Memory Psychology - 1027 Words

Memory One of the human functions that is intriguing to me and makes people unique from each other is human memory. I am finding that through experiences and what we remember from those experiences, our brain develops and humans form their interpretation of the world and the things around them based on their memory. Our favorite films and the ones we dislike the most are part of the many things that we draw our conclusions from based on memory. Knowing this can help me create more dynamic characters in my scripts because I can better form characters based on their memory. Whether it be the style the cinematographer might have in his or her shot choice or simply the action that is present on the screen, memory of these aspects allows me†¦show more content†¦The way that I view a solution like this is taking the easy way out. It seems for no matter what condition you are going through in this country, there is nobody to sit and help you through a situation besides a bottle of pills. I don’t know what should happen exactly as a solution, but if we know that weaker emotion equals weaker memories than why can’t a psychiatrist work with patients in doing what they are hoping the pill can do? I’m personally apathetic in this area of study, but I feel strongly against the use of pills so regularly. Flashbulb memories are a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event. This is intriguing to me how this works, but it most certainly is true. I have talked with friends recently that I grew up with through grade school and we had one of those moments where I started a conversation off with, â€Å"Remember that one time we were out on the playground and a guy was walking around outside with a shotgun and we had to go inside on lockdown?† Of course they all remember that day and specific and minute things that happened during that time because of flashbulb memory. After reading the chapter on memory I have become more aware on how the mind remembers things. I always told myself growing up that studying things I â€Å"already knew† was completely pointless, but it turns out that you are still learning just by continuing to review. I am going to have toShow MoreRelatedPsychology: the Human Memory1141 Words   |  5 PagesThe Human Memory Tracey Percifield American Intercontinental University Abstract Unit 4 IP The human mind is a fascinating instrument that is very complex and even though we know quite a lot about it we still do not know everything. The human memory has three phases of memory interpretation; Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory and Long-Term Memory. Knowing how each of these memories store information is comparison to c computer. The average adult knows anywhere between 50,000 to 100, 00 wordsRead MoreMemory Is A Key Aspect Of Psychology1856 Words   |  8 PagesMemory is a key aspect of psychology and thus much research has been conducted into the way it works. Early research by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) has led to the proposition of models about the nature of memory. Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) proposed the two store model of memory, this included sensory stores, short term memory and long term memory. They also determined that storage and transferal of information to long term memory is encouraged and enabled by the processes of short term methodsRead MoreThe Curent U nderstanding of the Neurobiology of Memory Reconsolidation and Its Implications for Psychology1863 Words   |  7 Pagesneurobiology of memory reconsolidation and its implications for psychology. This paper will specifically focus on the molecular mechanisms of reconsolidation and research relating to fear memories and using propranolol and D-cycloserine as a treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Memory consolidation is the process by which memories are stabilised after being acquired. Consolidation studies have traditionally focused on the hippocampus and systems consolidation, where short term memories become longRead MoreCognitive Psychology False Memory Essay2269 Words   |  10 PagesRunning head: False Memory Theoretical and Applied/Practical Perspective of False Memory The human memory is subject to a multitude of errors, including source misattributions, distortion and creation of false memories. In order to do justice to this paper one must first determine what is â€Å"False memory†? False memory is memory for an event that did not occur or distorted memory of actual events (Gleaves, Smith, Butler, Spiegel, 2004). This type of memory has been an area ofRead MoreThe Effects Of Related Words On The Short Term Verbal Memory Of Psychology Students1467 Words   |  6 PagesThe effect of related words on the short term verbal memory of psychology students. The aim of the investigation is to research the use of semantically grouped words, to aid memory recall. This relates to studies such as the Method of Loci which believed since all the words are connected in an environment they are easier to remember as they are associated together. [1] The experimental hypothesis is that the number of words recalled will be increased by the words being related. Laboratory experimentRead MoreResearch Article Analysis: Cognitive Psychology and Memory925 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis: Cognitive Psychology and Memory Cognitive psychology studies the way people think an how memory plays a role in peoples everyday lives. Memory is important, in both the short-term and the long-term, because without it all actions would have to be innate. Since it has been well-researched that both innate and experiential are needed for people to develop successfully (Sutton, 2008), memory of experiences and the lessons learned are important for every type of functioning. Memory, in the caseRead MoreThe Science Of A Memory889 Words   |  4 Pages Memory is something that is essential to our daily lives. Creating and retrieving memories is something that happens without us knowing; subconscious remembrance of events allows us to remember our friend s name, a favorite baseball or football team, or what city we live in without needing to ask others or consult the internet. Even if we were to ask others a question about something, without memory we would forget the answer to the question we had asked immediately af ter they had told us, whichRead MoreThe Use Of Adaptive Pressure On Our Memory1485 Words   |  6 Pagesur memory still contain traces from our evolutionary past? To what extent do our operating abilities involving memory, still prescribe to our distant ancestral selection pressures? These questions have all been considered, however, the role of adaptive pressures on our memory, have just began to be studied further by memory researchers. Scholars have attempted to study how our current memory processing capabilities could have been tailored to achieve specific outcomes from our instinctual past. ThisRead MoreDetermining The Accuracy Of Testimony Of Eyewitnesses?1166 Words   |  5 Pagesimages, then the witness is recognizing or not recognizing a face instantly. This tactic is important because the witness can really recall the perpetrator immediately rather than starring at too many faces for too long, which can affect the witness’ memory. Researcher Walsh (2013) also sug gests that it is essential that the eyewitness administrator informs the witness that the suspect may not even be in the lineup. If the witness isn’t told this, then he/she assumes that the perpetrator is in the lineupRead MoreThe And Memory : Improving Memory Recall926 Words   |  4 PagesMnemonics and Memory: Improving Memory Recall Angela Sapir Arapahoe Community College: General Psychology 101-103 12/15/2015 â€Æ' Discovering Psychology describes memory as, â€Å"the mental processes that enable [a person] to retain and retrieve information over time.† When information is brought into the brain, it travels from the sensory memory to the short term memory. If this information is deemed important, it is then encoded and stored. In order to retrieve this information (i.e., memory) a person

Veronica Decides to Die Free Essays

verinika decides to die The story take s place in slovenia the history is base in veronika, a twenty four years old girl, who has everything in life. She is pretty, has a good job, nice family. Veronika though that it wasnt enough, so she planed on commit suicide, she thinks life is boring and that is not point for her to be a live if everyday it would be the same. We will write a custom essay sample on Veronica Decides to Die or any similar topic only for you Order Now it was the moth of november when veronoka decides to die, she has been saving bottles of sleeping pills that her friend gave her. One cold morning Veronica wake up and started to take all the pills five minutes after all the four bottles were gone, now it was just amount of time. It had no last long soon afterward, she had lost consciousness. When veronica wake up she though she was on heaven but the ugly trhuth is that she was a life and she was in villete, the famous and feared lunatic asylum. Villete was the place from wich no one hd ever escaped. Villete was the perfect place not only for people who have mental problems also it was to get rid of Veronica Decides To Die Veronika Decides to Die ? Veronica a Twenty-four-year-old lies in Slovenia,one of the republics created by the dissolution of Yugoslavia. She works as a librarian by day,and by night carries on like many single women dating men,occasionally sleeping with them,and returning to a single room she rents at a convent. It is a life,but not a very compelling one. So one day,Veronika decides to end it by taking sleepping pills. Her failed attempt,and her inexplicable reasons for wanting to die,land her in Vilette the famous and much fared lunatic asylum. Veronika ‘s disappointment at having survied her attept of suiced. She imagines the rest of her life filled with disillusionment and monotony,and swear not to leave Vilette alive. Veronica didnt failed that much, sice her attept of sucide didnt succed but with that brought Much to her surprise,however,she learns that a fate she desires awaits her anyway: She is destined to die within a week ‘s time,of a heart damage caused by her suicide attempt. Gradually,this knowledge changes Veronika ‘s perception of death and life. In the meantime,Vilette ‘s head psychiatrist attempts a fascinating but provocative experiment. Can you â€Å"shock†someone into wanting to live by convincing her that death is imminent? Like a doctor applying defibrillator paddles to a heart attack victim,Dr. Igor ‘s â€Å"prognosis†jump-starts Veronika ‘s new appreciation of the world around her. From within Vilette ‘s controlled environment,she finally allows herself to express the emotions she has never allowed herself to feel:hate and love,anger and joy,disgust and pleasure. Veronika also finds herself being drawn into the li es of other patients who lead constrained but oddly satisfying li es. Eduard,Zedka,and Mari have been sent to Vilette because there doesn ‘t seem to be any other place for them. Their families don ‘t understand them,and they can ‘t adjust to the social structure that doesn ‘t tolerate†¦ How to cite Veronica Decides to Die, Papers

Business Ethics and Sustainability Assurance

Question: Discuss about the Business Ethics and Sustainability Assurance. Answer: Introduction Every year Australia exports more than 3 million live animals such as sheep, cattle and goats. The animals are exported and shipped in a critical distressed condition that results in death and illness for a significant condition. The animals are then slaughtered in the countries without any adequate laws and protections against the cruelty. The report will focus on the disadvantages of the export of animals. Apart from having disadvantages, the live animal export industry are considered as the Australian industry that has the worth $800 million every year as it is responsible for supporting the livelihood of the regional and rural people. The animals that are exported to the different countries are witnessing many problems that are discussed in the study. The 21,000 sheep are killed in the year of 2012 due to many incident of the transportation of the livestock from Australia to other Asian countries. However, it can be said that until now Australian livestock export is considered as the largest export market in the world. The cruelty of the slaughter of the animals should be banned in order to improve the condition of the livestock animals. It can be said that every year many cattle, sheep and goats are slaughtered in the region of their export after sending them in the gruelling voyages. The animals are sent into a destination where there are not enough lawsuits and regulations for protecting them in the perspective of cruelty during the time of slaughtering (Miranda-De La Lama et al. 2014). However, the disadvantages of the live animal export are described in the following. Longest journey The animals are not provided with ample foods and water before they are boarded in the ship. It causes stresses that are responsible for salmonellosis, bruising and dehydration in sheep along with respiratory diseases in cattle (MacDonald et al.2014). As the animals are confined in the vessels, hence they are captive in that manner for 504 consecutive hours. Poor ventilation and high temperatures are responsible for causing heat stroke and other physiological ailments in some specific breeds along with cattle. Diets provided to the sheep are rejected by them that cause salmonellosis (Guyomard et al. 2013). Wastes of animal in the ship lead to formation of ammonia gas that is harmful for the animals causing irritation in respiratory tracts and nasal discharge (Deards et al. 2014). Apart from that, it is seen that many animals die in the transit every year due to the problems faced during the time of transport in the ship. Indonesian outrage In the Indonesian abattoirs, the Australian cattle are subjected to the gross cruelty in the time of slaughter. It is seen that the majority of the animals are exported in Indonesia while they are slaughtered and treated very brutally (Poppi 2014). They sometimes use techniques that are responsible for the extreme injury and pain to them. It can be said that investigation portrays that the Australian government does not accept these types of treatments (Phillips and Petherick 2015). Apart from having many regulations for reducing the harmful impact of the cruelty and brutal impacts of the effect of slaughter to the animals, they are not able to control the negative cruel impacts (Bradhurst et al. 2015). For regulation of the welfare of the Australian animals in various destination markets, an important law has been sanctioned in the country. Australian government implements the regulation Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) for the welfare of the animals in terms of welfare standards, traceability and control in the independent auditing and supply chain (McCarthy et al. 2014). Changing sentiments of Australian consumers The sentiments of the Australian consumers are important towards the behaviour of the traders and government to the animals. It is seen that the Australian people are sensitive and conscious to the social, environmental and ethical implications (Cordell et al. 2013). The Australian consumers are sensitive in nature regarding the brutal and cruel activities of the slaughter to the cattle and sheep. The media covers the issue that is responsible for creation of the sensitive issue in the minds of the consumers. It is high time the government to look after the condition of the brutality among the cattle and other animals so that the consumers of the Australia gradually changing their sentiments towards this issue. The disadvantages of the slaughtering of the animals are responsible for creating the issue of sentiments in the minds (Black 2013). Livestock transportation Transportation of livestock is important in the perspective of trading with the different countries. The government of Australia has set standards for the welfare of the animals during the time of transport. The standards are Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (AESL). It is found that the penalties regarding breaching the law are not working properly (Goodfellow 2015). It can be said that Australia is considered as the largest exporter of live animals to various countries for slaughter. It is seen that every year billions of livestock animals such as goats, sheep, cattle, etc. are transported in sheep to countries like North Africa, South Africa, Philippines, Middle East, etc. In these countries animal welfare laws are not at all exists rather they are not active in a proper way. It results in death of many animals i.e. almost ten thousand animals before reaching to the destination of the export (Borta, L., 2013). Apart from that, the animals that are survived in the jo urney have to witness gruelling journey along with many horrific incidents when they are handled to the areas of slaughter. Outrage of the traders Both the traders and the slaughters of the different countries of export such as Asian countries have an expression of outrage towards the animals. They are involved in the profession of slaughtering of the cattle for a long time. The nature of brutality and cruelty is present due to the nature of the occupation they are involved (Qingshan 2015). Hence, it can be said that the outrage of the slaughterer and the traders are a great disadvantage in case of the export of animals to the different nations where the animals are treated brutally. The laws that are formulated for the protection of the imported animals of those countries are not competent enough to protect the cruelty of the traders (Pizzuti and Mirabelli 2016). It can be said that it is a inhuman activity that should be banned immediately. Decrease in the domestic production of meat and dairy products As it is already discussed earlier that Australia is the largest exporter of livestock animals, hence in many parts of the countries the Australians are not getting enough meat and dairy products. It is due to the export of huge number of cattle from the country. Apart from this issue, it is also noticed that the quality of hybrid animals that are present in the country are not as high of those which are exported to other countries. This is also a point of concern for the government of Australia in meeting the demands of the food products within the country (Ciavaglia et al. 2013). Reduction in domestic animals Export of the animals is responsible for reduction of the livestock in the country. Apart from that, there are problems faced by the local traders of the country in supplying dairy products of the country. However, it can be said that the consumers in many parts of Australia are not satisfied with the quality of the dairy products they buy from the market. Besides this, the traders of the country are facing issues in breeding with the cattle. They are not able to breed with different breeds of cattle in order to produce hybrid cattle that would produce huge amount of milk (Hay 2016). Reduction of domestic animals is a major issue for the country not only in terms of demand and supply but also for other economic aspects of the country. Conclusion Apart from having many advantages, there are disadvantages of the live export of the animals. It can be said that the Government of Australia has many regulations that are formulated for the prevention of the distressed condition of the livestock during the time of export. But it can be said that the regulations are not enough to stop the activities that affect the condition of the livestock. It can be concluded that many of the countries including United Kingdom and New Zealand are banning live export of animals so that they can maintain the balance of animals in the country itself along with maintenance of the demands of the dairy products in the country. The disadvantages of the livestock export of animals are not a point of ignorance. The negative effect of the different aspects of the export is responsible for causing deaths of many animals in the country. References Black, C., 2013. Live export and the WTO: considering the exporter supply chain assurance system.Macquarie LJ,11, p.77. Borta, L., 2013. The European UnionS Trade Relations With Australia.CES Working Papers, (4), pp.442-454. Bradhurst, R.A., Roche, S.E., East, I.J., Kwan, P. and Garner, M.G., 2015. A hybrid modeling approach to simulating foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in Australian livestock.Frontiers in Environmental Science,3, p.17. Ciavaglia, S., Dridan, H., Paul Kirkbride, K. and Linacre, A., 2015. Current Issues with the Investigation of Wildlife Crime in Australia: Problems and Opportunities for Improvement.Journal of International Wildlife Law Policy,18(3), pp.244-263. Cordell, D., Jackson, M. and White, S., 2013. Phosphorus flows through the Australian food system: identifying intervention points as a roadmap to phosphorus security.Environmental science policy,29, pp.87-102. Deards, B., Leith, R., Mifsud, C., Murray, C., Martin, P. and Gleeson, T., 2014. Live export trade assessment.Department of Agriculture, Canberra. Goodfellow, J., 2015. Animal Welfare Regulation in the Australian Agricultural Sector: A Legitimacy Maximising Analysis. Guyomard, H., Manceron, S. and Peyraud, J.L., 2013. Trade in feed grains, animals, and animal products: Current trends, future prospects, and main issues.Animal Frontiers,3(1), pp.14-18. Hay, I., 2016. Defending letters: a pragmatic response to assaults on the humanities.Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management,38(6), pp.610-624. MacDonald, G.K., Brauman, K.A., Sun, S., Carlson, K.M., Cassidy, E.S., Gerber, J.S. and West, P.C., 2015. Rethinking agricultural trade relationships in an era of globalization.BioScience, p.biu225. McCarthy, M., Whan, M.I., Economics, A.R. and Scheme, I.F., 2014. Exploring market options for out of speccattle in the pastoral areas of Western Australia. Miranda-De La Lama, G.C., Villarroel, M. and Mara, G.A., 2014. Livestock transport from the perspective of the pre-slaughter logistic chain: a review.Meat Science,98(1), pp.9-20. Phillips, C.J.C. and Petherick, J.C., 2015. The ethics of a co-regulatory model for farm animal welfare research.Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics,28(1), pp.127-142. Pizzuti, T. and Mirabelli, G., 2016. Future Technology in Tracing Animals on the Food Chain.Advances in Food Traceability Techniques and Technologies: Improving Quality Throughout the Food Chain, p.165. Poppi, D.P., 2014. 12 Live cattle export industry.Beef Cattle Production and Trade, p.235. Qingshan, L.I., 2015. The Impact of Asia Pacific Integration on China's Agricultural Export Trade.International Business and Management,11(1), pp.46-50.

Ordeal by Fire Essay Example

Ordeal by Fire Essay After reading the two books, â€Å"Ordeal by Fire† by James McPherson and â€Å"Slavery† by Stanley M. Elkins I would have to say the books are very separate on their approach to slavery before the Civil War.   McPherson’s book looked at slavery as it related to the Civil War.   Elkins book looked more at the institution of slavery.   Both looked into the economic role and its foundation in slavery.   Both agreed that in comparison Latin American slaves had a more difficult life than slaves in Southern North America.   The differences in views from these authors, that I could see, were standard views at the time at which these books were written.   McPherson’s book was written in 1982 and Elkins was first published in 1959.   I will admit though that Elkins book was obviously way before its time.   His ideals of slave personality probably helped invent the phrase â€Å"slave mentality†.   â€Å"How a person thinks about Negro slav ery historically makes a great deal of difference here and now; it tends to locate him morally in relation to a whole range of very immediate political, social, and philosophical issues which in some way refer back to slavery† (Elkins, 1959, p. 1).   In McPherson’s book he looks at how â€Å"slavery formed the foundation of the South’s distinctive social order† (p.31), and how this fit into a lifestyle in the south. When thinking of the brutality of slavery Elkins basically argued that slavery in itself was brutal.   Ã‚  With McPherson, although he did not disagree with brutal acts happening he just didn’t believed they happen often.   He believed that the owner’s power over his slaves â€Å"was often tempered by economic self-interest and sometimes by paternalism† (p.34).   He wrote, â€Å"Dead, maimed, brutalized or runaway slaves grow little if any cotton† (p.34).   There was a gentleman’s code of noblesse oblige which required â€Å"beneficence towards inferiors†.   The use of persuasions, inducement, rewards for good work and concessions between slave owner and slaves.   Overseers and masters could â€Å"not rule by the whip alone†, McPherson wrote. We will write a custom essay sample on Ordeal by Fire specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ordeal by Fire specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ordeal by Fire specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Slavery was a human institution along with a legal and economic one that helped to give reason for the dehumanizing of slavery.   Elkins wrote of a childlike conformity slaves were taught to keep them in line.   â€Å"Cruelty per se cannot be considered the primary key to this; of far greater importance was the simple â€Å"closedness† of the system, in which all lines of authority descended from the master and in which alternative social bases that might have supported alternative standards were systematically suppressed† ( Elkins, 1959 p. 128).   One factor that McPherson wrote about is the effect of the family structure and how it has affected African Americans throughout history in years since his book was published much has been written on that subject.   But at the time these books were written the consequence of this broken family structure was not yet fully recognized. Slavery in law was a form of property.   Human rights were something slaves did not have.   â€Å"They could not legally marry, nor own property, nor be taught to read or write in most states† (McPherson, 1982 p.34).   They were allowed to have a family, in fact after 1808 because of ending of the African slave trade; this was encouraged as natural reproduction of stock.   Some were allowed to earn money and in rare cases they could buy their freedom.   But until they were free their family and money could legally be taken from them at any time. In both books lack of education among slaves served well for a couple of reasons.   â€Å"The low level of literacy was one of the chief features distinguishing the slave from the free population of the South from the North.† (McPherson, 1982 p. 37)   There was a belief that educating a slave would cause them to have â€Å"dissatisfaction in their minds† that would cause insurrection and rebellion.   â€Å"Every Southern state except Maryland and Kentucky had stringent laws forbidding anyone to teach slaves reading and writing, and in some states the penalties applied to the educating of free Negroes and mulattoes as well† (Elkins, 1959 p. 60).   Education in the North was very strong and very weak in the South abolitionist gave this as to the reason the South kept slavery.   Saying â€Å"this one main for the ‘backwardness’ of the South and the immorality of slavery† (McPherson, 1982, p. 37) was the reason slavery was still practice d. In McPherson’s book talked of the work ethics and slavery.   He wrote of how slavery had undermined Southerners work ethics and made them lazy.   Their fight to keep the institution of slavery kept them from accepting new and better agricultural tools for use in the fields and ending the economically unsound practice of slavery.   A critic of work habits of the South and slavery, Frederick Law Olmsted, believed â€Å"that the average free worker in the North accomplished twice as much as the average slave.   Most slaves had little motivation to improve their output through harder work or greater efficiency.   They lacked the time discipline of modern work habits.† (McPherson, 182 p. 36). The church influence was a tool to keep a bond between master and slave.   â€Å"The slaves spoke the same language and worshipped the same Christian God as their owner.   Relationships of trust and affection as well as alienation and hatred could exist between slave and master.† (McPherson, 1982 p. 34).   In Elkins book he introduced the church as having moral authority over every man in every condition.   In the United States during the years of slavery the only law that was supportive somewhat of the marriage and how it related to church law was conjugal relations between slaves.   This dealt only with unions between master and slave; known as concubinage.   Unlike Latin America and other nations of slave holder’s concubinage was condemned and was not allowed.   Marriages, between slaves were permitted in these countries they were sanctified by the church and protected under law.   Many of the slaves still practiced their own religion in secret in fea r of punishment if found. The brutality of slavery was a direct result of Southerners devotion to limited government and laissez faire capitalism.   I tend to agree with Elkins theory that slavery itself is brutal.   Openly acts of brutality were not a rule but an exception it was the openly brutal social class system slaves were placed in that was the cruelest.   All one has to do is look at today’s society to see the long term affects this had on African Americans.   Both authors gave good sound argument on slavery, but if I had to choose which gave a better picture of what slavery was like I would have to say that is was â€Å"Slavery†.   I found the book was a little harder to follow, but gave a broader view of slavery.   In McPherson’s book there were only really 6 or 7 pages that really dealt with slavery.   Even though Elkins book was written in 1959, a time of civil rights, I thought he showed more to slavery than just the economic reasons for slavery.   The conseq uences of slavery have survived many generations and really only in the last fifty years the affects of this turbulent time in history has just began to be understood.   A whole culture and society was created out of slavery.   The Civil War changed a nation, slavery changed a culture.   I found the picture that McPherson gave was only superficial and in my readings gave me an understanding of why the Civil War and slavery were intertwined.   Elkins gave more meaning to what slavery was all about.

University of Phoenix Material Essays (452 words) - Communication

University of Phoenix Material Essays (452 words) - Communication University of Phoenix Material Global Communications Worksheet Your supervisor wants to send a brief e-mail message to welcome employees who have recently transferred to your department from Brazil, Russia, India, and China. He has written a draft message and would like your feedback. Review your supervisor's message below. Rewrite the message to make it appropriate for the communication style of one of the four countries of your choice. Conduct research to know more about the communication style of your chosen country. I wanted to welcome you ASAP to our little family here in the States. It's high time we shook hands in person and not just across the sea. I'm pleased as punch about getting to know you all, and I for one will do my level best to sell you on America. Complete the table with your rewritten welcome message. |Chosen Country |Rewritten welcome message | |name | | |India |We wanted to welcome you to join our little | | |family here in the United States. This is a | | |fantastic opportunity that we have for all | | |of us to meet in person instead of by phone | | |or teleconference. I am very excited about | | |getting to know each of you and your | | |background. I personnaly will ensure your | | |stay here will be a rememerable experience | | |as well. | Additional Insight Respond to each of the following questions with at least one paragraph: When you researched the communication style of your chosen country, what information did you discover? What are some considerations that should be made when writing to someone from another country? I chose India as my country because in the business world they are one of the world leaders in innovation. Their business intelligences has brought them from a third world industrious country to a well desired business parternership of many countries including America. I also discovered that English is one of the main languages for their business communication. English is so common amongst Indian business men and women that there is less than one half percent of them that do not speak the language. The main consideration would be to educate yourself about their culture. There are somethings that we do, or a certain ways we do it but it might not be acceptable in their country. In India it is very offensive for them to tell someone "no" in a business proposal. They would rather counter offer a suggestion then turn it down all together. If they end up having to say no to a proposal from a business partner and most times will have difficult business dealings afterwards. They believe that they put so much effort in to their business that all partners know what to expect and not to make offers to them that will result in them aying no.

Standard Based Grading Measures Student Skills

Standard Based Grading Measures Student Skills What does an A on a test or quiz mean to a student? Mastery of skill or mastery of information or content?   Does an F grade mean a student understands none of the material or less than 60% of the material? How is grading used as feedback for academic performance? Currently, in most middle and high schools (grades 7-12), students receive letter grades or numerical grades in subject areas based on points or percentages. These letter or numerical grades are tied to credits for graduation based on Carnegie units, or the number of  hours of contact time with an instructor.   But what does 75% grade on a math assessment tell a student about his or her specific strengths or weaknesses? What  does a B- grade on a literary analysis essay inform a student about how he or she meets skills sets in organization, content, or conventions of writing?   In contrast to letters or percentages, many elementary and intermediate schools have adopted a standards-based grading system, one that uses a 1-to-4 scale. This 1-4 scale breaks down academic subjects into specific skills needed for a content area.   While these elementary and intermediate schools use standards-based grading may vary in their report card terminology, the most common four-part scale denotes a students level of achievement with descriptors such as: Excels or above grade level (4)Proficient or at grade level (3)Approaching proficiency or approaching grade level (2)Well below proficiency or below grade level (1) A standards-based grading system may be called  competency-based,  mastery-based,  outcome-based,  performance-based, or proficiency-based. Regardless of the name used, this form of a grading system is  aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts and Literacy and in Math, which was established in 2009 and adopted by 42 out of 50 states. Since this adoption, several states have withdrawn from using CCSS in favor of developing their own academic standards. These CCSS standards for literacy and for math were organized in a framework that details specific skills for each grade level in grades K-12. These standards serve as guides for administrators and teachers to develop and implement the curriculum. Each skill in the CCSS has a separate standard, with skill progressions tied to grade levels. Despite the word standard in the CCSS, standards-based grading at the upper-grade levels, grades 7-12, has not been universally adopted. Instead, there is ongoing traditional grading at this level, and most middle and high school use letter grades or percentages based on 100 points. Here is the traditional grade conversion chart: Letter Grade Percentile Standard GPA A+ 97-100 4.0 A 93-96 4.0 A- 90-92 3.7 B+ 87-89 3.3 B 83-86 3.0 B- 80-82 2.7 C+ 77-79 2.3 C 73-76 2.0 C- 70-72 1.7 D+ 67-69 1.3 D 65-66 1.0 F Below 65 0.0 The skill sets outlined in the CCSS for literacy and math can be easily converted  to four point scales, just as they are at the K-6 grade levels. For example, the first reading standard for grade 9-10 states that a student should be able to: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Under a traditional grading system with letter grades (A-to-F) or percentages, a score on this reading standard may be difficult to interpret. Advocates of standard based grading will ask, for example, what a score of B or 88% tells a student. This letter grade or percentage is less informative about a student’s skill performance and/or subject mastery.  Instead, they argue, a standards-based system would singularly assess a students skill to cite textual evidence for any content area: English, social studies, science, etc. Under a standards-based assessment system, students could be assessed on their skill to cite using a 1-to-4 scale that featured the following descriptors:   Score 4: excels in citing  strong and thorough textual evidence -explicit and inferential OR needs no support;Score 3:  proficient at  citing  strong and thorough textual evidence -explicit and inferential  OR needs minimal support;Score 2:  approaching proficiency at citing  strong and thorough textual evidence -explicit and inferential OR needs moderate support;Score 1:  below proficiency at citing  strong and thorough textual evidence -explicit and inferential OR needs extensive support and/or reteaching. Assessing students on a 1-4 scale  on a particular skill  can provide clear and specific feedback to a student. A standard by standard assessment separates and detail the skills, perhaps on a rubric.  This is less confusing or overwhelming to a student when compared to a combined skills percentage score on 100 point scale. A conversion chart that compares  a traditional grading of an assessment to standards-based graded assessment would look like the following: Letter Grade Standards-Based grade Percentage grade Standard GPA A to A+ Mastery 93-100 4.0 A- to B Proficient 90-83 3.0 to 3.7 C to B- Approaching proficiency 73-82 2.0-2.7 D to C- Below Proficiency 65-72 1.0-1.7 F Below Proficiency Below 65 0.0 Standards-based grading  also allows teachers, students,  and parents to see a grade report that lists overall levels of proficiency on separate skills instead of composite or combined skill scores. With this information, students are better informed in their individual strengths and in their weaknesses as  a standards-based score highlights the skill set(s) or content that need(s) improvement and allows them to target areas for improvement. Furthermore, students would not need to re-do all of a test or assignment if they have demonstrated mastery in some areas. An advocate for standards-based grading is educator and researcher Ken OConnor. In  his chapter,  The Last Frontier: Tackling the Grading Dilemma, in Ahead of the Curve: The Power of Assessment to Transform Teaching and Learning, he notes: Traditional grading practices have promoted the idea of uniformity. The way we are fair is we expect all students do to the same thing in the same amount of time in the same way. We need to move†¦ to the idea that fairness is not uniformity. Fairness is equity of opportunity (p128). OConnor argues that standards-based grading allows for grading differentiation because it  is flexible and can be adjusted up and down as students confront new skills and content. Moreover, no matter where students are in a quarter or semester, a standard based grading system provides students, parents, or other stakeholders an assessment of student understanding in real time. That kind of student understanding may  take place during conferences, such as the ones Jeanetta Jones Miller explained in her article   A Better Grading System: Standards-Based, Student-Centered Assessment in the September 2013 edition of the English Journal. In her description of how standard based grading informs her instruction, Miller writes that it’s important to set up appointments to confer with each student about progress toward mastery of course standards. During the conference, each student receives individual feedback on his or her performance in meeting one or more standards in a content area:   The evaluation conference provides an opportunity for the teacher to make it clear that the student’s strengths and areas for growth are understood and the teacher is proud of the student’s efforts to master the standards that are most challenging. Another benefit to standardized based grading is the separation  of student work habits that are often combined in a grade. At the secondary level, a point penalty for late papers missed homework, and/or uncooperative collaborative behavior is sometimes included in a grade. While these unfortunate social behaviors will not stop with the use of standards-based grading, they may be isolated and given as separate scores  into another category. Of course, deadlines are important, but factoring in behaviors such as turning an assignment in on time or not has the effect of watering down an overall grade. To counter such behaviors, it may be possible to have a student turn in an assignment that still meets a mastery standard but does not meet a set deadline. For example, an essay assignment may still achieve a 4 or exemplary score on skills or content, but the academic behavior skill in turning in a late paper may receive a 1 or below proficiency score. Separating behavior from skills also has the effect of preventing students from receiving the kind of credit that simply completing work and meeting deadlines has had in distorting measures of academic skill.   There are, however, many educators, teachers and administrators alike, who do not see advantages to adopting a standards-based grading system at the secondary level. Their arguments against standards-based grading primarily reflect concerns at the instructional level. They stress that the  transition to a standards-based grading system, even if the school is from one of the 42 states using the CCSS, will require teachers to spend immeasurable amounts of time on extra planning, preparation, and training. In addition, any statewide initiative to move to standards-based learning may be difficult to fund and manage. These concerns may be a reason enough not to adopt standards-based grading. Classroom time can also be a concern for teachers when  students do not reach proficiency on a skill. These students will need reteaching and reassessment placing another demand on curriculum pacing guides. While this reteaching and reassessment by skill does create  additional work for classroom teachers, however, advocates for  standards-based grading note that this process may help teachers to refine their instruction. Rather than add to continuing student confusion or misunderstanding, reteaching may improve later understanding. Perhaps the strongest objection to standards-based grading is based on the concern that standards-based grading might put high school students at a disadvantage when applying to college. Many stakeholders -parents, students teachers, guidance counselors, school administrators-believe that college admissions officers will only evaluate students based on their letter grades or GPA, and that GPA must be in numerical form. Ken OConnor disputes that concern suggesting that secondary schools are in the position to issue both traditional letter or numerical grades and standards-based grades at the same time. â€Å"I think it’s unrealistic in most places to suggest that (GPA or letter grades) are going to go away at the high school level,† O’Connor agrees, but the basis for determining these might be different. He proposes that schools might base their letter-grade system on the percentage of grade-level standards a student meets in that particular subject and that schools can set their own standards based on GPA correlation.   Renowned author and education consultant Jay McTighe  agrees with OConnor, â€Å"You can have letter grades and standards-based grading as long as you clearly define what those (letter-grade) levels mean.† Other concerns are that standards-based grading can mean the loss of class ranking or honor rolls and academic honors. But OConnor points out that high schools and universities confer degrees with highest honors, high honors, and honors and that ranking students to the hundredth of a decimal may not be the best way to prove academic superiority. Several New England states will be at the forefront of this restructuring of grading systems. An article in  The  New England Journal of Higher Education Titled directly addressed the question of college admissions with standard based grading transcripts. The states of Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire have all passed legislation to implement proficiency or standards-based grading in their secondary schools.   In support of this initiative, a study in Maine titled Implementation of a Proficiency-Based Diploma System: Early Experiences in Maine  Ã‚  (2014) by Erika K. Stump and David L. Silvernail used a  two-phase, qualitative approach in their research and found: ...that benefits [of proficiency grading] include improved student engagement, greater attention to development of robust interventions systems and more deliberate collective and collaborative professional work. Maine schools are expected to establish a proficiency-based diploma system by 2018. The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) and the New England Secondary School Consortium (NESSC) met in 2016 with admissions leaders from highly selective New England colleges and universities and discussion was the subject of an article How Selective Colleges and Universities Evaluate Proficiency-Based High School Transcripts (April 2016) by Erika  Blauth and Sarah Hadjian. The discussion revealed that college admissions officers are less concerned with grade percentages  and more concerned that grades must always be based on clearly specified learning criteria.   They also noted that: Overwhelmingly, these admissions leaders indicate that students with proficiency-based transcripts will not be disadvantaged in the highly selective admissions process. Moreover, according to some admissions leaders, features of the proficiency-based transcript model shared with the group provide important information for institutions seeking not just high-performing academics, but engaged, lifelong learners. A review of the information on standards-based grading at the secondary level shows that implementation will require careful planning, dedication, and follow through for all stakeholders. The benefits for students, however, could be worth the considerable effort.

Concept of multiple intelligences Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concept of multiple intelligences - Assignment Example Gardener however emphasizes that there might be more forms of intelligence apart from these eight. There have been speculations of the possibility of existence of an experiential intelligence or spiritual intelligence or the ability to reflect on the big questions about life’s meaning. This idea of separate abilities by Gardener is based on evidence that in the instance of brain damage, the functioning of just one area, for instance language, is affected or interfered with and not the functioning of other areas. Another point of proof is the fact that a person may perform extremely well in any one of these eight areas but have no noteworthy abilities in the other seven. Gardener argues that intelligence refers to the ability to resolve problems and also make outcomes and products that are of value to a culture. There have been various values placed on these eight intelligences in different periods of history and cultures. In cultures with more emphasis on technology, mathemati cal and verbal intelligences are crucial while in cultures that are farming-oriented, a naturalist intelligence is important. Additionally, Gardener is of the opinion that the foundation of intelligence is biological in nature (Gardener, 1998). However, he does not refute that a general ability exists, but poses the question of how useful it is in accounting for various human achievements. Though the multiple intelligence theory by Gardener has been adopted by many educators, it has not been widely accepted in the scientific community. Some critics argue that a number of the intelligences are not at all new. Separate spatial and verbal abilities have been discovered by many researchers. Additionally, correlations among the abilities and the eight intelligences are not autonomous in nature. Spatial and logical-mathematical intelligences have a high correlation (Hoy & Hoy, 2009). Effective Uses of Multiple Intelligences The multiple intelligence view is advantageous since it amplifies individuals’ mode of thinking about different abilities and teaching avenues. There are various ways of using multiple intelligences to ensure good results in the classroom setting. Firstly, using this technique, schools can go about a discipline, general idea or subject matter in diverse manners. This caters for diverse needs of students. Many schools have previously been culprits of trying to cover too much too quickly. It is however more sensible to spend a substantial amount of time on the main crucial questions, productive ideas and concepts and let students familiarize themselves with such ideas and what they imply. There should therefore be effective utilization of changing instructions and a variety of methods of teaching used in the course of the day. So as to keep the students concentrated on the specific instructions, they should be made aware of differing strategies within a certain time period. The presentation of a single lesson can be done in a number of diffe rent ways. For example, when a lesson is introduced by oral, physical and visual means, the needs of every individual student are catered for by the teacher hence ensuring all students are fully engaged in class. This in turn increases the probabilities of students’

Concept of multiple intelligences Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concept of multiple intelligences - Assignment Example Gardener however emphasizes that there might be more forms of intelligence apart from these eight. There have been speculations of the possibility of existence of an experiential intelligence or spiritual intelligence or the ability to reflect on the big questions about life’s meaning. This idea of separate abilities by Gardener is based on evidence that in the instance of brain damage, the functioning of just one area, for instance language, is affected or interfered with and not the functioning of other areas. Another point of proof is the fact that a person may perform extremely well in any one of these eight areas but have no noteworthy abilities in the other seven. Gardener argues that intelligence refers to the ability to resolve problems and also make outcomes and products that are of value to a culture. There have been various values placed on these eight intelligences in different periods of history and cultures. In cultures with more emphasis on technology, mathemati cal and verbal intelligences are crucial while in cultures that are farming-oriented, a naturalist intelligence is important. Additionally, Gardener is of the opinion that the foundation of intelligence is biological in nature (Gardener, 1998). However, he does not refute that a general ability exists, but poses the question of how useful it is in accounting for various human achievements. Though the multiple intelligence theory by Gardener has been adopted by many educators, it has not been widely accepted in the scientific community. Some critics argue that a number of the intelligences are not at all new. Separate spatial and verbal abilities have been discovered by many researchers. Additionally, correlations among the abilities and the eight intelligences are not autonomous in nature. Spatial and logical-mathematical intelligences have a high correlation (Hoy & Hoy, 2009). Effective Uses of Multiple Intelligences The multiple intelligence view is advantageous since it amplifies individuals’ mode of thinking about different abilities and teaching avenues. There are various ways of using multiple intelligences to ensure good results in the classroom setting. Firstly, using this technique, schools can go about a discipline, general idea or subject matter in diverse manners. This caters for diverse needs of students. Many schools have previously been culprits of trying to cover too much too quickly. It is however more sensible to spend a substantial amount of time on the main crucial questions, productive ideas and concepts and let students familiarize themselves with such ideas and what they imply. There should therefore be effective utilization of changing instructions and a variety of methods of teaching used in the course of the day. So as to keep the students concentrated on the specific instructions, they should be made aware of differing strategies within a certain time period. The presentation of a single lesson can be done in a number of diffe rent ways. For example, when a lesson is introduced by oral, physical and visual means, the needs of every individual student are catered for by the teacher hence ensuring all students are fully engaged in class. This in turn increases the probabilities of students’

See instructions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

See instructions - Research Paper Example With its fastly growing population rate and sprawling cities, economic disparity between the social classes is increasing. Moreover, the high population growth poses several other problems to development including poverty, living conditions, health, social progress, and most importantly economic progress. Although Brazil has always been â€Å"bullish† about their population rise (Merrick, 1976), it is true that its population is constraining its economic development. Despite its high incomes and drop in unemployment rates, Brazil still struggles to keep economic inequality to a low level. Income inequality is high and these are reflected in the historical trends that show an unequal distribution of wealth and resources among the rich and the poor. There are much evidences to show that income inequality has detrimental impacts on the economic growth and development of a particular country. These factors go beyond the usual effect on poverty but relatively more important is that fact that it essentially curbs growth (Meier and Rauch, 2000). Although Brazil’s economy is apparently doing well with high incomes and a decline in the unemployment rates however these figures are not good determinants of its general well being (Baer, 2001). Historical figures of income distribution suggest that a high percentage of the income goes to the pockets of the rich while the poor only get a small share of the income. Coupled with the increasing population, economic disparity is increasing among the people. Moreover, the migration from rural to urban areas of Brazil has created severe health and sanitary problems. It is pleasing to see, though, that Brazil has made rapid progress since the Great Depression in the 1930s in terms of demographic transformation (Baer, 2001), to doing spectacularly well between 1968-73 during the Brazilian Miracle

Fourth Quarter English Interpretive Paper Essay Example for Free

Fourth Quarter English Interpretive Paper Essay A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt illustrates the adult life of Sir Thomas More. In this play, the Common Man portrays man and his vices and sins showing the ordinary man of every age, class, culture, and society. Bolt uses the Common Man in the roles of the steward, boatman, and jailor to show how man can easily sin. Common Man exhibits man’s immorality through the roles of the steward, boatman, and jailor, in A Man for All Seasons. Christian virtues are lacking in the Common Man’s role of the steward. The Common Man’s character, the steward, disrespects Rich by the snubbing manner of which he speaks to Rich. Likewise, when he spies on Thomas More he is being disloyal and dishonest. (pp. 40-42) Furthermore, the steward exhibits greediness by spying on More for Richard Rich, Thomas Cromwell, and Signor Chapuy in exchange for money. (pp.40-42) In addition, pride is conveyed towards Rich by the steward when he behaves as if he superior over Rich. (pp.104-105) Vices are seen in the steward’s behavior. The Common Man in the role of the boatman demonstrates a lack of morality. The boatman displays dishonesty when he tries to overcharge Thomas for his boat ride home. (p. 25) Likewise, he is being greedy as he wants more money than he should receive for giving Thomas a ride home. (p. 25) Moreover, his disobeyed the law by ignoring the fixed boat fares. (p. 25) The boatman’s actions are sinful. Lack of morals can be observed in the Common Man in the role of the Jailer. The vice of greed is seen by the Jailor when he is willing to accept fifty guineas from Cromwell in exchange for information about Thomas More. (p. 135) Likewise, the jailor is dishonest when he is willing to take anything that Thomas says and tell it to Cromwell to use as evidence against Thomas More in court. (pp. 135-136) Lack of charity is exhibited by the jailor when he does not allow Thomas’s family to visit Thomas at the jail. (pp. 145-146) The Common Man, as the jailor, displays vices. The role of the steward, boatman, and jailor played by the Common Man reveal the lack of mans morals in A Man for All Seasons. Disrespect, dishonesty, greed, pride, lack of charity, and disobedience are witnessed in the words and actions of the three characters. The vices represent the basic character of the Common Man who is every person in every age, class, race, and society. Bolt’s play, A Man for All Seasons instructs one to avoid sin and protect his morals and Christian faith. [ 1 ]. Robert Bolt, The Man for All Seasons(New York, NY; Vintage International, 1990),pp. 4-5. All subsequent references will be noted in the text.

Environmental Destruction: A Philosophical-Anthropological Perspective

Environmental Destruction: A Philosophical-Anthropological Perspective It is no secret anylonger that the ecological crisis puts mankind as a whole to an existential test which have to be solved in practice and in theory. So, by this the vast amount of literature can be explained which consequently led to the emergence of an own "genre" — the so called "ecoliterature" which herself is really dissonant and ambigious. In the meantime — besides other sources — almost all sciences take part in such kind of discussions what obviously can be traced back to the fact that the ecological crisis is such a substantial phenomena which leads therefore to numerous perceptions and different point of views. Considering philosophy — for some the "royal discipline" per se — we can claim that she has forcefully regarded the ecological problems as a challenge in the last decade. But, she has owed her resources first and foremost to ethical considerations. Because of this an ecological ethics has — admittedly not undisputed — developed as a new special ethics. Besides this and apart from an aesthetics of nature as well as from a philosophy of nature different sections of philosophy acting in a much more restraint and careful way. Neither the social philosophy nor the one of history or metaphysics — only to name a few — have seriously engaged in the ecology although it is evident that they are really needed as competent participants. Generally, each section can participate on environmental dialogues. The current role of philosophical anthropology The outlined moderate discussions about ecological and environmental problems can also be observed within the philosophical anthropology which is — according to my opinion — not tenable. One... ...ces JONAS, H.: Das Prinzip Verantwortung. Versuch einer Ethik fà ¼r die technologische Zivilisation. Frankfurt a.M. 1979. LENK, H.: Wie philosophisch ist die Philosophische Anthropologie? Methodologische Bewertung zu den anthropologischen Grundlagen der Sozialwissenschaften. In: FREY, C. / ZELGER, J. (Hrsg.): Der Mensch und die Wissenschaft vom Menschen. Bd. 1. Innsbruck 1983, 145 ff. MAQUARD, O.: Homo Compensator. Zur anthropologischen Karriere eines metaphysischen Begriffs. In: FREY, C. / ZELGER, J. (Hrsg.): Der Mensch und die Wissenschaft vom Menschen. Bd. 1. Innsbruck 1983, 63 ff. MEINBERG, E.: Das Menschenbild der MEINBERG, E.: Homo Oecologicus. Das neue Menschenbild im Zeichen der à ¶kologischen Krise. Darmstadt 1995. PLESSNER, H.: Gesammelte Schriften. Frankfurt a.M. 1985. SCHELER, M.: Die Stellung des Menschen im Kosmos. Bern, Mà ¼nchen 1966.

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail Essay

Those who fail to plan, plan to fail, or at least plan not to improve, according to the management literature. Look at school improvement, and there’s similar agreement pretty much across the literature that the schools that improve are the ones that plan. They establish a clear educational vision and consequent shared mission; identify goals or objectives that enable them to achieve that mission and thereby realise that vision; audit themselves, thereby identifying areas for improvement; and develop and implement educational programs on the basis of leadership 57 that audit that address areas for improvement n ways that help them achieve the mission. That process, much of the literature suggests, is recursive or cyclical. The key in the school improvement literature seems to be that there’s a first step, identifying your vision and shared mission, that then informs the next step, the planning process of identifying goals or objectives aligned with the vision and mission. Whether you look at the management literature or the school improvement literature, at its simplest, goal setting is a way of asking what do we want, do we have what we need so that we can develop and implement what we plan, do our various goals elate to one another or are any in conflict, and is there anything we’ve overlooked, including internal and external blockers? There, in 200 or so words, you have the whole easy-peasy school improvement planning story, and can stop reading and go and get that coffee right now. Or not. The problem, if you’re still reading, is that planning and goal setting can sometimes lead to fragmented, uncoordinated programs with conflicting objectives that actually work against one another. Yes, setting specific, challenging goals, and developing and implementing educational programs to meet them can drive school mprovement, but as Adam Galinsky, author with Lisa Ordonez, Maurice Schweitzer and Max Bazerman of ‘Goals gone wild,’ in the 58 teacher june/july 2009 Journal of the Academy of Management Perspectives, told the Boston Globe’s Drake Bennett, goal setting ‘can lead to crazy behaviours to get people to achieve them. ’ ‘We contend,’ write Ordonez, Schweitzer, Galinsky and Bazerman in ‘Goals gone wild,’ ‘that goal setting has been over- prescribed. In particular, we argue that goal setting has powerful and predictable side effects. Rather than being offered as an â€Å"over-the-counter† salve for boosting performance, oal setting should be prescribed selectively, presented with a warning label and closely monitored. ’ Tunnel vision To be fair, Ordonez, Schweitzer, Galinsky and Bazerman have their eyes set on performance management, and its tendency to an outcome orientation like a defined sales target, say, or reduced time spent on a process, rather than school improvement, and its tendency to the systemic development and implementation of programs. Nonetheless, people in a school who want to improve it will end up setting, or having set for them, some kind of performanceoriented goal. The message from Ordonez, Schweitzer, Galinsky and Bazerman is that they should pursue that goal with care. Let’s consider why goals, as Ordonez and colleagues put it, go wild. The first reason, they argue, is that a goal might be inappropriate or so specific that in pursuing it, people ignore important elements of their behaviour, and maybe even their attitudes and values, that are not specified by the goal. ‘Suppose that a university department bases tenure decisions primarily on the number of articles that (academics) publish,’ they write. ‘This goal will motivate (the academics) to accomplish the narrow objective of publishing articles. Other important objectives, however, such as research impact, teaching and service, may suffer. ’ Worse, say Ordonez and colleagues, referring to Barry Staw and Richard Boettger’s ‘Task revision: A neglected form of work performance’ in the Academy of Management Journal, goals can give us tunnel vision. In their study on the effects of goals, Staw and Boettger asked students to proofread a paragraph that contained both grammatical and content errors. They found that those asked simply to ‘do your best’ corrected both grammatical and content errors, while those who were asked specifically to correct grammar gnored content, and those who were asked specifically to correct content ignored grammar. The reason? Goals ‘inform the individual about what behaviour is valued and appropriate,’ argue Staw and Boettger. The goal-setting problem, Ordonez and colleagues add, is that when we plan we tend to latch on to specific, measurable standards rather than complex sets of behaviours, and the attitudes and values that underlie them, precisely because specific standards are easy to measure and complex sets of behaviours are not. Command performance The goal-setting problem, essentially, depends n whether a goal is set by command or by consultation, negotiation or – horror – genuine collaboration. Goals set by command are, by definition, set by those with the power, whether you like it or not, to set them. The risk of such goal setting is that, first, it may lead to goals that are inappropriate or overly specific and, second, that leaders and their followers can be prone to what could be called target fixation or what Christopher Kayes, calls ‘destructive goal pursuit’ in Destructive Goal Pursuit: The Mount Everest disaster, to which Ordonez and colleagues also refer. As they note, ‘Kayes identifies warning signs of leaders who have become excessively fixated on goals. These occur in leaders who express narrowly- defined goals, associate goals with destiny, express an idealised future, offer goal-driven justifications, face public expectations and attempt to engage in face-saving behaviour. ’ It’s a useful checklist to use to audit yourself or a leader in your institution, but remember, we tend to latch on to specific measurable things rather than complex sets of behaviours, and the attitudes and values that underlie them, precisely The goal-setting problem s that when we plan we tend to latch on to specific, measurable standards†¦ because specific standards are easy to measure. leadership 59 because the specifics are easy to measure and complex sets of behaviours are not. Performance anxiety Of course, one of the main planks of the education policy of this and the previous Commonwealth government is the standards agenda – the benchmarking of student achievement outcomes, which educators and schools then strive to achieve, and which at their worst could end up as ‘league tables. ’ Whether you’re a fan of the standards agenda or not, it’s clearly the mother of all oals in Australian education, and worth considering in terms of goal setting. Ordonez and colleagues have some interesting observations to make, particularly about what they call the serious side-effects of setting challenging or so-called stretch goals. These, they argue, can lead people to choose riskier strategies and to cheat, and can create a culture of competition that erodes cooperation. On ethics, they argue, ‘The interplay between organisational culture and goal setting is particularly important. An ethical organisational culture can rein in the harmful effects of goal setting, but at the same ime, the use of goals can influence organisational culture. Specifically, the use of goal setting, like â€Å"management by objectives,† creates a focus on ends rather than means†¦. Goal setting impedes ethical decision making by making it harder for employees to recognise ethical issues and easier for them to rationalise unethical behaviour. Given that small actions within an organisation can have broad implications for organisational culture, we postulate that aggressive goal setting within an organisation will foster an organisational climate ripe for unethical behaviour. That is, not only does goal setting irectly motivate unethical behaviour, but its introduction may also motivate unethical behaviour indirectly by subtly altering an organisation’s culture. ’ Handle with care If the bad news of the government-mandated standards agenda is that there’s a risk of a form of goal setting that creates a focus on ends rather than means, the good news for schools is that the school-improvement literature puts a premium on one thing that’s evident in the first 200 words of this story: collegiality. With any luck, your school- improvement planning process and the goals that you consequently set are the result of onsultation, negotiation and collaboration, not command and, if they are, chances are yours are learning goals, not performance targets. As Ordonez and colleagues observe, performance goals inhibit learning. ‘When individuals face a complex task, specific, challenging goals may inhibit learning from experience and degrade performance compared to exhortations to â€Å"do your best. † An individual who is narrowly focused on a performance goal will be less likely to try alternative methods that could help her learn how to perform a task†¦. Overall, the narrow focus of specific goals can inspire erformance, but prevent learning. ’ As Edwin Locke and Gary Latham recommend in ‘Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey’ in American Psychologist, we should be setting ‘learning goals’ in complex situations rather than ‘performance goals. ’ The problem, as Ordonez and colleagues note, is that, ‘In practice, however, managers may have trouble determining when a task is complex enough to warrant a learning, rather than a performance, goal†¦. The goal of setting the right goals is itself a challenging affair. ’ Perhaps it’s time for a new axiom: those ho fail to plan carefully, plan at their peril.

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae and Suicide In The Trenches by Siegfried Sassoon Essay

â€Å"Select two of the poems you have studied. Compare and contrast the different attitudes to war expressed by the poets and the techniques used to convey them.† The two poems, which I have chosen, are, â€Å"In Flanders Fields† by John McCrae, and â€Å"Suicide in the Trenches† by Siegfried Sassoon. The poems take opposing views to the war. â€Å"In Flanders Fields† we find McCrae taking a positive, almost religious and very sensitive view about the outcome of war. Whilst in comparison, in â€Å"Suicide in the Trenches†, Sassoon portrays a negative, harsh, cynical and angry view. â€Å"In Flanders Fields† McCrae writes about his views on what happens after dying in war. It is a very personal poem, emphasised by being written using the personal pronouns; â€Å"we and our†, rather than impersonal; â€Å"them and their†. This involves the reader by in a way, including them in the poem. The poem also imparts a strong feeling of patriotism. McCrae uses controlled, everyday language in the poem. The rhyme is steady, and flows smoothly, which draws you into the poem, and that’s what makes me like it. â€Å"Between the crosses, row on row† McCrae uses a lot of repetition. He talks of the crosses on the graves, making sure you realise that there are lots of graves, and how the poppies grow in between. He uses the poppies and the lark as a way of reminding us that we are just like a passing season, born, growing, dying, and then being replaced as nature carries on, even if we don’t! In the first stanza McCrae mainly describes the scene of the poem. In the second stanza, there isn’t enjambement like the first. McCrae uses a caesura in the first line. â€Å"We are the dead.† This forms a definite break. McCrae is making sure that you stop and take in what he is trying to tell you. It is strongly emphasised, abrupt, and it gets to the point. He continues with no complicated words. The language continues to be plain and simple. Again by using â€Å"we† McCrae includes the reader in the feeling of dawn, seeing the sunset glow, a reference to the start and end of the day , a parody of life. McCrae then goes onto writing about how the soldiers loved, and were loved. The keywords in the sentence being â€Å"were†, telling us that they are no more. They can no longer go on loving, or fighting, and are laid to rest in Flanders Fields. In the third and final stanza, McCrae tells us they have â€Å"failing hands†, means that they are losing strength. The soldiers grow weaker and weaker, then when they die they pass on the torch, symbolising responsibility, to the soldiers who are stronger. The torch of unity and hope, like the torch at the Olympic games, it’s symbolic. All the soldiers are being linked together, fighting for something they believe in. McCrae wants new soldiers to carry on fighting for something that they believe in, so that men, who have fought before him, haven’t fought in vain. They need to keep the flame in the torch alive. Then McCrae writes, â€Å"The torch, be yours to hold it high.† Telling us to be proud of the torch, hold it up high, be determined. The torch gives an impression of right, along with pride. Yet he almost invents this with what is almost a threat, contrasting life and death, right and wrong. For example, â€Å"If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep†, I think that McCrae’s attitude towards war is brave. He has hope, and thinks that you should fight for your country as your comrades have done before you. Agree with your country, and keep going till it’s over. It’s a soldier’s duty to die for his country. It should be worthwhile. The poem is patriotic, and has a strong sense of purpose, but it’s sad, and yet dignified. â€Å"Suicide in the Trenches† is a totally different poem. Its verses are simple, they have a strong beat, the lines are rhythmical, and have regular rhyming. The poem was written in 1918, in the First World War, so Sassoon is writing about his experiences. It starts off with the phrase â€Å"simple solider†, using alliteration. The soldier is young, innocent, too young to be fighting, but it seems a pleasant poem. â€Å"Who grinned at life in empty joy, means that the soldier is easily pleased, undemanding, glad with life. When it was dark, and lonesome, the soldier slept through it, happily, he was untroubled, and had nothing to worry about. He got up at the crack of dawn, as the lark does. He was cheerful. This is like a child’s impression of war. That a soldier is brave, and not afraid of anything. The second stanza says that in winter, the trenches are full of rain, snow, and conditions are bad. The young soldier feels cowed and glum, to be â€Å"cowed down†, means subdued. This tells us that he has no spirit left, his spirit has all gone. All the joy in his life has been taken away. â€Å"With crumps and lice† crumps are bursting bombs, warfare, the trenches are lice infested. There is a lack of rum. The soldiers are issued with rum for courage, before they go out and fight, they have some, it’s a way of keeping their spirits up, but there is even a lack of rum too! The poem is getting more and more angry. In the same stanza, Sassoon writes, â€Å"He put a bullet through his brain.† This has a harsh simplicity. We are shocked by what Sassoon is writing. This once so pleasant, and untroubled boy, has now found this so hard, that he has taken his own life. It is very abrupt, and comes out of the blue. â€Å"No one spoke of him again.† All his fellow soldiers are ashamed of what he did to himself. He left them, and didn’t have to courage to go on. It was a shameful, and easy way out. But it was out of shock and horror that he killed himself. I think that also people were ashamed of themselves for not helping him, and that he had to do it as a way out. He felt he had no other option. The third stanza becomes more general. It stops being so personal. We begin to feel what the writer feels, very bitter and angry towards war. All the people at home, were thinking they knew everything about the war, when they didn’t have to go through what the soldiers were going through. They didn’t have any experience of the reality of war. They dress up the war and the truth is hidden. They are â€Å"Smug†, self-satisfied people, who will send other people off to war, but wouldn’t go themselves. â€Å"Kindling eye† is a way of pointing out their excitement, getting a fire going, that they are lit up with enthusiasm for war, which they wont fight. The people are hiding away from what the soldiers have to do. War is hell. War has taken away all the soldier’s youth and laughter goes. There is no laughter in war. The men don’t get to live their youth, and have to fight, and kill. The two poems are therefore totally different, but they have the same structure. The both have three stanzas, and have generally got a steady beat throughout. They have opposite meanings. They both start off pleasant, and â€Å"Flanders Fields† stays that way, it is sad but with a positive outlook on the way. But Sassoon’s â€Å"Suicide in the trenches† changes abruptly and becomes very negative. They both talk about death, but in totally opposite ways, â€Å"In Flanders Fields† says it is worth dying for your country, and what you believe in. But on the other hand, â€Å"Suicide in the Trenches† says it isn’t worth going through the hell of war, and losing your life for nothing. They are both very personal poems, even though Sassoon’s becomes less personal towards the end. Both the poets have lived through war, and both the poems were written in the same year, during WW1. Both the poems have simple, easy to understand, everyday language.

How to Use the Inverted Pyramid in Newswriting

How to Use the Inverted Pyramid in Newswriting Inverted pyramid refers to the structure or model commonly used for hard-news stories. It means that the most important, or heaviest information goes at the top of the story, while the least important information goes at the bottom. Heres an example:  He used the inverted pyramid structure to write his news story. Early Beginnings The inverted pyramid format was developed during the Civil War. Correspondents covering the great battles of that war would do their reporting, then rush to the nearest telegraph office to have their stories transmitted, via Morse Code, back to their newsrooms. But the telegraph lines were often cut in mid-sentence, sometimes in an act of sabotage. So the reporters  realized they had to put the most important facts right at the very start of their stories so that even if most of the details were lost, the main point would get through. (Interestingly, the  Associated Press, which is known for its extensive use of tightly written, inverted pyramid stories, was founded around this same time. Today the AP is the oldest and one of the largest news organizations in the world.) Inverted Pyramid Today Of course, some 150 years after the end of the Civil War, the inverted pyramid format is still being used because it has served both journalists and readers well. Readers benefit from being able to get the main point of the story right in the very first sentence. And news outlets benefit by being able to convey more information in a smaller space, something thats especially true in an age when newspapers are literally shrinking. (Editors also like the inverted pyramid format because when working on tight deadlines, it enables them to cut overly long stories from the bottom without losing any vital information.) In fact, the inverted pyramid format is probably more useful today than ever. Studies have found that readers tend to have shorter attention spans when reading on screens as opposed to paper. And since readers increasingly get their news not just on the relatively small screens of iPads but on the tiny screens of smartphones, more than ever reporters must summarize stories as quickly and as succinctly as possible. Indeed, even though online-only news sites theoretically have infinite amounts of space for articles, since there are no pages to be physically printed, more often than not youll find that their stories still use the inverted pyramid and are very tightly written, for the reasons cited above. Do It Yourself For the beginning reporter, the inverted pyramid format should be easy to learn. Make sure to get the main points of your story - the five Ws and the H - into your lede. Then, as you go from the start to the finish of your story, put the most important news near the top, and the least important stuff near the bottom. Do that, and youll produce a tight, well-written news story using a format that has withstood the test of time.

Business Law1

Business Law1 Essay The full name of the first company I chose is Entrust Technologies Inc. The state and year of incorporation is Texas in 1996. The company was a spin-off of Nortel Networks. The worldwide headquarters for the corporation is 4975 Preston Park Blvd Suite 400 Plano, Texas 75093. The Chief Executive Officer and President of the company is John Ryan. The number of shareholders is in the 26, 000 range and the stock is traded on the NASDAQ. The ticker symbol for the corporation is ENTU. The CUSIP number is _________. The price range of Entrust Technologies from 1998 1999 was $24 upon opening on January 1, 1998 and its close was $60 on December 31, 1999 (See chart 1.1, attached to back of paper full year price range). The corporation has many subsidiaries that it recognizes: Entrust Technologies Limited, Entrust. net, Entrust Technologies (United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan), Entrust Technologies GmbH (Germany) and CygnaCom Solutions. Entrust Technologies Inc. provides products and services to ensure secure electronic communications and transactions over the Internet, Extranets and Intranets. (http://biz.yahoo.com/p/e/entu. html) The company is ahead of its game in the Internet business. A lawsuit was filed against the company in February of 1999 by Surety technologies, Inc. The lawsuit involved the supposed infringement of patent rights on the part of Entrust Technologies. Surety said they developed a digital timestamping method using hash and sign. They claim it was their method and only theirs. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled for Entrust claiming that the patent covering the special hash -and- sign method used by Surety was not a new thing. Any company could use the technology to better their communication systems by timestamping electronic documents. The lawsuit and verdict proved to the rest of the world that Entrust Technologies is ready to advance all companies with special devices to make their business run a little bit smoother. The verdict was handed down in November 1999 and gave ENTU a very strong third quarter. Their revenue increased from $13.0 million to $22.6 million in one year. The lawsuit benefited, not hampered the business practices of Entrust Technologies. There are literally hundreds of competitors in the computer services business. AutoBytel Com Inc., Agency Com LTD, Publicard Inc, Zapme Inc., Knot Inc. and Paychex Inc. are just some of the companies that compete in the business with Entrust Technologies (See 1.2, attached file regarding the competitors). VectorVest rates the long-range outlook for the stock poorly in most areas. They rate stocks well that are steady and predictable. All the stocks are rated on a 0.00 2. 00 scale, a relative safety greater than 1.00 is safe and below 1.00 is not a safe buy. ENTU was given a relative safety of 0.71, very poor. The relative value is a 0. 82, also poor. When a stock has a relative safety and value greater than 1.00 the earning rate will increase and shares will increase in value. Entrust was given a relative timing rating of 1.04, which is fair in this field. The trend established is fair and might last depending on the stocks dependability. VectorVest also suggests that ENTU is overvalued and having a high-risk dividend because it does not pay a dividend. This also shows that ENTU has not dividend growth and that indicates future outlook and past history. In conclusion, Entrust Technologies has a below average safety with below average upside potential. This reflects the stocks potential and almost ensures below average, inconsistent returns. Reesegroup.com rates ENTU as having no interest at this time. Entrust Technologies Inc. was a good buy. I disagree with the critics on this one. When I bought the stock on January 20th it was at $56 and it rose up and down slowly to 92 .

Comparitive studies of enviormental policies in China & USA Essay

Comparitive studies of enviormental policies in China & USA - Essay Example Because of the relation between such acts of environmental degradation and economic development, there are often national policies on environment control that are enacted and implemented on national basis. This paper therefore seeks to examine the differences and similarities between China and the United States in terms of their environmental policies as well as compare them economically and then having overview of other countries with similar environmental policies as China. Similarities in Environmental Policies between China and the United States Two areas of environmental policy of which the United States and China has a lot of similarities has to do with the area of resource energy and recycling. Both countries have policies that are channeled towards the need to reserve the environment by avoiding the use of non-renewable sources of energy such as hydro electricity. To this end, there has over the years being a policy to fade off the use of non-renewable energy sources in power ing major industries in both countries (Vesper, 2000). In the United States for instance, the use of wind energy has become a widely promoted source of energy for major industries, especially those into manufacturing. China has also been known to take a giant lead in the use of solar energy in powering most its industries such as those in manufacturing (Waddell, 2003). Almost the same story is true in the case of recycling as industries in both countries have had to follow national policies that enshrine them to recycle waste product and channel them into other areas of energy generation rather than dumping the waste into the environment. In the United States, this policy is championed by the Environment Protection Agency. Differences in Environmental Policies between China and the United States As much as there are similarities in policies, there are also areas between China and the United States that there are several differences in developmental ideologies. These ideologies diffe rences have actually resulted in differences in environmental policies. For example in China, there is the ideology of the need to reduce the country’ population sharply as the country is currently the most populated country in the world. Though the United States is heavily populated, its demand for population reduction is not as intensive as that of China. Because of this, China has a policy known as one-baby-per family that seeks to enforce the reduction of number of births in homes. United States on the other hand only uses public advocacy to appeal for birth control. In the area of pollution also, there are differences between the two countries. For instance, whereas China has a more liberal approach to industrialization as a way widening it up its industrial growth in global economy, the United States as a more stringent approach to new entrants into industrialization. Subsequently, the United States is more concerned about checking acts of pollution among industries tha n China is (Rotter, 2001). This is because the government of China sees policies that force industry players to stick to certain rules as a means of intimidating their operation. Economic impact of Environmental Policies for China and the United States Industrial economists hold very interesting views on the economic impact of environmental pol

Marriage must be banned Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marriage must be banned - Research Paper Example 71). Moreover, according to the "Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law", "Marriage is the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a legal, consensual, and contractual relationship recognized and sanctioned by and dissolvable only by law" (Marriage). In any case, marriage is a partnership or covenant between a male and female which starts normally when at the youth period and ends only at the death of either of the partners. The concept of marriage is getting decreased popularity at present among teenagers or youths because of the changing life styles and life principles. According to National vital statistics reports of 2009, "Number of marriages is 2,077,000. Marriage rate is 6.8 per 1,000 total populations. Divorce rate is 3.4 per 1,000 populations (44 reporting States and D.C.)" (Tejada & Sutton). Current generation perceive marriage as a burden rather than a necessity. In their opinion, whatever the purpose fulfilled though marriage can be obtain ed even without a marital life. Staying together is the new life concept which is substituting marriage. The advantage of staying together over marriage is that if any of the partners face problems in adjusting his or her life with the partner, he/she can put an end to that relationship easily and look for other options. It is difficult for the couples to get a divorce, if they tied their relationship through a marriage. In this paper, I argue that marriage should be banned considering burden it creates to human life. Forced marriage and arranged marriage create lot of problems in the life of people. â€Å"The only reason for the couple to be together is the pressure of the two families and of the society as a whole. They are concerned to keep the marriage going no matter whether it is successful or not† (Opponent’s Views on Arranged Marriages). Neither the male nor the female gets any opportunity to know each other in the case of an arranged marriage. Parents usually arrange the marriages of their children based on their own perceptions about life. However, life is changing rapidly and it is not necessary that the parents have the right knowledge about the necessities of modern life. Parents arrange the marriage based on the knowledge they acquired in their life. Their intention is always to secure the life of their children. So, in most of the cases, the parents will look to the financial aspects of the marriage first before finalizing the marriage. Dowry system is prevailing among many cultures and the marriage is decided based on the amount of dowry the bridegroom is getting. In other words, the choices of the youths get least preferences in arranged marriages. Marriage is a convention. From a thousand years ago to today, people get married by the strong force. â€Å"Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that: â€Å"Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses† (C onvention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages). However, many of the youths try to engage in marital relationships, to keep the tradition intact. They might have learned that marriage is an essential thing which makes human different from animals. They are getting long lectures about the importance of keeping traditions from their school, colleges, and churches. Even if they have different opinions, the pressure from family and society force them to engage in a

Intelligence of the heart Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Intelligence of the heart - Term Paper Example The artist, Rene Schwaller de Lubicz argued that civilization in Egypt is much older than the orthodox Egyptologist suggests it. However, this claim has of recent been disputed by the recently unveiled work of the Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval arguing that Rene might have been unfounded in their artwork research. Despite the opposing views, Rene Schwaller de Lubicz presented that the Egyptian antiquity could not be used as enough proof to place the dissenting voices beyond reproach. He further argued that the study of the Egyptian history could be the basis of insightful thinking with reference to the laws of creation, which was critically fundamental by then. With all care and considerations of Egyptian culture and civilization ranging from the construction of the pyramids, which took the shape of beer mugs, Rene claimed central metaphysical vision to be his source of motivation. This form of motivation could be directed towards the nature of the cosmic harmony and this took cons ideration towards awareness creation of the place of the humanity in the constantly evolving world full of consciousness (Buhner, Stephen & Harrod 2004). Form the remarks of his able translator Deborah, Rene’s studies about Egypt are constituent parts of his widely spread Philosophical and metaphysical pieces of art work. Brief Historical perspective Rene was born in Alsace-Lorraine, which was then part of Germany, he grew up in a polyglot surrounding. Through a Lithunian poet and diplomat, Lubicz Milosz Rene attained the name â€Å"de Lubicz†. This was in recognition of his efforts after the negative impacts of the Second World War in a Lithuania. His city of birth turbulently shifted power between the French and the Germans alternately and this took place right from Rene’s birth (Buhner, Stephen & Harrod 2004). The writer lent a lot of his work in the curious characteristics of his work. Some of the artists associating with Rene suggested that the writer was g ifted in a way that he could think in German and write in French. In addition, he was also gifted with the inherent difficulty of expressing non-linear issues. Such combinations ranged from â€Å"living† to â€Å"dead† linear languages, which presented an uphill task before the previous readers. As suggested in his work, insights of the apropos with regards to functional consciousness, he describes that nature presents a hip or a great mountain which is wound up with a peak of immaculate whiteness which he could not be able to made understand the way towards (Mookerjee & Ajit 2004). In a nutshell, for functional consciousness to be achieved it is vital that a clear roadmap be established showing the procedures towards achieving such objectives. We may be interested in adopting Schwaller’s insights as upcoming artists, the only challenge is that whenever we try doing this, we find ourselves in a very difficult situations given the turbulences facing his works. De spite such concerns, Rene was not actually touched as he argued that it is in the interest of the persons concerned to find their way out. Schwaller believed that knowledge was only a right to those who were willing to make the effort to get the

Orphaned And Vulnerable Children In Africa Education Essay

Orphaned And Vulnerable Children In Africa Education Essay Introduction During the course Education Development in Diverse Societies we learned about the main educational theories and other (inter)disciplinary approaches to study educational issues in developing countries. We analysed educational reforms and innovations from an interdisciplinary and multilevel perspective, and examined their theoretical basis, the practical implications, the strengths and weaknesses, and how they respond to the learning needs of children with a diverse background.  [1]  In this paper I will apply the knowledge and understanding that I gained by writing about the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on basic education for children at risk.  [2]   The AIDS epidemic has become a global crisis currently threatening the lives of millions of people and devastating entire societies. Education systems have an essential role to play in fighting this epidemic, because of their capacity to reach very large numbers of young people with life-saving information and skills. A completed primary education can reduce the risk of HIV infection for young people; and in fact, basic education has such a powerful preventative effect, that it has been described as the social vaccine (Boler Carroll 2003). As the epidemic gathers pace, however, it poses increasing risks to education itself, threatening to stop children from enrolling, teachers from teaching and schools from functioning. This threatens the Right to Education, and the objective of Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to achieve primary universal education. Particularly, orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), face a lot of challenges in the provision of q uality education.  [3]   In this paper, I therefore focus on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on basic education for orphans and vulnerable children in Sub Saharan Africa in order to improve and increase their access to quality education, skills development and other social services. Since I am going to conduct research in Zambia on a related topic, I focus particularly on the impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic on basic education in Zambia. The research questions of this paper therefore state: What is the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on basic education for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs) in Zambia? What can be done to increase their access, progression and educational outcomes? Part one of this paper deals with the more general literature about HIV/AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa. This includes the impact of HIV/AIDS, leading to many different educational consequences. In part two I focus on Zambia as a case study, whereby I explain the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zambia, the impact it has on OVCs and the educational system. Part three discusses the possibilities of redressing the harmful consequences within the educational system, whereby I focus on community schools. In conclusion, I answer the research question and I will give recommendations for further research. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Sub Saharan Africa Two-thirds of all people infected with HIV/AIDS live in Sub Saharan Africa, although this region includes little more than 10% of the worlds population (UNAIDS 2008; Foster Williamson 2000: 275; Barnett Whiteside 2006: 210-19). HIV/AIDS has caused immense human suffering in the continent. The most obvious effect of this crisis has been illness and death, but the impact of the epidemic has certainly not been confined to the health sector. Households, schools, workplaces and economies have also been badly affected. Since the beginning of the epidemic more than 15 million Africans have died from AIDS (UNAIDS 2008). In the previous year 2008, an estimated 1.4 million adults and children died as a result of AIDS in Sub Saharan Africa (UNAIDS 2008). Besides, a growing number of children in Sub Saharan Africa have been orphaned by AIDS (Robson Sylvester 2007: 260). However, detailed information on the numbers of children directly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic is very limited in most countries in Sub Saharan Africa (Bennell 2005: 468). A major part of the problem is that it is often difficult to establish whether a child, parent or carer is ill or has died as a result of an AIDS-related disease. Another complicating factor is that there is no standard definition of an orphan. Definitions of orphans vary across different cultures and studies. In general, an orphan due to AIDS is defined as a child who has lost at least one parent dead from AIDS or AIDS related diseases. However, UNICEF and UNAIDS have a more specific definition. They define an orphan as a child under 15 years of age: a single orphan has lost one parent, while a double orphan has lost both parents (Foster Williamson 2000; Brennell 2005; Barnett Whiteside 2006: 213). For the purpose of this paper, and in line with working definitions in Zambia, an orphan is defined as a child below the age of 18 who has lost one or both parents (Robson Sylvester 2007: 262). The toll of HIV/AIDS on households can be very severe. Although the whole population is affected by HIV/AIDS, it are often the poorest areas of society that are most exposed to the epidemic and for whom the consequences are most severe. In many cases, the presence of AIDS causes the household to break up, as parents die and children are sent to relatives for care and upbringing. Although the HIV/AIDS epidemic has affected many aspects of social and economic development, this paper focuses on the affect on educational development. The relationship between AIDS and the education sector is circular as the epidemic worsens, the education sector is damaged, which in turn is likely to increase the incidence of HIV transmission. There are numerous ways in which AIDS can affect education, but equally there are many ways in which education can help the fight against AIDS and generates hope (Kelly 1999: 6-7).  [4]  The extent to which schools and other educational institutions are able to continue functioning will influence how well societies eventually recover from the epidemic. Or as the director of UNAIDS, Peter Piot, explained it: Without education, AIDS will continue its rampant spread. With AIDS out of control, education will be out of reach (World Bank et al. 2002). OVCs are less likely to have proper schooling. The death of a prime-age adult in a household will reduce a childs attendance at school (World Bank 1997: 225 in Barnett Whiteside 2006: 220).  [5]  The household may be less able to pay for schooling. An orphaned child may have to take on household or income-earning work. Sick adults may have reduced expectations of the returns of investing in childrens education as they do not expect to live long enough to recoup the investment. When a child goes to another household after his or his parents death, the obstacles become greater as the child is not their own (Barnett Whiteside 2006: 220). Finally, a reason why it is important to focus on children is that the impact of HIV/AIDS will linger for decades after the epidemic begins to wane (Foster Williamson 2000: 275). However, for a diversity of reasons, little attention has been paid to the situation and experience of individual children affected by HIV/AIDS. Nevertheless, greater understanding of the impact of HIV/AIDS on childrens education is essential in the design and evaluation of programmes to support children living under difficult conditions. HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zambia Zambia, in southern Africa, has been severely affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and can be seen as the mirror of Sub Saharan Africa. Statistics emphasize that one in five adults is infected with HIV (Kayanta 2004 in Robson Sylvester 2007: 259-60). Additionally, more than 70% of the population lives in poverty (CSO 2003 in Robson Sylvester 2007: 260). However, the country is active to implement the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), to achieve the EFA and the MDGs, by eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, to promote gender equality and empower women and to achieve universal primary education.  [6]  Besides, the country adopted a number of poverty reduction objectives (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008: 19). Almost 50% of Zambias population is under 15 years old, 71% of children live in poverty, and one in four children are orphaned. In other words, the HIV epidemic has devastated the country and it is estimated that by 2010 there will be 1,328,000 AIDS orphans (UNAIDS 2008). These children are vulnerable to neglect, sexual abuse and early marriages, forced child labour and can have serious health and nutrition problems. As a result OVCs are less likely to have access to school and to complete quality basic education. Social protection measures put in place by the government are hampered by inadequate resources, and OVCs lack of awareness of their rights. The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the Zambian education system The AIDS epidemic affects the supply of and demands for education in a variety of ways, especially in a high HIV prevalence country like Zambia (Bennell 2005: 467). HIV/AIDS has multiple effects on education through ten different mechanisms: reduction in demand, reduction in supply, reduction in availability of resources, adjustments in response to the special needs of an increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children, adaptation to new interactions both within schools and between schools and communities, curriculum modification, altered roles that have to be adopted by teachers and the education system, the ways in which schools and the education system are organised, the planning and management of the system, and donor support for education (Kelly 1999: 1). More and more research is carried out on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zambia. However, little research has been undertaken in basic schools themselves, to examine the experiences of poverty and AIDS-affected children. Therefore, Robson and Sylvester emphasize that  ´it is timely to explore the perceptions of education personnel and students regarding the adequacy of responses within the educational sector and to identify the unmet needs ´ (Robson Sylvester 2007: 262). Impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on education for pupils There are three groups of schoolchildren whose lives are most directly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and whose education is, therefore, potentially at maximum risk: children who are HIV positive, children living in households with sick family members, and children whose parents or caretakers have died of HIV/AIDS. The scope to which the education of these children is negatively affected depends deeply on the level of physical and emotional support they get from the extended family, the school, the community and the local government (Bennell 2005: 468). However, like I explained in the introduction, it is difficult to indicate the number of directly affected children by the epidemic. Besides, schools rarely keep accurate and up-to-date records on the number of affected children and their parents. Nonetheless, we do know that the number of children that is HIV positive because the mother passed the virus on to her child is relatively small, since over 90 per cent of these children die before they are old enough to attend school. It is therefore estimated that a small number of schoolchildren is infected or has AIDS related sicknesses (Brennell 2005: 469). This is also the reason why mortality rates at primary schools are low. It is commonly believed that the education of children who are most directly affected by the epidemic is adversely affected in a number of ways. The main argument is that given very difficult home situations, both orphans and children in AIDS-affected households are often forced to drop out of school altogether with little likelihood of ever returning to school (Brennell 2005: 473). The growth in the number of orphans [and other directly affected children] is taxing the coping strategies of families and society at large. In many cases, the extended family find it extremely difficult to cope economically and psychologically with the numbers it is required to absorb. Few orphans [and other children in AIDS-affected households] are able to pay their school or training fees. Many others have to care for others in the homes where they live. Many have to work to support themselves or younger siblings dependent on them (Kelly 2000: 57 in Brennell 2005: 473). Pupils whose parents die or are ill often drop out of school due to different factors such as, economic stresses on households, changes in the family structure, responsibilities to look after the sick, the elderly or siblings and loss of parental supervision (Foster Williamson 2000: 278,81). The way school attendance, performance and school completion are effected generally depends on levels of risks and vulnerability due to social, economic and cultural circumstances (Robson Sylvester 2007: 265). It is important to mention that the financial burden on families, for example when parents die, prevents many children from attending school despite the provision of free basic education because of the extra school costs, like textbooks, contribution to school funds and examination costs (Brennell 2005: 475; Barnett Whiteside 2006: 220). Other reasons for children to drop out of school or to perform badly are that poor children are frequently ill because of poor living conditions, which seriously affects their education. Besides, AIDS-related stigmas and discrimination increase the chance that children are not going to school (Foster Williamson 2000: 281-82; Bennell 2005: 473). Children, especially whose parents are known or suspected to have died of HIV/AIDS face the risk of being stigmatised or discriminated. This can also result in bullying of these children. Stigma and discrimination in schools violates the principles of inclusive education and education for all (Robson Sylvester 2007: 266). Research in Zambia showed that the number of children attending primary school is decreasing. The decline in school participation rates was thought to result from poverty, inability to pay the rising costs of schooling, and increasing parental disillusion with the low quality of education. This is linked to HIV/AIDS and its affects on poverty, levels of employment, and the quality of school provision (Kelly 2000: 12 in Barnett Whiteside 2006: 220). Noteworthy is that proportionately more orphans than non-orphans were not attending school according to this research. Although it is important to focus on enrolment rates and participation, it is also important to pay attention to the quality of learning as well. Children, for example, might be hungry, or are unable to concentrate due to tensions or anxiety at home. Vulnerable children tend to be more malnourished or to have received insufficient health care. This negatively affects school enrolment, attendance and performance (Robson Sylvester 2007: 266; Barnett Whiteside 2006: 221). Orphans and other vulnerable children often have to do a lot of household tasks before and after school. This indicates that obstacles to school achievement are strongly connected with poverty and its related tensions. Besides, the curriculum of the school often not adapts to the vocational, emotional and life skills needs of HIV/AIDS affected-pupils. Whats more, HIV/AIDS has resulted in increasing teacher absenteeism and a significant decline in the number of teachers. This affects the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and diverted resources away from schools. The remaining teachers face problems because the burden on their shoulders increases since they have to manage progressively larger class sizes with poor resources (Kelly 1999: 3; Carr-Hill 2002 in Robson Sylvester 2007: 261, 265; Barnett Whiteside 2006: 220). Sometimes pupils are also sent home because of a lack of teachers. All together, this affects the quality of teaching and learning for the pupils. Overall, we can say that poor pupils attending and performance is the result of a myriad of factors including irregular attendance and generally poor quality of schooling (Brennell 2005: 475). Studies also show that HIV/AIDS should not be excessively blamed for problems achieving Universal Primary Education. Problems with school enrolment, attendance and completion are also related to poverty or problems inherent to the school system, such as the quality of education (Barnett Whiteside 2006: 222). Redressing the harmful consequences within the educational system In Zambia most of the initiatives within the education sector in relation to tackling HIV/AIDS and poverty are situated within educational reform programmes, such as the Basic Education Sub-Sector Investment Programme (BESSIP). The aim of this programme is to increase and improve the access, quality of basic education by the year 2015 (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008: 19). Besides, the Ministry of Education made the goal of equitable access to relevant education a right for all Zambians and it removed the school fees in 2003 (Robson Sylvester 2007: 260). HIV/AIDS prevention strategies tend to focus mainly on preventive community-based initiatives to improve access to health education. However, there are various barriers to learning and participation. This is linked to the fact that many teachers lack the knowledge or the skills to implement effective HIV/AIDS and life skills programmes (Obura Sinclear 2005 in Robson Sylvester 2007: 260). Therefore, the challenge for the Zambian Ministry of Education (MoE) and the international community is not only to provide the right to basic education, but also strengthen schools as inclusive and supportive communities. For the pupils, this might focus on provision of alternative and more opportunities for participation and learning, access to health, life skills, suitable counselling and support in order to cope with the harmful consequences of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For teachers, it is important to concentrate on professional development opportunities in order to support the management of large scale and curriculum development e.g. in the areas of life skills and vocational skills (Robson Sylvester 2007: 259-60). In Zambia, community schools have a significant position in redressing the harmful consequences of HIV/AIDS within the education system. Community schools try to differentiate the learning needs of OVCs by designing and delivering a relevant and meaningful curriculum that assist these children to develop income-generating skills, personal, health, emotional and social skills, and critical learning skills (Kelly 1999: 4). Most community school use the four-year curriculum: Skills, Participation, Access and Relevant Knowledge (SPRAK). This curriculum offers pupils a fast track to official grade 7 examinations (Chondoka 2004; Robson Sylvester 2007: 267). In the following part of this paper I will first explain the main features of community schools in Zambia. Secondly, I will discuss why community schools and especially the SPARK curriculum could be a solution for the educational development of OVCs affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Community Schools One of the main characteristics of the Zambian education system is the central role played by community schools. Community schools emerged as a response to the unmet demand for school places among the poor and other marginalised groups in Zambia who are not in formal schools (USAID 2006 in Robson Sylvester 2007: 262; Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008: 52). In many instances, these schools are run by parents and volunteer teachers, though increasingly they receive support from the government, non-governmental organisations, faith based organizations or private initiatives. In other words, there is an enormous variation between community schools, more than between government schools or private schools, in how they are supported and managed (Destefano 2006). Besides, the school buildings and provisions vary greatly. A large number of these schools have wattle-and-daub constructions and temporary provisions (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008: 52, 56).  [7]  Classrooms and water and sa nitation facilities are often of poor quality. Teaching and learning materials are generally inadequate. Pupils often sit on the floor. Uniforms are often not a school requirement. Finally, the vast majority of teachers are unqualified (Chondoka 2006: 7). Adversely, reasons why these community schools increase in popularity are that community schools are less expensive, close to home, less demanding in entry requirements and are managed by local communities. Most community schools serve children aged between 9-16 years who are either drop-outs or who have never been to school. The concept of a community school was not entirely new to Zambia. The European missionaries had already established similar schools and called them village schools or bush schools (Chondoka 2006). Around 1995, more community schools began to appear in areas without government schools, where parents could not meet the expense of the high school fees that were charged, where the distance to the nearest government school was to far or where the government schools were considered overcrowded. Since 1998, the Zambian government officially recognises community schools. The Zambian government acknowledges the positive effect of community schools in redressing the harmful consequences of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Since 1998, the number of community schools has enlarged exponentially, although the school fees for government schools were banned in 2002 with the introduction of free basic education. However, it is important to mention that in general, community schools are relatively small. In 200 0, they accounted for 17% of the basic schools and 8% of the pupils in basic schools; in 2006 these figures had increased to 34% and 16%, respectively (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008: 54-55). In 2005 the MoE distributed 30% of their budget to community schools (Robson Sylvester 2007: 262). This made it possible for community schools to receive school grants, textbooks, professional guidance and sometimes a government funded teacher. However, most community schools started without prior information of the MoE and are severely underfunded. While the majority of the community schools receive an inadequate amount of MoE support, many other schools not even receive a school grant. Despite the fact that the MoE supports community schools, its practical interest seems to be somewhat limited. Actual support depends on the specific policy of the particular district boards (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008: 54, 56). Community schools can be found in both rural an urban areas. A recent study shows that the main reason determining the location of rural community schools is distance to the nearest government school (Chondoka 2006: 7). In urban areas, these schools are set up in locations with large concentrations of children who are unable to get access to a public school due to costs or other factors (Destefano 2006). Pupils in community schools usually belong to the poorest and most vulnerable social strata (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008: 54). Less than one third of community school families live in stable structures, compared to 46% of public schools families (Destefano 2006). Most community schools are attended by a relatively large number of orphans. In 2005, about one in three pupils in community schools had lost his or her mother. In government schools this ratio is one in five. Most of the orphans lack sufficient parental support. According to a study in Central Province, many orphans not succeed to come to school regularly, while many of them are to hungry to concentrate in class when they do come (Chondoka 2006: 9). Due to their restricted size, many of the community schools make use of multi-grade teaching, especially in rural areas. Instead of using the normal curriculum, they most of the times use the SPARK curriculum, which provides primary education in four years. The SPARK curriculum has been designed to meet the particular needs of community school children, who are usually older (between 9 and 16 years) and who are often directly hit by the HIV/AIDS epidmic. It follows the government curriculum and focuses on the relevant topics within English, Mathematics, Environmental Science, Social Studies, Physical Education and Zambian languages, with a life skills component integrated through all the subject areas. The SPARK curriculum places health education, with a strong focus on AIDS/HIV prevention, at the heart of the primary circle. It prioritizes literacy, numeracy and life skills which are recognized as having to serve a nation in crisis due to the young people who will have to survive an d assume early responsibility of heading a family due to HIV/AIDS (Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008: 56). As this part of the paper tried to make clear, community schools are able to reach the most vulnerable and marginalized groups within Zambia, such as orphans. By using the SPRARK curriculum, that assist these children to develop knowledge and skills, it is possible to adapt to the needs of OVCs who face a lot of challenges because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, it also clear that there is an enormous variation between community schools. It is therefore important that the MoE not only recognises the community school, but also that the MoE support is more fairly distributed between the different (types) of community schools. After all, it is important to work together with the different types of school to achieve EFA goals and the MDGs and to guarantee that all children have the right to education. Conclusion One of the most dramatic impacts of HIV/AIDS epidemic is the threat they constitute to the well-being of children and young people. The already high prevalence of poverty, coupled with the possible impacts of the AIDS epidemic can have long-term educational, emotional and social consequences (Khin-Sand Lwin et al 2001; Kanyata 2004; UNICEF-Zambia 2004 in Robson Sylvester 2007: 268). It is estimated that the majority of children having lost one or both parents due to AIDS is living in Sub Saharan Africa. Children affected by HIV, as well as children living with HIV, often suffer from stigma and discrimination. The opportunity of these children to continue their education successfully may be reduced if their impoverished family or caretakers cannot pay the fees or the extra school costs. By giving a case study of the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on basic education for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Zambia, this paper showed that relationship between the epidemic and the education sector is circular. There are various ways in which the epidemic effects the education for OVCs, but there are also several ways in which education can generate hope for these children. Schools, teachers and the Zambian government therefore need to be made more responsive to the needs of OVCs. Providing education to these children is not only a human rights imperative, it is also vital to break the vicious cycle of poverty and to promote security and public health. Basic education should, therefore, be free and target support to meet essential schooling costs (provision of lunches, books and pencils, examination fees). Besides, basic education should be provided for needy children as part of a wide-ranging package of support and it could help prevent absence or dropout (Brennell 2005: 487). To my opinion the Skills, Participation, Access and Relevant Knowledge (SPARK) curriculum, which is used at most community schools, is a step forward to overcome most obstacles to achievement of education. SPARK is a special curriculum that was written for community schools. This four-year curriculum follows the government curriculum with a life skills component integrated through all subject areas and offers pupils a fast track to official grade 7 examinations. However, more drastic curriculum and pedagogical review and teacher professional development are necessary to improve the quality and relevance of the educational experience. 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