambushed by a variety of things. It has been documented by the Emergency Net New Service that fire bombings on EMS workers and their vehicles have increased in at least ten major U.S. cities (Staten 1995). In addition, EMT's and EMS workers are faced with the dangers of driving into already volatile situations. For example, after the Rodney King verdict, cities such as Los Angeles, California and Atlanta Georgia erupted into massive riots. EMS responders were thrust into physical danger. Both cities were set afire and gangs of people rushed to loot local stores (Feiner 10). EMT's and other EMS personnel put their lives in direct jeopardy to perform their jobs. Besides rioting and gang violence, EMS personnel are often faced with other more maniacal acts of violence, such as domestic terrorism. The most gruesome example of this is the case of the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The direct targets for this disaster were the civil servants that worked in the building. EMS workers suffered emotional trauma from the shear devastation of the building. News reports depicted the various branches of the EMS workforce as relentless in their search for survivors. EMS responders appeared to be exhausted, but yet somehow were able to continue their tasks in victim recovery. Lastly, the weather conditions or the climate the rescue is being performed can be a natural danger to EMS personnel. For example, one can evaluate the recovery effort by rescuers of ValueJet Flight 592. The plane crashed into waters of the Florida Everglades. The crash took place in murky waters and hampered all recovery efforts (Macko 1996). The search for the plane and the body recovery was difficult due to the location of the crash. The crash site was inaccessible because it was far from any road and could only be reached by airboat or helicopter (Macko 1996). Secondly, one can also evaluate the efforts of the rescuers of the more recent crash of SwissAir flight 111. Although the response of rescuers here was swift, the darkness and stormy conditions limited the recovery efforts until daybreak. By early morning, only 18 bodies were recovered from the 229 passenger's list (ERRI Emergency Services Report 1998). What can EMS personnel do to protect themselves? The following are some recommendations made by the Clark State, EMT-P, Assistant Chief Paramedic (retired) for the Chicago Fire Department. Chief Staten list of "Do's" include: A) 360 degree view of the scene at all times. B) Watch your partner's back and have them watch yours. C) Carry more than one source of artificial light. D) Cooperate and communicate with the policing officials. E) In cases of crime, do your best to preserve any potential evidence. F) Keep accurate records and know your administration's policies. Chief Staten list of "Don'ts" include: A) Never extricate a victim from a crowd without the assistance of ample security. B) Never stand in front of doors when knocking them down. C) Never stay in a situation where cannot see impending danger. D) Only use the maximum amount of force necessary when defending yourself. E) Don't forget plan ahead-always have a way out. In addition, Chief Staten suggest during times of social unrest, EMS personnel should obviously be provided with bulletproof vests. Besides facing natural and man made emergencies, an EMT's and EMS responders are at the risk of suffering emotional stress (Schimelpfenig 1991). This stress can be caused by a number of ways. Initially, an EMT may encounter feelings of the immediate despair and destruction of the scene. The scene itself may be so gruesome and confusing that the EMT would go into "auto pilot." Additionally, the surrounding scene may cause a flight or fight reaction. Avianca flight 52 illustrates just how devastating a disaster can be. One EMT described how bodies were everywhere. The EMT further described how she came across a small child covered with blood and screaming. The mother was already dead-"still intact in her seat almost on top of the child" (Gasparini 69). She further detailed the site was "an endless line of patients screaming in pain for help." (Gasparini 69). At one point, all she could do is take a deep breath and go on. Secondly, an EMT can also experience stress caused by frustration. The frustration can stem from a number of factors. Many times, EMT's become frustrated by the difficulty of reaching the site. Additionally improper or inadequate communication can cause more stress. Lack of or outdated equipment may also increase the level of frustration (Kelly 62). The frustrations experienced by the EMT may lead to stronger, more conscious emotions. The sense of urgency of the situation fuels the adrenaline rush. In fact, some become "addicted" to the rush provided by adrenaline, constantly seeking out circumstances that will provide the feelings associated with adrenaline. This can result in anger and anxiousness. Once the anger and the anxiety fade, the EMT may begin to feel fear. The fear can result in self-doubt in one's own abilities to perform the job. Stress can also manifest itself on a more sub-conscious level. Many EMT and EMS workers awake in the middle of the night from flashbacks and nightmares. Nightmares and flashbacks are common in emergency response. Stress can also manifest itself through panic attacks, nervousness, depression, grief, hopelessness and irritability (Schimelpfenig 1991). Stress may not appear immediately. The stress reaction can be delayed and masks itself. There are several signs of delayed stress reactions. The EMT may begin to have a more macabre sense of humor. In addition, a pattern of continuous sick leave will develop (Schimelpfenig 1991). Other stress reactions may be a reluctance to enter into stressful situations, withdrawing from others, obsession with the stressful scene, suicidal thoughts and feelings of inadequacy (Schimelpfenig 1991). An important part of EMS training is learning how to cope with the stresses of the job. In order to be a success as an EMT, it is recommended the EMT learn how to cope with the disaster or emergency. The EMT must learn how to cope with the stress. Counseling is usually effective to resolve emotional issues associated with stress. Another form of stress management is building a strong support system and support groups. Untreated stress can lead to psychological deterioration. In addition, if the stress is left untreated, the stress may also lead to the deterioration of one's effectiveness to perform the job (Kelly 61). EMT's contribute unique capabilities, perspectives and experiences to every individual emergency response. The purpose of the EMT and EMS personnel is to provide optimal, acute health care. Each day presents many physical and mental challenges. To be effective as an EMT, occasionally you must reflect on your past performances. You can step back and say to yourself, " I've been hurt too much by what I've done and seen and I cannot do my job anymore." Conversely, you can put those feelings aside, re-dedicate yourself to your profession and begin each day anew. One must always keep in mind the life you save may turn out to be the life of a future world leader, astronaut or scientist. Works Cited American College of Emergency Physicians. "Definition of and Emergency Service" URL http://www.acep.org/POLICY/POO4154.HTM (11/9/98). Anderson, Paul. "Emerging Violence Against Emergency Workers" URL http://www.emergency.com/emviolc.htm (11/9/98). "Avianca Flight 52," Emergency Medical Services Magazine. July 1992, Volume 21, Number 7. "Can Your System Survive?" Emergency Medical Services Magazine. July 1992, Volume 21, Number 7. ERRI Emergency Services Report. "ESR Closeup: No Survivors of Swiss Airliner that Goes Down in the Atlantic..." URL http://www.emergency.com (11/9/98). "It Happened One Night," Emergency Medical Services Magazine. July 1992, Volume 21, Number 7. Macko, Steve. "Recovery Effort Called 'Extremely Difficult' by Rescuers" URL http://www.emergency.com/vj592b.htm (11/9/98). Schimelpfenig, Tod. "Stress and the Rescuer" URL http://www.nols.edu/Publications?FirstAid/Stress'n'Rescuer.html (11/24/98). Staten, Clark. " Emergency Action Drill" URL http://www.emergency.com/acrndrill.htm (11/05/98). Staten, Clark. " Street Survival in the 90's." URL http://www.emergency.com/acrndrill.htm (11//98). Word Count: 1551 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Symbolism of the Conch in Lord of the Flies.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In William Golding's Lord of the Flies the Conch represents power and order. Power is represented by the fact that you have to be holding it to speak, and Order is displayed by the meetings or gatherings that its used to call and hold. The Conch's power is presented in the very beginning on pg 22 as the children vote for Ralph to be chief just because he was the one with the Conch. ' "Him with the shell." "Ralph! Ralph!" "Let him be chief with the trumpet thing" ' this excerpt from pg 22 shows how everybody seems to think that power, responsibility and leadership skills comes from the Conch. Another Example of the Conch's Power is the fact that through out the book the conch is the only tool that can call a meeting and wherever the Conch is thats where the meeting is. No other symbol in Lord of the Flies holds so much power. This is one of the reasons that Jack Merridew disrespects the Conch. He wants to break the spell the symbol has on everybody. He wants to prove that he is the rightful leader. The Conch also displays order through the rule that you must have the Conch to Speak in an assembly or meeting. "And another thing. We can't have everybody talking at once. We'll have to have 'hands up' like at school." At first everyone thinks that this is the best method to maintain order but soon they find out how quickly the power of the conch is abused by Ralph and Jack. On pg 89 While Simon is trying to speak Ralph and Jack try to get him to sit down. " 'Sit down' 'Shut up' 'take the Conch!' 'Sod you' ' Shut up!' " This shows early on that the Order is starting to fall apart, fortunatly Ralph doesn't become a corrupt leader he keeps his head on straight which causes the others to get restless. They want to have fun but Ralph being the leader doesn't have a choice some things need to be done in order to stay civilized. Jack on the other hand decides to separate and build his own "Tribe" he uses catchy words like "We'll hunt and have fun" but in actuality Ralph's group which is declining is the safer and the more fun of the two. Here's an excerpt on pg 92 that shows that Ralph is losing control of Jack and the Conch is loosing its effect on the other kids. " 'Blow the Conch Ralph' Piggy was so close that Ralph could see the glint of his one glass 'There's the fire can't they see?' ' You got to be tough now. Make' em do what you want." Here Ralph and Piggy are debating whether or not to blow the conch and call the rampaging kids back to the assembly. This is the beginning when Ralph starts to lose control. However this instance however is not the only one. Later on in the story the Conch's power, order and "divine" influence completely falls apart. Pg 140 provides a good example of this deterioration "Listen all of you. Me and my hunter s, we're living along the beach on a flat rock. We hunt and feast and have fun. If you want to join the tribe come and see us. Perhaps will let you join. Perhaps not." Here Jack starts to act more like a kid instead of a leader and the Conch has nee completely forgotten about. These two paragraphs express the law and order that came with the Conch, and also the deterioration of this symbol. After the deterioration of the Conch everything goes downhill until the hunting tribe becomes complete and total savages! f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\The Written Word Lives On.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Written Word Lives On Wonderful things contribute to the life of my spirit everyday. With limitless pages bound by a common goal these books keep me ticking. At night while I shudder under my covers Ayne Rand and her John Gault have held me in a stupor for hours on end. Making the cold seem like a fantasy and Gault's hidden valley a physical reality. She has made me standing between my fantasies and I. From the first blessed page of the Cat In the Hat I knew I was finished. My nights of sleep seemed to have no chance. The twisting and turning of the tongue made a game my young mind enjoyed. Books, these windows to the other side, did not pass judgment and became my companions. I take a book with me when I travel so if I know no person at my destination I always have a friend with whom old times are shareable. Family without friends never provided me with enough company. Taking a walk with the dark elf Drizzt through the shadowed halls of his city Menzobaeren inspired confidence in me even in the solitude of a Hawaiian vacation. Calling reading just a hobby then does it injustice. Adventure fits it more appropriately. Books sweep me into the depths of imagination and let me share another persons dream while helping me see mine. Piers Anthony taking me through his spellbinding Juxtaposition opened my mind and revealed his dreams. I have held my grip on the exhilaration that brought me. I never feel as complete as when I visit another book. The ceaseless joy bonding my mind with another realm leads straight into addiction. Finishing a good story is akin withdrawal or the loss of a loved one. Someday a clinic may open in the name of helping readers come back without regret. The regret of the book ending unveils the truth in the saying "parting is such sweet sorrow." I harbor no doubt of the knowledge and abilities books shamelessly impart upon me. I wallow in it at every opportunity. Possessing an open mind navigates me out of the awkward situations in life. When I meet a new person it I feel no difficulty in sharing ideas and making compromise. Reading a variety of stories by a variety of authors contributed this. These authors take a masterpiece and thrown in some dastardly character that even a mother like. I compromise with the fiend for the sake of the whole book. I compromise with a vile teacher for the sake of my education. Sticking with experiences instead of jumping ship when times become unbearable I often thank books for. In my readings boring books find their way into my hand just enough times. Reminding me, like my mother would with a smile, taking things for granted opens doors for their exit. I leave this plane searching for dreamy nights lit by stars almost biting. The place where I exist never to perish. Held tightly by my rainy day friend. In his flaps riddled with adventure. Resting in anticipation of the flesh's next excursion in a world harsh with reality. Knowing putting down my book for a while hurts my feelings only because no thing fleshy stacks up against the tower of my mind. A curse on the demon standing between my books and I. A curse on my need for sleep and for food. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Their Eyes Were Watching God.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Doug Wink P-7 2/22/97 THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD A caterpillar crawls along a desolate branch. His many appendages grip the gray bark as he undulates his body along the path in the shade. Creeping steadily forward he is looking for the proper place suitable enough for him to change his identity. Upon finding a twig sprout where he can get bilateral support, he builds his cocoon. After his cocoon is finished the caterpillar crawls in for his metamorphosis. If one is to see a cocoon on a tree it does not resemble beauty, it is a bland piece of wound thread like material with a hole in the top. When one sees a butterfly they may look twice or stop what they are doing all together and chase it around following each of their sporadic movements as the hot sun illuminates and watches from above. Identity has changed. What once was a little ugly caterpillar that kids would go around squishing and people would flick from trees when given the chance, went on to be an ignored sack secured to branch. Nobody pays attention to the fact that beautiful butterflies are the results of these common eyesores. As the caterpillar grew older it matured and changed, from being stuck on land to airborne, from being ugly to beautiful, from being young to old. All living things mature, all things change, wherever time is a variable identities are changing. Janie is no different from these things, she too has a changing identity that can be traced throughout four main parts in the book. Janie is a young girl who at first docent even know her own identity. Being rose by her Nanny in a house full of white people, you could see how this could have been the start of an identity crisis. Janie was always treated like a white person during her youth, the people Nanny worked for dressed Janie as if she was white, they sent Janie to school with the other white children, and Janie's friends were all white. Janie knew no better than to think she was white. That was her identity. One time when a picture was shown to her of her and all of her friends, Janie was missing and in her place was a black girl in her dress. She had no idea she was different from the other children. Black, black as night and different from her friends, this was a change in Janies identity. Janie now thought different of herself knowing she was black. Her identity had changed for the first time. Janie was sent off to marry, Janie had envisionments of marrying for love and romance she says to Nanny after marrying Logan "Ah wants things sweet wid mah marriage...." . Janie had thought to her self "Husbands and wives always loved each other, and that was what marriage meant." (both exerts p.20-23) this is what Janie wanted, this is what Janie did not get. Janie had a bad marriage with Logan because her identity had changed. Janie went from being told what to do, to her own woman. Now Janie was ready for what she wanted, and now she knew who she is. Peoples perspective of Janie is a different kind of identity, but is still part of ones identity. People saw Janie as Logans woman now, man saw Janie as a good looker, and Logan saw Janie as his object. While outside pumping water, Janie noticed a man walk by. That man noticed Janie too. Jody Starks was his name and he was traveling south to an all Negro town. Jody noticed Janie as a beautiful woman who should be doing nothing but sitting on the porch in the shade. Jody offered to take Janie along with him to Eatonville to be his bride. Janie Accepts. Her identity has changed again, now she is Jodys woman. Upon arrival to Eatonville, Jody becomes Mayor of the town, buys land, cleans up, builds a store, and builds a post office. Now Janie is considered the Mayor's wife and Store keeper. Except by Pheoby her friend. Pheoby saw Janie as a exemplary woman beautiful in her ways, and knowledge to back it up. Janie and Jody didn't get along for long, soon Jody was pestering her about the store and how she should be working harder. Jody also had a problem with the way other men were looking at Janie when she wasn't looking. Jody made Janie wear her hair up in a hair rag which Janie did not want to do, this takes away from Janies own choices which makes her more Jodys Woman. Her Identity changes more to Jodys Woman. After Jody dies many suitors try to woo Janie into marriage with them, but she does not wish to get married. Janie's identity has changed now, she is a single woman living on her own and doing just fine. Along comes Tea Cake to flirt with Janie and she flirts back. The whole town notices and thinks of Janie as a flirt messing with a no good man. Janie marries Tea Cake for love and they live a simple life on the Muck harvesting beans. Janies identity has once again changed to Tea Cakes woman. Janie and Tea Cake live a very happy life on the simple land. At one point Tea Cake beats Janie just to show everybody else who's boss. This reinforces Janies identity as Tea Cakes woman. After Tea Cakes death Janie is once again a single woman, though she dearly misses Tea Cake. Janie returns to Eatonville and moves back into her old house. Janie lives a simple life from then on with a fixed identity of her own woman. All things mature and all things change, identities change so one can learn and grow old. As you can see Janie has endured her metamorphosis and turned out as a mature individual. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Theory of Varied Consumer Choice Behaviour and Its Implicati.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INTRODUCTION For decades, scholars and practitioners have been frustrated by the very limited capacity of either psychological or marketing models to predict individual choices on particular occasions. This paper discusses a theory which explains the degree to which the extant models omit important influences that produce varied individual choice behaviour. The focus of this paper is on the sequences of product purchases. Discretionary actions and activities are also covered. THE THEORETICAL AND APPLIED RELEVANCE OF VARIED BEHAVIOUR The assumption that consumers make rational, utility-maximizing choices has played an important role in economic thought. As long as preferences remain unchanged, the consumer is expected to choose the most preferred of the available products. Thoughts about consumers' behaviour towards substitutes hold a similar position. If a consumer's preference for the most preferred alternative product declines or the product is currently unavailable, the consumer is expected to choose a close substitute. From the firm's strategic point of view, this means that the marketer of a secondary brand should make its brand similar to the most popular brand. Careful consideration of the preceding description of consumer choice behaviour and the firm's selection of a strategy immediately leads one to question the general applicability of these assumption / thought. Although consumers often display stable preferences, sound choice behaviour seldom remains constant. Instead, consumers frequently change their choices of products or brands. Furthermore, the choices made on different occasions often involve two very different products or brands. In summary, changing, varied behaviour is the rule. Managers often avoid the use of simple "me-too" brands, recognizing that consumers are seeking more than simple substitutes. This tendency is seen directly in a number of product categories in which successful products are seldom replaced with highly similar products. Instead, a degree of product newness is viewed as being essential to maintain consumer interest. The theory of consumer choice behaviour that is presented in this paper is designed to explain the typical degree of variability that consumers exhibit in a series of related choices. Should this theory more accurately describe individual choices, than the meaning and predictive power of many models must be questioned. For example, the results from all preference-based mapping methods, such as MDPREF (Carroll, 1972) and the Schonemann-Wang (1972) models, should be interpreted with great care. In these cases, the analyst must resist jumping to the conclusion that the choice objects that appear close to each other have similar characteristics. All simple attribute-based choice models, such as the widely used conjoint method, must also be interpreted carefully. Here one must resist the assumption that the set of most preferred items will necessarily have similar characteristics. Typically, the set of most preferred or most frequently chosen products will contain items that are very different. These products do not necessarily satisfy the notion that the objects' attributes will surpass the total utility produced. For example, sometimes a consumer may want a cold beverage and at other times the same consumer may want a hot beverage. Furthermore, the more of one kind of beverage that an individual consumes, the less likely the consumer will make the same choice on the next occasion. Unlike the reasons that produce constant-purchase and / or constant-use behaviour, different motives produce changes in purchase and use. To predict the choice made on the next occasion, one needs to account for the consumer's prior choice behaviour. A THEORY OF VARIED CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR Psychologists have long recognized that individual judgements and choices contain an important random element that leads to inconsistent behaviour. Thurstone's Law of Comparative and Categorical Judgement modelled individual judgements and choices. The random component present in most contexts of interest to marketing professionals include larger variables that are too costly to measure or for which practical measurement methods have not been developed. Consider the purchase of breakfast cereal. At the point of purchase, a favourite brand may be out of stock, the customer may be distracted, the shopper's child may make the selection, or a clerk restocking part of the assortment may contain choice. Although this list contains only a few of the conditions which can affect consumer choice, it demonstrates the difficulty of observing and recording all of the relevant influences. All unmeasurable influences are labelled inexplicable causes of varied behaviour. There are two important types of explicable causes of varied behaviour. The first type of the explicable cause of varied behaviour has to do with an individual's motives that indirectly or incidentally produce patterns of varied behaviour, while the second one has to do with an individual's direct motives where varied behaviour is valued. Purchasing for multiple uses in an example of the first type of motive. An example of the first type of motive is the purchasing of one kind of paint for prime raw wood and another kind of paint to obtain a durable finish coat. An example of the second type of motive is the purchasing of a new piece of clothing to keep up with the current trend or to relieve the boredom produced by repeatedly wearing an older style. These two types of motive for varied behaviour are explored in more detail in the following subsecctions. INDIRECT VARIED BEHAVIOUR There are two major kinds of motives that indirectly produce varied behaviour. These have to do with multiple needs and changing conditions. Multiple needs may arise due to multiple users, multiple uses by the individual, and multiple contexts in which the product class is used. Although only one member in a household may need low-calorie products, a record of the beverage purchases made by the principal household purchasing agent will typically show occasional change from high- to low- calorie products and / or the simultaneous purchase of both high- and low-calorie beverages. In a similar manner, when an individual uses a food product such as rice in separate dishes and as an ingredient in other dishes, from time to time purchases may change from instant rice to regular rice or to wild rice so that the most suitable product will be available to use. Closely related is the use of the product in multiple contexts. Here, an individual may buy a common table wine to serve at regular evening meals but buy a premium wine to serve to guests at a dinner party. Changing conditions include new choice sets, changing tastes, and new constraints. Over time, more classes of choice objects are presented to the consumer with new and / or changed alternatives. The products in a product class, the candidates available to voters, and the services offered by financial institutions all illustrate the a choice set. A previously preferred product may no longer be available, a candidate's declining health may encourage voters to switch loyalties, and a new financial service may offer important advantage to a large number of individuals who use the older services. Changes in individual choice behaviour can also be due to changes in individual tastes or preferences. As individuals mature, their needs change, and as individuals are exposed to persuasive messages about products, candidates, or services, their preferences may change. Finally, an individual may change his or her choices due to new constraints such as a new legislation or changes in their disposable personal income. DIRECT VARIED BEHAVIOUR Direct varied behaviour is primarily motivated by the desire for variety. Two kinds of motives must be recognized. The first category deals with the interpersonal variety or change that takes place to the individual's own possessions and experiences. The second category deals with the interpersonal variety or change that occurs to possessions and experiences of others. Interpersonal variety can result when an individual becomes bored with repeated exposures to similar possessions or activities. For example, a record collection that contains the works of one or a few artists may be diversified for the sake of variety or contrast. An individual may switch away from a favourite brand to gain information about new products or to help reconfirm their regular purchase pattern. Notice that the decisions motivated in this way have little or no social content, but that the varied behaviour provides a direct personal reward. Satiation may induce changes in choice behaviour. It is assumed that preferences and choices are based on the attributes delivered by choice objects. An individual usually wants to maintain some most-preferred level of each attribute, such as the levels of calories and protein provided by food and drink. A small excess or deficiency will not greatly reduce utility but large excesses or shortages may be very undesirable. These kinds of relationships are shown graphically in appendix 1. In appendix 1, attribute A is less important than attribute B. Also, the utility derived from attribute A is less sensitive to departures from the ideal level than is the case for attribute B. Rarely will a given choice object deliver just the mix of attribute needed to keep the relevant attributes near their ideal levels. For this reason, individuals must change their choice from time to time to maintain desirable levels of each attribute. With this in mind, consider an individual who wants to maintain his or her physical fitness and who acquires products and services with attributes that contribute their desire to maintain their physical fitness. When past choices lead to an excessive focus on fitness, this individual will tend to choose products and activities that contribute to other desired attributes or goals, such as intellectual stimulation and artistic interests. As satiation or deprivation grows, the individual is progressively more strongly motivated to choose different alternatives so that an ideal balance of each attribute can be attained. Seeking interpersonal variety has a strong social content. Here, the individual is faced with maintaining a balance between two conflicting motives. First, the need for affiliation encourage one to change his or her choices to keep in phase with the changing behaviour of valued peers and / or differentiate them self from the behaviour of undesirable others. Second, the need for distinction and individuality motivates changes in behaviour that will create desirable differences between the individual and his or her valued peers. These separate forms of interpersonal varied behaviour can only be understood as they relate to the possessions and actions that have social meaning to the individual. Interpersonal form of varied behaviour do not share this social dimension but both the interpersonal motives are higher-older processes such that the predictions of an individual's choice on the next occasion cannot be fully understood without knowledge of the possessions or past actions of one or more individuals. THE UNIFIED THEORY The elements motivating varied behaviour, can be summarized in the simple diagram of Appendix 2. The portion of the theory dealing with explicable direct causes of varied behaviour involves consideration of the post-decision level of the attributes provided by alternative choice objects in relation to the desired levels of these attributes. The potential utility provided by any choice can be expressed as the sum of the post-choice improvements in the level of each attribute. This improvement is measured by the closeness of the post-choice levels of the N object's attributes to the ideal levels of these attribute and by similar measures covering information, affiliation, and distinction. See appendix 3. Note that the weights indicate the importance of each attribute 'i'. The model appears to be computationally feasible and is likely to produce improved predictions of individual choice, especially in those cases where interpersonal and / or interpersonal motives are important. SOME KEY MEASUREMENT ISSUES Variety has been treated as a primitive term. There are two measures of - structural variety and temporal variety. Structural variety is defined on an unordered set of objects at a point in time. The more distinct the characteristics possessed by each object, the greater the potential variety possessed by the set. For example, a set of marbles that vary in size, weight, material, colour, and surface treatment can differ along just these five dimensions. By way of contrast, residential structures or automobiles can vary along dozens of important characteristics or dimensions. These facts lead to a geometric representation of variety in which objects can be plotted or located along each dimension, just as one might locate cities by their longitude and latitude on a common map. The larger the average distance between objects located in a perceptual map spanned by the attributes of the objects, the greater the objects' structural variety. Temporal variety is concerned with the variety of a temporally ordered set such as the recreational activities that an individual engages in during a week or the amount of books that an individual reads over a period of time. Here, it is natural to consider the structural variety (the degree of difference or similarity among objects) but the variety conveyed by the sequence presents additional aspects that must be considered. How often each object or element appears in the sequence and the differences between contiguous objects or elements in the sequence must be considered. The two types of variety is concerned with a set of objects, either at a point in time or over a given time interval. The two measures of variety are either object or element specific, but they become individual specific as well when the owner of a collection of objects is identified. In general, we expect the distribution of individuals' variety measures to vary across the types of objects or elements being observed. IMPLICATION OF VARIED CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR Consumer behaviour varies from one individual to another individual. In conclusion, the following is a list of varied consumer behaviour implications : 1. In most settings and for a major portion of all buyers, strong brand loyalty is unattainable. Unproductive efforts to increase market shares and / or brand loyalty should be avoided. 2. When large numbers of buyers want a different brand on successive purchase occasions, a dominant market share cannot be attained by a single brand. Instead, carefully positioned multiple-brand or multiple-product offerings are required. 3. Buyers' needs for information and stimulation determine the rate and type of new product introductions that should be made in product classes dominated by direct, interpersonal variety motives. 4. Buyers' needs for socially relevant independence and identification determines the types of new products and the rate with which they should be introduced in product classes dominated by interpersonal motives. Not only must the behaviour of buyers be monitored but also the behaviour of relevant social influences must also be understood. 5. The motives for varied behaviour should be recognized and exploited in marketing communications. For example, a small-market-share brand can emphasize the change-of-pace or boredom-chasing benefits of occasionally switching to that brand. 6. Since variety segments can be effectively developed, product positioning efforts and marketing communications should exploit the homogeneity of each segment and the between-segment differences. 7. The scope and nature of the uncontrollable and inexplicable influences must be recognized by decision-makers to they can concentrate their efforts on those factors which are subject to managerial control. APPENDIX 1 APPENDIX 2 Causes of Varied Consumer Behaviour Inexpliccable - Stochactis elements or omitted variables Multiple Users Multiple Uses Varied Multiple Contexts Consumer Indirect Behaviour Changing Choice Sets Changing Tastes Changing Constraints Explicable Stimulation Information Direct Satiation Affiliation Distinction APPENDIX 3 N Object Ulitility = w (reduction in the distance from the desired level of i = 1 attribute i to its expected post-choice level) + N+1 (reduction in the distance from the desired level of information to its expected post-decision level) + N+2 (reduction in the distance from the desired level of affiliation to its expected post-decision level) + N+3 (reduction in the distance from the desired level of distinction to its expected post-decision level) REFRENCES 1. Thurstone, LL. The Measurement of Value . Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1959. 2. Woods, Walter A. Consumer Behaviour. New York : Haddon Craftsmen, 1981. 3. Markin, Rom J. Consumer Behaviour. New York : Macmillan, 1974. 4. Mitchell, Andrew, ed. Advertising Exposure, Memory and Choice. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1993. 5. Olson, Jerry, ed. Advertising and Consumer Psychology. New York : Praeger, 1986. 6. East, Robert. Changing Consumer Behaviour. London : Biddles, 1990. 7. Hansen, Flemming. Consumer Choice Behaviour A Cognitive Theory. New York : The Free Press, 1972. 8. Tucker, W.T. Foundations For a Theory of Consumer Behaviour. New York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1967. 9. Hamilton, Richard, and Elizabeth Ghatala. Learning and Instruction. New York : McGraw-Hill, 1994. 10. Assael, Henry. Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Action. California : Wadsworth, 1987. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\things arent always what they seem.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Antonio Garza English Things Aren't Always What They Seem As a Hispanic young man, I have witnessed many racial remarks and expressions. Many people think I am Anglo-Saxon because I am light complected. I have not only noticed racial slurs from Angle's, but also from Hispanics. People tend to open up in front of me, because some of them think I am Anglo-Saxon and do not know Spanish. I can recall the first day of summer school, my first day of work, and the time that Anglos' stare at my girlfriend wondering why I left their race for a hispanic girl. My first day of summer school was a day I will never forget. As I walked into my class the students just looked up at me and stared as if I was a portrait. In a polite manner, the teacher told me to sit next to those girls at the corner. At first they were quiet and then the whispers began. "Oye chulo," they began to call me. I didn't know what to do, so I did what any guy with a great girlfriend would do, played dumb. Then they began telling each other that I was probably rich and conceited. Their remarks about my clothing and the color of my eyes and hair, surprised me. I was not upset because they were Hispanic. I am sure that I would have been mad if an Anglo-saxon girl would have talked bad about a hispanic guy or girl. Another time hispanics thought I was Anglo-saxon, was when my best friend's dad got me a job at his company. The first day he showed me around and majority of the workers were hispanic; once again they all looked at me again. My first encounter with my racist co-workers was during lunch. As I sat down to eat my sandwich, the guy I got to know asked me if I wanted to try some Mexican food. That's when I gave him this expression that must have stunned him, because he asked me what was wrong. I told him, "What, do you think I've never eaten Mexican food or what?" He replied, "Sorry, I didn't think know white people knew anything about Mexican food other than tacos." "I am not white, I am a mexican just like you!" I exclaimed. From that day forth I was treated just like one of the guys. It is strange that hispanics are always fighting for equality and an end to discrimination. Ironically, they are the one's that are being racist. The only time I can recall being treated wrong by Anglo-Saxons, was the time I went out to the mall with my girlfriend. At first, it was only the teenage girls looking at her wrong. Finally, an older couple walked by and said loudly, "What white girl isn't good enough for him?" I got so upset, that I said, "Maybe Hispanics girls just have a bigger heart than you white h__'s!" They just kept on walking. My girlfriend broke out into a rage of tears. I comforted her the best way I knew how. I told her that they were just ignorant people, who can not see past the color of one's skin. As I recall all the many times that I have heard racial remarks, towards both Hispanics and Anglo-Saxons, I realize that most remarks have been made by Hispanics. I believe that Hispanics along with other minorities hold a grudge against anglos, because of the horrible things they did to them years ago. Just like they now have no alternative but to except us (Hispanics), we too should put our bad memories behind us. Houston Texas 85% Houston Community College 3/97 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Think in Practical Way.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Think in Practical way Nursing is an exciting and challenging field to study. Nursing uses a scientific process to plan care for people in acute illnesses and teach them how to stay healthy or cope with their illness. Nurses basically the helper of the doctors. They assist the doctors by giving medicine, treatments, tests, injections, or draw blood as directed by the physician. They also observe patients for mental, physical, social and or emotional changes and record changes. There are several field of jobs that a registered nurse can go through. Nurse teachers in a community or university colleges and registered nurses who work in a hospital are two of the examples in the field of nursing job. University and college teachers of nursing provide advanced instruction to students in the field of nursing. first, to be an instuctor, a person must be a registered nurse with at least have a bachelor's degree. In today's society, teachers usually have a master's degree. Second, their working hours varies according to teaching load. They usually don't have a stable working hours. Working hours really depends on their experiences, seniority, and performance. Their job is a contract basis only. Teachers' contracts run between nine to twelve months in a year. Third, according to EUREKA, average community college instructor pay is $3,166 per month and ranges from $2,577 to $3,990 per month. Full professors and those with many years of experience may earn from $3,833 to $5,463 per month. The top pay may exceed $6,932 per month. Finally, EUREKA also says that California employment by 2005 are 76,330 university and college are projected to be employed with 33,850 openings. Pay varies with size, geographic location, and type of institution. Registered nurses are the typical nurses that you see in a medical environment or hospital. First, associate degree is the minimal step to be a registered nurse. The second variance, they are usually assigned a day, evening, or night shift. Generally, they work twelve hours a day three days a week. We all know when we exceed eight hours of work, we get paid one and a half. Most of the nurses today, they have double jobs. In that case, their salary are doubled. The third difference between teachers is their salary. According to EUREKA, the entry pay ranges from as low as $823 to $4,330 per month. Pay for experienced nurses may range from $1,200 to over $5,565 per month. Top pay can range from $1,470 to over $6,080 per month. The salary really depends on experiences, education, geographic location and size and type of employer. Finally, EUREKA also says that 222,430 registered nurses are projected to be employed by 2005 with 45,220 opening in California. The most important of the categories above is the job outlook for the future. Based on EUREKA, I would prepare to choose registered nurses who work in a medical environment because they have higher chances to get a job in the future compared to teaching. When it comes to education requirements, teaching has a long process of time than regular nurses. When we are talking about financial matter, teaching could be better in some ways. Teaching has a higher salary than a regular nurse. It is also not stressfull than a nurse who works in a medical field. But what about double job, can a full time teacher handle another job? I don't think so (intensional). In this situation, the nurses who prepare to work in a hospital have a big advantage from teaching when it comes to money making. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Total Quality Management.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Total Quality Management Total Quality Management(TQM) is an organisational process that actively involves every function and every employee in satisfying customers needs, both internal and external. TQM works by continuously improving all aspect of work through structured control, improvement and planning activities that are carried out in concern with guiding ideology that focuses on Quality and Customer Satisfaction as the top priorities. There has been many arguments that TQM succeeds only by incorporating a concern about quality for the customers throughout the organisation. The truth of this statement and those facts that disagree with this statement will be look into and discuss in more detail to achieve the success of TQM. TQM recognises that the Customer is at the center of every activity. The customer may be external or internal. The key is to determine the gap between what the customer needs and what the system delivers. Once the gap is recognised, it would be systematically reduced and results in never-ending improvement in customer satisfaction at every level. TQM depends on and creates a culture in an organisation which involves everybody in quality improvement. Everyone in the company can affect quality but must first realise this factor and have the techniques and tools which are appropriate for improving quality. Thus TQM includes the marketing and dissemination of quality and methods not only within the organisation and customers but also to suppliers and other partners. The general view to achieve success in TQM could be summarised as below: · Quality as strength · Quality in all processes · The importance of management · The involvement, commitment and responsibility of everybody · Continuous improvement · Zero defects · Focus on prevention rather than inspection · Meeting the needs of target customers · Recovery · Benchmarking A prerequisite for successful quality improvement is first, to understand how quality is perceived and valued by customers. 4 'Q' Design Quality Technical Quality Production Quality Delivery Quality Functional Quality Relational Quality Image Experiences Expectation Customer Perceived Quality = Customer Satisfaction Figure 1: Gronroos - Gummesson Quality Model (1987) Gronroos and Gummesson has combined their 'Customer Perceived Quality' model and the 4 "Q" model to stress the importance of customer. The intergrated model focuses solely for the organisation to achieve customer satisfaction through improving the quality for the customers. Morup (1992) notes that "quality is the most important and effective factor a company can use in the battle for customers." To be competitive, we must satisfy the customers. In order to be more competitive, we must delight the customers. Quality is here defined as the measure of customer delightment. Kaizen provides the philosophy and driving force for designing the quality. If quality is made the global driving force, then customers will obtain the best value possible and use the product. The concern about quality will optimise the value for customers. The TQM perspective involves not only quality in relations with external customers but also quality in the internal service chains and in relation to suppliers and other partners. This "Quality Chain" involves everyone in the process and applied throughout the organisation. Customer orientation and quality are not just a matter of ensuring that the contents of the product or services satisfies the customer needs. The manner in which the service is delivered and the customers' relations with the company must also meet the customer's expectation. £ Sales Customer Satisfaction Quality Improvement As the above graph indicates the sales increases directly with an increase in customer satisfaction. Customers are satisfied with improvement in quality. The more quality improves, the faster sales will increase because customer satisfaction carries its own acceleration. When the quality reputation grows, marketing can emphasize increasing customer satisfaction as a major element in advertising and the other promotions. As Deming wrote in his book "Out of the Crisis," it will not suffice to have customers that are merely satisfied. An unhappy customer will switch. Unfortunately a satisfied customer may also switch, on the theory that he could not lose much and might gain. Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that can boast about your product and service, and that bring friends with them. He further stated that we should stay ahead of the customers. This could be achieved through constant quality improvement and innovations. Why Do Companies Lose Customers: Death of Customer 1% Customer Moving Residence 3% Lower Price Elsewhere 5% Unsatisfactory Handling of Complaints 14% Suppliers' Lack of Interest 68% As shown in the above graph above TQM's success includes the incorporation on quality of the after sales service and follow up. The quality needed in maintaining a customer will be less as compare to gaining a new customer. TQM success would therefore not only focus on gaining new customers but maintaining the current customers, through improvement in quality for customers. Eventhough the main concern about TQM is highly focused on the customers, the focus on internal process cannot be left out. TQM's success may not lie only on the quality for the customer but the quality of the organisation as a whole. The core concept is discussed below: Right First Time / Zero Defects TQM stress of the importance of zero defects and achieving the right target the first and everytime. Variances in product are not acceptable and methods such as the Statistical Process Control (SPC) is use to achieve the objective. Zero defects is the result of an emphasis on prevention and diligent use of measurement, process control and the data driven elimination of waste and error. As Crosby said, "The purpose of quality management is to set up a system and a management discipline that prevents defects from happening in the company's performance cycle." Cost of Quality This is the cost incurred in achieving a quality product or services. These may be prevention cost, appraisal cost, internal failure cost, external failure cost, the cost of exceeding customer's requirement and the cost of lost opportunities. Competitive Benchmarking Comparing with competitors is another reflex of TQM. This is a continuous management process that helps firms access their competition and themselves and to use that knowledge in designing a practical plan to achieve market superiority. When done correctly, benchmarking produces the hard facts needed to plan and execute effective business strategies. Involvement of Everyone In TQM everyone is involved in the process of making the company a successful business. Everyone in the company is responsible for producing quality goods and services and reducing the cost of quality. Synergy in Team Work In Japan, there is no status difference as they believe in synergy. Therefore they consider themselves as partners depending on each other for effective management and success. Ownership and the Elements of Self-Management Total quality programmes are founded on the principal that people want to own the problems, the process, the solution and ultimately the success associated with the quality improvement. Psychologically, the ownership advocated by TQM ties in the development in organisational design away from traditional models of imposing management control over employees' behaviour. Recognition and Rewards TQM system considers the rewards and recognition to be critical to a company's programme, particularly when greater involvement of staff is required. Positive reinforcement through recognition and rewards is essential to maintain achievement and continuous improvement through participative problem-solving projects. The Quality Delivery Process TQM is not just the awareness of quality for the customers. It demands the implementation of a new system. Finally, the main objective of TQM may put the customer at the center of every activity and consider the process as customer driven, but all other factors which do not involve the customers have to be taken into consideration for the successful implementation of TQM. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\TQM In An Accounting Environment.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Chapter One: Description of the problem: All companies need effective employees in order to complete the necessary daily tasks and attain a profit. Many employers do not receive the peak level of performance from their workers due to the fact that the employees do not feel they are having an effect on the quality of service they are offering, or cannot see any tangible outcome from their efforts. This chapter describes several different aspects of the project, including the purpose of this project, the setting of the problem, and the history and background of the problem. The scope of the project is the challenge of measuring performance and total quality within an accounting function. Section 1 - Statement of the Purpose The purpose of this project was to identify and recommend methods to effectively measure performance and total quality within an accounting setting. Total quality principles have effectively been implemented in other areas, however the accounting section has been overlooked. By implementing this type of program, new ideas will be encouraged and enable future changes to be accepted easily. Section 2 - The setting of the problem The accounting office is located in Holland, Ohio. This facility controls all the financial related tasks within the Northwest Ohio district. The department involved are the General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Payroll, Billing, C.O.D., and Information Services. This facility is located approximately three miles away form the main United Parcel Service hub location in Maumee. The accounting function employs approximately 150 to 160 non-union employees and runs continuously, 24 hours a day, six days a week. The accounting department is highly structured and mechanistic. All employees report to a supervisor, who reports to a manager. There are three managers within this office. They consist of a Office Manager, an Accounting Manager, and a Information Services Manager. These three managers in turn report to the Controller, who is only responsible to the District Manager and the regional personnel. There is a high level of standardization in the day to day activities with this group. The jobs that are completed do however, require the employees to be specialized in certain areas. All rules and procedures are formalized, and the power and decision making process is centralized with the management team. The low level members participate very little in the decision making process within this group. Since the Accounting office is located away from the main UPS building, the information network is limited. Most employees within the accounting function are college graduates. The mission of the Accounting function is to quickly and accurately report the state of the business to the management personnel, so that they may follow up with the shareholders to make the necessary business decisions. Section 3 - History of the problem Discontent and low morale can be seen within the employees in the accounting function. A recent trend in absenteeism can be seen. Employees are lacking a sense of accomplishment, and appear to be just "going through the motions". Some of this can be expected, due to the fact that many of these people have been in the same position for seven years now, and may be becoming restless, however the productivity and quality of work being done has directly been affected. Section 4 - Scope of the problem Principles of using TQM can be used and applied to every aspect of a corporation. For this thesis, the scope of the problem will only incorporate the activity within the accounting function. I will evaluate different performance measures and TQM principles for relativity to the current situation. I will also look at case studies within other transportation companies to analyze different types of applications. Finally, I will look at establishing a framework on which to build on based on a few simple steps. Section 5 - Significance of the problem This project is important because the negativity within the groups can only get worse if steps are not implemented to correct the situation. Without the flexibility to make the necessary changes, the company is not able to adapt to market changes and can be passed by the competition. The current decision making process hinders innovation and also progress. By implementing TQM performance measurements in the accounting function, employee job satisfaction will increase, and it will also have a direct effect on the productivity levels within the departments. A failure to recognize this problem can result in an increase in employee turnover, lower morale, and reduce the overall productivity within the organization. Section 6 - List of terms Chapter 2 Literary Review History of performance measurement in accounting and TQM. Many people feel that traditional accounting measures are not up to date in today's business environment. Cooper and Kaplan and Johnson and Kaplan, masters within the accounting profession addressed this issue in their book entitled Relevance Lost: The Rise and Fall of management accounting. They concluded with the following; Today's management accounting information which is driven by procedures, and the cycle of the organizations financial reporting system, is too late, too aggregated, and too distorted to be relevant for managers' planning and control decisions. Kaplan also commented that the current systems used within accounting functions used to report cost and performance provide little motivation for companies to try and implement TQM, along with any other long term continuos improvement policies. This point is just amplified by the fact that many top executives are not happy with the current way of reporting financial data. Meaning of TQM and performance measurement At the heart of TQM is the concept of total dedication to customer satisfaction. Quality is defined as that which meets the customer's expectations. Quality, today is recognized as a prerequisite for survival. Quality is seen not from the standpoint of taking time and costing money, but of saving time and money. Total Quality describes the state of an organization in which all activities are designed and carried out in such a way that all customer requirement are met in less time and at a lower cost. The potential pay backs from a Total Quality system are tremendous. Recovery of just a small portion of unproductive costs can result in a significant rise in profits. For instance, take a cost saving initiative and implement it at all the accounting sites. Which for UPS is a total of 84 sites. This small initiative can add up to be a significant savings amount when you multiply it by all 84 accounting sites. All businesses today, in such a competitive market, strive to achieve a competitive edge, a level of excellence, and for higher performance standards. Performance measurement must reflect how well the organization is doing in trying to reach their goals. To improve quality, a company must constantly identify and anticipate customer requirements. The process of meeting customers goals and needs begins on an internal level. This makes Total Quality essential to the management decision making process and allows managers the ability to make more informed business decisions on a daily basis. Managers today need to accept that the person actually doing the work must have the control in the situation. The employees need to be empowered within an organization. This is a basic TQM principle. This philosophy is based on the premise that all employees contribute to fulfilling customer requirements, whether they be internal or external, and that everyone within the organization is part of a chain. In the following case study of Federal Express, you will be able to see how the control lies within the hands of the employees to make the operation function effectively. Too much emphasis has been placed on accounting measures that are used by senior managers to report data to shareholders. TQM takes a much simpler approach by reducing the operation into easier aspects to understand, thus having a huge impact by reducing the level of variation. This is extremely important in a large cooperation, where reporting methods can vary from location to location. TQM recognizes that quality cannot be added to a product or service after it's been completed but must be designed into the work process from the beginning. TQM focuses on the work process and not on the employee. TQM focuses on the customers. TQM places a major focus on utilizing teamwork to accomplish tasks. A simple way to look at the current measures that are in place is to ask a few simple questions: Does the measure add any value to the customer?, Does it reduce waste or create it?, Is there any direct cost reduction or benefit?. This increasing rate of success in due largely to the shifting management paradigm. Thought about management is making the gradual transition form strict authoritarianism - a far greater influence than many readily recognize - toward a far greater belief in true participative management. Richard Schonberger, in a newsletter by Computer Aided Manufacturing writes the following: "Total Quality is no longer strictly measured by internal costs but, rather, by the improvements seen by the next customer. Total Quality Management therefore, needs to provide each individual with the opportunity to assess the effectiveness of their own efforts and enable them to improve on their contributions in the chain. The measures in place need, therefore, to reflect progressive movement, change and a learning process in all aspects of business operations. The question of "what next?" has to be asked continuously in all links of the chain. The company that is ready, willing and able to answer it most often, is the company that has learnt to meet the challenge of Total Quality and embrace change, that company will be the winner in the race for competitive supremacy. Total quality has to be reflected by improvements in areas such as efficiency; effectiveness; productivity improvements; quality improvements; profitability improvements; improvements in innovativeness and quality of work life among others. All of these things need to be directed towards two main goals: 1) Getting the job done. 2) Constant improvement of performance. Type of TQ- based Performance Measurements There are many different types of measurement which can be used and associated with total quality. Some of these measurement are the following: 1) costs of poor quality 2) economic and financial data 3) complaints and feedback from customers 4) direct customer surveys 5) periodic audits and self checks One important thing to remember is that Total Quality should be measured in increments of time. If a particular item is not working as expected, it will be easy to change and try something else. Total quality needs to be based on total people productivity. Good total quality measurements will all have a uniform measure of what the goal is to be. They will also have a exact preciseness of what is being measured. As noted above, the time frame is very important in order to be effective. All processes should be based on objectivity and not on opinions. And finally, all processed should be easily understood by all the employees involved. History of United Parcel Service United Parcel Service was formed in 1907 in Seattle, Washington. At that time it was named the American Messenger Company. Business at this time consisted of messengers who ran errands, carried notes, and any other miscellaneous package deliveries, such as food from restaurants. UPS then branched into the small package delivery service for the many retail stores in the Seattle area. After two years of success in this market, the name then changed to Merchants Parcel Delivery in 1913. The first expansion came to the south into California, and in 1919 the name again changed to what it is today, United Parcel Service. After this expansion, business increased rapidly. This expansion was so great, that by 1927, UPS serviced all the major cities along the Pacific coast. Delivery service on the east coast began in 1930. United Parcel Service pioneered the service which is now called common carrier. This type of service includes daily pickup calls, automatic return of non-deliverable packages and weekly billing. This service was only available on the west coast until 1957 when UPS began to move east into Chicago. The following years marked massive expansion and fierce legal battles with the Interstate Commerce Commission. By the year 1975 UPS was actively serving every address in the 48 continental states. UPS was the first company to embrace the idea of air service. It was introduced in 1929, and at the time there was little volume to sustain the service. Due to the lack of business, it was abolished in 1931. United Parcel Service got back into the air business in 1953 with a 2 day service to many major cities. UPS Next Day Air was introduced in 1982, and by 1985 the Next Day Air and Second Day Air services had reached to every address in the continental United States and into Puerto Rico and Alaska. Today, UPS offers service to more that 185 countries and territories along with all addresses in the United States. UPS is privately owned by its' management and employees over 300,000 people worldwide. UPS also owns several smaller businesses relating to the package delivery industry. Some of which are: Martrac - Established in 1979, transports agricultural commodities by rail in temperature controlled trailers. UPS Truck Leasing - Established in 1982, provides delivery vans and over-the- road tractors for lease or rental. UPS Properties, Inc. - Established in 1990, earns revenue by leasing facilities near UPS package delivery operations. Roadnet Technologies - Specializes in computerized mapping, scheduling and routing systems. II Morrow Industries - Specializes in vehicle communications systems including the electronic clipboard (DIAD) which all UPS drivers carry. Sonic Air - Acquired in 1995, provides same day; next flight out delivery for extremely urgent shipments. As you can see; the history of UPS in one of continued growth. For many years, the challenge for UPS management was how to manage a company that was increasing in size so fast. The structure of UPS is therefore very bureaucratic. Methods and procedures are highly standardized; a package driver in Toledo, Ohio uses the same work methods and procedures that a driver in Madrid, Spain would use. All locations must have a Master Operating Plan on site which covers what actions will take place under a variety of different circumstances; for example, the MOP for the Accounting site is over a 1000 pages long and covers every imaginable disaster and contingency plan. All UPS managers and supervisors are given a Policy Book which defines the company's mission, strategy, goals and gives the manager basic guidelines to follow. This method of management has worked very well for UPS; who is the largest package delivery company in the world. Case Study: Federal Express Federal Express is a major competitor of UPS. It is also a service company and relies heavily on repeat business. Because of this, a major focus needs to be on customer satisfaction in order to succeed. Total quality at Federal Express focuses on achieving total customer satisfaction. This is perceived by the upper management as the most critical focus of their success. Federal Express was founded by a group of former UPS managers who saw a potential market within the industry that was not being addressed by UPS. Federal express was one of the 1990 winners of the Baldridge award. There were 98 companies in all competing for the award that year (45 from manufacturing, 18 in service and 34 from the small business sector). Within the Baldridge framework, the company was given the opportunity to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses. They were also able to introduce a new culture of never ending improvement through self assessment. Some of the benefits that Federal Express achieved were; credibility, accomplishment, validation, leadership, and national recognition of their company and its performance. Federal Express's principle activity is that of a "package delivery company". The air express market business is the foundation on which it was built. Federal Express began in 1973. At this time, only a small fleet of aircraft was needed to meet their customers' needs. By 1978, Federal express found itself handling 35,000 shipments and employing over 10,000 people. By 1990, Federal Express went global, employing almost 100,000 people with sites across the globe. Their volume grew to nearly 1.5 million shipments. In such a short period of time, Federal Express became the world's largest air cargo transporter, with revenues totaling $7 billion in the fiscal year of 1990. Domestic overnight and second day deliveries account for nearly three fourths of this total. The rest is accounted to international deliveries. Federal Express held a domestic market share of 34% in 1989, the nearest competitor has at 26%. Federal Express's commitment to its people is evident in its corporate philosophy: "Our company always balances the needs of employees, our customers, and our shareholders, considering each in making plans an policies. We always consider the effects on our people first when making decisions, recognizing that if we take care of our employees, they will deliver a superior service which our customers will in turn, utilize. Only by making a surplus, or profit, can we ensure our company's continued existence, future opportunities, and our employment" (Frederick W. Smith, CEO, Federal Express). Some of the activities Federal Express offers its employees are continuous training for all employees, team training in problem solving, use of interactive video for employee training, internal television network for people interactions and employee development, a no lay-off philosophy, guaranteed fair treatment procedure, internal promotions opportunities, and recognition program for both individuals and teams. Two particular programs that Federal Express offers which truly identifies the pursuit of Total Quality are the Survey-feedback-action program and the guaranteed fair treatment program. The first program is an employee survey conducted on a regular basis to assess the effectiveness of the management team and to ensure that there is continuous improvement in the management. The survey highlights issues of management and operational levels relating to corporate strategy, communications, incentives, reward systems, future planning and decision making processes. The second program, the guaranteed fair treatment program is a way of listening to employee grievances and ensuring that morale is always high. There is a procedure of reviewing complaints at various levels of management, and the ability to appeal a decision if so desired. Federal Express previously relied on a quality measure of customer satisfaction based on on-time deliveries. This measure, however, had to be modified because of Federal Express's goal of achieving Total Quality and total customer satisfaction. The new performance measurement system was named service quality indicators, and is based on 12 principle indicators. These indicators are weighted to reflect the factors that the customers felt were the most important. The SQI is based on the average daily failure points for all 12 of the indicators, and are tracked and reported weekly. The service quality indicator systems has 12 critical factors. The implementation of these factors are based on a multi-functional approach where accountants take part in some of the teams addressing the quality issues. There then is a clear joint ownership of the goals and points involved. The ultimate target is a 100 percent customer satisfaction level. in order to achieve this, all departments and employees will have to help. Significant improvements have already been achieved in various areas in the 12 factors. The twelve indicators of the SQI and their weightings are: 1. Right day late service failures - 1 2. Wrong day late service failures - 5 3. Traces ( Some information missing ) - 5 4. Complaints reopened by customers - 5 5. Missing Proof of Delivery - 1 6. Invoices adjustments requested - 1 7. Missed Pickups - 10 8. Damaged Packages - 10 9. Lost Packages - 10 10. Overgoods (no packages received in overgoods) - 5 11. Abandoned Calls - 1 12. International (All the above 11 indicators for international operations) - 1 By implementing a TQ based system, Federal Express has seen some extraordinary results. Since 1987, overall custom satisfaction with domestic service reached no less that 95%, with interaction business, customer satisfaction averaged at 94%. According to an independent survey on the shipping industry customers, 53 per cent gave Federal Express a perfect score. The next competitor scored only a 39 per cent. Federal Express has received 195 awards over the past 13 years. Representatives from over 600 different business organizations have visited Federal Express to gain knowledge in hopes of implementing a similar program within their companies. Framework for implementation Today's organizations must look for areas of improvement everywhere. In order to achieve this goal, they must reduce costs and also reduce waste. This can be done by using Total Quality techniques. In the area of accounting, the current performance measures are outdated. Many companies just look to the Production or at using Cost Accounting as places where there is room for improvement. Many Cost Accounting techniques are redundant in today's organizations. Existing control measures are very much control measures and provide information that can only be used by senior level managers. What has been missing are improvement measures that enable the employees involved to see results and receive feedback. Total quality is an extremely useful tool, however many managers have an extremely difficult time implementing this type of change since many of its benefits can not be directly transferred into a financial amount or gain. An extremely long amount of planning is required on order to make a Total Quality system work. The focus in a customer service related industry needs to be on the customer. A business needs to understand the customers requirements, work these requirements into the current system, and then create a plan to effectively control and monitor these processes. This is directly applicable to both all external and internal customers, which accounting functions directly have an effect on. Before any plans are put into place, it is important for the organization to conduct an audit of all current procedures. The purpose of this is to see what current procedures are important and working, and how they will fit within a Total Quality setting. It is also important to look at how they have an effect on customer quality. This audit will also help to show areas that have not been addressed in the past and how much the employees know about the current system and how much input they have in the decision making process. I have accumulated six fundamental planning stages for implementing a total quality system, followed by 7 implementation stages to get the program going. They first planning stages are: 1) Identify the purpose for implementing a total quality system. Is it needed for reporting reasons, control reasons, or improvement reasons? 2) A combination of employee groups, and levels are needed. This will ensure that all involved are driven towards a common goal. It will also eliminate barriers between the different levels of staffing. Good communication is a key. 3) Areas to be measured to reflect a variety of measures, such as time savings, cost savings, profits gained, etc. 4) All areas should reflect the interest of both the internal and external customers interests. This will incorporate both the control measures from the internal customer and the feedback and improvement measure from the customers. What are the customers requirements and what do they expect? Do not meet the customers requirements, but exceed them. 5) Areas to be measured must be selected carefully, since they will be setting a standard of performance. 6) Time needs to be given by the business involved for the implementation of the new measuring systems. An ability to track improvements over time is required, along with time for employees to learn and comprehend the goal. The implementation stages are as follows: 1) Total quality needs to be embraced as a responsibility of all employees. It should be important to everyone. In order to achieve success, everyone must therefore become involved. 2) All of the points to be measured should be weighed against the cost to the company to implement. If a quality item is expensive to track and returns very little, then it should possibly be eliminated in favor of a new item. (Weighing the Cost to Benefit). 3) If a quality item has a huge impact on the customer, a company has no choice but to chose it as a quality control item, regardless of the cost. 4) The decision making processes needs to be made with all the people within the organization. A wide sampling of individuals are required in this process. 5) In difficult areas to measure, an organization should take a sampling over a period of time to see improvement, for example, to measure morale and employer might look at the trend of absenteeism over a period of time. 6) Measurement is a cornerstone of quality control. Measurement systems should be designed with flexibility in mind. This is necessary in order to reflect changes within the market, or within strategic planning. This measurement should be continuous and ongoing. 7) Total Quality needs to reflect a never ending strive for total quality, continuos improvement, and achievements should be looked at as stepping stones to achieving that goal. Section 3: Option Selection For my thesis, I have chose to use Option Three - Alternative Policy Decision. I have chosen this format for various reasons which I will highlight in the next page or so. Within my current work situation, I would not be able to actually have control over and implement a plan such as the one I am designing. United Parcel Service is such a large cooperation and changes would need to be approved on nearly every level of management before any action could be taken. I feel that even if my case study was to get past the various management levels, my original suggestions would have to be altered to encompass all UPS functions and be changed into a uniform procedure. This would have a negative effect on the entire plan and somewhat "water down" the original intentions, and be of little use on a corporate wide basis. In order to incorporate a plan such as mine of a corporate level, a large amount of time is necessary to visit many of the various accounting sites and get a feel for the people and structure you are dealing with. No two offices would be exactly the same. My goal is to get a possible pilot program started and then to build on this for the future. Option Two would be of no use to me in this application. I can see no possible way to use this type of option within the working framework of my employer. The potential changes I am proposing do not require any government funding or grant moneys. Option three is the best possible choice for me in my current situation. This option best relates to the working structure at UPS. Changes at UPS happen very slowly, so submission of an alternative policy is clearly the best way to allow me to have my potential changes reviewed and considered. By allowing me to submit an alternative policy to the management structure at UPS, I feel I will be showing a great deal of initiative and concern with the problems we are facing on a day to day basis. I believe that by alerting the management to my feelings on this issue I will be establishing a groundwork for future discussion and possible action, whether it be by the use of my proposal, or by the use of another. The end result will still be a positive one. Chapter 4 Description of the Alternatives The purpose of this thesis is to identify and recommend methods to improve the measurement of performance and total quality in an accounting office. By addressing these problems and implementing this type of program, new ideas will be encouraged and future changes will be easily accepted. The benefits of this type of system can be directly related to the satisfaction of the customer. Statement of Objectives Objective One Six months after implementation of the agreed plan, there will be a 3 day reduction in the month end close out schedule committed by the clerical staff in the Accounting department of United Parcel Service. This is a extremely relevant issue to company officers as most information received from the Accounting office is already outdated when it is received. Objective Two Six months after implementation of the agreed plan, there will be a 50% reduction in the amount of statement errors reported to company of f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Treatments of Alcoholism.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Treatments of Alcoholism University of ??? TREATMENTS OF ALCOHOLISM Alcoholism can destroy the life of an alcoholic and devastate the alcoholic's family. But it also has overwhelming consequences for society. Consider these statistics from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence: *In 1988, alcoholism and problems related to it cost the United States an estimated $85.8 billion in mortality and reduced productivity; *Fetal alcohol syndrome, caused by a woman's drinking during pregnancy, afflicts five thousand infants a year; it costs about $1.4 billion annually to treat the infants, children and adults afflicted with FAS; *More than twenty thousand people die annually in alcohol related car accidents. (Institute of Medicine, 1989) Clearly alcoholism harms society in numerous ways and it is in society's best interest to find effective treatments for alcoholics. The primary goal of all treatments for alcoholism is to get the alcoholic to stop drinking and refrain from abusing alcohol in the future. The paths to this goal are diverse. Several factors - biological, social and psychological - influence why an individual becomes an alcoholic. So treatments vary, depending upon why the alcoholic drinks and what the physician or therapist believes is the best method for recovery. Some treatments focus on the physical addiction of alcoholism. Others emphasize the alcoholic's social or psychological cravings. Alcoholics Anonymous and Rational Recovery are two support groups that help alcoholics recover. Other alcoholics benefit from one-on-one therapy with counselors, who may help patients understand drinking and change their behavior. Finally for some alcoholics, the most effective treatments are those that combine medical treatment with counselling. Such treatments enable the alcoholic to more easily break the physical addiction to alcohol as they evaluate their social and psychological reasons for drinking. Two of these treatments are: Nutritional Therapy and Network Therapy. Nutritional Therapy "Alan Dalum was 37 years old and thoroughly convinced he was soon going to die. Dalum was not dying of cancer, heart disease or any other illness from which one can leave the world with dignity. Dalum was dying of alcoholism." (Ewing, 1978) Just when he lost all hope for recovery, Dalum discovered a center that emphasized the importance of biochemical repair in alcoholism recovery using nutrients and herbs. Upon learning that Minneapolis, where he lived, had one of the only programs in the country that employed such methods, Dalum decided to give the Center's six - week, outpatient program a shot. The Health Recovery Center (HRC) in Minneapolis claims a 74 percent success rate (patients still sober one year later) and differs from conventional programsin several significant ways. First, it focuses on uncovering and treating physiological imbalances that may be causing alcohol cravings and throwing the entire body out of whack. For example: hypoglycemia is a common imbalance found in up to three quarters of alcoholics. The center's philosophy is simple "Until the body begins getting the essential nutrients it needs, recovery cannot begin." (Ewing, 1978) They believe that no amount of talk will stop the cravings, anxiety, depression, mental confusion and fatigue that result from alcohol's biochemical and neurochemical damage. "There is not time to obsess over past traumas when you're dying of a major disease. Why do people persist in believing that the damage done by excess ingestion of alcohol can be undone with psychological methods alone?" (Ewing, 1978) The Health Recovery Center is devoted to the restoration of bodies, minds and spirits that have been ravaged by alcohol. Such restoration begins the moment a new patient walks through the door. After the staff physician takes a thorough medical history and performs the initial physical exam, the patient is hooked up to an IV solution, out of which drips high doses of ascorbic acid (vitamin C, a powerful detoxifier), calcium, magnesium, B vitamins (which help eliminate withdrawal symptoms), evening primrose oil (a natural anticonvulsant) and a full spectrum of amino acids including glutamine (an alternative form of glucose that significantly diminishes cravings). While conventional programs frequently numb new patients with drugs like Librium and Valium to help ease withdrawals (and later must wean patients off of them), HRC's formula is entirely natural. "The sum total of it all is that people go from consuming half a quart of alcohol a day to consuming none at all - without drugs." (Ewing, 1978) Following the IV, HRC patients are supplied with bottles of the vitamins and minerals they have been deficient in for so long and put on a diet that is free of sugar, salt, caffeine and most importantly, nicotine. This is because tobacco is cured with cane, beet and corn sugars, which may not only cause intense cravings in those with hypoglycemia (and render them incapable of getting the condition under control), but may also stimulate allergic/addictive reactions in those sensitive to sugar and corn, two of the most common hidden food allergies. "Sensitivities to corn, yeast, barley and other foods commonly found in alcoholic beverages are the reason some patients cannot stop drinking." (Ewing, 1978) In the ensuing six weeks, HRC patients meet once weekly with a nutritionist, once weekly for individual therapy with one of HRC's five certified counselors, and daily for group sessions, at which they talk openly about such subjects as anger, humor and insecurity. Such sessions are purposely not like conventional twelve step meetings, at which participants are expected to talk about the power they believe alcohol has over their lives. Rather, both the group and individual sessions focus on the here and now. "We call it rational management therapy. First we make a list of the client's goals, long and short term, and map out ways they can achieve them. We decide together what they need to work on and we try to get them to do things that will make them feel good about themselves." (Ewing, 1978) In sharp contrast to the AA approach, HRC counselors try to instill in patients the belief that they are in control of their destinies, that they have power over alcohol rather than the other way around. Network Therapy Twenty years ago, Marc Galanter was appointed as a career teacher in alcoholism and drug abuse by the National Institute on Mental Health. Galanter found nothing on the technique of resolving a drinking or drug problem for a patient who came to the doctor's office. Since then, researchers in addiction have begun to develop a systematic understanding of how drug and alcohol dependence wreak their effects on thinking and behavior. But there are still very few descriptions of a comprehensive approach that the therapist can apply to addicted patients. "Few therapists venture beyond recommending to alcoholics that they attend AA or take a long break from job and family and go away to a rehabilitation hospital." (Stepney, 1987) Marc Galanter developed an approach that engages the support of a small group - some family, some friends - to meet with the substance abuser and a therapist at regular intervals to secure abstinence and help with the development of a drug free life. The majority of Galanter's patients (77 percent) achieved a major or full improvement. They were abstinent or had virtually eliminated substance use and their life circumstances were materially improved and stable. Marc Galanter named his therapy network therapy. Family and peers become part of the therapist's working team, not subjects of treatment themselves. "Social supports are necessary for overcoming the denial and relapse that are so compromising to effective care for the substance abuser." (Stepney, 1987) Together, the group develops a regimen to support the recovery, one that includes individual sessions as well as meetings with this network. The therapist continues to meet with the network while the abuser focuses on ways to protect continued abstinence and on the psychological issues that would allow the achievement of full recovery. As time goes on, the abuser's abstinence is secured, the network sessions are held less frequently and individual therapy continues. "A social network is apparently a necessary vehicle to stabilizing the cognitive components of patients' recovery, to allow them to deal with the reality they need to see and to provide the support essential for accepting the new reality." (Newman, 1987) The purpose of network therapy is then to create an atmosphere that will allow an alcohol or drug abuser to experience relief from distress by participating and moving towards a drug free outlook. After initial sobriety has been achieved, network sessions often acquire a social quality. In order to act out a pattern of behavior that is clearly self-destructive, addicts must adopt a pattern of denial. This denial is supported by a variety of distorted perceptions: "persecution at the hands of employers, failings of a distraught spouse, a presumed ability to control the addiction if wanted." (Newman, 1987) This cognitive set is not only unfounded, but it is also at variance with the common sense views of the drug free family and friends. Because of this, intimate and positive encounters with them in the network produce an inherent conflict between addicts' views and the views of network members. The addict must resolve this conflict, or cognitive dissonance, in order to feel accepted in the group. The network therefore creates an ongoing pressure on the addict to relinquish the trappings of denial. Typically, addicts deal with this conflict by defensive withdrawal, but if their network is properly managed, cohesive ties in the group will engage them and draw them into an alternative outlook. Gradually, they come to accept that their distress can be relieved by a change in attitude, as denial and rationalization are confronted in a supportive way. Over time, engagement in the network allows an addict to restructure the perspective in which the addiction has been couched. For addicts, both healthy and faulted attitudes have long coexisted in conflict with each other and the cognitive dissonance produced by these contradictions has driven them into a defensive stance. In a proper, supportive context, a constructive view premised on abstinence and on acknowledgment of the harmful nature of drug use can emerge. Addicts can experience a "conversion" of sorts, perhaps gradual, but real nonetheless. (Johnson, 1980) There is hardly any disorder more complicated and difficult to treat than alcohol/drug dependence. Perhaps because alcohol dependence is so complex, it has attracted various professions and approaches, each having its own notion of etiology and treatment. The point is that treatment needs to be conceptualized for the patient as a long term process of years with the principle task for recovery being to provide the most effective treatment for a given person with a given problem. But until and unless researchers find a specific biological cause and cure for alcoholism, treatments will continue to vary, depending upon the alcoholic and the therapist. References Ewing, J. (1978). Drinking. Chicago: Nelson Hall Institute of Medicine. (1989). Broadening the Base of Treatment for Alcoholic Problems. New York: Bergin Publishers Inc. Johnson, V. (1980). I'll Quit Tomorrow. New York: Harper & Row. Newman, S. (1987). It Won't Happen To Me. Toronto: General Publishing Co. Stepney, R. (1987) Alcohol. New York: Aladdin Books f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Tuition Aid A Students Search.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Introduction It's no secret that financing a college education is getting tougher. College costs have skyrocketed over the past decade or so, and there's no relief in sight. Average tuition at four-year colleges will increase 7 percent this school year, double the rate of inflation. Student aid is not increasing fast enough to plug the growing gap between tuition and family finances. In addition, there is a growing number of older students entering college today. These students have families that they need to support. I know, because I am a family man who has returned to school. I wish to finish my degree at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The only problems I face are financial in nature. It is with this in mind that I set about this research. The not so simple question: Is financial aid available to older students, and if so, how do they go about obtaining it? The Cost Of Education The cost of higher education varies by type of institution. Tuition is highest at private 4-year institutions, and lowest at public 2-year institutions. The private 4-year colleges nearly quadrupled their average tuition rates between 1975 and 1996. For private 4-year colleges, tuition and fees for the 1995-96 academic year averaged about $15,400, compared with about $5006 at public 4-year colleges. The cost of attending an institution of higher education includes not only tuition and fees, however, but also books and supplies, transportation, personal expenses -2 and, sometimes, room and board. Although tuition and fees generally are substantially lower at public institutions than at private ones, the other student costs are about the same. According to MS-Encarta94,"the average cost for tuition, fees, and room and board for the 1995-96 academic year at private 4-year colleges was about $20,165. At public 4-year colleges the average combined cost was about $9290" (Encarta94). The cost of attending RIT is approximately $15700 per year. This does not include room and board, or books, and supplies . This cost falls in line with the national average. However , according to Rachel Shuman of the RIT Financial Aid Department,"the increase in cost at RIT was 4.8 percent for the 1996-97 academic year over the 1995-96 academic year." This falls 2.2 percent below the national average for 4 year private institutions. Still, $15700 is a lot of dollars for an unemployed family man or woman with little or no income. The Cost Of Living Factor Though the Cost Of Living is not directly related to tuition it is still a major player in the decision making process. Is it possible to maintain a family financial structure while paying for an education? The cost of a mortgage, or rent, and other bills that are associated with living adds up to many thousands of dollars per year. These costs in addition to what the tuition, books, and supplies total are expected, and have to be dealt with. -3 The financial burden alone can seem over-whelming to some. But let us consider what the total cost of living and attending a four year private institution are. The Bureau of Census statistics for the County of Monroe indicate "that the approximate average income for a family of four is $50964. The poverty level for a family of four is approximately $15455". These are statistics calculated for the 1995 calendar year. No newer statistics were available. With these statistics in mind we can then determine the financial model we must follow. This model will determine what the total yearly outlay a family of four must shoulder in order to send a person to RIT. The Financial Burden First and foremost a family has to live. The Census data indicates that the minimum a family must earn is "a poverty level income." So, let's assume a family needs $16000 per year for living expenses. The cost of attending RIT is $15651 per year. Books and supplies are approximately $1200 per year. Finally, travel expenses will be approximately $500 per year. I am assuming that one spouse will be working to cover the living expenses. So, I am excluding medical and dental costs. These costs are partially or fully covered by an employer. In the event they are not let us include them in the poverty scenario, which basically means the family must pay the costs. -4 The total amount of funds needed are $17700 the first year. If you increase that number by 4.8% each year thereafter you can come up with the projected amount for each school year.The $17700 figure remains the obstacle to overcome. This cost has to be covered by Financial Aid. If this cost cannot be covered by the available system, the student will not be able to pursue a standard four year degree at RIT. Family's Will Strain It's going to be tougher to pay for college in 1996, and that's going to widen the gap in enrollment between rich and poor students that the nation has struggled three decades to close. Average tuition at four-year colleges will increase 6 percent this school year, double the rate of inflation. But family income isn't keeping pace; "after adjusting for inflation, the average family has gained hardly any ground in the 1990s," says the Department of Labor. As a result, says the Department of Education,"sending a student to a private college in 1996 without any grants or loans will require more than a third of a typical family's income and nearly two thirds of the income of a working-poor family." The Government Student aid is not increasing fast enough to plug the growing gap between tuition and family finances. The federal government supplies 75 percent of student -5 aid. But the value of federal grants has eroded sharply, covering only 10 percent of tuition today, compared with 20 percent a decade ago. The Financial Aid Page explains that: Congress's budget-cutting Republicans want to spend $450 million less in 1996 on student grants, a move that education officials say would take nearly 200,000 student off the grant rolls. Also at risk: a new federal program that helps less affluent students by permitting them to repay federal loans over a longer period if their incomes' after graduation are modest (Kantrowitz). Not surprisingly, the American Council on Education an organization of colleges and universities, recently reported that fewer colleges than in the early 1990's report enrollment increases among black and Hispanic students, who are generally less able to pay for college.Once in school, more and more students must work to pay their tuition bills. At least 40 percent of full-time undergraduate students are earning while they learn, says the ACE. The prognosis isn't encouraging. "The tuition spiral is not likely to end, nor is student aid likely to catch up anytime soon," write college cost experts Lawrence Gladieux and Arthur Hauptman in a new report, "The College Aid Quandary." To a nation that likes to think of itself as a meritocracy, not merely a bastion of privilege, that's a disturbing message (Kantrowitz). Well, that's a lot of important statistical information. Enough I think that most people would like to throw this paper out and forget the whole idea of returning to school. But not so fast, there is a light at the end of this tunnel! -6 Where Should I Begin My Search? The financial aid office at the school you plan to attend is the best place to begin your search for free information. The financial aid administrator can tell you about student aid available from the federal government, your state government, the school itself, and other sources. You can also find free information about student aid in the reference section of your local library (usually listed under "student aid" or "financial aid"). These materials usually include information about federal, state, institutional, and private aid. The major source of student financial aid is the U.S. Department of Education. Nearly 70 percent of the student aid that is awarded each year comes from the U.S. Department of Education programs (approximately $23.4 billion in 1992-93). Student aid is also available from other federal agencies, such as the U.S. Public Health Service and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The free student financial aid materials available in the financial aid office at your school include The Student Guide, a free booklet about financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). (Education) -7 Financial Aid for Older Students Many scholarship and fellowship programs do not have age restrictions. If there are restrictions, they are expressed in terms of the student's year in school (e.g., high school senior) and not as an age limit. Thus there are many awards for which older students are eligible, simply because the awards do not disqualify students based on age. Older students should conduct a search for aid just like younger students. There are no,"age restrictions on eligibility for federal student financial aid. Although many schools restrict eligibility for the school's own financial aid programs to the first Bachelor's degree, some schools will waive the restrictions when the student is an adult returning to school to earn a second degree in preparation for a career change" (Kantrowitz). The Financial Aid Office Following the advice of the sources I have used for compiling this research paper I contacted the Financial Aid Office at RIT and set up an interview. While waiting for the date of my appointment I compiled a list of questions I would ask the Financial Aid Officer(FAO). When the day of the interview was at hand I was prepared. The FAO's at RIT are assigned to students alphabetically. My FAO is Rachel Schuman and she was genuinely surprised that I had a prepared list of questions. Here is a synopsis of that interview. -8 I asked her what the total cost of attending RIT would be for the coming school year? What expenses are incurred? What are the chances of being turned down? She was fairly straightforward about answering most of the questions that I posed. However on some sticky issues she was reserved. At one point she had to check with her boss for an answer. I wondered if she was merely asking her boss if it was against policy to answer certain questions. There were a number times that she simply pointed across the hall to admissions. Indicating that they could answer my questions better. The basic answers were that Yes RIT gives Merit Scholarships, and that probably some type of loans and/or work study program would be required. Mrs. Schuman then told me that if you are eligible for aid you will receive it. I was not particularly encouraged by her explanations and as I found out later I as right. The first thing you have to do is get accepted by the College Admissions Department. This in itself is another bureaucratic nightmare. I talked to Al Biles the Assistant Dean of Computer Information Technology and said, "Just go over to admissions and sign up." Well when I got to admissions I paid my fee and waited for three weeks for a letter that never came. Instead I got a postcard telling me I need to get my GED. I went back to see Mrs. Schuman. -9 Rachel then explained to me that there is a process for obtaining financial aid. You must first fill out all necessary forms and applications. Then according to the information you supply you will be assigned a Student Aid Report(SAR). The SAR will show your Expected Family Contribution(EFC). Then your EFC is subtracted from the schools Cost of Attendance which gives your FAO the students Financial need. Based on my interview with Rachel Schuman it became apparent that I needed to arrange an interview with admissions. In order to clear up the two unanswered questions. But, before I left, Mrs. Schuman gave me three applications to fill out. The FAFSA, the New York State Tuition Assistance(TAP) application, and the RIT Application For 1997-98 Financial Aid For Continuing Undergraduate Students. At this point it was becoming very clear to me that there is money available, but the process is slow and filled with bureaucratic red tape. I guess if you want to play though, you might as well play with the big kids. Admissions Shortly after my talk with Rachel Schuman I telephoned Renee Minnich. Renee Minnich is the Assistant Director of the Office of Admissions for RIT. I asked her,"What portion of the most recently admitted class is paying full tuition?" Her reply, "Practically nil. Most of our students receive aid. Those that do are working full time and attend class at night. But they are usually subsidized by -10 their employers." "Do you package preferentially?" "Yes we have merit based scholarships for outstanding students. But we attempt to meet the needs of each student individually." Conclusion Well there we have it. The system at RIT is set up as a meritocracy for the most part. Those students which have proven themselves in High School or are transfer students have a far better chance of receiving grants and scholarships. The rest of the students will receive some sort of loan relief. Still others will receive aid based on their financial situation. The system is complicated and you the student are at its mercy. Remember also, you must get admitted first before you need apply for financial aid. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Two parents or one.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Two Parents Or One? Family life is much different today than what it used to be. Several years ago mothers would stay at home with their children while the father went to work to support his family, but it is nothing like that today in American households. Today it is common for children to be raised by just one of their parents, and those children are often disadvantaged in several ways. The most consistent finding from studies of family structure shows that single parents exert weaker controls and make fewer demands on their children than married families do (Curtin et al. 368). There is a real easy explanation for this problem, it is the simple fact that two parents together make more rules and are more likely to stick by those rules than single parents are (Curtin et al. 368). Single parents are not able to show the same emotions as married couples can, because the love between a mother and a father plays an important part in a family. Children learn how to love from their parents, but if both parents are not there to teach them how to love, their love might be somewhat one-sided (Curtin et al. 371). Yes, single parents can show their love toward their children, but they have no spouse to express love to. Children from single parent families are therefore denied that learning experience of how a husband and a wife should love one another (Curtin et al. 369). Relationships are another thing that everyone needs, especially children. Children need a real strong relationship between themselves and their parents, but children from single parent families are usually denied this privilege because they are separated from one of their parents and often do not get to spend adequate time with the other. Children who have a strong relationship with their parents are more likely to respect the authority of their parents ( Curtin et al. 370). The problem with single parent is the fact that usually the single parent does not have the time to help the child develop a close relationship with them. Another problem is how can a child build a strong relationship with a parent they do not live with and often do not see on a regular basis. The simple fact is that children need both of their parents in the household to build a close relationship with and to teach them to respect the parents authority. True, not all children from two parent households have close relationships with their parents, but it is much more likely. Gender also plays an important role in families. Men and women have very different characteristics, both emotionally and physically. These different characteristics contribute to their roles as mothers and fathers (Curtin et al. 369). For instance, men are normally much stronger physically than women, and are therefore able to do many things around the house that a woman can not. Women are much more likely to do the everyday household chores while the man does the heavy duty work. Women usually tend more to the children when they need things than do the men, and also help them more with emotional type problems (Curtin et al. 369). So it is easy to see why having both parents in the household makes a much more well-rounded family atmosphere. When both parents are not in the household children after experience a great deal of stress from different aspects of their lives. This stress often comes from children who are forced into independence and self-reliance before they are mature enough to cope ("Children" 58). Many single parents leave their children at home or send them to low quality day cares centers while they are at work, causing stress on the children ("Children" 60). Yes, two parent families often leave their children at home or send them to low quality day cares, but studies show that it is ten times more likely to happen in single parent families ("Children" 59). Another time which brings a great deal of stress to single parent homes is the holidays. The holidays are a time when families should be together. Single parents may not be able to provide this for their children ("Holidays" 3). Another problem that arises during the holidays is that of gift competition between the parents ("Holidays" 3). The problem with the parents competing over who gets the best gift is the fact that the children often feel as if the parents want to but their love instead of earning it by showing them love. Children of single parent homes also face stress by always worrying about everything that is going on in their lives. According to Richard Kinsey single parent children worried more about school, family, future, finding work, crime, and their environment by a large margin (16). However, the biggest worry of these children was about their own personal loves and what was going to happen to them as they grew up (Kinsey 16). Richard Kinsey also did a survey on crimes committed by children in both two parent homes and single parent homes. He found that children in two parent homes self-reported committing crimes at a rate of 59%, but children from single parent homes self-reported committing crimes at a rate of 74% (16). This survey gives a strong emphasis of how important the respect of authority if for children. It also showed how children form single parent homes are more likely to commit crimes than the children from two parent homes. Single parent homes not only reflect or cause stress upon children, but also upon the parent. Single mothers especially feel stress when a father figure is not present (Allen et al. 390). According to the survey done by Katherine Allen and Peggy Quinn, seventy percent of the single mothers reported that they always worried about money (390). Not only was money a big issue, but also time and energy (392). These single mothers are put under pressure from about every aspect of their lives, and without a husband there to help raise a family, pay the bills, and to show them love, the single mother must nearly feel hopeless. Another big stress for single mothers is the fact that now they have the responsibility of two parents (Allen et al. 392). One woman describes how she felt: "And on the weekends then, mow the yard, and clean the house, and wash the clothes. When you get done doing that, its Monday all over again" (Allen et al. 392). Most parents form two parent homes realize the responsibility they have and the stress that they face with a spouse there to support them, but just imagine that spouse not being there to help support and help with the responsibilities of the family and that is exactly what it is like to be a single parent. Now we have seen the pressures that single mothers face, but what about single fathers because there are many of them in the world today. One example can be found in the article " A Singular Experience," by Brad Andrews. Andrews himself is a single father and he discusses the overwhelming responsibilities of being a single father (8). He now has to do all of the household chores and take care of the children all by himself. He can no longer play catch with his son after dinner because now he has to do the dishes (8). These single parent situations create unstability and do not provide a positive environment for children to grow up in. Both a father and a mother are needed to create a stable environment and a positive place fro children to live. Another example is the article "Single Fathers With Custody" by Alfred DeMaris and Geoffrey Grief. DeMaris and Grief explain the fact that single fathers experience the same worries and overwhelming responsibilities that single mothers do. Fathers face financial worries, pressures from work, and pressure of time for himself and his children (DeMaris et al. 260). The simple fact is that being a single parent is a very difficult task, whether it is a single father or a single mother. A family consist of a father and a mother with their children, not just one parent. Single parent homes create a lot of stress and worries on the parent as well as the children, and the stress and worries are not needed by either. Afterall, it takes two to make a child, it should take two to raise a child. le to show the same emotions as married couples can, because the love between a mother and a father plays an important ‰! { , ? A V X L k Å ÷ ?  Ÿ P d á \ [- yyppppdddddddd à à [- ?- ‡! ‰! ss à ‰! D [- ‰! E F Times New Roman Z ö X Ú(c)? Ÿ ^ g >¯ ?Ï à¡± á ; ?ÿ ?ÿÿÿ ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ C o m p O b j ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ E ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Two Wrongs Dont Make A Right .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ David Todd Eng. 102 Arnett Essay #5 Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right? The question of whether capital punishment is right or wrong is a truly tough choice to make. Capital punishment (death penalty) is legal because the government of the United States of America says that it is all right to execute another human being if their crimes are not punishable by other means. There are many different forms of capital punishment. Some of the most popular ones have been hanging, firing squad, electrocution (the chair), the gas chamber, and the newest lethal injection. In the readings of George Orwell, Edward I. Koch, and Jacob Weisberg, there are incites to capital punishment that are not usually thought of or expressed aloud. Also in the movie "Dead Man Walking," the act of lethal injection, a form of capital punishment, is presented and made visual for one's eyes. Both the readings and the movie hit on emotions that some people have never thought about feeling. With the many people in the world there are many different feelings on capital punishment. Upon reading George Orwell's "A Hanging," the reader can obviously see that the writer is against capital punishment. Orwell brings out many of the points that are considered for argument against the death penalty. Orwell writes "It is curious; but till that moment I had never realized what it means to destroy a healthy, conscious man. When I saw the prisoner step aside to avoid the puddle, I saw the mystery, the unspeakable wrongness, of cutting a life short when it is in full tide. This man was not dying, he was alive just as we are alive." In this quote Orwell brings out the emotion of knowing that what is being executed may seem like a monster, but the fact remains that the prisoner is still a human being. Orwell also brings out the point that when we were a society that conducted hangings, the executioner would put a bag over the prisoners head. This was basically to make it so we didn't have to watch the facial expressions of the dying because it would make society feel guilty. Another writer against capital punishment is Jacob Weisberg. In Weisburg's "This Is Your Death," the reader must take into account that most of the public is immune to seeing violence on the TV and that broadcasting executions live would just be another form of entertainment. Weisberg writes also about the inhumane and cruel death penalties we have devised to kill criminals. Weisberg tells of the pain and suffering of the prisoners that goes on during an execution. Even if one was watching, one may not always be able to see what is really going on. Weisberg goes into a deep explanation of the many death penalties. Upon reading, one may be shocked as to what really goes on in an execution. For example, the gas chamber kills people by hypoxia. Hypoxia means "the cut-off of oxygen to the brain." One can't understand the pain they are feeling unless one has suffered a heart attack which has many of the same sensations. Weisberg explains that "all methods of execution can be botched." If an execution were to be botched, then that would only mean more pain and suffering for the one being executed. Weisberg states that "electrocutions go wrong frequently and dramatically." An example is while a prisoner was being electrocuted, the voltage had been lowered to 100 volts because of a synthetic sponge. At a 100 volts one's body is simply tortured until death. This might seem to come under cruel punishments. Another opinion on capital punishment is conveyed by Edward I. Koch. In Koch's "Death and Justice," he yields the position of being for capital punishment. He tries to counteract all of the points brought about by the arguments against capital punishment. Koch says "it's not the method that really troubles opponents. It's the death itself they consider barbaric." He relates the barbaric act of the death penalty to radical surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy in attempts to cure cancer. This is a pretty far stretch. Koch also is the first to bring out the fact that the Bible says it is wrong to kill another human being. Koch disproves this by telling the reader that the Torah says the death may be used as a punishment. There are many different religions so the topic of religion is a hard one to use as an argument for or against capital punishment. Another opinion on capital punishment is the neutral position. This position is covered in the movie "Dead Man Walking." The director helps you to visualize both sides of the argument without telling you which one to choose. The movie fairly and accurately depicts both the emotions of the victims family members who are for the death penalty and also the feeling of the criminal and his family. This is good because it leaves the observer still in question of what the right choice is if they didn't have an already formed opinion. In today's society no one can tell you how you feel. This is a touchy subject and people will try to influence others, but it all comes back to the person making the decision for themselves. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Underachievers.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Underachievers This paper adresses the issue of how a negative self concept can effect achievement of gifted students. it specifically focuses on the effect of acedemic achievement, discusses what it means to be both an underachiever and have a negative self concept, how to identify these students and what family and teachers can do about this. PAPER Many academically gifted children underachieve in school classrooms as a result of the fact that they do not know how to achieve higher a or they feel they cannot achieve a task that they are expected to be able to but find it too difficult. Underachievement is a pervasive problem which results in a tremendous waste of human potential among our most able students. In fact, in 1972 the U.S. Commissioner of Education estimated that 17.6% of gifted ( both academically and non-academically) students drop out of high school, and that percentage is probably even higher today. (Schnieder, 1997) and to add a New Zealand perspective, Moltzen (in McAlpine and Moltzen, 1996) suggest that 10-20% of students who do not graduate are gifted. These students hold a negative self concept of themselves as they have not received the support necessary to be able to work and achieve at their own level. There are many different contributing factors to the establishing of self concepts and how they effect gifted children. . This paper addresses how gifted children form negative self concepts of themselves and how can effect their achievement in an academic school setting. First it is necessary to provide the background knowledge and the definitions on areas that are to be discussed. For the purpose of this paper the definition of self concept is a persons view of self, in relation to their perception of feed back from others. This view occurs in both academic and non-academic areas. (Fox, 1993 in Rawlinson, 1996) To specifically focus on the academic area of self concepts which is being addressed in this paper , an academic self concept is a relatively stable set of attitudes and feelings reflecting self evaluation of ones ability to successfully perform basic school related tasks such as reading, writing, spelling and maths. (Boersma & Chapman,1992 in Rawlinson, 1996) Self concepts tend to be domain specific, meaning that pupils have different self concepts towards different areas of the curriculum (Schunk,1990) but to avoid complications throughout this paper all academic subjects will all be inclusive with each other. The definition of underchievement is not as straight forward as that of self concept as many people have different ideas on what it means to underachieve. Wellington and Wellington (1965) suggest that under achievers have a low level of aspiration. In its simplest form it can be defined as a unfulfilled potential (Moltzen in McAlpine and Moltzen, 1996) but neither of these definitions provide much capture the essence of underachievement in gifted children as they do not provide enough detail as to the difference between what they are achieving and what they could achieve. The definition of the purpose of this assignment is provided by Davis and Rimm( 1994 in Moltzen, 1996) who define underachievment as a discrepancy between the childs school performance and some index of his or her actual ability such as intelligence, achievement, or creativity score or observational data. Because a gifted student underachieves it does not mean that they are failing in the school system. Gifted students are generally capable of performing at least two levels ahead of their age peers. If they are not identified as being gifted, they are seldom challenged to perform in accord with their potential. In fact, these capable students may be considered underachievers even when they get "good" grades.( Schneider, 1997) All children are natural learners and begin life with a drive to acquire knowledge, understand it and make use of it according to their abilities. Children do not begin school with the intention of seeking failure or frustrating their teachers. (Schnieder, 1997) And gifted children definitely do not go out to seek failure. How pupils use this newly found information that they have learnt and how teachers react to how they use this information or how well they achieve, contributes to the forming of self concepts. An individuals self concept is formed as a result of interactions and experiences with others and is learned and acquired over time. (Rawlinson, 1996) In reinforcement to the idea that self concepts are learned, Scheirer & Kraut (1979) suggest with specific reference to academia that a self concept is a product of interactive outcomes with ones academic environment with an emphasis on accumulated pattern of competence in conceptualisation of self and on social environment for changing behaviour. It is important to acknowledge that as self concept is learnt it can be changed. School children receive many opportunities to evaluate their skills and abilities and this evaluative information contributes to the formation and modification of their self concepts.(Schnuck, 1990) Gifted children can obtain a negative self concept by being exposed to people who either are not informed about their abilities therefore the child does not know what they are capable of or people who are not supportive in fostering their abilities. But despite the fact that they may not be totally aware of their gifts they are still gifted and the intensity with which many gifted children approach life increases their vulnerability to criticism and consequently enhances fearfulness. Dismissive, or, judgemental responses from adults simply confirm their belief in their own inadequacy whilst achievement based teacher and parent expectations determine a child's worth as 'conditional. (Eckhaus, 1997) As the formation of self concept is learned through the childs environment, both at home and at school, the people who have the biggest effect on the children are teachers and parents. Causes of underachievement due to negative self concept that has come from the home, are parents who have not acknowledged their children's abilities or are unsupportive of their talents. If they have acknowledged their abilities, they can have unrealistic, unobtainable expectations of their children. The classroom is one of the major challenges in pupils lives so the feed back that teachers give them will shape their whole perception of themselves. Within the school environment the classroom can provided a gifted child lack of respect, a strongly competitive environment and inflexibility and rigidity, exaggerated attention to errors and failures, and unrewarding curriculum. It can also be simply the lack of knowledge that the teacher has about the identification of gifted children therefore the teacher does not expect that the child can do better. (Moltzen in McAlpine & Moltzen, 1996) Teachers always from expectations about their students and it always involves aspects of intellectual achievement. Teachers mainly form expectations from the students past performance which is usually less biased and the most appropriate information available. (Stipek,1993) but if these children have not been identified as gifted previously then the expectations that are formed at the beginning of the school year may not be as high as what they should be. Teachers can communicate these expectations through various kinds of interaction with the pupils such as verbal and written comments on work.(Good and Brophy,1987) This reinforces to the gifted child where their abilities lie so they know that they only have to achieve to the level that the teacher expects of them. As to avoid this occurring it is necessary to discuss how teachers can identify underachievement in an academic situation. Identification of the underachieving child is going to be very much up to the classroom teacher but parents should also be considered an important source of information.(Moltzen in McAlpine and Moltzen, 1996) Identification of underachieving gifted children can be very difficult Moltzen (in McAlpine and Moltzen, 1996) suggest that testing is the most effective means of obtaining an accurate picture of the ability of an underachieving gifted child as if a child scores higher in a test than what is expected is quite significant. Providing students with access to programmes, activities and experiences that they would not normally be considered for can sometimes demonstrate a previously unnoticed ability. Also, self concept is often shown in their attitudes toward learning .Pupils who are confident of their learning abilities and feel a sense of self worth display greater interest and motivation in school which enhances achievement. Higher achievement, in turn, validates ones self confidence for learning and maintains a high sense of self esteem. (Schnuck, 1990) All children like to feel success, it makes them feel good about themselves especially when they achieve a challenge which is really what gifted children need. They also need to be taught the strategies so that they can achieve a challenge at their level also. Problem behaviours of gifted underachievers are often efforts to cope with an environment which isn't meeting their needs. (Schnieder, 1997) Ideally all human beings need enough success so that they see themselves and their possibilities as within the successful range. ( Wellington & Wellington, 1965) Teachers need to not only know how to identify an underachieving child with difficulties in their own self concept but what can be done about it. As a negative self concept is learned it is then important to acknowledge that it can be changed. There are many strategies that can be use inside and outside the classroom to help gifted children achieve academically in the classroom and overcome negative self concepts. Much research shows that pupils benefit from instruction on strategies. Strategies enhance achievement and provide pupils with a higher self concept. (Schnuck, 1990) Gifted children benefit mostly from meteacognitive strategies which are strategies that reflect on cognitive processes. (Flavell, 1989) These strategies include such instructions as goal setting, planning and evaluation of their work. In independent work this is so student get a chance to plan what they want to achieve or what they think they can achieve and reflect on the process of doing the task. This helps with gifted students who have either difficulty achieving to what they can achieve and those who are expected to achieve but do not know how to get there. It is important for both parents and teachers to change their expectations of the students as the student makes process. This can help with students changing their own self concepts. and the reinforcing behaviours of their underachievment should be changed also. (Moltzen in McAlpine and Moltzen, 1996) Moltzen (1996) also suggests that it could be helpful to provide a role model for the particular students. Davis and Rimm (in Moltzen, 1996) suggest that all other treatments for underachievemnt dim in importance with strong identification with an achieving model. The most important point to conclude from this paper is that children need the support from both home and school so that they can build a healthy self concept and achieve at their own level. Teachers need to develop skills to identify when a gifted child is underachieving but acknowledge that this is not always easy. This is all necessary when trying to reduce the high percentage of gifted students in New Zealand not graduating. REFERENCES Flavell, J.H (1989) Speculations about the nature and development of metacognition. In F.E Weinert and R.H Kluwe (eds.), Metacognition, motivation and understanding Hillsdale, N.J: Erlbaum Good, T.L (1987) Two decades of research on teacher expectaions: Findings and future directions. Journal of Teacher Education 38(4), pp32-47. Moltzen, R (1996) Underachievement. In D. McAlpine and R.Moltzen (eds.), Gifted and talented: New Zealand perspective. Palmerston North: ERDC Press Rawlinson, C (1996) Self concept, self efficacy, and programme enrichment. In D. McAlpine and R. Moltzen (eds.), Gifted and talented: New Zealand perspective. Palmerston North: ERDC Press Scheire, M & Kraut, R.E (1979) Increasing educational achievement via self concept change. Review of Educational Research Winter Vol. 49 pp131-150 Schunk, D.H (1990) Self concept and school achievement. In C.Rogers and P. Kutnick (eds.), The social psychology of the primary school London: Routledge. Stipek, D.J (1993) Motivation to learn: From theory to practice (2nd ed.) Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Wellington, C.B & Wellington, J (1965) The underachiever: Challenges and Guidelines. Chicago: Rand McNally and company. Word Count: 2011 f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\University Costs.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ University Costs How have university costs changed over the years? University costs have been steadily increasing throughout the last ten years as more and more students apply. However, foreign students feel the brunt of the hikes as they pay around the area of three times as much as in country students. What are some of the costs when going away to university? Costs that you are expected to cover when going away for university are listed below. 1) Tuition - this is the main expenditure when going away to university. Tuition cost run from about 2,000 - 4,000 dollars a year. 2) Books and supplies - this cost runs up at about 500 - 800 dollars per year for books. Average supplies range from about 100 - 200 dollars. 3) Transportation - when a student is away at university, the problem of getting to and from school arises. More than likely, this problem can be solved through public transportation such as, bus, subway, or shuttle train. The average cost for a years pass on one of these transportation systems is about 200 - 300 dollars. The other available option is to own a vehicle. The downside is gas drains the cash flow and student parking can be quite expensive at some universities. 4) Housing - a student who attends university away from home must find a place to eat, sleep and , of course, study. There are about three main options in this field of discussion. The first is dorm housing. The costs of sharing a dorm ranges from about 250 - 400 dollars per month. The second available option is to rent an apartment. A nice affordable apartment ranges from about 300 - 500 dollars a month. This type of apartments usually contains features such as a stove and a fridge. The final option is to board at a house. This is clearly the most affordable situation. Most meals are home cooked, you are equipped with a washer and dryer. The atmosphere of home is also a plus for first-time students who might feel homesick. The price to board ranges from around 200 - 400 dollars a month depending on how close you are to the campus. 5) Miscellaneous - costs that are included under the miscellaneous section are food, clothes, and personal expenditures. The average cost yearly for miscellaneous expenses can run from about 500 - 1000 dollars a year. What is an average cost for going away to university? The average cost to attend university for a year is from about 10,000 - 15,000 dollars a year. If, however, you are planning on attending an overseas university you could look at paying two or three times as much. In conclusion, although university costs are rising it is not necessarily a bad sign. One of the reasons the costs are skyrocketing is that more and more people are applying to university. But, if you are thinking of a post-secondary education, you better start saving. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\untitled.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I. BACKGROUND The location was a moderate to large size city near the east coast of Massachusetts. The city has a mix of all races and is diverse in its racial distribution. It is a city where most of the people are middle class working folks. While it is a moderate size city, it has few city problems such as homelessness, poverty and violence. The year was 1992 and it was the summertime. It was very hot and humid at about 11:30 at night and I was in a car driving around looking for something to do. It was a boring Tuesday night so I decided to go to a big video arcade hangout called Funworld. There is a number of video games as well as young people. The establishment is a large building with a large parking lot. I was with three other people in the parking lot when we were approached by a group of three other gentlemen. I myself am a caucasian male under 21 years of age. Two of the people I was with were upperclass caucasian males also under the age of 21. The last person was also under 21 and male, but he was African-American. One of the caucasians was a close friend and another was an acquaintance. The African-American was also a friend of mine. Of the three gentlemen that approached us, two were hispanic males that appeared to be over 21 and the other was a caucasian male that appeared over 21, although I couldn't be sure. Although I didn't want to make any judgements about them, they looked as if they were poorly dressed and over 21. So I deduced that they were in a gang or they were drug dealers, high school dropouts, etc.;. II.ACTION At first it appeared as if both groups would just pass by each other unnoticed but the caucasian male in the other group made a racist remark about my African-American friend. He said "Look at those dumb dudes walking with that fucking spade". My African-American Dave turned around suddenly and said "What the fuck did you say?" The caucasian male retorted "None of your fucking business dick!" At this point both groups approached each other and then my friend Dave said "You wanna go", in response the other kid said "Let's go!" and shoved him in the chest. The other two of the caucasian male's friends jumped on top of Dave and then we all kind of got into a fight. We were mostly just pushing and shoving each other at first. After about a minute of pushing, two of the guys jumped on Dave and one jumped on my friend Chris. When I was looking at this I noticed that Chris, who is well-built, and the hispanic were mostly wrestling, but Dave was really getting hit. My first instinct was to help Dave, of course, because he was getting killed and Chris was okay. To my surprise however, my friend Dan helped Chris. I immediately jumped in to help Dave even though I was equally good friends with Chris and Dave. Dave was getting hit the hardest and needed help bad. I pulled one of the guys off Dave and then pulled the other off. By this time Chris and Dan had easily overpowered the hispanic kid, and when the three kids saw it was four against three, they just ran off when they saw that there was more of us than of them. I helped Dave off the ground, and saw that he had a bloody nose, but he seemed okay when I asked. Chris and Dan were fine and didn't show any ill effects at all. When I saw the hispanic people and the way that they were dressed I started wondering if they were going to start any trouble. My attitude toward was possibly prejudiced, but under the circumstances, at night with the clothing that was being worn, I think (obviously correctly), that I was right in the conclusion that they were out to cause trouble. I was taught no to the prejudiced, but in this situation I'm wondering if what I did was considered prejudiced because I was correct in my first assumption of them. The problem is that though the actual instigator seemed to be that caucasian male from the other group, and not the hispanics. I feel a bit puzzled as to how my thinking and value or belief system could be construed in that situation. I believed that they would cause problems and they did cause problems; but was it the wrong thing to believe? I don't know III. REFLECTION Looking back at the event I keep thinking about why Dan went over to help Chris who was doing fine, instead of helping Dave who was getting killed. Dan is not friends with either of the two but merely acquaintances with both of them. It may not be right but I keep thinking. that there was a little racial motivation in the fact that Dan went to help Chris and not Dave. Why else would he have helped Chris instead of Dave. I also noticed that he wasn't too sympathetic to Dave's feelings and didn't rush over to see how he was doing, or if he was hurt At first these thoughts didn't really enter my mind, but the next day when I looked back on it and examined what had transpired, I started thinking that perhaps there were some hidden racial overtones in how Dan acted. Although he didn't say anything or act offensively to Dave, perhaps not being either of the two, I was able to notice their actions and how Dan was acting towards Dave. I was feeling confused and hurt at the game time. I was feeling confused because I didn't know why one of my friends would act this way. If one of my friends did act this way then I was hurt both because of the gap between my values and his as well as feeling confused as to when he started acting this way, or if he had always been racist and I just didn't notice. I was starting to wonder if I knew my friends as well as I though or if perhaps we have drifted in different directions in values and beliefs. I don't know what role my thoughts and feelings played in the altercation between the two groups other than the fact that I thought of helping my friends. I also felt a great amount of hatred towards the hispanic race. Looking back I know that was wrong but at the time when my friends and I were in a fight with them I hated them so much I wanted to kill them. I know I wouldn't have if it came down to it, but because of two people I hated their entire race. I think the fact that I was white and one of my friends was black and another of my friends was white affected the situation largely. Also to a degree the fact that two of the other men were hispanic and the amount of hatred I felt toward them. As for my friend, for a couple of seconds I almost felt ashamed to be white, because someone of my own race was being prejudiced towards my Afro-American friend. Although I don't want to make it seem as if I am ashamed to be white, at the time I felt as if I had to represent my whole race in feeling bad towards what happened to my friend Dave and also how my friend Dan acted. I think a factor that has not been discussed that was prevalent in this case was the fact that the three other gentlemen started the altercation and not us. This made me feel more hostile towards them and the fact that we really had nothing to do with the fight starting, but yet because of the fact that we were three caucasians and an Afro-American was different to them. They didn't like what they saw so they tried to change it by any means possible. I think that Dan was perhaps confused and perhaps upset at the same time. He was struggling internally because two people he knew were involved in a fight and he had to make a choice between the two as to which one to help. On the one hand one person he knew was white and in a fight but he didn't seem like he needed help. On the other hand, Dave who is African American seemed like he needed help in a fight but didn't get any except from me. Chris was thinking that the other three men had no right to do what they did and they would have to pay for their actions as well as their words. I really can't say what the white man was thinking when he said that because I don't know why anyone would do something like that. As for the other two, I know that they felt the same and got more than they bargained for when we got in a fight. I think that the different social groups here create an obvious issue. The fact that a white and two hispanics were fighting against an African American and two whites shows that the race was the key factor. This fight alone was a melting pot of individuals. I think in my mind that the fat that Dan was white affected his decisions, not in a big way, but in some sort of way. I don't really know about the other three, but as for Chris and I, race affected us in terms of white and hispanic because that's who we were mad at the most. I don't know why this would be the case, but it just was. I believe that African-American viewing this would have felt the most strongly. The event they would have sen unfolding in front of them would have hurt a lot. They would have jumped in to help not only my friend Dave but also all of us because we were all trying to fight for the same thing out there. African-American's also would have been puzzled as to why one white man would help out a black man but not two. The way events unfolded would have made them think twice. In an odd way I feel another thing that would have made people jump in to help was the fact that a caucasian and an African-American were fighting for each other . As much as we hate to admit it that is not a scene we see nearly enough of in this day and age. Something has got to be done about it immediately (I think I got all of it cut over) f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Uranium.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Uranium. Uranium was discovered in the 1700's in the coal mines of bohemia and Jachlovikna. Uranium's atomic number is 92, its Symbol is U and the atomic mass of uranium is 238.0289. Miners called it Pechblende meaning, Pechblende, from the German words pech, which means either pitch or bad luck, and blende, meaning mineral Uranium's first full analysis was done on 1789 by Martin Klaproth, a self-taught well educated german chemist. Klaproth, having extracted from pitchblende what he called 'a strange kind of half metal' (he had only isolated its oxide), he resisted the temptation to give his own name to the new element, which was quite customary at the time. William Herschel gave uranium its name from the last planet founded in are solar system at the time, he named it Uran, which in its final form became uranium, a name which today is known worldwide while klaproth's own fame has faded. Uranium is as dense as gold. Uranium, was first prepared with some difficulty, in 1841 by the french chemist Eugène Peligot, using thermal reaction of tetrachloride with potassium. Later in 1870, an important fact was established: uranium is the last and heaviest element present on earth. This was demonstrated by Dimitri Mendeleev in his famous perodical classification of the elements by chemical properties and increasing atomic mass. Experimentation with uranium lead to many discoversies such as the X-ray by Wilhelm Röntgen, on November 8, 1895. Wilhelm Röntgen, was awarded the first Nobel prize in 1901 for the development of the X-ray. Uranium is weakly radioactive, decaying slowly but inexorably at the rate of one milligram per tonne per year. It is transformed into inactive lead through a chain of radioelements or daughters, each of which has a characteristic disintegration rate, a constant of nature that man has never been able to alter. The proportion of each radioelement in the ore is inversely proportional to its rate of disintegration. Radium is the fifth radioactive descendant in the chain from uranium to lead, its daughter is the gas radon, and polonium is the last radioelement before lead. The discovery of Uranium changed the world as we knew it, from its physical and chemical properties we came about the X-ray, following down the line, chemists and scientists used Uranium to make weapons of mass destruction, (i.e the Atom bomb). -- Refrence's 1. Comptons Online Encyclopedia 2. Websters Dictionary 3. Merill, Physical Science book f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Using Music to Express Yourself.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Danielle H. Miller Art/Music Topic: Using Music to Express Yourself Ages: 4-5 Text/Materials Used: -Two white king sized sheets -Tempura Paint (eight different colors) -Soap -Water -Disney CD -Paint Pans -Dish Tubs filled with soapy water (eight) Behavioral Objectives: In this lesson, students ages four and five will express their feelings towards certain musical pieces by dancing, with paint on their feet, on a white sheet. The students will have colored paint on their feet to record heavy footsteps in accord to loud music and tip toe in accord to soft music. Because of having his/her own individual paint color, the creation will allow the students to distinguish their own feet as well as test their recognition of the pattern of footsteps matching up with certain songs. Students may also achieve satisfactory aggression release by participating in this activity. Procedures: First of all I need to set up. There will be eight paint tins filled with eight different colors of paint and a little bit of soap and water added (to make it easier to clean off of feet) - one for each child. There will also be eight Dish Tubs filled with soapy water to allow the children to wash their feet off in after they are finished with the paints. I will put a Disney CD in the CD player (music most children will recognize) and let it play while the children start to come in for the day so they will become familiar with the songs. I will then talk about loud and soft music and ways to express it (show tip toeing and jumping as it pertains). I will explain that we are going to paint with our feet so that they can really see the difference between tip toeing and jumping. The children will then put their smocks on and wait for their paint. The students will step in their paint and I will put the CD back on and play two songs - one soft, one loud. The students will then be told to act out what I just told them about - when a quiet song comes on they can tip toe and when it becomes loud the can jump up and down. Students will be allowed to put more paint on their feet if they "run low." The art/music dancing will last around ten minutes or longer depending how interested they stay in the project. We will then step into the Dish Tubs of water and wash our feet off. From there we will let the sheets dry and come back to it after lunch. When we are back we will look at the sheet and look at all of the individual footprints...we will discuss who was tip toeing and what song the steps went to and if it was loud or soft. I will also ask if it was a fun project and if they would like to do it again sometime. Evaluation: The students are already able to distinguish between loud and soft and know how to control themselves with paint. I believe that as long as everyone controls themselves and seem to stay focused for ten minutes of jumping then the lesson was good. We are not focused on making students get the point in one day, we want to introduce ideas and come back every now and then to enhance what we introduced. We also like to promote aggression release through activities rather than giving and opportunity to allow fighting. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Violence in Society.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ It gained through violent behavior is only temporary and it lasts until the time of revenge comes around. Violence was glorified hundreds of years ago. Back then it was a form of a pure entertainment. We know how among ancient Romans, gladiators (usually slaves or captives trained for the purpose),fought with swords or other weapons at public "shows". The more harm the gladiators inflicted the bigger hero he was, and the more respect he gained. All the crimes they committed were condoned, accepted and glorified. Today it seems like instead of gladiators we have boxers. Is boxing just a sport, or another way of violent behavior, that is not only accepted by society but also in many ways glorified? Do we glorify boxing (most of the time bloody shows) because it is entertaining, or maybe because it is a multi-milion dollar business? The scenery of boxing is broken bones, black and blue faces, blood...The more severe the fight the more exited and happy the audience seems to be. Violence simply stimulates people. Big glory comes when one passes out! YES...here is the hero! What is the message here? It is, we will like you more since you are physically stronger, and we will respect you because we are afraid of you. That is again, a wrong message. Violence is glorified the most throught media, violent movies, TV shows and newspaper sensationalism. THERE SEEMES TO BE A NEED FOR VIOLNCE IN SOCIETY! Violent movies are born one after another: ³Die Hard²,³The God Father², ³Natural Born Killers², ³The Proffesinal², ³Pulp Fiction²," Terminator 2", etc.When these kinds of movies come out, there are lines for tickets. In some countries people have to stay in lines to buy food. Violence can not be the way to survive in this society! People are not only glorifing violence by watching violent movies, but they are also accepting it asking producers for more of them. Wrong messages are send not only through movie theatre screens, but also through music. We as society accept all harsh, and brutal words used in songs. Our chidren's ispirations come from groups like Method Man ,and songs like: ³Bring the pain². The message is again very clear and wrong! There are many shows on TV that glorifiy violent behavior, for instance ³Cops On Locations² . WE can watch police officers in real life action. Those who supposely protect citizens slam offenders against the walls, beat them up , abuse them physically (and emotionaly in many cases).There is deffenetly something wrong with that picture. Althought we see it on TV, nobody says anything about it. Most of the time we accept it because it is police; some ³higher power². There is no logic here! Police; representatives of the law; are alowed to comite crime...? Society simply gives them a permit to do it by accepting it. WE HAVE TO ask for justice or otherwise we will create another wrong message. Finally, we have ³everyday ² violence. We see it on the streets: roberies, shootings, fights, etc. Most of the time when it happens people do not react! Crime against another human being HAS to bring some reaction! ...Today it could be just a stranger, getting shot on that bus, but tomorrow it could be your brother! So do not pass by or hide! When you hear your neighboors kids screaming for help; help them! Do not just go to sleep, do not send another wrong message! No matter way violence occurs in society it can not be condoned, accepted nor glorified. It appears that violent individuals are looking for: some form of power, subordination from others, obedience. Violent people want others to fear and respect them. Power and respect should not come from fear. The human race has accomplished so much in the course of it's history. Today's society can not ruin it all. The best way is to start with our children. We know what happens after kids watch ³X-MEN², or ³Power Rangers², etc., they respond very quicly. Next thing we see is that they try in school or in playground what they saw on TV. Society needs to take our future in its own hands. We have to teach our children right from wrong. There is no way to stop violence if we will condone it, accepted it, and glorify it in ANY CONTEXT. That is how violence increases, by letting it happen! f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Volcanos.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Volcano This paper will define and discuss the volcano to include: types of volcanoes, formation of a volcano, and elements of a volcano; such as, lava, rock fragments, and gas. This paper also tells a little bit about volcanic activity in different parts of the world. What is a volcano? A volcano is a vent in the earth from which molten rock and gas erupt. The molten rock that erupts from the volcano forms a hill or mountain around the vent. The lava may flow out as a viscous liquid or it may explode from the vent as solid or liquid particles. Kinds of Volcanic Materials Three basic materials that may erupt from a volcano are; 1. lava, 2. rock fragments, and 3. gas. Lava Lava is the name for magma that has been released onto the Earth's surface. When lava comes to the Earth's surface, it is red hot and may have temperatures of more than 2012 degrees Fahrenheit. Fluid lava flows swiftly down a volcano's slopes. Sticky lava flows more slowly. As the lava cools, it may harden into many different formations. Highly fluid lava hardens into smooth, folded sheets of rock called pahoehoe. Stickier lava cools into rough, jagged sheets of rock called aa. Pahoehoe and aa cover large areas of Hawaii, where the terms originated. The stickiest lava forms flows of boulders and rubble called block flows. It may also form mounds of lava called domes. Other lava formations are spatter cones and lava tubes. Spatter cones are steep hills that can get up to 100 feet high. They build up from the spatter of geyser-like eruptions of thick lava. Lava tubes are tunnels formed from fluid lava. As the lava flows, its exterior covering cools and hardens. But the lava below continues to flow. After the flowing lava drains away, it leaves a tunnel. Rock Fragments Rock fragment are usually called tephra and are formed from sticky magma. This magma is so sticky that its gas can not easily escape when the magma approaches the surface or central vent. Finally, the trapped gas builds up so much pressure that it blasts the magma into fragments. Tephra consists of volcanic dust, volcanic ash, and volcanic bombs, (from smallest to largest size particle). Volcanic dust consists of particles less than one one-hundredth inch in diameter. Volcanic dust can be carried for great distances. In 1883, the eruption of Krakatau in Indonesia shot dust 17 miles into the air. The dust was carried around the Earth several times and produced brilliant red sunsets in many parts of the world. Some scientists assume large quantities of volcanic dust can affect the climate by reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth. Volcanic ash is made up of fragments less than one fifth inch in diameter. Nearly all volcanic ash falls to the surface and becomes welded together as rock called volcanic tuff. Sometimes, volcanic ash combines with water in a stream and forms a boiling mudflow. Mudflows may speeds up to 60 miles per hour and can be remarkably shattering. Volcanic bombs are large fragments. Most of them range from the size of a baseball to the size of a basketball. The largest bombs can measure up to more than four feet across and weigh up to 100 short tons. Small volcanic bombs are generally called cinders. Gas Gas pours out of volcanoes in large quantities during almost all eruptions. The gas is made up particularly of steam, but may also include carbon dioxide, nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, and other gases. Most of the steam comes from a volcano's magma, but some steam may also be produced when rising magma heats water in the ground. Volcanic gas carries a large sum of volcanic dust. This alliance of gas and dust looks like black smoke Types of Volcanoes The magmas that are the most liquefied erupt quietly and flow from the vent to form sloping shield volcanoes, a name that is conceived because they look like the shields of ancient German warriors. The lava that flows from shield volcanoes is usually only one to ten meters thick, but the lava may extend for great distances away from the vent. The volcanoes of Hawaii and Iceland are typical shield volcanoes. Magma with high gas contents and high viscosities are usually more explosive than the lava that flows from shield volcanoes. This gas-rich lava in many occurrences is blown very high into the air during an eruption. The magma falls as volcanic bombs, which accumulate around the vent and form steep-sided but relatively small cinder cones. volcanic bombs range in size from fine-grained ash to house-size blocks. Cinder cones most commonly consist of volcanic fragments any where from ash to small- pebble size which is less than three centimeters in diameter. Most of the tallest volcanoes are composite volcanoes, which are also called stratovolcanoes. These form a cycle of quiet eruptions of fluid lava followed by explosive eruptions of viscous lava. The fluid lava creates an erosion resistant shell over the explosive debris, which forms, strong, steep-sided volcanic cones. In the past, giant eruptions of extremely fluent basaltic lava from extensive systems of fissures in the Earth have occurred. These series of eruptions formed large plateaus of basaltic lava. In India, the Deccan basalts cover 260,000 square kilometers, and in Oregon and Washington the Columbia Plateau basalts cover approximately 130,000 square kilometers. No eruptions of this extent have ever been observed during historical times. Even more voluminous accumulations of basaltic lava, nevertheless, are currently being formed at the mid-ocean ridges. How a volcano is formed The Beginning A volcano begins as lava inside the Earth. This lava is created from extreme temperatures in the Earth's interior. Most magma forms 50 to 100 miles beneath the Earth's surface. Some magma develops at depths of 15 to 30 miles below the Earth's surface. The magma, which is now filled with gas from combining with the other rock inside the Earth, progressively rises toward the Earth's surface because it is less dense than the solid rock around it. As the magma rises, it melts gaps in the surrounding rock and forms a large room as close as two miles to the surface. The magma room that is formed is the reservoir from which volcanic materials erupt. The Eruption The gas-filled lava in the reservoir is now under great pressure from the weight of the solid rock around it. the pressure causes the gas to blast or melt a channel in a fractured or weakened part of the rock. The magma now moves through the channel to the surface. When the magma gets near the surface, the gas in the magma is released. The gas and magma blast out an opening called the central vent. Most of the lava and other volcanic materials then erupt through this vent. The materials gradually pile up around the vent, and form a volcanic mountain, or a volcano. After the eruption stops, a bowllike crater usually forms at the top of the volcano. The vent lies at the bottom of the crater. Once a volcano has formed, not all the lava from later eruptions reaches the surface through the central vent. As the magma rises, some of it may break through the channel wall and branch out into smaller channels in the rock. The magma in these channels may escape through a vent made in the side of the volcano, or it may rest below the surface. Volcanoes are very wondrous and amazing. They are one of the most destructive and one of the most beautiful things on this Earth. They contain gas, lava, and tunnels that go many miles into the Earth. They can form new islands or gigantic mountains. The materials that volcanoes erupt can help scientists understand about the inner Earth. Bibliography Bullard, Fred M. Volcanoes of the Earth. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1962. Decker, Robert and Barbara. Volcanoes. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and company, 1981. Decker, Robert and Barbara. Volcanoes. New York: W.H. Freeman and company, 1981. Macdonald, Gordon A. Volcanoes. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, inc., 1972. "Volcano", The World Book Encyclopedia, 1993, Volume 20, pages 438-440. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Volvo.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ESSAY #4 Volvo the collectable classic In this article it stated that when Volvo was introduced to the states in 1956. The PV444, was the first US bound automobile ever. The car had resembled a smaller version of the 1946 Ford Tutor. The car featured a two piece windshield, small engine, and all of the standard features of a car of it's time. About three years later Volvo came out with a better version of the car, the PV544. That was the car that gave Volvo it's reputation for Swedish Quality. This car featured a one piece windshield, fifteen inch wheels, drum brakes, padded instrument panel. The powerplant was a 1.6 liter push rod four that delivered a smooth 85 horse power. The car ran about $5000-$7000. The car was comfortable cruising at speeds of 60-70mph while getting a nice 29 miles to the gallon. The vehicle traveled from 0 to 60 in a nice thirteen seconds, which was better than the sportier two seater cars. The car had an over all top speed of 93 miles per hour, which was amazing for a 1.6 liter engine. In 1961 the company came out with same car but had some revisions, like a bigger engine the 90hp 1.8 liter. This car had natty trip in new colors which for years it was in contempt. By 1966 the company was only making one model, the PV544. The company didn't have any technical advances in the car which probably kept the car and the company alive. To some the car was a very well build sports car. I know that in this cars day it was an amazing little car that was capable of a lot for a family car. A restorer said that the only way to kill the car is to run it without oil. I believe that, because they are such high quality, crafted cars. Today the cars are very different, they have and they are setting the standard for all cars. They were the first car company to have invented the side impact airbag. The company's reputation is awesome when it comes to safety. They far exceed the safety standards than any other company. There cars are so boxy, but for some reason I'm attracted to them. Maybe it is there unmatched performance or there unique looks, or it is probably there rep. Whatever it is people seem to like it and they have for years. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\What is an education.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ What is an Education? According to the Oxford English Dictionary one of the definitions of the word "education" is: "The systematic instruction, schooling or training given to the young in preparation for the work of life; by extension, similar instruction or training obtained in adult age. Also, the whole course of scholastic instruction which a person has received. Often with limiting words denoting the nature of the predominant subject of the instruction or kind of life it prepares, as classical, legal, medical, technical, commercial, art education." Although this is an accurate description of what an actual education may be, there is a great deal more to the process of becoming educated than the actual instruction and schooling one may receive. If you asked a person in high school or college exactly why he is in school his response would probably have something to do with "getting an education." Is that really why he is there? The next question you may ask is "what are you going to do with your education?" The response would undoubtedly include something about "getting a good job" or perhaps "to make a lot of money." Most of the people in the United States have been brainwashed to think that unless one has at least a high school diploma there is no future anywhere for him. This is completely untrue. There is no guarantee that getting a high school "education" is going to get you anywhere. A student may spend eight years between high school and college getting an "education." He can graduate from college with A's in every class, but still, this "education" means nothing. For example, suppose this "Straight A" student goes for a job interview. Obviously one of the first things to be looked at is the college diploma. Good grades, which by today's standards are an indication of an educated individual, are usually very helpful in getting a good job. But alone, good grades are a completely unfair indication of how a person will perform under the pressures of the real world. Instead of looking at a person's grades during a job interview and deciding whether that person is eligible for a particular position, why not try something realistic? To determine a particular person's "education" why not allow the individual to apply what he knows to his position in the workplace. This is the true test of what an education is. The application of knowledge acquired is a much better determinant of true education than whether or not a person got an A in Wood Shop or World History. A good percentage of people in the United States graduated from high school. A smaller percentage of people graduated from college. Are these graduates educated? Knowing when the Civil War began does not make a person "educated." Where is the real world application of this fact? For someone who is a History major it may prove to be an invaluable nugget of information. For others it will not do them a bit of good anywhere in a lifetime. A high school diploma or a college degree does not necessarily mean that an individual has an understanding of the real world. What it does mean, in fact, is that the holder of the degree or certificate has an understanding of the facts learned in school. Is being able to regurgitate information verbatim considered an education? By the above definition, yes. It will give you a high school diploma. But that does not really help a person in life. There is a lot more to it than that. Take for example a high school English class. Every high school student has learned that when writing a list of things, everything in the list should be separated by a comma. This is true even before the words "or" and "and." Now, take the aforementioned definition of the word "education." You may notice that there is no comma after the word "schooling." This is inconsistent with what is taught in high school. This missing comma, however, is intentional. The definition was copied exactly out of the Dictionary. From what was learned in high school English classes there should be a comma after the word "schooling." Being able to recognize this missing comma is a good example of education; taking what was learned in high school or college and applying it to a real life situation can often prove to be extremely useful. The application of understood knowledge is much more of an education than is the meaningless regurgitation of dates, facts, authors, and other skills. Take another definition provided for "education" in the Oxford English Dictionary: "The process of 'bringing up' (young persons); the manner in which a person has been 'brought up' with reference to social situation, kind of manners and habits acquired, calling or employment prepared for, etc." This definition seems to make more sense. High school and college are not absolutely necessary in becoming educated. The skills acquired while being "brought up" can often prove much more useful in real life than can twenty years of gaining knowledge in a high school or college situation. Education for most people should begin outside of the classroom. What is learned in school should not be considered an education. A better word one should consider is knowledge, or perhaps knowledge of information. Knowledge is gained in school. And knowledge is not an education in itself. Once a person can take his nuggets of information and apply them to everyday things then that person can consider himself educated. Until then, a high school or college education is as good as a book of facts. It is useful if you need to know something but worthless unless the information within is relative to the situation. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Why Are Amercain Afraid of the Dragon.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ EAO 3AO J. Frechette 15th of Febuary 1997 Why Are American Afraid of Dragons? by: Ursula K. Le Guin While reading the article by Ursula K. Le Guin; Why Are Americans Afraid Of Dragons, I couldn't stop myself from agreeing with her beliefs. Everything seemed completely justifiable and correct upon finishing the article. I then slowly started reflecting on some assertions she laid out in her text. I began to realize how she had overlooked some essential factors. My deduction was that she had made a great error in expressing her opinions making them appear as facts. Her mistake was also in only showing her negative opinions of men and their imagination. Men or Americans have no fear of the dragon. Americans just don't have the time for it. Men generally feel the obligation and the responsibility of taking care of the family's financial needs. A good man is preoccupied with his wife, his children, his work, his colleagues etc... So which form of entertainment should he choose for his busy day? I sincerly hate to be rude but Ursula K. Le Guin has to keep in mind that we live in a mediatic world. Among the many different forms of media including books, radio, theatre and television, writing is and has been proven to be the oldest and the slowest. It is even considered sometimes the most boring form of home entertainment. In only five hours, a telespectator can go through about four stories while reading them would take on average four to six days. Because it only takes a mere couple of hours to view a film on television, one is left with more time to take care of greater responsibilities. Now, you decide which media is more appropriate for your tight schedule. It is true that the American population doesn't read enough, but they do use their imagination. To say that Americans do not use their imagination would be saying Americans don't dream. Dreams are proven to be the fruit of imagination simply meaning that without imagination there is no dream. And without dreams what would imagination be? f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\why do I want to Attend College.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Willie F. Dennis CAREER GOALS NARRATIVE My purpose and goals in attending college is to make something of my life. Noone want's to be a nobody. But sometimes it takes time in order for one to realize this. Upon graduation from highschool, I, like the majority of other highschool graduates, had no clue what direction my life was heading or even what I wanted to become. So after graduation I decided to explore my options at the University of Pittsburgh. Wow, was this a mistake. Not only was the college to big for my own well being, but the big University provided too many distractions. This is why I feel I have finally taken the right and first step in securing my future. Currently, I am attending Waynesburg college in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, majoring in computer science and minoring in business. I have always had a fascination when it comes to computers and I think that this is a very good career move. Hopefully I will be, in the future, working for a major computer corporation or even owning my own. But from where I stand a bright future lies ahead of me. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Why take Enterprise and Innovation .TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Teens are facing a major unemployment rate when they come out of High School. This unemployment rate could be cut if students would learn and grasp knowledge of business, economy, and new technology. This course should help in grasping all those ideas. This essay will start this process of learning by setting goals and showing how they can be met. The real world is tuff and unpredictable. With this course, preparing for the real world will be much easier. Signing up for Enterprise and Innovation is as simple as watching the news. Just watching the news tell us about the roller coaster ride called economy and our unemployment rate will make anyone jump and sign up. Signing up just is smart. To succeed in the real world, an edge is needed. This edge starts by picking up a pencil and signing up for Enterprise and Innovation. With this edge a job should be easier to get and more enjoyable. The goals that were set for this course are quite simple, relative to each other, and helpful. My major goal is to comprehend an edge and understanding in searching for a job and/or running a successful business. This goal also branches off into many smaller goals or steps. One of these steps is to gain experience by taking this course. The experience I will gain is about running a business and by getting knowledge of our economy to help get a job and help keep or get a job promotion . Another step is to seize more experience in interacting with people in a business. This experience will help extremely at giving better knowledge of how a business runs by its job force. Many things have to be done and met to reach these goals. Though they may seem hard or easy to reach, all goals may grow, shrink, or change entirely. Through this course, focus and concentration is essential. Another way to reach these goals is to not just focus in one direction but open your mind to focus in many directions. This may need information from others, but that is another way of reaching these goals. Cooperation with people is major key in reaching goals. This cooperation is an easy way to reach the goals that were set. The real world is tough and unpredictable. This course will help prepare, anyone, for what the real world is really like. This course will help set not only goals I have for this course, Enterprise and Innovation, but will help set long term goals for when a job or business is attained. These goals are not hard to attain if aimed with focus on the target. With this course, I should be able to stick my head into the lions' mouths called unemployment and a stumbling economy. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Writing a College Essay.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Writing a college essay can be a very difficult task. However, there are techniques to help make this task easier. The writing process is a three stage approach to planning and creating a college essay. These stages are known as prewriting, writing, and revising. If a student follows this process, she will write a good paper. The first stage of the writing process is called prewriting. There are five prewriting techniques that help writers to understand the topic and purpose of the writing assignment and limit the topic to a manageable and appropriate idea. The techniques are brainstorming, freewriting, diagramming, making a list, and preparing an outline. In brainstorming, you generate ideas for you writing. A writer might view a film and discuss or write their impressions, write a list of ideas for an essay, or discuss a topic with a group of students. You might ask yourself some questions such as What? Why? When? Where? How? and Who? In freewriting, you write non-stop about a subject for a certain amount of time. Spelling or punctuation, mistakes, and finding exact words do not matter. It helps you to get a clearer picture of what you are trying you say. Diagramming is helpful for people who think in a visual way. You can put your idea in a circle or block and branch off examples or other ideas pertaining to it. The fourth technique is making a list. You list as many items you can that has a relation to your topic. Your goal is to make details and to gather as much material as possible so you have something to start with when you go to write your paper. The last technique is preparing an outline. The thesis statement is clearly stated on the outline and a specific outline format is followed. Outlining gives you a sense of organization and allows you to see quickly if you have enough support for your ideas. After the writer is done prewriting, she moves on to the next step. The second stage for the writing process is called writing. In the writing phase, you make decisions about developing and organizing your ideas into writing and discover what you know about the subject. Insights gained from the prewriting phase help shape ideas into meaning for yourself and others. The writer may prepare a rough draft, focusing on the purpose of the writing and choosing a suitable form for a specific audience. You need a thesis to work with first. The thesis will be your guide while you write your essay. An effective thesis statement should not be an obvious opinion that every reader already shares and focuses on an idea that can be supported evidence rather than emotion. Writers might develop ideas using imagery, logical argument, supporting detail, examples, etc. After the writer is done with the writing stage, she moves on the third step. The third stage of the writing process is called revising. You clarify and refine your writing in thesis stage. After you have finished one our more drafts of the essay, you should begin revising your paper. Revising might involve reworking the written expression, so that it clearly and actively conveys the ideas, rearranging words or sentences to create and effect, and inserting punctuation and correcting spelling to assist the reader. At this stage of the writing process, you are interested in clarifying the message by changing words, sentences, or even whole paragraphs. Two examples of revising are editing and proofreading. When you edit your paper, you are looking for mistakes in grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and usage. Proofreading comes after you edit in the final copy for any mistakes in typing or handwriting. Revising might also involve redrafting. As you can clearly see, the writing process is a three step approach that makes writing easier. If you follow these steps, you should be able to write a good college essay. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Writing Its Not Jst For Fun Anymore!.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Writing.......It's Not Just For Fun Anymore! I am writing to support the new writing class being discussed for the Junors' and Seniors' curriculum. I bielive that these classes will help them not only in the work force, but will give them a better education. In the world today, writing plays an important roll. there are always reports to be writen speeches to e givin, and books to be wrote. Juniors and Seniors need to know the right skills top write these such things. Statistics show that most Juniors' and Seniors' do not show the right skills to perform a good job of writing. A recent poll in Time magazine show that seven out of ten Juniors' and Seniors' show no skills in writing whatsoever. With these new classes, we could show these classes how to do a good job of writing to compete in the work world. These Juniors' and Seniors' will have better chances at colleges, better advantages in the job world, and an all around complete education. Either writing for leisure or for work, it is always a good idea to know how.. these skills are important. many skills are enforcedwith todays english courses. I personally believe in these skills. Just a week go, I was asked to do a report in cheating in school. I was not familiar with the writing skills, so I consulted an english writing skills handbook. It taught me to properly write the paper, and also get a passing grade on it. Skills are most important. Without writing skills, people would write just anything, untiming contractions, misspelling words, and leaving their participles dangling. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Wuthering Heights.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte was born in Thorton, Yorkshire, in 1918. Wuthering Heights was Bronte's only book; however, she died in 1848 and never knew of the book's success. It is said by many to be the finest novel in the English language. Just before she dies, Catherine Earnshaw gives birht to a beautiful baby girl named Cathy. After Catherine married Edgar, heathcliff becomes jealous and marries Edgar's sister, Isabella. Isabella then gives birth to Heathcliff's son Linton. Wuthering Heights, by Wmily Bronte, is a novel full of contrast between Catherine and Cathy and Heathcliff and Linton. While Cathy is growing up, the reader begins t see the contrast between cathy and her mother. Catherine is a typical Earnshaw, having dark hair, and dark eyes. While her daughter's characteristics are the exact opposite. Cathy has blonde hair, fair skin, and irrestibly brilliant eyes. Catherine and Cathy is emotional aspects also contrast a great deal. Young Cathy's emotions are calm, while her mother's rage, and are as unpredictable as a storm. Catherine's emotions are so passionate that she is unable to control them. To the point of causing her own death. Before she dies, she says that she wants both Heathcliff and Edgar to suffer-Edgar, because he never understood heraffection for Heathcliff; and Heathcliff, because he never understood why she married Edgar. Cathy has a mind of her own and some of Catherine's willfullness. She is also capable of great sympathy towards Linton, whom she marries and finally Hareton Earnshaw. Heathcliff is a strange mix-ture of the refined and incouth; slovently, yet dresses and acts like a g gentleman. While being dark with the look of a gypsy, he is quite handsome. His son, linton resembles his mother, Isabella, as he is blonde, pretty, feeble, adn effeminate. It is ironic thtat Heathcliff's son should be so weak and sickly that he dies at the age of seventeen. Although Heathcliff is his father, Linton displays none of Heathcliff's characteristics. Heathcliff is a character full of brutality. Heathcliff shows this brutality on several occasions. The most graphic occasion is after Catherine's funeral, when Hindley threatens him with a knife. This confrontation ends up with Heathcliff kicking and pounding Hindley's head into the floor. Linton has his father's capability for violent temper, but not phsical strength. Linton shows his each of phyiscal strength when Hareton throws him and Catherine out of the room. Linton becomes furious saying he would kill Hareton. This brought on a coughing fit in which blood gushed from Linton's mouth, causing him to fall to the floor. f:\12000 essays\educational studies (224)\Year Round School vs Nine Month Schedule.TXT +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Omar Ramos Mrs. Wilkerson English II (H)- 4 11 December 1996 Year Round School: An Annual Mistake Throughout time education has been considered a process that every so often must be improved. The education quality in the U.S. has declined over the years and people have been looking for a way to make improvements. A more recent proposal has been to go from a traditional nine month schedule to an all year program. Supporters of year round school claim it gives the student a better education. However, the prospect of year round school is not beneficial to the taxpayers pocket, to the education a student receives, or to the people involved with the district. All year school ends up costing the school district and surrounding community more money than a traditional nine month schedule. "More funds would be needed to cover the costs of paying the teachers and staff for one full year instead of for 180 days work." ( Sevetson 2). "Teachers currently make an average of $37, 000 in the United States. However, the costs would increase to $53, 000 to keep the teachers for a full year." (Somerby 8). Currently, a district uses a lot of its budget on paying teachers. Once the increased costs are put in place, the budget depletes rapidly. Yet teachers must be paid, as they are the cornerstone of education. Also, it takes additional funds to run the school all year, due to things such as air conditioning in the summer (White 28). Many schools due not currently need AC systems to be used. However, AC is a costly amenity and if schools are held open three additional months, AC becomes a heavy factor. Not to mention, the level of supplies and paper that is consumed would be more than 33% larger (Sardo- Brown 26). Costs per school for items, such as paper, increase due to constant use. (White 29). Students would be deprived of such simple items such as worksheets or class handouts. Outside costs, such as transportation and equipment for activities would go up for constant maintenance (Sardo Brown 27). Buses that travel every school day use the districts money for gasoline and repairs. The money needed to cover the maintenance These costs can be very hard for a district to swallow, because they must be covered by someone. Taxes would have to shoot up to solve the dilemma. Overall, the costs add up and equal a loss for students environment. Due to the structuring, students and teachers would not be given time to recuperate from the prior year and to prepare for the future. Many students use the summer for a vacation with their parents. However, with a school in the summer it would be much harder for a family to find a convenient time. Research shows that students would be more likely to burnout from school as they are not given an extended break in the summer (White 29). Teachers are also not given enough time to prepare for their next incoming class (Sevetson 3). An unprepared teacher can only mean much more time wasted. The summer has also been a time when students can change their lifestyles. "Many students and teachers rely on the summer for a chance to mature and grow a little older. With year round school, many lose that chance to change an attitude problem or become wiser." (Sardo- Brown and Rooney 25). It is important that students continue to mature throughout high school. Year- round school does not guarantee that this will occur. Time spent with friends would also decrease as many students run on different schedules. Friendship is one of the most important things in the development of today's child (Sardo-Brown 27). However, year round school separates most students into about two or three different schedules (Somerby 8). Students are not given any preference as to which one they follow and it is simply a luck of the draw. The biggest problem would be the adaptation to a schedule by the students and teachers. For students already in junior high or high school, year round school would be a hard schedule to follow (Sevetson 2). After years of following one method, they would be told to suddenly switch tracks completely. Students would then lose a chance for improved education. Similarly, teachers would not have the time needed to take additional classes to improve their teaching methods (Somerby 9). " How can a district expect education to improve if teachers can't improve their own personal education ?" (Somerby 9). Students moving out of the district would be in conflict with a district that had a nine month schedule. "For a military family or any family that is at risk, a year round schedule can only mean a nightmare." (White 27). Also, special events such as graduation or the beginning of the school year would all be lost in the shuffle from year to year (Sardo- Brown 27). This means that after years of hard work in school, graduating seniors would all but not matter. A revision does indeed need to occur in the U.S. education system. The facts all do point to other countries flying by the U.S. However, year round school is not what students need. It has too many downfalls and not enough benefits. Costs and scheduling are too huge of problems to be ignored. The nine month schedule must remain the basis for education in America. The changes that need to occur do not involve the schedule. They concern the actual education taught in classes. A change to the traditional calendar only sinks education lower off the charts. Works Cited Sardo- Brown, Deborah and Rooney, Micheal. "The Vote on All-Yaear Schools." American School Board Journal. July 1992; 25-27. Sevetson, Martha. "Try, try Again: All Year Long." The Wichita Eagle. 13 September 1992; 1D+ Somerby, Robert. "Are these the Right Goals for Education in the 90's ?" The Baltimore Sun. 15 April, 1990. D8+ natl.ed. White, William D. "Year Round No More." American School Board Journal. July 1992; 27-30.