Free Essays on Dr Seuss

Hearing whos! and holding triple sling jiggers Dr. Seuss has captured the interest and hearts of countless children. But today, since your kindergarten years, have you read the books that entertained and taught you as a child? If so there is probably a little confusion. Not in the simple lyrical composure of his books, but in the themes. Some of these themes are not child oriented as you would think. Throughout Seuss’s 48 books, you find cynical and critical opinion of society and its progress. Dr. Seuss incorporates political, environmental, and cultural ideals into several stories that are passed as childhood easy readers to little children from parents. Such a thing could be thought as a form of childhood brain washing. Divine Right and Monarchy take an insult in the 1950 story â€Å"Yertle the Turtle†. Where a power crazed turtle who oversees the pond in Sala-ma-Sond wants his throne higher (Seuss, 2). So that he may see the entire world. Turtle upon turtle climbed each other’s back to raise the throne above the pond and high as the trees. As his throne becomes higher on the backs of his loyal turtle subjects he views the whole world and surroundings. But the flaw is that the turtle on the bottom is under so much pressure, and due to over extension, when this little turtle burps, the entire tower falls. The king who was the highest, falls the furthest, and into the mud. From that day forth he was considered the king of mud (Seuss, 1-28). On the point of over extension and power hungry rulers who must see everything and have it under their control, we view the monarchies and dictatorships of today and past. Governments where vanity and power disregard the needs of the people. In the p ursuit of self beautification peoples’ needs are ignored and power lust is the disease eating the empire. An empire once strong, now hurting for the sake of a king whom is not worried about those who support the kingdom. Furthermore a sinister v... Free Essays on Dr Seuss Free Essays on Dr Seuss Hearing whos! and holding triple sling jiggers Dr. Seuss has captured the interest and hearts of countless children. But today, since your kindergarten years, have you read the books that entertained and taught you as a child? If so there is probably a little confusion. Not in the simple lyrical composure of his books, but in the themes. Some of these themes are not child oriented as you would think. Throughout Seuss’s 48 books, you find cynical and critical opinion of society and its progress. Dr. Seuss incorporates political, environmental, and cultural ideals into several stories that are passed as childhood easy readers to little children from parents. Such a thing could be thought as a form of childhood brain washing. Divine Right and Monarchy take an insult in the 1950 story â€Å"Yertle the Turtle†. Where a power crazed turtle who oversees the pond in Sala-ma-Sond wants his throne higher (Seuss, 2). So that he may see the entire world. Turtle upon turtle climbed each other’s back to raise the throne above the pond and high as the trees. As his throne becomes higher on the backs of his loyal turtle subjects he views the whole world and surroundings. But the flaw is that the turtle on the bottom is under so much pressure, and due to over extension, when this little turtle burps, the entire tower falls. The king who was the highest, falls the furthest, and into the mud. From that day forth he was considered the king of mud (Seuss, 1-28). On the point of over extension and power hungry rulers who must see everything and have it under their control, we view the monarchies and dictatorships of today and past. Governments where vanity and power disregard the needs of the people. In the p ursuit of self beautification peoples’ needs are ignored and power lust is the disease eating the empire. An empire once strong, now hurting for the sake of a king whom is not worried about those who support the kingdom. Furthermore a sinister v...

The Sino-Indian War of 1962

The Sino-Indian War of 1962 In 1962, the worlds two most populous countries went to war. The Sino-Indian War claimed about 2,000 lives  and played out in the harsh terrain of the Karakoram Mountains, some 4,270 meters (14,000 feet) above sea level. Background to the War The primary cause of the 1962 war between India and China was the disputed border between the two countries, in the high mountains of Aksai Chin. India asserted that the region, which is slightly larger than Portugal, belonged to the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. China countered that it was part of Xinjiang.   The roots of the disagreement go back to the mid 19th century  when the British Raj in India and the Qing Chinese agreed to let the traditional border, wherever that might be, stand as the boundary between their realms. As of 1846, only those sections near the Karakoram Pass and Pangong Lake were clearly delineated; the rest of the border was not formally demarcated.   In 1865, the British Survey of India placed the boundary at the Johnson Line, which included about 1/3 of Aksai Chin within Kashmir. Britain did not consult with the Chinese about this demarcation  because Beijing was no longer in control of Xinjiang at the time. However, the Chinese recaptured Xinjiang in 1878. They gradually pressed forward, and set up boundary markers at Karakoram Pass in 1892, marking off Aksai Chin as part of Xinjiang. The British once again proposed a new border in 1899, known as the Macartney-Macdonald Line, which divided the territory along the Karakoram Mountains and gave India a larger piece of the pie. British India would control all of the Indus River watersheds  while China took the Tarim River watershed. When Britain sent the proposal and map to Beijing, the Chinese did not respond. Both sides accepted this line as settled, for the time being. Britain and China both used the different lines interchangeably, and neither country was particularly concerned since the area was mostly uninhabited and served only as a seasonal trading route. China had more pressing concerns with the fall of the Last Emperor and the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, which set off the Chinese Civil War. Britain would soon have World War I to contend with, as well. By 1947, when India gained its independence and maps of the subcontinent were redrawn in the Partition, the issue of Aksai Chin remained unresolved. Meanwhile, Chinas civil war would continue for two more years, until Mao Zedong and the Communists prevailed in 1949. The creation of Pakistan in 1947, the Chinese invasion and annexation of Tibet in 1950, and Chinas construction of a road to connect Xinjiang and Tibet through land claimed by India all complicated the issue. Relations reached a nadir in 1959, when Tibets spiritual and political leader, the Dalai Lama, fled into exile in the face of another Chinese invasion. Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru reluctantly granted the Dalai Lama sanctuary in India, angering Mao immensely.   Sino-Indian War From 1959 forward, border skirmishes broke out along the disputed line. In 1961, Nehru instituted the Forward Policy, in which India tried to establish border outposts and patrols north of Chinese positions, in order to cut them off from their supply line. The Chinese responded in kind, each side seeking to flank the other without direct confrontation. The summer and fall of 1962 saw increasing numbers of border incidents in Aksai Chin. One June skirmish killed more than twenty Chinese troops. In July, India authorized its troops to fire not only in self-defense  but to drive the Chinese back. By October, even as Zhou Enlai was personally assuring Nehru in New Delhi that China did not want war, the Peoples Liberation Army of China (PLA) was massing along the border. The first heavy fighting took place on October 10, 1962, in a skirmish that killed 25 Indian troops and 33 Chinese soldiers. On October 20, the PLA launched a two-pronged attack, seeking to drive the Indians out of Aksai Chin. Within two days, China had seized the entire territory. The main force of the Chinese PLA was 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of the line of control by October 24. During a three-week ceasefire, Zhou Enlai ordered the Chinese to hold their position, as he sent a peace proposal to Nehru. The Chinese proposal was that both sides disengage and withdraw twenty kilometers from their current positions. Nehru responded that the Chinese troops needed to withdraw to their original position instead, and he called for a wider buffer zone. On November 14, 1962, the war resumed with an Indian attack against the Chinese position at Walong. After hundreds of more deaths and an American threat to intervene on behalf of the Indians, the two sides declared a formal ceasefire on November 19. The Chinese announced that they would withdraw from their present positions to the north of the illegal McMahon Line. However, the isolated troops in the mountains did not hear about the ceasefire for several days  and engaged in additional firefights. The war lasted just one month  but killed 1,383 Indian troops and 722 Chinese troops. An additional 1,047 Indians and 1,697 Chinese were wounded, and nearly 4,000 Indian soldiers were captured. Many of the casualties were caused by the harsh conditions at 14,000 feet, rather than by enemy fire. Hundreds of the wounded on both sides died of exposure before their comrades could get medical attention for them. In the end, China retained actual control of the Aksai Chin region. Prime Minister Nehru was roundly criticized at home for his pacifism in the face of Chinese aggression, and for the lack of preparation prior to the Chinese attack.

Morality Plays and their influence on Shakespeare Research Paper

Morality Plays and their influence on Shakespeare - Research Paper Example Depiction of medieval morality traditions is the hallmark of most of the Shakespearean traditions, whether tragedy or comedy. Morality is the dominant trait of the heroes in the works of Shakespeare, like Macbeth, Hamlet, Tempest, Twelfth Night, etc. The final outcomes/conclusion- of his dramas highlight a significant moral choice. With hard options left to the characters as for the moral order, the plots of his dramas attains new dimensions. How is the theme of morality explored in Shakespearean dramas and what techniques are used to show this? Some of his works are examined in this paper. Macbeth: Macbeth, a tragedy by Shakespeare (1992), has several violent incidents, with a strong undercurrent of morality relating to Macbeth’s violation of ethical norms prevailing in that era. Macbeth’s violation of the moral order with his pre-planned murder of Duncan indicates Shakespeare’s intricate representation of evil and the reaction to such deeds. Christian morality is put to severe test in this drama. In the initial stages of the drama, Macbeth is an honorable, brave soldier. But his encounters with witches cause a dent in his moral standards. It kindles the fire of ambition in him. His action of murder of King Duncan in order to enthrone himself as the King is a mean, evil action by moral standards. His loyalty is proved dubious. Initially he had set the highest standards of morality for him and his abidance in religious principles is total. One needs to read his soliloquy (I, IV, 12-28) to understand his clear-cut stand as to why he should not kill Duncan on three counts. He is "his kinsman," "his subject" and "his host." He pays highest tributes to his angelic qualities, which again indicates his inner moral inclinations. But the evil in Lady Macbeth intervenes to ill-advise Macbeth. She ridicules him that he is a coward, if he decides not to kill Macbeth. Macbeth is in a dilemma. As a soldier and as husband he does not desire to be labeled as a coward. His virtue and moral standards stand subjugated by his self-image and ambition. The moral dilemma doesn’t end with the murder of Duncan, but intensifies. He totally surrenders to the evil by challenging Fate and he kills Banquo and his descendants. One evil deed follows the other and he loses his power of discrimination and is engulfed in desire for power. His convictions are now â€Å"foul is fair and fair is foul," and thus he has become a morally bankrupt individual. In the end he pays the consequences for his immorality. Hamlet: The corrupted moralities in Hamlet’s moral choices have far-reaching consequences and ultimately lead to the devastation of the royal house of Denmark. The moral rule will not continue indefinitely, evil results follow in a time-bound manner. Every individual has to suffer the consequences in proportion to the intensity of such deeds. The negative vibrations generated by bad action will not go unpunished. The concept of reven ge is a pagan act that goes against the morality of Christianity. The approach of revenge with Hamlet’s order to kill Claudius by his father’s ghost is one such act. To commit this act, Hamlet goes through one of the worst moral dilemmas, and his fears about going to hell are genuine. Finally, Hamlet achieves his moral goal by exposing the guilt of Claudius

FACILITIES, STADIA AND THE ENVIRONMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

FACILITIES, STADIA AND THE ENVIRONMENT - Essay Example Some of these international sports events uphold the principles of promoting goodwill and friendship while the Olympic Games promotes mutual interdependence and economic cooperation, as what is shown in the logo. There are lots of Olympic sports events that were inherited from the Ancient Greek Olympic. Some of these were the Javelin throw, which was originally women's game; walkathon, originated by the Greeks and Romans; and, wrestling. The Athens Olympic Stadium stands as monument of the Ancient Greek sports in the modern world. The magnificence of Athens Olympic Stadium reminds the world that at one time, the Greek nation who owns this stadium were the ones dominant in sports, and their keen interest in reviving the glory of sports as evidence by the huge budget they spent merely for the renovations of the stadium. The stadium is indeed, believed to be "the biggest and most beautiful in the world."(Rizzo, internet source) It was the Greek who introduced Olympic Games in the world which paved the way for the modern Olympic Sports events. Originally, the Olympic Games dated from the Mycenaean times and were "held in honor of Zeus."(Athens 2004) In Greek and Roman times, "the track provided for foot races."(Universal World Reference Ency. p.4661) The stadium eventually came to be oval shaped and were sometimes built against a hill in order to enable spectators to view the races from elevated seats out into the hill.(ibid) The games were originally designated "exclusively for young Greek males confronting each other for the glory and wreath of olive leafs,"(Athens 2004) because Olympia was dedicated to Zeus and was therefore sacred area for men. The venue of most sports events were at the temple of Zeus in the fields of Olympia. Thus, the early games were held in the "character of festival of sports."(History of Olympic Games) The Olympic Games were highly regarded as festival that they would even stop wars to give way for the start of festival every full moon of August. During the games, athletes usually competed naked. They originally wore shorts but "competitors deliberately lost his short so that he could run more freely during the race in 720 .C., and clothing was then abolished"(History of Olympic Games) But the Olympic Games turned to be potentially corrupt, and finally "declared the games corrupt in 393 AD. (History of Olympic Games) Emperor Theodosius II destroyed Olympia's temple that ended the games that had been going on for centuries. However in 1870, a German excavation "unearthed the beauty and magnificent statues of the classical Greek games."(History) This archeological discovery at the sacred ground of Olympia prepared the way for the revival of the Olympic Games. Through the initiation of a Frenchman by the name of Pierre de Coubertin, the Olympic Games were re-instituted and the modern Olympics were born. With the first Olympiad "celebrated two years later in Athens where an estimated 245 male athletes from 14 nations competed in the ancient Panathenaican Stadium before a large and ardent crowd."(History) Although, the American got 9 of the 12 track and field events, Greece won the most number of medals with highlights of the victory by native peasants Spiros Louis in the first marathon race. The Olympic Stadium was later named after him. Inspired by this performance and by the revival and the return of the Olympic Ga

African People in the Global Village Essay Example for Free

African People in the Global Village Essay Certain things happen in one’s life, whether one likes them or not. You can not stand apart from it; you need to experience the process of going through it. Let me give the example of a car. It has two types of movements-forward movement and lateral movement. The energy (petrol, gas etc. ) relates to forward movement, without which the car can not start. You have no control over it. As for the lateral movement, you as the individual driving the car, have the control over its speed-you can drive it through the royal road, narrow lane, drive at 120 kms. per hour or just 30 kms- or not drive at all. Just lock it in the garage for days together! You are living in a changing world- very fast changing world. The modified lifestyles, due to industrial revolution, the modern materialistic civilization, the internet revolution, are mind-boggling. You need to run your race, accelerate the steps, clear the hurdles and move towards the goal. Stop in between at your own peril! Survival under tough conditions and competition are not magic. Nor an element of chance is involved. The wise saying goes, â€Å"When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. † Survival will be extremely difficult for the African people in the global village, unless tangible steps, all-comprehensive projects are drawn up and implemented with speed and imagination, by responsible leaders and people. The test of the leadership lies in involving the people actively and willingly in such projects. African people in the Global village- the summary: Africa is a big continent. The vastness of the area, multiplicity of ethnic conflicts, the fierce tribal loyalty prevailing even today, the religious factors, the difficult past, the historical factors some of which do exercise telling effect on the African society and mind-set even today, render the solution difficult. John K. Marah, who is the Associate Professor and Coordinator in the African and African-American Studies Department at SUNY at Brockport, makes a concerned and well-studied approach to offer solution in the book African People in the Global Village and the possible direction which they need to follow. Moreover, due to historical reasons, African people (the black race) are spread all over the Western World. They are a noticeable political force, an awakened society in Countries like USA. Marah categorically opines that it is no use brooding over the past, its failures and bitter memories. He does the examination of the present situation from an open-minded perspective. Confrontation at every stage is not going to help the cause of the African people. They have to know their place and find out the ways and means to evolve within the global village. He calls it ‘multidisciplinary approach and well-rounded understanding’. Right from the beginning of the book, Marah is aware that he is up to a difficult task, and the subject matter of the book, â€Å"African People in the Global Village,† can not be discussed in isolation. Yet, he takes the direct plunge into the serious subject matter. The book has neither a preface nor a forward. For a highly sensitive and complicated subject like this, author’s detailed background would have been a helpful factor, but that is not given in the book. The biographical sketch is not provided. Nevertheless, it is a determined and well-informed effort to broach the subject matter which is so vast viewed from tough, social, political, historical, economic and cultural perspectives. The problems are ever growing like the octopus expanding in many directions and only a radical solution like Pan-Africanism is the solution according to Marah. But, to define Pan-Africanism is not the easiest of the tasks. He concludes that African people have no other choice but to move forward at a rapid pace, with the qualities of head and heart-be dynamic without destruction! Marah begins his book on a tough note. â€Å"African Sensibilities in the Global Village. † He fails to give a clear message in this chapter one can not expect him to do so. The subject matte is so vast, complicated and the concern of Marah to offer a desperate solution to a desperate situation can be seen. He realizes his limitations-the subject matter he is up to tackle can not be discussed in isolation—by referring to the conditions of the African people alone! Their so-called more fortunate brothers in America also have their own problems and deep fears on many vital and fundamental issues! It would be prudent to link the problems of the black people of America with the black people of Africa, as Marah rightly argues. At the end of the chapter he specifies, `in this book we examine the position of African people in Africa and the United States with particular emphasis on some of their salient predicaments in the global system. ‘( Marah, 1998 p. 16). Having said this, Marah realizes about the uphill task ahead for him, for he fails to give appropriate solutions or alternatives. The discussions in the book naturally and essentially take him to outside Regions, where black race matters. In chapter 4, he discusses this aspect in detail. The black people issue is like the issue of a flowing river. It can not be discussed in parts. The river as a whole will have to be discussed to understand it. Its beginning, its course of flow and the area through which it passes, etc! Marah has a message for the black people and the leadership. Some inspiring political and economic leadership has to take over and lead, to achieve the set goal. He makes a case for the entry of socio-spiritual leadership to play its role, because what the Global Village Africa needs is not only fine projects but fine individuals to implement the projects-that is what he means when he says about the ability of the people to survive in a new environment. New skills are required to push ahead in such circumstances. The thought process of the people requires a new orientation and change. When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when he mind is changed, the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed; when the society is changed, the nation is changed; when several such nations are changed, the African continent will change for the better! Then only the African people in the Global Village will achieve plenty and prosperity. For survival, wherever may be it, certain basic skills are necessary, and African People in the Global Village, are no exception. Education gets top priority—the ability to read with understanding. Speak boldly so hat others can understand and appreciate your problems. It is not that you expect sympathy from others; but in a democratic society, when your fundamental rights are guaranteed by the Constitution, you need not be condemned by anyone either-you need not live your life like a baked potato always. The majority of the ills of African People are due to poor response to globalization. This lethargy is frightening and it will continue to bother and trouble them in every aspect of life, unless something tangible is done as quickly as possible. African people will head for an economic and social disaster and moral doom, if they do no wake up and react speedily.

Technology and its Power :: essays research papers

These days, technology is one of the most important things in our modern lives. It has made our lives more convenient. But have we ever sat back and thought about the effect of its power on our society? Technology has influenced on essential things in our lives. Have you ever thought that what our society will become in the next decade with the fast-growing technology? Technology and its power has the strong influences on our society that we can not realize if we don't sit back and think about it. The Internet and the World Wide Web are creating networks of human connection unthinkable even a few years ago? (Tannen, 647). The Internet is one kind of technologies that has helped people many things in our lives and if without it, we would not know what to do instead. E-mail gave me the chance to be in touch with someone who dying far away? (Tannen 646). People can get in touch with others who live far away in only a second by sending an e-mail or making a phone call. People can even look at each others when they are far away by using webcam over the Internet or making a video phone. Technology can make impossible things to become possible ones. ?When my friend Larry died, how much it meant that the telephone made it possible to spend a day talking to others who knew him. How much it meant that Larry said goodbye. This is a gift he gave me, and technology made it possible.? Technology and its power encourage people to do things that they can not do without technology. For exampl e, I would had left my country, Vietnam, coming to America because I knew that I can keep in touch with my relatives and my friends who are in Vietnam easily by using the Internet or telephone anytime I want to. By reading ?The library card? in our textbook, I know that African-American could not read some kinds of books in the early of twentieth century. ?There was a huge library near the riverfront, but I knew that Negros were not allowed to patronize its selves any more than they were the parks and playgrounds of the city? (Wright, 136). If technology had grown at that time, everybody would have read what they want to read without going to a library.

Assessment Of Learning Essay

Assessment of learning refers to strategies designed to confirm what students know, demonstrate whether or not they have met curriculum outcomes or the goals of their individualized programs, or to certify proficiency and make decisions about students’ future programs or placements. It is designed to provide evidence of achievement to parents, other educators, the students themselves, and sometimes to outside groups (e. g. , employers, other educational institutions). Assessment of learning is the assessment that becomes public and results in statements or symbols about how well students are learning. It often  contributes to pivotal decisions that will affect students’ futures. It is important, then, that the underlying logic and measurement of assessment of learning be credible and defensible. TEACHERS’ ROLES IN ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING Because the consequences of assessment of learning are often far-reaching and affect students seriously, teachers have the responsibility of reporting student learning accurately and fairly, based on evidence obtained from a variety of contexts and applications. Effective assessment of learning requires that teachers provide †¢ a rationale for undertaking a particular assessment of learning at a particular  point in time †¢ clear descriptions of the intended learning †¢ processes that make it possible for students to demonstrate their competence and skill †¢ a range of alternative mechanisms for assessing the same outcomes †¢ public and defensible reference points for making judgements Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind. †¢55 The purpose of assessment that typically comes at the end of a course or unit of instruction is to determine the extent to which the instructional goals have been achieved and for grading or certification of student achievement. (Linn and Gronlund, Measurement and Assessment in Teaching ) Reflection: Think about an example of assessment of learning in your own teaching and try to develop it further as you read this chapter. 56 †¢ Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind Chapter 5 †¢ transparent approaches to interpretation †¢ descriptions of the assessment process †¢ strategies for recourse in the event of disagreement about the decisions With the help of their teachers, students can look forward to assessment of learning tasks as occasions to show their competence, as well as the depth and breadth of their learning. PLANNING ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING. The purpose of assessment of learning is to measure, certify, and report the level  of students’ learning, so that reasonable decisions can be made about students. There are many potential users of the information: †¢ teachers (who can use the information to communicate with parents about their children’s proficiency and progress) †¢ parents and students (who can use the results for making educational and vocational decisions) †¢ potential employers and post-secondary institutions (who can use the information to make decisions about hiring or acceptance) †¢ principals, district or divisional administrators, and teachers (who can use the information to review and revise programming). Assessment of learning requires the collection and interpretation of information about students’ accomplishments in important curricular areas, in ways that represent the nature and complexity of the intended learning. Because genuine learning for understanding is much more than just recognition or recall of facts or algorithms, assessment of learning tasks need to enable students to show the complexity of their understanding. Students need to be able to apply key concepts, knowledge, skills, and attitudes in ways that are authentic and consistent with current thinking in the knowledge domain. What am I  assessing? Why am I assessing? Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind †¢ 57 Assessment of Learning In assessment of learning, the methods chosen need to address the intended curriculum outcomes and the continuum of learning that is required to reach the outcomes. The methods must allow all students to show their understanding and produce sufficient information to support credible and defensible statements about the nature and quality of their learning, so that others can use the results in appropriate ways. Assessment of learning methods include not only tests and examinations, but  also a rich variety of products and demonstrations of learning—portfolios, exhibitions, performances, presentations, simulations, multimedia projects, and a variety of other written, oral, and visual methods (see Fig. 2. 2, Assessment Tool Kit, page 17). What assessment method should I use? Graduation Portfolios Graduation portfolios are a requirement for graduation from British Columbia and Yukon Senior Years schools. These portfolios comprise collections (electronic or printed) of evidence of students’ accomplishments at school, home, and in the community, including demonstrations of  their competence in skills that are not measured in examinations. Worth four credits toward graduation, the portfolios begin in Grade 10 and are completed by the end of Grade 12. The following are some goals of graduation portfolios: †¢ Students will adopt an active and reflective role in planning, managing, and assessing their learning. †¢ Students will demonstrate learning that complements intellectual development and course-based learning. †¢ Students will plan for successful transitions beyond Grade 12. Graduation portfolios are prepared at the school level and are based on specific Ministry criteria and standards. Students use the criteria and standards as guides for planning, collecting, and presenting their evidence, and for self-assessing. Teachers use the criteria and standards to assess student evidence and assign marks. There are three major components of a graduation portfolio: 1. Portfolio Core (30 percent of the mark). Students must complete requirements in the following six portfolio organizers: arts and design (respond to an art, performance, or design work); community involvement and responsibility (participate co-operatively and respectfully in a  service activity); education and career planning (complete a graduation transition plan); employability skills (complete 30 hours of work or volunteer experience); information technology (use information technology skills); personal health (complete 80 hours of moderate to intense physical activity). 2. Portfolio Choice (50 percent of the mark). Students expand on the above areas, choosing additional evidence of their achievements. 3. Portfolio Presentation (20 percent of the mark). Students celebrate their learning and reflect at the end of the portfolio process. ( Portfolio Assessment and Focus Areas: A Program Guide  ) 58 †¢ Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind Chapter 5 Assessment of learning needs to be very carefully constructed so that the information upon which decisions are made is of the highest quality. Assessment of learning is designed to be summative, and to produce defensible and accurate descriptions of student competence in relation to defined outcomes and, occasionally, in relation to other students’ assessment results. Certification of students’ proficiency should be based on a rigorous, reliable, valid, and equitable process of assessment and evaluation. Reliability  Reliability in assessment of learning depends on how accurate, consistent, fair, and free from bias and distortion the assessment is. Teachers might ask themselves: †¢ Do I have enough information about the learning of this particular student to make a definitive statement? †¢ Was the information collected in a way that gives all students an equal chance to show their learning? †¢ Would another teacher arrive at the same conclusion? †¢ Would I make the same decision if I considered this information at another time or in another way? Reference Points Typically, the reference points for assessment of learning are the learning  outcomes as identified in the curriculum that make up the course of study. Assessment tasks include measures of these learning outcomes, and a student’s performance is interpreted and reported in relation to these learning outcomes. In some situations where selection decisions need to be made for limited positions (e. g. , university entrance, scholarships, employment opportunities), assessment of learning results are used to rank students. In such norm-referenced situations, what is being measured needs to be clear, and the way it is being measured needs to be transparent to anyone who might use the assessment  results. Validity Because assessment of learning results in statements about students’ proficiency in wide areas of study, assessment of learning tasks must reflect the key knowledge, concepts, skills, and dispositions set out in the curriculum, and the statements and inferences that emerge must be upheld by the evidence collected. How can I ensure quality in this assessment process? Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind †¢ 59 Assessment of Learning Record-Keeping Whichever approaches teachers choose for assessment of learning, it is their records that provide details about the quality of the measurement. Detailed records of the various components of the assessment of learning are essential, with a description of what each component measures, with what accuracy and against what criteria and reference points, and should include supporting evidence related to the outcomes as justification. When teachers keep records that are detailed and descriptive, they are in an excellent position to provide meaningful reports to parents and others. Merely a symbolic representation of a student’s accomplishments (e. g. , a letter grade or percentage) is inadequate. Reports to parents and others should identify the  intended learning that the report covers, the assessment methods used to gather the supporting information, and the criteria used to make the judgement. Feedback to Students Because assessment of learning comes most often at the end of a unit or learning cycle, feedback to students has a less obvious effect on student learning than assessment for learning and assessment as learning. Nevertheless, students do Ho w can I use the information from this assessment? Guidelines for Grading. 1. Use curriculum learning outcomes or some clustering of these (e. g. , strands) as the basis for grading. 2.Make sure that the meaning of grades comes from clear descriptions of curriculum outcomes and standards. If students achieve the outcome, they get the grade. (NO bell curves! ) 3. Base grades only on individual achievement of the targeted learning outcomes. Report effort, participation, and attitude, for example, separately, unless they are a stated curriculum outcome. Any penalties (e. g. , for late work, absences), if used, should not distort achievement or motivation. 4. Sample student performance using a variety of methods. Do not include all assessments in grades. Provide ongoing feedback on formative  performance using words, rubrics, or checklists, not grades. 5. Keep records in pencil so they can be updated easily to take into consideration more recent achievement. Provide second-chance assessment opportunities (or more). Students should receive the highest, most consistent mark, not an average mark for multiple opportunities. 6. Crunch numbers carefully, if at all. Consider using the median, mode, or statistical measures other than the mean. Weight components within the final grade to ensure that the intended importance is given to each learning outcome. 7. Make sure that each assessment meets quality standards (e.g. , there should be clear targets, clear purpose, appropriate target-method match, appropriate sampling, and absence of bias and distortion) and is properly recorded and maintained (e. g. , in portfolios, at conferences, on tracking sheets). 8. Discuss and involve students in grading at the beginning and throughout the teaching and learning process. (Adapted from O’Connor, How to Grade for Learning ) Resource: Marzano, Transforming Classroom Grading 60 †¢ Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind Chapter 5 rely on their marks and on teachers’ comments as indicators of their level of  success, and to make decisions about their future learning endeavours. Differentiating Learning In assessment of learning, differentiation occurs in the assessment itself. It would make little sense to ask a near-sighted person to demonstrate driving proficiency without glasses. When the driver uses glasses, it is possible for the examiner to get an accurate picture of the driver’s ability, and to certify him or her as proficient. In much the same way, differentiation in assessment of learning requires that the necessary accommodations be in place that allow students to make the particular learning visible.  Multiple forms of assessment offer multiple pathways for making student learning transparent to the teacher. A particular curriculum outcome requirement, such as an understanding of the social studies notion of conflict, for example, might be demonstrated through visual, oral, dramatic, or written representations. As long as writing were not an explicit component of the outcome, students who have difficulties with written language, for example, would then have the same opportunity to demonstrate their learning as other students. Although assessment of learning does not always lead teachers to differentiate  instruction or resources, it has a profound effect on the placement and promotion of students and, consequently, on the nature and differentiation of the future instruction and programming that students receive. Therefore, assessment results need to be accurate and detailed enough to allow for wise recommendations. Reporting There are many possible approaches to reporting student proficiency. Reporting assessment of learning needs to be appropriate for the audiences for whom it is intended, and should provide all of the information necessary for them to make reasoned decisions. Regardless of the form of the reporting,however, it should be honest, fair, and provide sufficient detail and contextual information so that it can be clearly understood. Traditional reporting, which relies only on a student’s average score, provides little information about that student’s skill development or knowledge. One alternate mechanism, which recognizes many forms of success and provides a profile of a student’s level of performance on an emergent-proficient continuum, is the parent- student-teacher conference. This forum provides parents with a great deal of information, and reinforces students’ responsibility for their learning. The Communication System Continuum: From Symbols to Conversations (O’Connor, How to Grade for Learning ) Grades Report cards (grades and brief comments) Infrequent informal communications Parent-teacher interviews Report cards with expanded comments Frequent informal communication Student-involved conferencing Student-led conferencing Reflection: What forms do your reports of student proficiency take? How do these differ according to audience? Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind †¢ 61 Assessment of Learning An Example of Assessment of Learning  Elijah was interested in assessing student mastery of both the modern and the traditional skills required for survival in the Nunavut environment where he teaches. The overarching theme of survival is taught in the early grades and culminates at the senior level in a course delivered in Inuktitut. Students learn how to take care of themselves and others, and how to adapt what they know to the situation at hand. Survival requires not only skills and knowledge, but also a concept the Inuit people call qumiutit, or the ability in an emergency situation to pull out of stored memory information that will enable a person to cope, not panic. Traditionally, this was learned in a holistic manner, grounded in Inuit traditional guiding principles that were nurtured and developed from birth, and taught and reinforced in daily living. Throughout the term, Elijah took his students to an outdoor area to practise on-the-land survival activities, using both traditional and modern methods. He always took with him a knowledgeable Elder who could give the students the information they needed to store away in case of emergency. The students watched demonstrations of a skill a number of times. Each student then practised on his or her own, as Elijah and the Elder observed and assisted. Elijah knew that students need to have a high level of expertise in the survival skills appropriate for the northern natural environment. Elijah assessed each student on each survival skill (e. g. , making fire the traditional way, tying the knots required for the qamutik cross-pieces on a sled). What am I assessing? I am assessing each student’s performance of traditional and modern survival skills. Why am I assessing? I want to know which survival skills each s tudent has mastered and their readiness to s urvive in the natural environment. 62 †¢ Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind  Chapter 5 Elijah knew that the best way to determine if students have mastered the skills is to have them perform them. When students believed they were ready, Elijah created an opportunity for them to demonstrate the mastered skill to a group of Elders, who then (individually, then in consensus) determined if the performance was satisfactory. A student’s competence in a survival skill is often demonstrated by an end product. For example, competence in knot tying is demonstrated by a knot that serves its purpose, and competence in fire building is demonstrated by a fire that is robust. As the Elders judged each student’s performance of the skills, Elijah recorded the results. He shared the information with each student and his or her parents in a final report, as shown here. Ho w can I use the informatio n from this assessment? Now that I know which skills each of the students has mastered, I can report this information to the s tudents and their parents. I can use this information to identify a learning path for each s tudent. How can I ensure quality in this assessment process? Ensuring quality with this approach involves clear criteria: either the student performs the skill s uccessfully or does not. I need to provide adequate opportunities for the s tudent to demonstrate the skills under various conditions and at various times. What assessment method should I use? I need an approach in which students can demonstrate the traditional survival skills that they learned. The method I choose should also allow me to identify which skills they did not master. Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind †¢ 63 Assessment of Learning Shelters: †¢ emergency shelters †¢ igloo building4 †¢ qamaq5 †¢ tents Transportation needs: †¢ making the knots required for the qamutik cross pieces on a sled †¢ building a kayak/umiak. †¢ fixing a snowmobile (spark plugs, repairing track, drive belt) †¢ keeping a boat seaworthy Navigational issues: †¢ reading the land †¢ reading the sky †¢ understanding seasonal variations †¢ reading inuksuit †¢ using GPS †¢ map reading Preparation for land travel: †¢ packing a qamutiq (sled) †¢ load, balance †¢ necessities: snow knife, rope, food, water, heat source †¢ letting others know where you are going †¢ necessary tools, supplies, snowmobile parts, fuel †¢ using communication devices Food sources: †¢ plants and their nutritional properties †¢ hunting, skinning, and cutting up seal, caribou, etc. †¢ kinds of food to take on the land,  and their nutritional properties ____________________ 4. Expertise in igloo building includes understanding of types of snow, the shape and fit of blocks, and the use of a snow- knife. 5. A qamaq is a rounded house, built of scrap wood or bones, and covered with skins, cardboard, or canvas. Report on Survival Skills Student: _______________________________________________ Date: _______________________ Traditional Survival Skills Modern Survival Skills Adaptability to the Seasons Attitude Success Next Steps 1) Skills Building a fire / means of keeping warm: †¢ fuel sources †¢ getting a spark †¢ propane heaters, stoves †¢ clothing. 2) Relationship to the Seasons Assessing conditions / recognizing danger signs: †¢ seasonal changes †¢ land changes †¢ water changes †¢ wind changes †¢ weather changes Climatic changes: †¢ weather changes and how this affects the land and water †¢ knowledge of animals and their characteristics and behaviours 3) Attitudinal Influences (Having the right attitude to learn) †¢ respect for the environment (cleaning up a campsite upon leaving, dealing with the remains of an animal, not over-hunting/fishing) †¢ respect for Elders and their knowledge †¢ ability to learn from Elders 64 †¢ Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind Chapter 5. Elijah’s report identified which of the students had mastered the specified skills required to survive in the Nunavut environment. It outlined other areas (such as adaptability to the seasons and attitudinal influences) about which peers, parents, and family members would need to provide input before a comprehensive assessment could be made. The assessment also identified those students not yet ready to survive in the natural environment. But the Elders did not stop working with the students who did not reach mastery. Elders see learning as an individual path in which skills, knowledge, and attitudes are acquired along the way. If a particular skill was beyond the capability of a student, the Elders identified other areas where that person could contribute to the common good of the community, and was accepted for the gifts he or she brought to the group. In this way, the Elders helped Elijah differentiate the learning path for each of his students. SUMMARY OF PLANNING ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING Assessment for Learning Assessment as Learning Assessment of Learning Why Assess? to enable teachers to determine next steps in advancing student learning to guide and provide opportunities for each student to monitor and critically reflect on his or her learning, and  identify next steps Assess What? Each student’s progress and learning needs in relation to the curricular outcomes each student’s thinking about his or her learning, what strategies he or she uses to support or challenge that learning, and the mechanisms he or she uses to adjust and advance his or her learning What Methods? a range of methods in different modes that make students’ skills and understanding visible a range of methods in different modes that elicit students’ learning and metacognitive processes Ensuring Quality †¢ accuracy and consistency of observations and interpretations of student learning. †¢ clear, detailed learning expectations †¢ accurate, detailed notes for descriptive feedback to each student †¢ accuracy and consistency of student’s self-reflection, self-monitoring, and self-adjustment †¢ engagement of the student in considering and challenging his or her thinking †¢ students record their own learning Using the Information †¢ provide each student with accurate descriptive feedback to further his or her learning †¢ differentiate instruction by continually checking where each student is in relation to the curricular outcomes †¢ provide parents or guardians with descriptive feedback about student  learning and ideas for support. †¢ provide each student with accurate descriptive feedback that will help him or her develop independent learning habits †¢ have each student focus on the task and his or her learning (not on getting the right answer) †¢ provide each student with ideas for adjusting, rethinking, and articulating his or her learning †¢ provide the conditions for the teacher and student to discuss alternatives †¢ students report about their learning Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind. †¢ 65 Assessment of Learning to certify or inform parents or others of student’s proficiency in  relation to curriculum learning outcomes the extent to which students can apply the key concepts, knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to the curricular outcomes a range of methods in different modes that assess both product and process †¢ accuracy, consistency, and fairness of judgements based on high-quality information †¢ clear, detailed learning expectations †¢ fair and accurate summative reporting †¢ indicate each student’s level of learning †¢ provide the foundation for discussions on placement or promotion †¢ report fair, accurate, and detailed information that can be used to decide the next steps in a student’s learning.

Paulo Freire and Revolutionary Education Essay

In reading Paulo Freire’s inspiring and idealistic book Pedagogy of the Oppressed, first published in 1970, the question arises is whether such a radically transformed educational system is even possible. According the person I interviewed, a professor with many years of teaching experience in many countries, the answer is not particularly optimistic. Paolo Freire’s radical and humanistic view of education is light year’s removed from what actually takes place in most classrooms around the world. At the lower levels, education often amounts to little more than rote memorization to prepare for standardized tests, with administrators mainly concerned that their ‘numbers’ look good. Higher education has devolved into career training for big business interests, and frankly has become a business itself. Virtually none of the creativity, humanization or liberation that Freire writes about so eloquently really exists in most educational systems around the world, which simply turn out more cogs for the machinery. There may be a few truly creative and humanistic teachers, although they usually end up frustrated, burned out and cynical because of the nature of the system itself. For Freire, the worst form of teaching is the banking concept of education, in which students are passive and alienated note takers of any information the teacher provides. This has been the normal type of education system in most of the world throughout history, mirroring the authoritarian and paternalistic socio-economic relationships in the world outside the classroom. In fact, the schools and universities are preparing students to take their place in the system without questioning it. Freire claims that teachers can either work â€Å"for the liberation of the people—their humanization—or for their domestication, their domination. † They can either create an education system in which all persons in the classroom are â€Å"simultaneously teachers and learners†, realizing that â€Å"knowledge emerges only through invention and reinvention, through the restless, impertinent, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world†, or simply uphold the status quo (Freire 72). He also insists that â€Å"the teacher cannot think for her students, nor can she impose her thoughts on them† (Freire 77). Ruling elites merely want to use the education system as part of the apparatus of â€Å"domination and repression†, to maintain order, but real education should be revolutionary and deliberately set out to â€Å"transform† the world (Freire 79-80). Are there teachers who actually believe in this radical mission for education? Is it even possible within the present system? How long does it take for teachers who were once young and idealistic to become disillusioned? The following are excerpts from an interview with ‘Dr. W. ’–a university professor who has taught in various countries around the world for twenty-two years: Question: Have you ever read Paulo Freire’s book Pedagogy of the Oppressed? Dr. W: Yes, parts of it. Over the years, I’d say I’ve become fairly familiar with his general theories. Question: Do you regard the educational systems you have seen as oppressive? Dr. W: I have experienced many educational systems around the world, including a number that I would regard as extremely oppressive. For example, I’ve taught in Asian and Middle Eastern countries where primary and secondary school teachers regularly slap, punch and beat students†¦hit them with sticks and so on. For the most part, those systems are based on rote memorization as Freire described, and the students are not even allowed to question the teacher: they are strictly passive. Mainly, the students are just being prepared for standardized tests, not to develop creativity or imagination, and this becomes very clear when they reach the university level. At that point, they have become used to treating teachers like little tin gods, although I suppose it prepares them for the kind of bureaucratic and managerial salaried positions most of them will be expected to fill in society. Question: Isn’t that also the case with the American education system? Isn’t it mostly geared toward jobs in the capitalist economy? Dr. W. : Absolutely. The American education system is also a class system, and this is already the case in primary and secondary schools. My first job was as a student teacher in a high school in New York. The kids from working class backgrounds were generally tracked into ‘general† classes† that were not preparing them for higher education, while those from the middle class were. I’ll never forget the first class I ever taught, with a group of sullen, nonresponsive working class kids, stuck in a basement classroom that did not even have windows, taught by people who didn’t much care whether they learned anything or not. These kids knew it, too. They were not dumb, although the system certainly treated them that way. They knew they were being prepared for jobs as mechanics and cashiers. And this was not an inner city school, though, where the American class and caste system reveals itself at its most brutal. Question: Caste system? Dr. W. : Yes, in the United States, we have a long history of education segregated by color, with the worst schools always being reserved for minority groups. Compare any inner city public school system today with those in the white suburbs, or with expensive private schools for the upper classes, and you will see the difference in about two seconds. For the poor and minority groups in the inner cities, the teachers and facilities are much worse than in the suburbs, as is the housing, health care, nutrition and so on. Conditions in these ghettoized schools and neighborhoods are not all that much better from those in developing countries†¦the types of places Freire was talking about in his books. In those countries, the oppression is very real indeed, and the students are being prepared for lives as peasants, workers or simply part of the marginalized economy and society, like kids in America’s inner city schools. Those institutions are programmed for failure. Question: But you never taught in inner city schools like those? I mean the types of schools that are like jails, with cops on duty, metal detectors and things like that? Dr. W. : No, my career has been mostly at the university level, and the students I’ve had were relatively privileged by the standards of this world—middle class or upper class. In the Middle East, I taught students from royalty and the aristocracy who had huge allowances every month, and in Asia I once taught students who arrived in limos with their own drivers. I wouldn’t say that they were exactly the oppressed masses Freire was describing. On the other hand, I taught at a university in the former Soviet Union were about 60% of the students were on scholarships and came from fairly modest backgrounds. A lot of people had also been hit hard by the collapse of the economy when the Soviet Union ended. We even had a former brain surgeon who ended up working as a janitor at the university, earning about $150 a month. The whole medical and public education system was so far gone that she could make more money that way. Question: So you basically see the education system as being unequal, designed to keep people in their place generation after generation? Dr. W. : Yes, that’s been mostly my experience. I think it’s designed to insure that the children of the owners and the ruling class will stay at the same level as their parents, while the children of the middle class will continue to manage and administer the system for them, and the children of workers will continue to be mostly worker bees, although a few might be allowed up into the middle class. Question: So in all your years of experience, you never experienced education as being liberating in the way Freire describes? Dr. W. : Absolutely never. The system is set up to do the opposite and it will usually weed out teachers who do not conform to its requirements, unless they are protected by tenure. Most teachers just go along and get along, never rocking the boat because they are relatively powerless themselves and just need the paycheck. Moreover, parents of middle class and upper class students do not want anyone to be liberated, but expect their children to conform to the system—to insure that the family maintains its class position. Question: So given this reality, is there any way you can imagine that a truly liberating education system might be established? Dr. W. (laughs): I think to do what Freire was talking about would require a revolution. Clearly, then, Dr. W. was a case of someone who had become cynical about the education system after long years of experience. He admitted that he had once been young and idealistic and might even have believed some of Freire’s ideas, but over the years he had found that there was really no meaningful way to put them into practice under the current system. In addition, he thought that most students simply went along with this system because that was what their parents expected, especially when they were paying private schools and universities to provide certain services. They were most definitely not interested in making students more humanistic, rebellious or questioning of authority, but only to prepare them for careers and to ‘get ahead’ in life. Only in rare cases in American history, such as the 1960s during the era of the Vietnam War, counterculture and civil rights movements did students actually come to question the dominant values of society on a mass scale. That has most certainly not been the case in recent decades, at least not in the United States, nor in most other countries that Dr. W. had experienced. He had come to regard education as a business, run by bureaucrats and entrepreneurs for a profit rather than to encourage critical thinking or humanistic values among the students. Only occasionally would rebels and nonconformists challenge this system, except in very unusual historical circumstances. WORKS CITED Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy on the Oppressed. NY: Continuum, 2000. Interview with ‘Dr. W. ’ by author, February 4, 2010.

best polical candidate essays

best polical candidate essays According to the U.S Constitution, a president is elected every 4 years. We elected our new president in 2000, which was President George W. Bush, the son of former President George Bush. Is he doing a great job so far in his term? Lets see, 1 year after he was elected the United States was attacked by terrorist and went into was. Economy goes down, people loose their jobs, unnecessary war cost, etc. If you dont want all that to happened, for our next election, vote for John Kerry. He is the best Presidential Candidate for this upcoming election. He is a man trust, honor, and will never let you down John Kerry was born on December 11, 1943 in Denver Colorado. Most of his life, he was raised in the Catholic Church. He graduated from Yale University magma cum Laude. After he graduated, he entered the U.S Navy. He fought in the Vietnam War and earned purple star, Silver Star, Bronze with Combat V. Since he got wounded in the Vietnam War, he became the co- fonder of Vietnam Veterans of America. Kerry was a co-founder of the Vietnam Veterans of America and became a spokesperson for the Vietnam Veterans against the War. Fourteen years later, Kerry graduated from Boston College Law School and found different ways to fight for those things in which he believed. Time and again, Kerry fought to hold the political system accountable and to do what he believed was right. As a top prosecutor in Middlesex County, Kerry took on organized crime and put the Number Two mob boss in New England behind bars. He modernized the District Attorney's office, creating an innovative rape crisis crime unit , and as a lawyer in private practice he worked long and hard to prove the innocence of a man wrongly given a life sentence for a murder he did not commit. In 1984, after winning election as Lieutenant Governor in 1982, Kerry ran and was elected to serve in the United States Senate, running and winning a successful PAC-free Senate race and defeating...

Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch - Book Review

Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch - Book Review Summary of Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, a Valentines Day picture book by Eileen Spinelli, wonderfully illustrates the power of love and friendship. It would make an excellent gift for a young child. The illustrations are by Paul Yalowitz whose whimsical, textured artwork adds greatly to the story of a lonely man whose life is changed by an anonymous gift, a change in attitude and the kindness of others. Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch is a book I recommend for parents to read aloud and talk about with their kids, ages 4-8. Mr. Hatch and His Lonely Life The main character in the picture book is a very lonely man, Mr. Hatch. The story begins with a description of Mr. Hatchs lonely daily life. He lives alone, barely knows or talks to anyone, works all day in a shoelace factory, buys a fresh turkey wing for supper each day, eats, takes a shower, and goes to bed. In his neighborhood and at work people say the same thing about Mr. Hatch, He keeps to himself. Mr. Hatchs loneliness is illustrated with drab colors and by the way in which the artist depicts him: shoulders slumped, head down, manner subdued. A Big Change for Mr. Hatch All of this changes when the postman brings Mr. Hatch a huge, heart-shaped box of chocolates along with a card that says somebody loves you. Mr. Hatch is so happy he does a little dance. Because he thinks he might meet his secret admirer, Mr. Hatch puts on a colorful tie and some old aftershave. He takes the box of chocolates to work to share. He even talks to Mr. Smith at his newspaper stand, notices he looks sick and offers to watch the newsstand while Mr. Smith goes to the doctors office. Mr. Hatch continues to talk to others, to help those in need, and to share with his neighbors. In fact, Mr. Hatch bakes brownies and holds an impromptu picnic for his neighbors at which he plays his old harmonica for them. His neighbors enjoy being with Mr. Hatch and like him very much. The more Mr. Hatch is friendly and kind to his neighbors, the more they reciprocate. When the postman tells Mr. Hatch that the candy had been delivered to his house by mistake and that he doesnt have a secret admirer, Mr. Hatch becomes withdrawn again. The postman tells the neighbors what has happened. The neighbors get together and throw a big surprise party for Mr. Hatch, complete with candy, a new harmonica, and a big sign that said, Everybody loves Mr. Hatch. My Recommendation This is a charming book with a powerful message. The importance of love and kindness comes through loud and clear. Even very young children will understand how good it is to feel loved and how important it is to help others feel loved. While this is an excellent Valentines Day book, the story is one that children will enjoy year-round.(Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1996, Paperback. ISBN: 9780689718724) Other Good Books for Valentines Day One of the childrens books I particularly recommend is the special pop-up gift edition of Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney, with Anita Jerams delightful illustrations and Corina Fletchers well-designed paper engineering. Youll find more books on my annotated list of the Top Childrens Books for Valentines Day, which includes picture books, such as, Queen of Hearts Love, Splat and t, plus the beginning readers Too Many Valentines and Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine.

Is Grace True Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is Grace True - Essay Example He made us to follow his path which some of us do and some of us don’t. We read through the Holy Books that God has made heaven and hell for those who do righteous deeds and those who do not, respectively. And this makes sense, of course. If we believe that God will save every person, then we will stop doing righteous deeds in the expectation that He will save us and will embrace us with all His love no matter what we do, as Philip and Mulholland state in their book. According to them, God is waiting for us up there with open arms and will hug us and save us from anything bad happening to us because he is an epitome of love rather than an epitome of cruelty. Okay, that is fine that He is not an epitome of cruelty, but does it makes sense that anybody who has been doing wrong deeds throughout his life, has been cruel with people, has been eating others’ money, has been lying and cheating, has been making others of His creation cry with sorrows, will be spared by God and embraced by Him with all His love and kindness? No, my Lord, No. This does not make sense at all. Another thing that I disagree with is that the authors say that there is no heaven, because if there is heaven, then there is possibility of a hell too. â€Å"The triumph of grace†¦cannot be complete until every last person has been redeemed† (196), the authors say. This is also an illogical piece of an argument. They say that since God loves us all, he has not created anything like hell in which he will put the wrongdoers. But the point to ponder is that if there is no hell, then is there a possibility of a heaven? Authors agree but do not prove it. My point is that-what about those who are bad people? What is there destiny? If there is no hell and God will save us all, then a good person and a bad one will stand shoulder by shoulder enjoying the same bounties and blessings of God. Why? Does not a man do a good deed in expectation of God’s mercy and blessings? A wron gdoer will keep on doing evil if he believes what authors say. He will keep on following the evil path if he believes that God will embrace and save him. Douglas Geivett, in his critique of the book contradicts the authors when they say that â€Å"salvation is not the hope of a few; it is the destiny of all† (160). Douglas states that if it were true, then salvation will also be for those who do not wish for it or deserve it. I agree with Douglas in that salvation is only for those who desire it and make efforts toward achieving it. Salvation is not such a petty little thing that God has made for all. This is the word â€Å"all† that I basically contradict with. The authors must have used the words â€Å"most of us† than â€Å"all†. Of course, God loves us and is determined to save us all but only if we are also determined to be saved by Him. He has told us what His path is through His Holy Books and Prophets. Now, it is our task to follow His path and ma ke ourselves better people so as to be held liable for His blessings and love. God loves us but we should also see the sufferings of a person who has done wrong deeds throughout his life but at the same time is struck with gloom and despair. God takes His revenge from those who do not follow him, and this is wrong to believe that He will save us all from the cruel fire of hell. The bottom-line is that the authors are not being rational in their arguments which are only based on their

Mergers and Acquisitions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Mergers and Acquisitions - Assignment Example The exception to this is when both parties agree, irrespective of the relative strength and size, to present themselves as a merger rather than an acquisition. An example of a true merger would be the joining of Glaxo Wellcome with SmithKline Beecham in 1999 when both firms together became GlaxoSmithKline. An example of an acquisition posing as a merger for appearances sake was the takeover of Chrysler by Daimler-Benz in the same year. As already seen, since mergers and acquisitions are not easily categorised, it is no easy matter to analyse and explain the many variables underlying success or failure of M&As. Historically, a distinction has been made between congeneric and conglomerate mergers. Roughly speaking, congeneric firms are those in the same industry and at a similar level of economic activity, while conglomerates are mergers from unrelated industries or businesses. Congeneric could also be seen as (a) horizontal mergers and (b) vertical mergers depending on whether the products and services are of the same appearances a mutually supportive nature. Horizontal mergers may come under the scrutiny of anti-trust legislation if the result is seen as turning into a monopoly.  The ‘first wave’ of horizontal mergers took place in the United States between 1899 and 1904 during a period referred to as the Great Merger Movement. Between 1916 and 1929, the ‘second wave’ was more of vertical mergers. After the great depression and World War II the ‘third wave’ of conglomerate mergers took place between 1965 and 1989. The ‘fourth wave’ betw een 1992 and 1998 saw congeneric mergers and even more hostile takeovers.