The Role of God in Miracles - 916 Words

In the Christian faith, miracles are critical and authentic to the Gospels. A miracle is a difficult term to define because it depends on the individual’s perspective and experience. Generally speaking, miracles can be considered to be natural and unnatural acts of God or series of unlikely events occurring concurrently– coincidences. I believe miracles and coincidences can both be seen as a series of unlikely event, but miracles have a God component to it. Coincidences on the other hand, do not involve God and are non-existent. I view miracles and coincidences as epistemic. It is because of our lack of ability to predict the future that when unexpected events occur, they can be viewed as either coincidences or miracles. For example, if a woman was supposed to die because of a failing immune system by a certain time period, but lived beyond that time period, then foreseeing the woman’s survival was impossible because human knowledge is limited to the present. Furthermore, this incident can be considered a miracle for a religious person or a coincidence for an atheist. From an atheist point of view, the woman’s survival was due her immune system coincidentally being able able to randomly support life longer than expected -without God’s involvement. For a person of faith, the woman’s survival is seen as a miracle because it is an unlikely event that could have only occurred due to God’s purposeful intervention. I don’t believe in coincidences because every instance in lifeShow MoreRelatedBelieving in Miracles Essay834 Words   |  4 PagesBelieving in Miracles An important stage in this course of RE is that of the belief in God. The belief in God has many different aspects to learn, one of which is the belief in miracles and how miracles lead us to believe that God exists. This essay will look at the two sides of believing in miracles. On one side of the debate is that of why miracles lead us to believe in God? And to contradict this point of view will be the problem of believing in miracles. ARead MoreThe Miracles Of The Kingdom Of God1447 Words   |  6 PagesThe miracles of Jesus speak to us about the nature and the demands of the Kingdom of God. Lohfink (2012, 40) states that â€Å"God makes demands on people. The in-breaking of the reign of God establishes new and definitive standards for human action.† Miracles convey the reality of God’s kingly rule in that they announce the arrival of the Kingdom and show God breaking into history to save the lost and outcast. Miracles are depicted as â€Å"signs† of the Kingdom and this is evident in the gospels when theRead MoreEssay on The Changing Role of the Supernatural in the Bible1621 Words   |  7 PagesThe Changing Role of the Supernatural in the Bible - The changing role of the supernatural in the bible Almost every religious scripture references to experiences of supernatural phenomenon by holy men and women. The Bible is no exception .The bible in both forms The Exodus, the old Testamant and the Luke in the new Testament is concerned primarily with the existence of god , the nature of god, the relationship of god with his creratures , primarily humanity. Gods role in the historyRead MoreCritically assess the view that a concept of miracles is inconsistent with a belief in a benevolent God1171 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Critically assess the view that a concept of miracles is inconsistent with a belief in a benevolent God. (35 marks) Before one is able to debate the ideas of inconsistency surrounding miracles, we must define and clarify what a miracle actually is. One definition is ‘an event caused by God, this view is traditionally supported by Christians and philosophers such as Aquinas. A second definition is ‘a violation of the laws of nature’ which is most commonly associated with David Hume. These two definitionsRead MoreAnalysis Of Mark Twain s Huckleberry Finn 1480 Words   |  6 Pagess gospel seems to be the one most focused on Jesus’s miracles. This paper will be looking at the purpose and meaning of these miracles. First, what is a miracle? A miracle is, â€Å"a special act of God that interrupts the natural course of events.† There are three different kinds of miracles that Jesus does: exorcisms, nature miracles, and healings. Just as there are three kinds of miracles, there seem to be three different purposes for His miracles. These are to attract people, to prove Jesus was theRead MoreTaking a Look at Miracles677 Words   |  3 PagesWhat are miracles? Who would be able to do these miracles? â€Å"A miracle is an event which the force of nature- including the natural powers of man-cannot of themselves produce, and which must therefore, referred to a supernatural agency† (Fisher1900,9). The existence of the miracles in hand of human still a debatable idea everywhere. Regarding to some religious perspective, perfuming miracles is an ability that given by God to holy persons such as prophets and so on. It has also,Read MoreMiracles Of Jesus : Fact Or Faux853 Words   |  4 PagesMiracles of Jesus: Fact or Faux Throughout the Gospels, we read about the good news of Jesus which entails His life, teachings, and resurrection. During Jesus’ time on earth, it is documented that he performed a vast amount of miracles that only one of a spiritual being could complete. Written is that he fed 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, walked on water, and allowed the blind to see. These miracles are only the beginning. The question many philosophers and skeptics askRead MoreBy Definition Miracles Do Not Occur Essay1398 Words   |  6 PagesBy Definition Miracles Do Not Occur Even in this modern age, belief in the miraculous is widespread and is a feature of many world religions, including the Christian faith where miracles have played a significant role. It is important attempt to define what a miracle is, as this in itself is a source for debate. Today the term ‘miracle’ in many different ways and the idea is open to many interpretations. A miracle can be defined in a number of ways, firstly asRead MoreThe Ethical Issues Of Religion1421 Words   |  6 Pageshelps to provide explanations and what may be considered as solutions to the challenges people face. However, the role of religion when it comes to solving serious medical problems is relative, depending on strength of the religious faith and other personal characteristics and values. Some individuals have a greater faith than others and would consider the option of waiting for a miracle to cure their loved ones more effective than undergoing a medical procedure. The similar scenario is highlightedRead MoreSalman Rushdies The Satanic Verses991 Words   |  4 PagesWhat happened in India has happened in God’s name. The problem’s name is God.† This quote is said by Salman Rushdie, the author of The Satanic Verses. Rushdie coming from an Indian background shows the cultural aspects of life in an Indian culture. The quote said by Rushdie can be controversial in many ways. The people who believe in God would not accept this quote in a good way because the higher archie for them would be their God which is being dishonoured in Rushdie’s quote. This connects to the book

Ethical Issues With International Business - 1518 Words

The world we live in today revolves around business. International business is sometimes called; â€Å"The Study of Multinational Companies.† Doing business internationally is an interesting task. There are many cultures, behaviors and traditions that different countries have and it is important to be aware of them. Cultures become crossed when different countries negotiate business. Culture influences how people act, think, and communicate. When dealing business internationally, diving in head first isn t an option, businesses need to be aware of differences and accommodate them to be successful. There are many ethical issues with international business. Many companies expand internationally because foreign countries offer a higher profit†¦show more content†¦Many businesses aren t fully aware of these cultures and when encountered with them, they fail to communicate or negotiate effectively. According to Jeswald W. Salacuse, who wrote the book The Global Negotiator: Making, Managing, and Mending Deals Around the World in the Twenty-First Century found that there are ten major elements that complicate international business. A few that stand out are â€Å"Negotiating Goals: Contract or Relationship?† My interpretation is that when dealing business, it is sometimes hard to figure out how to act or speak. One side may think strictly business, while the other side may want to get to know you and then talk business. Salacuse states that as a general rule, it is safer to act formal instead of informal. Some cultures think that part of the negotiation is more about forming a relationship between both sides instead of forming a contract. It can be harmful to a business to expect one thing when they need to be open to more options and expect the unexpected. It is important to try to understand how the other business does business. Business is very tricky. You can go into a meeting expecting to form a relationship with the other business, when th ey could not care less and want a contract formed. A common goal is an ideal way to go about things. In a survey conducted of 400 people from 12 different countries, 74% of Spanish people said the goal of negotiation was a contract and 33% of Indian

What is the meaning of share value maximization Free Essays

The shareholder value represents the interest of stakeholders in a business. Shareholders experiences or seems to see an increase in the value of their shares through dividends or gains at stock exchange. Share value maximization is one of the principles used by management to prioritize the interests of shareholders through projects that will increase profits and ultimately the share dividends. We will write a custom essay sample on What is the meaning of share value maximization? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Stock price maximization involves adoption of low cost and efficient processes so as to manufacture goods and services of high quality at the lowest cost possible. Thus, by adopting new technology to produce required goods and services by consumers, is beneficial to the society both in the short and long term basis. In addition, it facilitates courteous and efficient services as well as adequate stocks of merchandise (Kellison, 1991). Discuss the time value of money concept. What is discounting and how is it related to compounding? What is compounding? Explain why earning interest on interest is called compound interest? Time value of money is concept used in financial management to compare alternatives in investment as well as solving problems that involve mortgages, savings, loans, annuities, and leases. Time value of value of money is based on the idea that the amount of money one holds today is worth more than the expectation that he/she the same amount in future. The currently held money has high value in future as it can be invested and earn interest after some time. Discounting involves calculating or converting specific future amount/value of money at certain discount rate to establish its present value. Thus, a person is able to make judgment on whether to invest such amount of money and reap rewards in future. On the other hand, compounding refers to adding interest earned to the principal amount so that it can go on earning higher interests in its own right. The reason that initial interest earns additional interest i. e. compounded is why it is called compound interest (Kellison, 1991). Explain the following statement: While the balance sheet can be thought of as a snapshot of the firm’s financial position as of a point in time, the income statements reports on operations over a period of time? The balance sheet shows the financial position of an enterprise in terms of net assets, capital (stockholder’s or owner’s equity), and liabilities as at the end of a specific fiscal period. At any moment in time, assets are equal to the owner’s equity plus liabilities. Liabilities represent creditor’s claims against the assets of an enterprise. Thus, a balance sheet facilitates a business owner to quickly assess the financial capability and of his/her business. Income statement shows all the business transactions in terms of sales and purchases made, revenue collected, and expenses incurred in given period of time. Therefore, the primary use of income statements is to testify if a company is making profit or loss for a given period of time to the shareholders or potential investors (Frank, 2004). Why is it sometimes misleading to compare a company’s financial ratios with those of other firms that operate in the same industry? First, it is in doubt that different companies apply or use different accounting policies to govern their financial operations. Therefore, a specific accounting policy applied by a certain company may not be similar to another’s policy. For instance, a company may apply accrual basis concept whereas another doest not recognize accruals until they are paid. Secondly, companies operate differently in terms of business activity and management for instance, companies may be in the same industrial sector but they engage in different activities such as production of raw materials and processing. In such a case a production company may be affected by adverse conditions like weather whereas the other is favored by industrial-processing subsidies offered by the government which translates to healthier financial ratios. In addition, some financial managers of certain companies are unscrupulous and such individuals can calculate unprofessionally to lure potential investors. Proper comparison can only be achieved if there are established industrial standards within which all companies can draft their financial ratios (Ibid, 2004). How to cite What is the meaning of share value maximization?, Papers

Nature of Logic and Perception Essay Example For Students

Nature of Logic and Perception Essay Situational AnalysisEnterprise Backup SolutionThis document was prepared to analyze the backup infrastructure, and prepare an action plan, for the Ridgefield location. Content1Situation Analysis32Objective33Situation Fact34Options44.1Option # 1: Veritas Netbackup44.2Option # 2: Legato Networker54.3Option #3: Commvault Galaxy74.4Enterprise Backup Solution Evaluation Analysis84.5Summary of options available114.6Updated analysis of Legato Networker subsequent to inclusion of Visual Storage Resource Migrator and Alphastor115Recommendation171Situation AnalysisThis document was prepared to analyze the current backup environment and prepare an action plan, for the Ridgefield location regarding the incorporation an Enterprise Backup Solution. 2ObjectiveOur objective is to determine the best course of action regarding the selection and implementation of an Enterprise Backup Solution. 3Situation FactThe current network environment has been outgrown the ability of Veritas BackupExec, the backup software platform used by BI Ridgefield- Production Services, in terms of amount of data being backed up, functionality, and reliability. At the time of its initial purchase approximately six years ago (with BackupExec 7.x), the server infrastructure consisted of approximately 80 clients with one TB of data captured on a weekly full backup. This small-business level backup solution provided a good fit for the environment and served the companys data protection needs well. Accordingly, we continued to leverage BackupExec 8.x 9.x in our organization as the network infrastructure expanded though out the years. The server environment has now grown to the point where there are 370 servers with approximately 16 Terabytes of data captured on a weekly full backup. In light of this, meeting the established backup/restore service agreement is becoming increasingly challenging. Some of the functionality/features required to address this challenge includes:-The ability to direct multiple streams of data to one media device simultaneously (Multiplexing). -A provision for re-starting backup jobs from the point at which they failed (Checkpointing). -Descriptive reporting on backup media content. -Automation of Media Duplication and Vaulting tasks. -Compete compatibility with SANs and NAS supportAs a result, Production Services has evaluated a number of solutions from the leading backup software manufacturers. The final list was narrowed down to three competitors we thought could best meet our outlined requirements. They are: Veritas NetBackup, Legato Networker, and Commvault Galaxy. The tables below list the details of the evaluations. 4Options The reviews of the three options are listed in the following table:4.1Option # 1: Veritas NetBackupOption Table # 1: ProsConsAdministrative/management tasks performed from a centralized location. (Familiar Microsoft Management Console style interface). Provides the ability to browse resources through Graphical User Interface when creating backup and restore jobs, reducing the possibility of typographical errors. Provides straightforward media management. Multiple media erased, moved and exported at once. Existing BackupExec 9.1 tape media can be imported / read in NetBackup. Eliminates need to keep BackupExec media servers in environment. Remote agents can be deployed remotely to many servers at once. Only requires one agent install for all applications (SQL,Oracle.Sybase). One can view real-time alert and job status (Byte Count, Rate, Files backed up, Errors, etc). There is also a troubleshooter option to provide error explanations and recommended actions. Limited Grooming capability. The application requires Storage Migrator component for advanced features. Pre and post job scripted commands are difficult to implement into job. Synthetic backups allow for quick client backups restore from a single backup image. This is essentially the process of combining multiple incremental/differential backups into one image. Robust backup / restore performance with the use of streams and multiplexing. Up to 32 streams per drive supported. Disk to tape staging for increased backup performance. Inline tape copy is also supported (write to multiple media simultaneously). Restarting a backup job can be from the point of failure is accomplished with the Checkpoint feature. Log purge subsequent to a SQL full recovery backup can be performed NetBackup can also invoke RMAN for Oracle on-line backups. Open File Option (Veritas Snapshot Provider) is included with product. Windows 2003 Server backups use Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service. Fully supports VMWare ESX/GSX Virtual Server host / instance backups.The application requires Bare Metal Recovery component for OS and System State recovery. This is an additional cost item. Comprehensive reporting which includes:Media=ServerResource reportServer=Media needed for recovery reportVaulting tasks can be set up to automatically duplicate data, create reports, and eject tapes for archiving. Master server implementation in a clustered configuration provides fault tolerance. 4.2Option # 2: Legato NetworkerOption Table # 2:Ease of management/administration has been added through the incorporation of the Networker Management Console user interface version 7.1. The application also includes enhancement of Media Management through the Networker Management Console version 7.1. The application can simultaneously erase, move and export Multiple mediaDe-centralized Management Structure. Use of Networker Administration Console, Networker Management Console, and Networker User interfaces to manage operations. Does not show real-time rate, percentage complete, or current file/directory being backed up in activity monitor. There is no ability to Browse when setting up backup or restore jobs. No built in reports for: Media=ServerResource report or Server=Media needed for recovery report. We evaluated Visual Storage Resource Migrator for this additional functionality and this type of report was still not included. Networker agent cannot be pushed to remote clients. Clients have to be visited to locally install agent. Checkpointing provides ability to restart/resume jobs. Re-runs only the save sets that failed from the point at which they failed without having to create new separate backup jobs. Save Set Consolidation combines multiple incremental backups into one full backup image. Backups using Save Set Consolidation consume less network bandwidth and decrease the impact on the application host. With the use of streams and parallelism, more rapid backup performance can be achieved.Cannot write to multiple media simultaneously (In-line tape copy). Requires Open File Manager for open file backups. This is an additional cost component. Uses ASR recovery for Windows 2003 Server Disaster Recovery. Uses SMTP to send logs and alerts vial e-mail. Uses Volume Shadow Copy Services for Window 2003 Snapshots. Fully supports VMWare ESX/GSX Virtual Server host/instance backups.Grooming cannot be performed to meet our requirements with the base Networker Product. As a result, EMC provided Visual Storage Resource Migrator at no additional cost. While this product can do certain types of grooming, NetWorker still does not provide the type of grooming we require. In order to groom data-based on modified and accessed dates, NetWorker must first move them to an alternate data directory. While this does not seem like a large issue at first, we must think about the potential volume of the data to be groomed (sometimes upwards of 1 TB) and the additional storage that will need to be purchased as a result. Inability to purge SQL transaction logs subsequent to full backup. Vaulting tasks can be set up to automatically, duplicate data, create reports, and eject tapes for offsite storage using AlphaStor. This product was added by EMC at no additional cost. NetBackup is a very intuitive tool that provide s a great deal of additional functionality with respect to tape lifecycle management. Master Server can be clustered for fault toleranceCan leverage with existing Legato Networker implementation in the UNIX environment. 4.3Option #3: Commvault GalaxyThe Web management console appears and acts the same as the Media Server management console. This allows for same functionality in both places. (Java based).Difficult to monitor jobs. Does not show real-time rate, percentage complete, or current file/directory being backed up in activity monitorDifficult media management. Can only erase one tape at a time. Non-intuitive GUI. Duplication of options at many levels makes job management difficultFast backup performance with the use of Streams and Multiplexing. Up to 32 streams per drive can be configured. Life Essay SummaryDatabase SynchronizationNAMUSTAlphaStor and NetWorker databases need to synced. If they are not in sync, backups/restores may fail ReportingExtensiveLimitedNetBackup allows extensive reports about media not only when using Vault option but many valuable reports can be obtained within core product itself. NetBackups reporting capability is unmatched in the industryMedia ManagementWhen AlphaStor is installed and configured, NetWorker has to be configured again to work with AlphaStorFeatureNetBackupAlphaStor and NetWorkerCommentsOnsite and OffsiteYesYesAlphaStor takes care of the offsite media management. NetWorker does not keep track of the location of tapesAdding MediaOnceTwiceThe media is added twice. Once into AlphaStor and once into NetWorker. Managing media poolOnceTwiceBoth AlphaStor and NetWorker must manage media pools independently. The media pool if deleted from AlphaStor has to be deleted from NetWorker again. Robot management and inventoryCore ProductAlphaStorNetBackup core product can do the robot configuration and inventory. Rotation scheduleYesYesAlphaStor uses a counter to reset a rotation of volume. When this counter reaches a certain value the media is rotatedIn Line duplicationYesNoNetBackup allows for making more than 1 copy of the backup stream (upto 4), so as to reduce extraneous vaulting cycles. But vaulting can happen anytime desired by the admin Device Resource ManagementWhen AlphaStor is configured into NetWorker environments, two distinct configurations need to be performed. AlphaStor controls the actual devices while presenting NetWorker with the virtual jukeboxes to backup on. However, while AlphaStor controls the device and media to which the backup would go, it is the NetWorker product, which ult imately has the control over type of media to use for the backup. In all instances, it is assumed that AlphaStor and NetBackup databases are in-sync. AlphaStor allows the administrator to divide the backup device and media infrastructure into resource queues. It then assigns the actual drives to the resource queues. AlphaStor administrator also defines mount class for the devices. The NetWorker administrator uses these predefined resources to make backup requests. The NetWorker administrator has no control over which resource is used for the operation. If a resource is busy, the NetWorker administrator cannot assign the job to another resource queue without the help from the AlphaStor administrator. If the same individual performs these roles, it requires the user to manage two applications and user interfaces to accomplish this simple task. NetBackup takes this complexity away. Using SSO option, the NetBackup administrator has complete control over devices. Devices are shared among various NetBackup media managers. SSO is configured using the usual device configuration wizard. NetBackup also allows for special directives to be used on media managers. These directives allow the administrator to reserve a drive only for restores, for example. If specified, one drive is always kept available for restores. Even if backup jobs are pending, restores can start using this drive. Along with backup restart capability of the NetBackup core product, this facility makes sure that restores are never held up due to backups taking place. FeatureNetBackupAlphaStor and NetWorkerCommentsComplexity of configurationLowHighAlphaStor is a complex product to implement. Along with NetWorker, the limitations of the products may make configuring them painful. Special DirectivesYesYesNetBackup allows special directives like local drive only, or reserve for restore etcCore product functionalityNetBackup offers many reports, administrative capabilities within the core product. EMC NetWorker does not provide much of it and pushes for AlphaStorAlternate interface for sharing storageYesNoNetBackup allows for separate interfaces to be used for SSO. NetWorker does not offer this functionalityVisual SRM The inclusion of Visual SRM (VSRM) was required on EMCs part to meet BI Production Services-Server Technologies archive and deletion requirements. Visual SRM software is designed to provide centralized storage resource management (SRM) for multi-vendor, mid-tier storage environments; ensuring capacity is available when and where it is needed by actively managing the storage resources with powerful visualization tools. With Visual SRM, the operator can manage utilization according to thresholds set and deploy active policies to meet the demands of t he critical business applications. Some of the strengths include:Increase capacity utilization, improve availability and automate management processes. Reduce or eliminate server outages due to out-of-control disk space consumption. Eliminate time-consuming processes and reduce costsfor a lower TCO. Shorten backup windows so more work can be done in less time. Improve capacity planning and charge back capabilities. Focus on core business rather than storage administrative tasks. While this is an extremely powerful product with respect to file system analysis and reporting we still do not feel like this free product will get BI-Production Services-Server Technologies entirely where it needs to go. From the Enterprise Backup project perspective, we are predominantly concerned with the ability to select data efficiently, back data up, and delete data-based on last time accessed/modified and/or data ranges ( referred to as grooming). This particular functionality is not included in the base Networker product. As a result, EMC has offered VSRM to help meet this requirement. This product does an extremely good job of locating data-based on modified and accessed dates however, it does not have the ability to groom a file system at the level we require it too. In order to groom a file system VSRM requires that the data first be moved to an alternate location, after which a Networker command can be invoked to backup and ultimately delete the data. This would not be an option for us as it will require the purchase of substantial amount of additional storage to accommodate (at times we may have to groom upwards of 500 gigabytes of information). With our current backup software, Veritas BackupExec we are able to groom without having to move the data and as such we would like to continue to operate this way. To this end, VERITAS NetBackup will allow BI to use a command known as bp_archive to help backup data and delete it from primary storage without first moving it to alt ernate location. A file list, based on whatever characteristics defined, can be generated then bp_archive can be engaged to meet BIs needs. Of additional importance, this bp_archive command is part of the base VERITAS NetBackup offering and does not require the implementation of an additional product to accommodate this task. 5RecommendationWhile the inclusion of the AlphaStor and Visual SRM products does put NetWorker a good deal closer to meeting our Vaulting and Grooming requirements it still does not provide like functionality with VERITAS NetBackup and will still present many issues for our IT environment. As such, the recommendation for the primary backup software of choice would still be to implement Veritas NetBackup. In summary, this software offers a centralized solution with a wide range of functionality, ease of use/management, and exemplary performance as is outlined in the above documentation. The recommendation for the secondary backup software of choice goes to Legat o Networker. This software also offers a wide variety of features and functions with almost all the capabilities of Veritas NetBackup. However, it is marred by a non-user friendly graphical interface that is less intuitive for performing everyday operations as well as some inherent shortcomings

Philosophy on Followership free essay sample

In this paper I will discuss what followership is to me and what is expected out of a follower. I will introduce followers from different realms and show what they did to become the famous people they are today. Also I will be introducing bad followership. Values on Followers No one is born a leader, and for sure no one jumps into a leadership role without first being a follower. No matter how many times you here the phrase â€Å"A good leader is also a good follower† or if you never heard of it before, it still holds itself to be true. But before a follower can become a leader, one must be a good follower to prove their self to become that leader. There are plenty different aspects of a good follower. Some for example according to The Latimer Group would be to carry one’s own weight, celebrating performance of others, and contributing to the process. We will write a custom essay sample on Philosophy on Followership or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are also plenty of leaders in history who showed excellent followership before they went on to become a leader. Good followers are important because bad ones could cause problems both internally and externally within an organization. The aspects listed above show what it is like to be a leader. The Latimer Group explained the aspects like this: why celebrate the performance of others, because followers congratulate the success of their team members, or squad, or what have you. Good followers love to see their team succeed. Followers should be thinking â€Å"we† as a group, and rarely should be thinking of just â€Å"I† as an individual. It gets to a point though when a follower should realize that cheering on others is good but they should also be carrying on their own weight and not just watching others do the work for them. The follower should be part of the process, not just along for the ride, but putting in work for the team, and contributing whenever possible and appropriate. The Latimer Group brought up some good points, but I personally think there were a few things that they missed. For instance I believe a good follower should understand communication. By communication I mean the chain of command and that a good follower understands and respects it. When a good follower shows that he or she understands the chain of command they understand where to go to ask questions and they understand the ine of authority and responsibility within the organization. Not only are there plenty of leaders in history who were once followers but there are also great followers who serve just as important roles as the leader and are just as acknowledged as much. The website michaelhyatt. com, gave the example that Joshua followed Moses for many years, forty to be exact, before he finally led the children of Israel int o the Promised Land. Another famous one but also a fantasy is the well-known Batman and Robin duo. There were plenty of instances when Robin had to save Batman out of a tight squeeze. More importantly Batman chose the follower Robin, also considered to be Batman’s sidekick, to be his relief when it was time for Batman to hang up the cape. This brings the point that many times a follower would be set so he or she could surpass or one day become that leader their self. After all, people age and eventually the old gets replaced with the new so it is up to the leaders of today to inspire and teach the followers to become the leaders of tomorrow. Bad followership could be a major problem within an organization. I stated that it could cause problems internally and externally. The fact is that the two resemble one another, meaning that internal problems within an organization will harm getting the work done and then causing an external problem to where others can see that there is an issue. The key is to acknowledge the bad followers before they can become an influence within a group. An example of bad followership that was pointed out well by Phillip S. Meilinger in his article â€Å"The 10 Rules of Good Followership† a follower shouldn’t blame their boss for an unpopular decision. This could be bad because a follower may not realize it but he himself may be looked up upon by other people within the organization and in turn they start to become a bad follower as well, thus becoming a bad influence in the organization against the mission at hand. It is the follower’s job to support decisions that have been made not to undermine them and throw it away just because the person didn’t like it. The aspects that were explained showed what it takes for a person to be a great follower. It pointed out key factors that should be recognized. â€Å"A good leader is also a good follower† is proven to be in true both in history with Joshua and Moses and in other ways such as through TV shows with Batman and Robin. Good followers are important because bad ones could cause bad influences within organizations and ruin the mission at hand. Ultimately it is up to the leaders of today to instruct the leaders of tomorrow.

Music in Different Worlds essays

Music in Different Worlds essays Music has always been a part of Cambodia. The life styles were limited, among these musicians, there were the Khmer rouge, full time labor workers, and politicians. A large percentage of Cambodians were forced into poverty and underpaid jobs. Their lives were constantly troubled by daily escapes from robbers, guerrillas, and powerful armies that disagrees with the laws of the country. The Khmer rouge, former guerrillas and the most powerful army that had ever opposed the government had taken more lives than natural deaths over a decade. During times of hardships and warfare, the only escape from reality was music. He,, Samphoun Em, was only fifteen years of age when he first picked up a guitar. Knowing he had to be able to make a constant payment to afford and keep his only source of entertainment, for there are no personal rights involving one's property. After three years of full time labor, he was then able to claim and bring home his most prized possession. Keeping good care of the picks and strings he had access to, for if he had lost or broken any of the two, it would've meant more months of hard labor. Every so often after work, he would spend at least two hours to catch up on lessons and surpass his latest talent. He was persistent and frequently disappointed with his slow learning process, with a confidence that he would one day master the art of playing the guitar. The confidence that shone in his eyes came from the gratitudes and awes from his brothers and sisters. Watching their faces light up as he would show off his new talent, fretting at his parents whom tried to disallow his learning. They were worried he was capable of showing off his great gift and distract laborers from their work, this meant being punished by a severe beating or even sentenced to death. Voices rose as he went into his second hour of daily practice, "You kids stop that fuss and return to your studies." No one would move on the first notice,...

Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Environment - Essay Example There are some few trucks available from the neighboring towns for hire that can be used to transport project materials. Besides, there are two major rail lines that pass near the village and can be of help (â€Å"Ewbchallenge,† 2014) It is very difficult to find land to build a project in the area. The land in Sandikhola is not even enough for the population to build good houses and shelter for their animals. The whole village is interconnected by narrow roads and paths between houses. There is hardly enough land for them to grow crops (â€Å"Ewb,† 2014). The weather in Sandikhola, Nepal is diverse. They range from cold summers to humid and hot summers. The residents are, for example, continuously looking for new building materials and techniques to withstand the rough weather conditions. The village is situated and surrounded by highlands. There are several valleys running through the village that drain to the two rivers in Nepal. The highlands are densely populated with trees of various species (Reynolds,

Curriculum Staff Development Plan Research Paper

Curriculum Staff Development Plan - Research Paper Example Subgroups performances According to TAK’s statistics, percentage of the white students passing the mathematics exam is higher than that of black and Hispanics students. TAK’s 2011 statistics indicates that across ethnic groups, the passing scores for algebra ranged from 85% to 92 %, and geometry ranged from 81% to 91% (Valencia, 2011). Whites had the best performance illustrated by the passing rate of 69% in algebra and 80% in geometry. The Hispanic group comes second with a passing rate of 48% in Algebra and 58% in geometry while blacks had the poorest performance indicated by TAK’s passing rate of 42% in Algebra and 50% in geometry (Valencia, 2011). Considering the performance in the grade 10 level, males had a higher passing rate than females. Females had a passing rate of 55% in algebra and 66% in geometry while males had a passing rate of 56% in algebra and 68% in geometry (Valencia, 2011). Staff Development Plan As evident from the statistics, the performan ce presented by the group varies among different subpopulations. This explains that the staff development plan should equip teachers with the skills for managing diversities. Consequently, the plan will enroll teachers to programs aimed at enhancing their diversity management skills. This is essential since an approach effective to one group may fail to be productive for the other (English, 2000). As such, the plan will initially seek to examine probable differences leading to poor performances to devise ideal strategies for managing every challenge. According to Even and Ball (2009), poor diversity management skills present a considerable challenge to most teachers. This has the potential of undermining their productivity. This plan will emphasize the need of managing diversities effectively to make teachers appreciate the idea. Such an approach would be effective since it would develop teachers, making them understands their students. Siena (2009) affirms that teachers who have di versity management skills can comfortably identify ideal solutions for addressing challenges that undermine their efforts. Studies affirm that a productive strategy that can help teachers improve the performance of their students is restructuring their teaching styles. This plan will allow teachers to utilize this strategy in enhancing their productivity. A study edited by Even and Ball (2009) suggests that teachers may create change by restructuring their classroom, by changing the topic or their teaching plan, by emphasizing diverse interpersonal skills or by promoting an attitude change. However, studies indicate that most teachers fail to evolve enough, so their classrooms stagnate. Siena (2009) argues that teachers should be trained on how to integrate curriculum effectively, and institutions can develop their education standards by providing teacher-training programs. Notably, diminishing flexibility is an influential factor contributing to poor performances noted in most curr iculum systems. Studies suggest that the poor performance presented in TAKs State exams is attributable to a rigid curriculum followed by the education system. Teachers continue to use outdated teaching aids, which fail to blend well with the contemporary ideas, so students have difficulties in comprehending subjects’

Journal Response to Cry, the Beloved Country Chapters 10-17 Article

Journal Response to Cry, the Beloved Country Chapters 10-17 - Article Example He is intimidated by the way of life in the city. Compared to the Kumalo, Msimangu understands better the evils that have bedeviled Johannesburg. However, instead of complaining, he is a mouthpiece for solutions and change. According to Msimangu, the white minority oppress the black community for fear of their power and not of their weakness. For Msisimangu, only love can overcome the fear of domination. Though the relationship between Kumalus and Msimangu is shaky in the beginning, they embrace Msimangus ideas and understand the meaning of love. Kumalo is so bitter with the situation at Ezenzelini that he says that the world is full of fear and despair. However, it is the encouragement he gets from Msimangu that reignite his hope of a better tomorrow. Msimangu encourages Kumalo, and this narrows down their differences (Paton 17). The chapter is sorrowful given that Kumalo learns of the troubled son. Moreover, the situation affects Kumalo to much he says that even fire cannot make him

George Wickes, Silversmith: Artist and Works Analysis

George Wickes, Silversmith: Artist and Works Analysis Introduction In this essay I have chosen to analyse an 18th century British work of decorative art. The object I shall be closely looking at is a two handled silver cup and cover. The piece was produced by George Wickes in 1735 and is currently to be found in Gallery 53 in the Victoria Albert Museum in London.[1] In my essay I shall describe the piece and the artist and their place in the art movement of the time. My conclusions shall be drawn from my research and personal opinions. George Wickes and 18th Century Silver Art George Wickes was born in Suffolk in 1698. He moved to London to become an apprentice to silversmith Samuel Wastell in 1712. A decade later Wickes registered his first mark in 1722 while working in Threadneedle Street. During this period it is most probable that the young silversmith found regular work in the city from rich clients employing his skills as a repairer of items rather than a designer and producer of silverware: â€Å"†¦even extremely wealthy families spent regular sums [of money] over long periods on the repair of basic household items (candlesticks, punchbowls, etc.).†[2] In 1730 he went into partnership with John Craig and moved to Norris Street in Haymarket which was: â€Å"rapidly succeeding Cheapside as the jewellers’ quarter of London.†[3] When Craig died five years later Wickes opened his own workshop in Panton Street, Haymarket (this is when he produced the two handled silver cup and cover I am analysing). In 1747 he went into partnersh ip with Edward Wakelin and jeweller Samuel Netherton to create Wickes Wakelin; the company that were later to become Garrard Company Limited: â€Å"Crown jewellers and goldsmiths during six reigns and in three centuries.†[4] George Wickes eventually died in 1761 at the age of 63. It has been rumoured that Wickes tutored a young apprentice during his London years. This apprentice was perhaps one of the greatest British artists of all time; Thomas Gainsborough: â€Å"Legend has it that Gainsborough’s first teacher in London was a silversmith. Various suggestions have been made to the identity of the artisan in question. Two contenders are George Wickes and George Coyte, both Suffolk men.†[5] It is also interesting to note that Wickes himself was always trying to improve his knowledge and artistic abilities and frequently sought to learn new techniques from his peers and contemporaries: â€Å"Wickes achieved distinction in the craft as a close follower of [Paul] Crespin and [Paul de] Lamerie.†[6] The silver cup and cover I am analysing is approximately 25cm in height and 35cm in width and was most probably designed as an object of display rather than an actual drinking vessel. By the 1730s, covered cups were no longer primarily intended as drinking vessels, even though they may still have been drunk from on ceremonial occasions, but were now more important as objects for display and as fine gifts passed between gentlemen. The overt grandeur of the cup heralds a period in British history that applauded opulence and demonstrations of wealth. The new cultural practice of social etiquette was centred around the dining table: â€Å"The table was the centre of social activity in the 17th and 18th centuries and, as earlier in polite society, the silver with which it was dressed reflected the wealth and social standing of the host.†[7] With this in mind it is quite easy to imagine the cup perched proudly as the table’s centrepiece as the guests sit in wonder of the host ’s grandeur. The cup is shaped as if it were a trophy, and for all intents and purposes that is what it is; draped with ornate, elaborate cast and chased representations of flourishing vine leaves and bunches of tempting grapes; both exaggerating the images of sumptuousness and overflowing prosperity. The piece falls neatly into the early Rococo phase with its Bacchic theme, proudly pointing back to the original function of the ceremonial vessel in the hands of Bacchus, the god of wine. The vase-shaped two-handled cup was a popular design in English silver throughout the 18th century and this piece is perhaps one of the best representations of the style. The thing that literally caps it all is the regal crown sat on the very top. With this motif Wickes has undoubtedly demonstrated that he believes this piece to be one that should adorn the table of nobility. Conclusion I believe that this decorative work of art by Wickes is a superb representation of 18th century British design. The sheer magnificence of the cup is a testimony to a period when attention to lavish detail was paramount to the object’s design rather than the object’s function. It is a world poles apart than the one in which I live, in fact I do not think that a similar object would be produced today; the absurdity of a cup that was not meant to be drunk from would be too much for some! It is my opinion that Wickes was an extremely important figure in the British art movement who has been largely overshadowed by his contemporaries, in particular William Hogarth. The fact that Wickes’ cup has found a home in the Victoria Albert Museum is testimony both to the artist and the work of art. Bibliography Asfour, Amal Williamson, Paul (2000) Gainsborough’s Vision Liverpool University Press Barr, Elaine (1997) Gainsborough and the Silversmith Burlington Magazine CXIX Cock, Matthew (1996) The Arrival of the Dinner Service in Glanville, Philippa [ed.] (1996) Silver Victoria Albert Museum Evans, Joan (1989) A History of Jewellery 1100 – 1870 Courier Dover Productions Newman, Harold (2000) An Illustrated Dictionary of Silverware Thames and Hudson Pointon, Marica R. (1997) Strategies for Showing Oxford University Press Walford, Edward [ed.] (1915) Antiquary E. Stock Publishing Wolf, Lucien (1934) The Origins of the Provincial Communities Essays in Jewish History Victoria Albert Museum Website Footnotes [1] George Wickes: Two handled cup and cover silver 1735 (M.280-1975) [2] Pointon, Marica R. (1997) Strategies for Showing Oxford University Press (p32) [3] Evans, Joan (1989) A History of Jewellery 1100 – 1870 Courier Dover Productions (p151) [4] Walford, Edward [ed.] (1915) Antiquary E. Stock Publishing (p157) [5] Asfour, Amal Williamson, Paul (2000) Gainsborough’s Vision Liverpool University Press (p71) [6] Barr, Elaine (1997) Gainsborough and the Silversmith Burlington Magazine CXIX (p113) [7] Cock, Matthew (1996) The Arrival of the Dinner Service in Glanville, Philippa [ed.] (1996) Silver Victoria Albert Museum (p40)

The High School Band Room :: Descriptive Essay About A Place

The High School Band Room It is impossible to fully comprehend the appeal to the Gulf Coast High School Band Room unless you are actually a member of the band. All members of the Gulf Coast High School marching band spend the majority of their time in the band room, which is like a second home for most. The room itself does not appear to be anything special. It is a large room with a high ceiling, bright fluorescent lighting, and pink and green padding on the walls. The hallway maintains a terrible odor which nobody can quite determine the source of, and the white, vinyl tile floor is covered in a layer of disgusting things one can only dream of. Still, for some reason it remains a haven to about twelve percent of the student body. At first glance, it does not look like anything special, but when you open that big, gray door and step into the â€Å"band world† it becomes clear that it really is an amazing and wonderful place. It feels like the center of the universe. In the band room, everybody has a purpose and everybody has a group of friends who are always there when they are needed. The whole band already spends a lot of time in the band room due to the busy schedule of practices, classes, football games, and band trips, so it quickly becomes a familiar location for all band members. So much time is spent in the band room after school that nobody even equates band with school anymore. The band room is often the place where people take refuge when school gets to be too much for them. Everyone knows what to expect from the band room. It is the one thing that never changes. Every day there is always someone playing music on the stereo system, someone practicing, someone making people laugh, someone complaining, and someone studying. It is always the same thing. When you cannot depend on consistency anywhere else, you can always depend on it in the band room. Another aspect of the band room that lures people in is comedy. There is always something entertaining going on. Imagine a place where nobody is worried about what other people think. First impressions don’t matter in the band room. Everyone is free to be themselves, and when people are themselves it gets interesting. The band room is my favorite place in Naples because, as a member of the band, I have spent a great deal of my spare time there, and it is the location I associate with all of my friends.

A Review of Potential Teacher Development Opportunities

TABLE OF CONTENT Topics Page Numbers 1 A Review of Potential Teacher Development Opportunities in Improving Literacy Skills of EAL Pupils Introduction This evaluative essay focuses on reviewing teacher professional development strategies in using assessment for learning (AfL) to improve English as an additional language (EAL) for primary pupils in England.Teaching is a difficult job. Improvement and constant development are therefore necessary to ease the burden of hardworking teachers. As a result, teacher professional development is a mandatory requirement in many jurisdictions (Wiliam, 2011). Shimahara (1998) stated that teacher professional development is a typical concern in industrialized countries because it is the key to improving teaching. However, William (2011) mentioned that teachers feel inundated as they are continuously ‘bombarded’ with innovative strategies to increase their working efficiency.Keeping teacher professional development in mind, the focus he re also relates to the teaching and learning of English as an additional language. Globalisation plays a major role in stressing equal opportunities and social equity for all learners. Due to the long tradition of migration trends across the globe, the international concerns also encompass of contextualise social justice for multi-lingual learners (Cajkler and Hall, 2009). To highlight this matter, a statistic from the Department for Education in 2011 shows an increased in the number of ethnic minority pupils in English state funded primary schools (DfE, 2011).This reflects the circumstance of England primary schools where pupils whose first language is other than English has increased in number. The urgency of this matter is supported by Ofsted (2012) by stating that English has a momentous position in the school curriculum. Thus, teachers’ 2 strategies to tackle this situation become the centre of attention. Where the English language has served as a lingua franca for ethni c minority pupils in England, literacy skills play an important role in their academic and everyday routines as well.By putting forward the two important aspects of this essay; teacher professional development and EAL in primary schools, it is only necessary to mention the relevance of combining both of these aspects in a topic for discussion. With all due respect to other core subjects in the curriculum, the reality of teaching as a difficult job and a statement made by National Association for Language Development in Curriculum (NALDIC, 2009:1) on EAL that it is a ‘very complex phenomenon’, seem to have formidable implications for teacher professional development.Educational reforms such as curriculum reform, does not guarantee necessary changes in classroom practices. It is well known that how a subject is taught wins over what is taught, hence ‘pedagogy trumps curriculum’ (Wiliam, 2011:13). Therefore, when curriculum frameworks only work as far as guidi ng teachers in dealing with EAL, thus assessment for learning (AfL) is then best integrated in pedagogy to further develop the practice of serving teachers and raise pupils’ achievements. 3English as an Additional Language Classrooms in England According to a brief description by NALDIC (2011), there are over a million bilingual pupils participating in teaching and learning contexts in United Kingdom. According to statistics from Department for Education and Skills (DfES, 2006a:8), there has been an increased of ethnic minority pupils in primary schools from 18. 3% in 2004 to 19. 3% in 2005 and then reaching 20. 6% in 2006. Each of these pupils enters school communities with minority language that is not English as their mother tongue language.It is stated by Hughes (2002) that teachers need to consider pupils’ diverse culture to establish learning environments that are meaningful. It is important that teachers attend to their learning needs in order to achieve teachin g goals. The diversity in culture that may cause challenges in pupils’ learning according to Hughes (2002) includes the kind of spoken language use by them outside of school context such as at home. English as an Additional Language (EAL) according to Davison (2007) refers to ethnic minority pupils who are perceived as to needing support with their English development.These pupils possess language other than English (LOTE) as their mother tongue language. The terminology of English as a Second Language (ESL) is also commonly used by many researchers and teachers to identify these LOTE pupils. However, there has been a rise of issues about the usage of ESL as a term in pedagogy hence, the term EAL is said to be a more appropriate term to be used as it suits the context where the English language abilities of bilingual or multi-lingual pupils are multi-leveled (Davison, 2007).These issues revolve around the fact that LOTE pupils should not all be assumed to take English languag e as their second language. These pupils can be 4 fluent in speaking and writing in their mother tongue language but not in English language, or it can be vice versa (NALDIC, 2009). On the other hand, these pupils can be more fluent and able to socialise with their schoolmates in English language informally, but not be able to engage in academic writing and meet the requirement of the national standards.Cummins’ (1979) distinction between Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) and Cognitive and Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) as cited in DfES training toolkit programme (DfES, 2006b) shows that communicative or conversational skills (BICS) of pupils usually develop first in verbal exchanges context before they develop their cognitive (thinking and learning skills) and academic languages (CALP). In general, it takes two to three years for upils to be fluent in English as an additional language and an average of five to seven and even ten years for bilingual pupils to be competent in cognitive and academic domains. Essentially, EAL teachers need to know that only by pupils achieving development in both of their cognitive and academic language can they contribute to their academic success (DfES, 2006b). In an actual fact, how successful is the teaching and learning of English language subject in England primary schools?According to inspections done by Ofsted from April 2008 until March 2011 in over 133 primary schools, the report highlights the finding that primary schools have less improvements in English attainments in comparison to secondary schools (Ofsted, 2012). The problems listed are encompassed of having fewer pupils achieving national expectations in reading, and quality in teaching writing is varied such that less efforts were given in spelling and handwriting. Slower improvements in primary schools are then linked to the fact that there is a lack of specialists present in the teaching and learning context.Although, due to 5 inspect ions done by Ofsted consist of individuals, there might be biased element involve in the evaluation. Nonetheless, Therefore, I do believe there should be more researches focusing on the competences of teachers through teacher training programmes and continuing professional development. Relevance of Formative Assessment in EAL â€Å"Sensitive formative assessment of pupils’ classroom performance demands a high level of teacher awareness of pupil needs†¦teachers need to take account†¦the even more complex and less ‘visible’ aspects of language use. (NALDIC, 2003: 1) I can relate to the above quoted statement by NALDIC (2003) where teachers are required to carefully plan formative assessment for pupils’ learning by considering the complexity of language education especially EAL. According to Wiliam (2011), there has been a lack of researches done for teacher professional development. Learning styles, educational neuroscience and content area knowle dge are the common areas included in teacher professional development. Thus, why focus on formative assessment in this context?Getting into the basic details of understanding assessment, Green and Johnson (2010:14) define assessment as more than just tests and quizzes for the purpose of grading. Furthermore, assessment is viewed as a mix of methods to implement before, during and after lessons by taking advantage and making good use of pupils’ former or current knowledge to enhance learning. From the definition itself, they feasibly elaborated three main purposes of assessment 6 based on occurrence of the instructions.Diagnostic assessment happens before teaching, formative assessment (assessment for learning) happen during teaching and summative assessment (assessment of learning) happens after teaching (Green and Johnson, 2010). Thus, the terms diagnostic, formative and summative can be seen as defining the functions or purposes of the wide range of assessments. Black, Harr ison, Lee, Marshall and Wiliam (2003:31) mentioned that there are four ways of assessing pupils; questioning or classroom dialogue, feedback or feed-forward, self and peer-assessment, and formative use of summative tests.The relevance of focusing on formative assessment is due to its compatibility alongside many other aspects that contribute to pupils’ achievements (such as age, abilities and multileveled language). NALDIC (2003) agrees on the insufficiency of only using National Curriculum English and thus resulted in Assessment for learning (AfL) which is synonymous to formative assessment, to be used on a daily instructional basis (NALDIC, 2009). According to Stiggins (2005) as cited in Wiliam (2011), Assessment for learning exists throughout the process of pupils’ learning.AfL provides pupils with information of their learning progress through feedback as evidence and at the same time, assist pupils on how to improve and meet achievement standards. NALDIC Formative descriptors consist of assessment framework to assist teachers on day-to-day methods or provide stages for diagnosing pupils’ progress, and also to help teachers plan and integrate AfL into EAL teaching approaches (NALDIC, 2009). Issues in Assessing English as an Additional Language 7 We have only looked at the complexity of language in terms of its terminology.Davison (2007) mentioned that knowing what to be taught and learnt in classrooms must precede the action of assessing EAL pupils’ development. Other than that, teachers must also take notes on pupils’ knowledge prior to lessons to provide them with better learning opportunities. Shepard (2000) talked about two different problems in relation to teacher practices and pupils’ prior knowledge to learning. She stated that quite a number of teachers only documented results from pre-test and post-test assessment tasks however failed to subsume pupils’ pre-test results for enhancing pupils’ learning.In another case, a sizeable amount of teachers involved in reading and language subject had the tendency of using activities that acknowledge pupils’ background knowledge but failed to comprehensively integrate them with assessment. In practice, EAL pupils would have more predicaments in learning English as their additional language in comparison to native speakers of English pupils learning English. Hence, teachers are required to be more sensitive towards the cultural background and prior knowledge of these EAL pupils to help fulfill their learning needs.Language as a second language contains facets such as grammatical, socio-cultural and strategic abilities taken from models that can be referred for assessing. However, Widdowson (2001) as cited by Davison and Leung (2009) stated that the complexity of language is mainly due to the absence of comprehensive views and researches on the relations of these components, thus resulting in theoretical issues arising such a s on the ‘validity’ and ‘reliability’ on assessing criteria of language.For an example, in assessing writing, there may be a question on the validity of perhaps teachers putting more emphasise on grammar proficiency in comparison to creative writing. 8 Thus, theoretically, with the nature of language being multifaceted and the different abilities of LOTE speaking pupils in mind, one has to wonder how teachers deal with and monitor their development and progress. Of course there are NALDIC Formative descriptors which provide framework and guidance to teachers; however, there is the persistent question of whether or not this is enough.An experiment was done by Davison in 1998 (Davison, 2007) involving ten Hong Kong immigrant students in Australian secondary schools. The result of the research indicates that teachers of these immigrant students had the tendency of creating a ‘community of dialogic exchanges’ (Davison, 2007:542). Referring to forma tive assessment, classroom dialogue is one of the areas used to assess students to enhance learning, nonetheless, it is the way that teachers use this method that really determines the outcomes to be positive or negative for their learning.Here, the teachers seemed to acknowledge the background of the EAL students but omitted their learning needs. The teachers developed negative judgments towards these students such as perceiving them as depending too much on their mother-tongue language and having no motivation to learn and speak in English. Thus, this poor discernment by teachers as assessors should be a major professional concern. Furthermore, in reflection to Davison’s research, I would like to include some issues raised by Cumming (2009) in the Forum section of TESOL Quarterly.Briefly, Cumming put forward problems that relate teachers and assessment. Firstly, the problem is on teachers’ lack of knowledge on assessment, and also questioning their professional abili ties since there are still a lack of studies done to help answer how language teachers build up their competences 9 throughout their career. Secondly, teachers having a hard time in choosing assessment approaches that would work better in helping pupils meet the curriculum standards. Lastly, there are issues involved to how teachers relate assessment with pupils’ development and learning needs.As a result, the judgment skills, knowledge and abilities of teachers as assessors, are some of the many factors that should be considered in improving within teacher professional development. Teacher Professional Development: Novice to Expert? The demands put on teachers’ shoulders can be quite a jargon to others who are not involved directly in the related profession. There is even a saying that I was once told and here it is; the works of a teacher to others as they see it is only a tip of an iceberg.Throughout my teaching experiences, I slowly grasped the meaning of it as the reality of the profession manifested itself through the extra hours of marking, lesson planning and researching. During my earlier periods in the teaching diploma programmes, I believed teachers with years of school experience ought to master the techniques of teaching. It was my assumption that veteran teachers should outperform novice teachers. Nonetheless, with the passing of time, I have learned to believe that experience would only give positive impacts on pupils’ outcomes when the serving teachers bring with them developments in their practices.Of course the time factor contributes to teacher professional development, such as to give ample opportunities to teachers to experience and develop their skills. However, for judging on how good a teacher is, it does not entirely matter on the length of time the teacher has taught, but what the teacher does within this time that is really a concern. 10 Such as, how teachers develop teaching approaches on bringing in greater lea rning experience for pupils in EAL classrooms or setting.Referring to my old belief, a trite assumption that I’d probably make would be that teachers should just be left in schools for a period of time to eventually learn to teach better. Surprisingly, this assumption is proven to have a little bit of truth. Wiliam (2011) has put forward research done by Leigh (2010) on 90,000 Australian elementary school students. The research shows a small gap of differences on the impacts of students’ progress as a result from the teaching between veteran and novice teachers (see Appendix A).Hence, a couple of years advance by veteran teachers in the career put them at a slightly better teaching result, yet Leigh stated the majority agree that the case is not always the same. The attention of even on the tiniest bit of truth on the assumption that veteran teachers teach better than novices, is better turned to how they teach and develop their practices. That is, by improving their i nner developments; wisdom, knowledge, experience and polishing their critical judgment skills (Dadds, 2001).On the other hand, it is vital to realise that the whole process of developing teacher practices does not evolve entirely on teachers simply catching up with the latest educational trends (Wiliam, 2011). Metaphorically, it is not as easy as reading ingredients off a recipe book and lacking of involvement in the process of cooking itself. Putnam and Borko (1997) as cited in Shepard (2000) agreed that constant experimentation and reflection on pedagogical models in real classrooms context by teachers precede beneficial changes to their teaching practices, beliefs and attitudes. 1 Teacher Professional Development Strategies in EAL Looking from an international view, Shimahara (1998) stated that teacher professional development in every countries differ from one another in terms of its strategies. In Japan, the strategies of professional development encourage peer-development, mea nwhile in America; the strategies are focused on following paradigms for self-development. Higgins and Leat (2001) talked about effective teacher development by linking its models in a mapping diagram (see Appendix B).They attempted on linking models such as those that seek on transitional stages of novice to expert teachers, teachers’ professional reflection, pedagogical knowledge, subject knowledge, socialisation and personal explanatory. This goes back to relate on the previous research on 90,000 elementary students in Australia on the differences of performance between novice and veteran teachers (Wiliam 2011). It would not be enough to prepare individual teachers with only a specific skill in teaching development such as on pedagogical approaches alone.This is because teacher professional development is multi-faceted and the components are interrelated. Although there are imperfections on trying to map out the complex relationships of models within teacher development du e to many different meanings of the concepts in literature, however, they agreed on stressing the importance of teachers in having explicit work purposes (Higgins and Leat, 2001). Due to the major focus on mainstreamed classrooms in English schools, Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) therefore aims in providing all pre-service teachers 12 ith the experiences of EAL integration across all curriculum subjects (Cajkler and Hall, 2009). In my home country, the curriculum has a vast of English Language medium subjects listed for the majority local and non-native English speaking pupils. Thus, in the previous years, preservice and post-service teachers in Brunei had the opportunity to choose upon entering the teaching training programmes such as to specialise in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).However, it is acknowledged by Cajkler and Hall (2009) that despite the urgency to meet the demand of increasing EAL pupils in England, the inclusion of EAL specialisatio n in pre-service teachers training programmes is out of the question due to the already ‘very crowded programme’ (Cajkler and Hall, 2009:154). In the initial training, the confidence level of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) was low especially in the fields of assessing English and teaching of literacy.The study also noted that the training provided pre-service teachers with less involvement with the national guidelines for assessment of EAL pupils; Language in Common. As a result, 45% from one hundred and fifteen respondents prioritised teaching skills for EAL as the most essential further training category for continuing professional development (Cajkler and Hall, 2009). Thus, assessment and language developments are suggested to be centralised in the teacher training programmes.Therefore, in 2006, the introduction of training toolkit for EAL Excellence and enjoyment: teaching and learning for bilingual pupils in the primary years (DfES, 2006b) to schools aims to raise understanding on EAL pedagogy and provide guidance on teaching approaches for bilingual learners. Then, White et al (2006) in their evaluation of the pilot programme of the DfES toolkit (DfES, 2006b) mentioned that there has been a positive improvement in teachers’ confidence and better comprehensive view of EAL pedagogy by teachers. 3 If I insisted on my previous assumption on letting novice teachers evolve to experts, Higgins and Leat (2001) pointed out that there are again stages involve in the transition to increase expertise. These transitional stages are not shown in the mapping diagram (see Appendix B). Nonetheless, it triggers such questions as to what extend do we measure achievements of teachers to confirm their expertise in teaching, hence, what makes one a teaching expert?Does defining one’s expertise help others to improve, such as through demonstrations of teaching to pre-service and post-service teachers? Changes can only occur and produce results when teachers are willing to first, change from within. Perhaps I can look at it from this point of view where education reformers provide new teaching models to schools, but instead, all these innovative strategies are making teachers feel inundated by them and as a result, changes intended never take place in classrooms (Wiliam, 2011).Let’s also reflect on the situation of the ten Hong Kong students where teachers assess them through classroom dialogue activity but misinterpreted in using that assessment to make judgments that did not contribute in helping them to learn better. As a result, Dadds (2001:51) emphasise teachers to cultivate their inner ‘voice’ and judgment or the ‘expert’ within them before accepting and using instructions from the ‘expert’ outside. Teachers are learners themselves. They need to learn on how to look at their rooted values on the profession first before thinking on improving and catering the learning needs of p upils.Suggestions to Overcome Issues in EAL 14 Other than participating actively in the schools or the nation’s teacher professional development programmes, there are also many other individualistic ways for serving teachers to successfully implement AfL in EAL pedagogical approaches. In the context of teacher professional development, it really depends on teachers to improve their knowledge and professional abilities; to trust their instincts, experience and wisdom in order to help pupils attain better in their learning.Also, it is essential for teachers to be explicit on the learning intentions before assessing pupils for learning. For lesson preparations, teachers in England are opened to a wide range of resources for EAL and assessment tasks such as from EAL publications, DfES toolkit (2006b) and NALDIC official website which provide great research platforms for teachers and tutors. Teachers can use information on pupils’ background and prior knowledge to adapt sui table assessment tasks in classrooms.According to Shepard (2000), teachers may even evaluate their own practices through classroom assessments by becoming liberal and open into discussing matters related to improving instructions with pupils. Another way of helping teachers to develop their assessment practices is by using video or audio recorder while assessing pupils as media to allow teachers to reflect and improve their approaches, as well as, to enable teachers to better understand the learning needs of their pupils.For peer-development, EAL teachers may make informal meetings with their EAL teaching colleagues to discuss and make amendments on certain assessments criteria (Davison, 2007; Davison and Leung, 2009). In addition to the issue of assessment ‘validity and reliability’, the matter can be partially put at ease if the assessing of pupils is done by teachers who know them very well. In addition, 15 teachers should be given great autonomy to plan and help the learning of their own pupils (Davison and Leung, 2009).However, if the case of ‘validity and reliability’ is over-emphasised, therefore, I believe that the status of teachers as assessors may be perceived as weak and the whole focus of AfL would be none other than a replacement of standardised traditional ways of assessing. As cited by Shepard (2000), Assessment Reform Group (1999) which consists of researchers from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, put forward their discourse to the government policies on three important aspects. Firstly, to amend inspectorate policies to help guarantee teachers as qualified assessors for pupils’ learning.Secondly, increase the funding on professional development opportunities for teachers. Finally, relieve teachers from the apprehensive pressure of standard examinations when planning instructions for pupils’ learning. Conclusion The impetus of this essay derived from the fact whereby is supported by NALDIC (2009) that English as an Additional Language (EAL) development is a rather difficult situation that gives impact to teachers’ professional experience. There has been a great emphasise on EAL in England due to its long tradition of migration and mainstream classrooms in primary schools.In relation to the urgency, teacher professional development in England becomes the foreground in dealing with the increasing number of language other than the English (LOTE) speaking pupils in state funded schools (DfE, 2011). On the other hand, the integration of AfL in the teaching of EAL is seen to be the best way to assist teachers in increasing pupils’ literacy competences. NALDIC Formative descriptors, established in 2009, serve as assessment framework that provides teachers with 16 approaches to diagnose the progress of pupils in EAL and provide them with feedback evidence to improve learning (NALDIC, 2003).Language education is very complex. The nature of language involves stage s of competencies and encompasses of many interrelated components (Davison and Leung, 2009). Thus, trying to figure out the abilities of bilingual or multilingual pupils in English language and which aspect or components of the language to use to judge their competences, is quite the phenomenon. Therefore, there are issues involving teachers’ critical judgments and wisdom whilst assessing EAL pupils that highlights the necessity of teacher professional development.According to Higgings and Leat (2001) by referring to Teacher Training Agency (1997), primary teacher training in United Kingdom provided a course where pre-service teachers are to obtain all the needs of professional learning by attending ample of lectures on subject knowledge, teaching approaches and a number of demonstrations on teaching. However, from a study done by Cajkler and Hall (2009), the result shows that there is inconsistency in the focus of EAL in the teacher training programme provided by TDA in Engl and.Time is an essential element in development but it is also relevant to look at teachers as individuals with different abilities. From my experience, some teachers could be talented and creative than the others, and some teachers could be more motivated. Therefore, arguing on which aspect contributes more in improving teacher practices is impossible due to the fact that it is beyond my capability for discussion and the limitation of this essay. In a nutshell, I agree that that teacher professional development is complex.Education reformers should not merely focus on one area of teaching practices but also to acknowledge other teaching related factors. 17 Nonetheless, Wiliam (2011) paraphrased Doug Lenov (2010) and stated that teachers have no maximum limitation of success and should think that striving for continuous development throughout their career is necessary. After all, teachers are not just essentially required to help develop EAL pupils into becoming capable learners in their classrooms but, they also help them to become capable members of the schools and cultural societies (Davison, 2007).Therefore, teachers’ skeptical attitude towards innovative strategies that would help improve their teaching has to be countered with other strategies that would prepare them with the changes they need from within. Iteratively, professional development for teachers needs to be guided with intentions that are relevant and supportive to their continuous professional development in order to face the continuous challenges of the evolving society nowadays. 18 REFERENCES Black, P. , Harrison, C. , Lee, C. , Marshall, B. and Wiliam, D. 2003) Assessment for Learning: Putting It into Practice. England: Open University Press. Cumming, A. (2009) What Needs to Be Developed to Facilitate Classroom-Based Assessment? In TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 43(3), 515 – 519. Dadds, M. (2001) Continuing Professional Development: Nurturing the Expert Within. In Burgess, H. , Craft, A. and Soler, J. (Eds) Teacher Development: Exploring Our Own Practice, 50 – 56. London: The Open University. Davison, C. (2007) Different Definitions of Language and Language Learning: Implications for Assessment. In Cummin, H. nd Davison C. (Eds) International Handbook of English Language Teaching, Vol. 1, 533 – 548. Norwell, MA: Springer. Davison, C. and Leung, C. (2009) Current Issues in English Language Teacher-Based Assessment. In TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 43(3), 393 – 416. DfE (2011) DfE: Schools, Pupils and Their Characteristics – January 2011. http://www. education. gov. uk/researchandstatistics/datasets/a00196810/schools-pupils-and-theircharacteristics-january-2, accessed November 20, 2012. 19 DfES (2006a) Ethnicity and Education: The Evidence on Minority Ethnic Pupils Aged 5 – 16.London: DfES. DfES (2006b) Excellence and Enjoyment: Learning and Teaching for Bilingual Children in the Primary Years, Unit 1, Planning and Assessment for Languag e and Learning. London: DfES. Green, S. K. and Johnson, R. L. (2010) Assessment is Essential. New York: McGraw-Hill. Higgins, S. and Leat, D. (2001) Horses for Courses or Courses for Horses: What is Effective Teacher Development? In Burgess, H. , Craft, A. and Soler, J. (Eds) Teacher Development: Exploring Our Own Practice, 57 – 58. London: The Open University. Hughes, P. 2002) Principles of Primary Education Study Guide: 2nd Edition. London: David Fulton Publishers Ltd. NALDIC (2003) NALDIC Position Statement on Assessment of English as an Additional Language. http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-advocacy/naldic-reports-and-responses/naldic-briefingsand-letters, accessed November 21, 2012. NALDIC (2009) EAL Assessment Frameworks, Models and Useful Documents for Classroom Teacher. http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/eal-resources/eal-assessment, accessed November 21, 2012. NALDIC (2011) Bilingual and Dual Language Resources. ttp://www. naldic. org. uk/ealteaching -and-learning/eal-resources/bilingual, accessed November 20, 2012. 20 Ofsted (2012) Moving English Forward: Action to Raise Standards in English. http://www. ofsted. gov. uk/resources/moving-english-forward, accessed November 27, 2012. Shepard, L. A. (2000) The Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture. In Educational Researcher, Vol. 29(7), 4 – 14. USA: American Educational Research Association. Shimahara, N. K. (1998) The Japanese Model of Professional Development: Teaching as Craft.In Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 14(5), 451 – 462. Great Britain: Elsevier Science Ltd. White, K. , Lewis, K. , and Fletcher-Campbell, F. (2006) Raising the Achievement of Bilingual Learners in Primary Schools: Evaluation of the Pilot/Programme, Research Report RR758 (National Foundation for Educational Research). London: DfES. Wiliam, D. (2011) Embedded Formative Assessment. USA: Solution Tree Press. 21 APPENDIX A A graph that shows the rate of teacher productivity in relation to t heir years of working experience (Leigh, 2010) cited in Wiliam (2011:28)

Arguments for/Against Morality of Abortion

Morality of Abortion For Abortion (utilitarian): Anything having a net output of benefits with consideration of everyone is morally permissible [1, 7]. An abortion is a procedure to end a pregnancy and the procedure is performed by a licensed health care professional [2]. Medical or surgical abortions performed in the first trimester do not significantly affect later infertility, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, or preterm or low-birth-weight deliveries, according to The Kaiser Family Foundation's statistics on abortion [3], and shows no greater risk of breast cancer, according to research from the National Cancer Institute [8].There is about 1 death per 100,000 legal abortions and the risk of complications from the abortions are rare, about less than 0. 3% [3]. In the question of whether fetuses can feel pain during an abortion, evidence from research concludes that â€Å"fetuses from 20-23 weeks do not feel pain† [6] – whereas abortions mostly occur before tha t time period [3]. In conclusion, since the legal abortions are performed by a professional and the benefits outweigh the costs, abortion is morally permissible. Against Abortion (kantian): Killing an innocent human life form is wrong.The fetus is an innocent human life form, therefore it is wrong to abort the fetus [1]. According to the Women's Center statistics, teenagers are more likely to delay having an abortion until 15 weeks of pregnancy, when the medical risks are greater [4]. The federal law dictates that states cover abortions under Medicaid under cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment [3], but having wider access to contraception would be a better solution to the problem of abortion and enable private companies to take on the burden of the costs[5].A fetus â€Å"possesses a property, the possession of which in adult human beings is sufficient to make killing an adult human being wrong† [9]. The arguments for abortion are apt to â€Å"'speciesism'† [9] b ecause the arguments center around the notion that a â€Å"human being† should have reasoning ability, critical thought, or consciousness in order to pass as a human being. We cannot focus on consciousness or rationality as a definition of a person because it has the fallacy of being too narrow of a definition since a erson in a coma is still considered a human being. In conclusion, since fetuses possess the ability to gain rationality, and don't need it to be defined as a human being, abortion is wrong because it is murder, and murder is not justifiable. Works Cited Gensler, Harry J. â€Å"A Kantian Argument against Abortion. †Ã‚  Philosophical Studies: An International Journal for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition  49. 1 (1986): 83-96. JSTOR. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. ;http://www. jstor. org/stable/4319811;. â€Å"Abortion†.MedlinePlus. National Library of Medicine (US). Web. 2013 Jan 28. ;http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/abortion. html#cat22; â€Å"Aborti on in the U. S. : Utilization, Financing, and Access. †Ã‚  The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. The Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2008. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. ;http://www. kff. org/womenshealth/upload/3269-02. pdf;. â€Å"Abortion Statistics, Facts About Abortion In The US. †Ã‚  Orlando Women’s Centers. The Women’s Centers, n. d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. ;http://www. womenscenter. om/abortion_stats. html;. â€Å"Second-Trimester Abortion Overview. †Ã‚  The Pro-Choice Public Education Project. Reproductive Health Technologies Project, n. d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. ;http://www. rhtp. org/abortion/documents/Second-TrimesterAbortionFactSheetExternal. pdf;. Christian, Brugger E. â€Å"The Problem of Fetal Pain and Abortion: Toward an Ethical Consensus for Appropriate Behavior. †Ã‚  Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal  22. 3 (2012): 263-87. U. S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.Web. 18 Feb. 2013. ;http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/p ubmed/23285794? tool=MedlinePlus;. Vaughn, Lewis. Doing Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues. 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton ;, 2013. Print. â€Å"Abortion, Miscarriage, and Breast Cancer Risk. †Ã‚  National Cancer Institute Factsheet. National Cancer Institute (NCI), n. d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. ;http://www. cancer. gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/abortion-miscarriage;. Marquis, Don. â€Å"Why Abortion Is Immoral. †Ã‚  Journal of

In Dubious Battle essays

In Dubious Battle essays In Dubious Battle : Criticising Communism and Capitalism John Steinbeck in his great strike novel In Dubious Battle gives, Steinbeck does not just simply praise communism or capitalism for that matter. He is simply telling the positive and the negative of both. Steinbeck criticizes communism by showing how it dehumanizes an individual by making the person view people as simply objects to be exploited for the Party. He praises communism by displaying the intense dedication that Jim, Mac, and others have to the cause and by demonstrating the extreme oppression that the few rich landowners impress upon the working men. By proceeding in this fashion throughout the novel Steinbeck does give a truly accurate depiction of communism. One of the primary reasons for this meticulous illustration of communism is that Steinbeck sought and received information from actual communists. In a letter to his agents Steinbeck writes, " My information for this book came mostly from Irish and Italian communists whose training was in the field, not in the drawin g room. They do what they can under the circumstances."(Lisca 113) This explains the genius behind Mac's character and the genius that Jim acquired later in the novel. They both had the ability to do exactly what the Irish and Italian field workers did, and that was to use everything they possibly could to advance the communist cause. Mac and Jim used everyone and everything that came across their paths. They began using people as soon as they got off the train in the Torga Valley. They risked the lives of Lisa, London's wife, and her newborn child to get the men to work as a team and trust each other. Mac played doctor and acted like he knew how to delver a baby when the only thing he knew was to keep the area clean (Levant). He got the men to work together to help deliver the baby. Mac made sure that every man felt like he had done something helpful to the goal of delivering the baby, even if they...

Lab Report 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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Social Work in Evidence Based Practice Essay Example for Free

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According to the National Association of Social Workers 2005 individual social workers that are being penalized are sanction by the NASW through Publication in the NASW NEWS and/or the Chapter newsletter of the adjudication findings, conclusions, and sanctions imposed. Sanctions include suspension of membership or expulsion from membership in NASW and the ACSW standing or other NASW issued credentials, including forfeiture of dues or fees paid. Also, individuals are sanctioned through revocation of ACSW standing or other NASW issued credentials, including forfeiture of dues or fees paid. Sanctions can occur with notification to state regulatory boards, of adjudication findings, conclusions, and sanctions imposed and removal from the Register of Clinical Social Workers. Individuals can be sanction with notification to credentialing bodies, societies, and specialized practice groups in which the individual may hold membership, of adjudication findings, conclusions, and sanctions impose d. Lastly, sanctions can occur with a Letter of censure, notification to Respondent’s malpractice insurer of findings and conclusions and notification to the Disciplinary Action  Reporting System (administered by the Association of Social Work Boards) of findings and conclusions (National Association of Social Workers, 2005). References National Association of Social Workers, (2008). Academy of Certified Social Workers New Applicants Only. Retrieved August 28, 2008, Web site: http://www.socialworkers.org/credentials/credentials/acsw.asp National Association of Social Workers, (2005).NASW procedures for professional review. Sheafor, B, Horejsi, C (2006). Techniques and Guidelines for Social Work Practice.Boston: Pearson Education Inc. National Association of Social Workers, (2008). Evidence-Based Practice. Retrieved September 1, 2008, Web site: http://www.socialworkers.org/research/nasw/Research/0108EvidenceBasedPractice/default.asp