Technology-based Instructional Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Technology-based Instructional Practices - Essay Example Because of the growing dependency and the importance of technology in society, technology has become increasingly important in schools as problem-solving instructional tools. The breadth portion of this Knowledge Area Module (KAM) presents a working theory of constructivism based upon instructional practices adapted to meet the technology requirements of the twenty-first-century learner. There will be special emphasis on the work of Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and Seymour Papert. The Breadth paper emphasized the relationship between social and cognitive constructivism along with influences in education. The constructivists’ theories and concepts addressed learning styles and academic achievement. It concluded with the suggestion that to increase productivity from student achievement and productivity, an increase in feedback communication from all stakeholders in an educational system. Feedback communication increases can be contributions to the use of technology-infused instruction, data management, and intelligent classrooms communication. School districts cultivate reform practices to include the integration of technology in curriculum standards. Student technology standards are aligned with each grade level for students to master. Educational paradigm shifts bring new perspectives, new conceptualizations and new ways of thinking about a topic. The research studies explain the important role of technology Computers developed for the classroom, which were geared toward helping to teach the traditional curriculum and basic skills, were often operated as a means to deliver instruction, sometimes as a supplement to the teachers’ classroom instruction, and sometimes replacing classroom instruction altogether.  

Contract of Employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contract of Employment - Essay Example The intervening world wars in the first half of the 20th century put paid to any thought about advancement in the labour cause. The concept of modern day Employment Law Act began with the Equal Pay Act of 1970. It came into effect in 1972. The most prominent segment of this act was that it strengthened the efforts to bring about equality for women in the workplace (The Equal Pay Act 1970 (Amendment) Regulation 2003). Since1997 and the election of the Labour Government there have been many changes in the UK employment law. These include enhanced maternity and paternity rights, the introduction of a National Minimum Wage and the Working Time Directive which covers working time, rest breaks and the right to paid annual leave. Likewise, discrimination law has been tightened with protection from discrimination now available on the grounds of age, religion or belief and sexual orientation as well as gender, race and disability (Industrial relations under new Labour: an update). Today terms and conditions governing employer-employee relations are not as open as they ought to be and they are complex. They are lop-sided, not quite reasonable, geared to human resource development but simultaneously businesslike. The present day terms and conditions swear by natural justice, however there are disciplinary procedures, provides little scope for protection from unfair treatment, prefer counseling, and sets clear performance standards. Now terms and conditions are two different terminologies. The dictionary describes terms as "words used to define certain concept" and condition as "a stipulation" (Illustrated Oxford Dictionary). In the issue of labour, terms are concepts that describe the working relation the company has with the employee and conditions are stipulations that describe the reward or penalty for duty performed or misdemeanors committed. The United Kingdom has in place employment legislations that addresses human resources development issues and also makes it difficult for employers to carry out unfair dismissals. These legislations succinctly cover almost all nature of employment and human resource problems. However, employers hold the trump cards. Employer-employee problems Problems in employer-employee relations happen when management is primarily insensitive to human

The winners and losers of the globalisation process

The winners and losers of the globalisation process There are both winners and losers associated with globalisation, however what exactly is globalisation and how can it be defined? Daniels et al. Defines the term globalisation as follows: A contested term relating to the transformation of spatial relations that involves a change in the relationship between space, economy and society.  [1]  There are a few key dimensions connected to globalisation, these are economical, political, social, cultural and environmental. This paper will argue that there are some positives linked to globalisation, however many people are still worse off and suffer as a result of this phenomenon. There are some general winners as a result of globalisation: the highly skilled and educated, large firms, global markets, men, or any people with assets. Then there are the losers of globalisation: the workers, women and children, local communities, the uneducated, people without skills, the environment and small firms. For globalisation to work inequality must be decreased in order to close the gap between the rich and poor countries. Transnational and Multinational Corporations are those corporations which have headquarters in a certain country (mainly in a global city) and operate in several other countries around the world. They have been the central players in the evolution of globalisation since the Second World War. These have continued to become some of the most powerful economic and political entities in the world today. The corporations can influence globalisation greatly and bring wealth to developed countries. Many of the larger Transnational Corporations (TNCs) have a higher turnover than the majority of the worlds countries. For example, the combined revenues of General Motors and Ford alone, the two largest automobile corporations in the world, exceed the combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for all of sub-Saharan Africa.  [2]   Economic globalisation  refers to increasing economic interdependence of national economies across the world through a rapid increase in cross border movement of goods, service, technology and capital.  [3]  Capitalism drives globalisation in this present era and will continue to do so with the markets opening up and becoming neo-liberal. Whilst economic globalisation has been occurring over several thousands of years, recently it has expanded rapidly with the increasing improvements in technology, transportation and free trade. This recent growth has occurred mainly because of developed countries integrating with less developed countries, by means of foreign direct investment (FDI), the reduction of  trade barriers and the modernisation of these developing cultures. Countries involved in trade liberalisation benefit from an increase in living standards, increased incomes, and higher rates of economic growth. For economies to grow, TNCs need to generate profit and expand glob ally. They achieve this by moving their production line to less developed countries in order to decrease production costs and increase profit. The winners of this process are the major corporations (Nike, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.) whose products are made at a minimal cost, thus generating increased amounts of profit allowing them to globalise their business and become wealthier. TNCs have been heavily criticised, however they have invested in developing countries and by doing this, have managed to raise the living standards. Despite the western view that sweatshops are unethical, the labourers who work in them are often benefiting greatly. Many economists whose studies are directly related to sweatshops find that after controlling for other factors, multinational firms pay higher wages than domestic firms in Third World countries.  [4]  Many citizens in developing countries are unqualified or uneducated, thus making it extremely difficult for them to find employment by being unqualified. Feenstra and Hanson (1997) find that multinational firms improve the lives of workers by increasing the demand for labour.  [5]  This indicates that unqualified citizens still have a chance of employment and receiving an above average income. The apparel industry has drawn most attention in the press for its use of sweatshop labour. Evidently, the apparel wages are l ow by Western country standards however, these wages compare favourably with the average standard of living within these countries. For example, in Honduras, the site of the famous Kathy Lee Gifford sweatshop scandal, the average apparel worker earns, $13.10 per day, yet 44% of the countrys population lives on less than $2 per day.  [6]  Evidently, sweatshops do play a major role in developing countries, however there still are some negatives surrounding them. The negative associations with globalisation cannot be overlooked. The losers of this process are the workers who work increased hours, earn little income, along with poor living and working standards. Even though sweatshops produce a reasonable, above average income for its workers, they usually work in dirty polluted factories which may have a negative effect on the worker and may decrease their life span. For example, Tommy Hilfiger a world renowned brand has set up sweatshops in developing countries, where products are made at a minimal cost and sold in developed countries at a high cost, producing major profits which return to the specific TNC headquarters, thus the developing countries economy does not benefit greatly. This in turn leads to an increase in inequality between the rich and the poor. As a result of sweatshops, citizens in the developing world may suffer as well. When these major corporations move their production line to reduce costs they leave several thousands of local citizens unemployed, which may lead to them relying on welfare. They may also substitute humans with labour saving technologies which will also increase unemployment levels. This can continue to lead to issues such as a loss of tax revenue which may be detrimental to the home country and halt them from moving forward. An additional loser in this process can be the consumer who purchases these products which can be described as being highly overpriced. Another significant and often overlooked loser from economic globalisation is the environment. Major corporations decreases in environmental integrity as polluting corporations take advantage of weak regulatory rules in developing countries. For example, human systems are depleting resources and degrading the environment at unprecedented rates, such as mining companies clearing land for production causing deforestation and pollution. There are many more examples of environmental degradation such as urbanization of productive land; water logging and salinization of soil; soil erosion; deforestation; ground water depletion; ozone depletion; pollution; and climate change to name a few. These are all issues which are currently being seen through media sources. Such as the BP oil spill which has been graded the biggest environmental disaster in the US history, The oil rig, about 40 miles (64km) off the coast of Louisiana, sank two days later, gushing an estimated 12,000 to 19,000 barrels of crude oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico.  [7]  This appears to be a prime example of environmental degradation. This disaster has continuing effects on the environment and economy such as killing wildlife and habitat, and effecting tourism on this part of the coast. Ms Wickman, owner of the Treasure Trove gift shop that occupies an 18th century church, one of Alabamas oldest buildings, estimates that her business has dropped by half since news of the April 20 explosion that destroyed an oil rig under contract with BP.  [8]  Due to the interconnectedness of globalisation when this disaster occurred all the oil prices around the world fluctuated and were unstable at the time. Some countries may suffer from the resource curse. A prime example of the resource curse is Nigeria, a country rich in land, but poor in population. Despite its large earning from oil, 70% of its estimated 140 million people live below the poverty line.  [9]  About 95 percent of Nigerias revenue is generated by oil and gas, resulting in billions of  dollars  in state funds every year, though much of the country remains impoverished and underdeveloped this is mainly due to a high level of corruption in its government.  [10]  These can lead to much greater issues within developing countries such as an increase in the chances of civil war within developing countries and open war between developing countries as they fight for resources. In conclusion, there are evidently positive impacts which have occurred as a part of the globalisation phenomenon. It has contributed to increased job opportunities for uneducated or unqualified citizens, has increased economic growth for developed countries through transnational and multinational corporations, and increased living standards due to trade liberalisation. Even though there are some negatives associated with globalisation such as increasing the gap between the rich and poor, exploiting labourers, along with having environmental impacts, globalisation has still continued to have many great benefits on the world. It is unreasonable to predict that globalisation will encourage equality around the world; there will always be winners and losers, regardless.

Bad Day :: essays research papers

Bad Day   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I work with a lot of foreigners from all around the globe. Sometimes it becomes very difficult to explain things thoroughly without there being some kind of miscommunication which can be very frustrating.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On this particular day there was a lot of miscommunication going on. A fellow worker of mine, who is a very nice Ethiopian woman, went into a patient room so I could pass her pills to her. We both approached the room laughing and joking as we always do. I gave the patient her pills and stood there while she asked the patient if she wanted a shower since it was her shower day. The patient said, â€Å"Yes, I would like a shower.† Then the women began to say to the patient, â€Å"no you don’t want a shower you want a bed bath.† Okay at this point I’m a little confused, I was always taught that you must respect the patient’s wishes if not you could be neglecting the patient. So I step in and say to the women â€Å"she said she wanted a shower!† She then turns to me and says in broken English â€Å"no, she wants a bed bath. Don’t you want a bed bath? You’re getting a bed bath.† I then turn to her and say â€Å"she says she wants a shower so we have to give her a shower.† We weren’t getting any resolution to this problem so we decide to talk to the charge nurse. She explains to me that the patient is unable to get up because she needs three strong men to help her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Okay end of conversation right! Wrong the women keeps going on and on about how I was in the room telling her she should have a shower etc, etc. Which was a complete lie. I then turn to her and say â€Å"that’s a lie!† She doesn’t say anything and walks back to the patients room and yells at me, â€Å"Don’t ever talk to me again unless you talk to the Charge Nurse!! I’m never going to talk to you again!† Okay I’m thinking to myself what just happened here. She seems very ticked off but at what? I had no idea why! Strange! Anyways I decide that now is the best time to talk to her about why she got so upset. I wait until she goes into a room and follow her.

Personal Development Essay

I have been employed as care worker with my Company, for the last 4 years. Upon joining the Company, I received an induction, which covered guidance and training, in areas applicable for my role. I also received a job description, which informed me of what I was expected to do within my role. When I first started working here, I had no previous experience as a carer, so I found the induction very informative, to support my role, and responsibilities. It informed me of the organisational policies and procedures, which I had to sign, to say I had read and understood their contents. My induction training also made me aware of the legislation that relates to my role, and the GSCC code of practice, that all social care workers must work to. The General Social Care Council,(GSCC) is the social care workforce regulator in England and their job is to regulate the conduct and training of the care workforce. As a care employee, I am required to abide by the code of practice as defined by the G SCC. see more:explain what reflective practice is This code states that I should: * Protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers * Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers * Promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible form danger and harm * Respect the rights of service users while seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people * Uphold public trust and confidence in social care services * Be accountable for their practice and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills. During my induction period with the company, I received regular supervision with my line- manager, who assessed my progress, and competence to perform my role. When my induction period ended, my supervision then took/takes place every 3 months. My supervision covers:- * All aspects of my practice * My career development needs * My reflections on training I have attended recently, progress with my NVQ or other qualifications * Information about the policy and procedures in my organisation. * Constructive feedback on my service delivery. My supervision is always held in a confidential setting, between myself and my Manager. My Manager records details of what has been discussed, targets identified, and achievement target dates to be met by me and my Manager. This is my personal development plan, and helps me to record training received, training identified, and knowledge gained. My supervision is my opportunity to discuss issues I am concerned about. Sometimes prior to my supervision, I write down notes on issues I want to raise, so that I do not forget whilst in my supervision. I also receive appraisal (performance review), meetings with my manager, these are usually once a year. This is a review of my performance, summarising what I think I have achieved, and what my manager thinks I have achieved over the last 12 months. I discuss my training record and identify what my Personal Development Plan will be for the next 12 months. I also agree some personal objectives or targets for me to achieve before my next appraisal. Other colleagues I work with may have been asked for their opinions on my work as well. As a care worker I must be accountable for the quality of my work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving my knowledge and skills. This means I identify mandatory training I may need, and refresher courses, to keep my knowledge up to date, and so meet the current care standards. I also receive training from observing more experienced colleagues, who can teach me ‘on the job’ techniques. This is ‘informal’ training, but is most beneficial, along with ‘formal’ training courses I attend. All training helps to improve my service delivery, and enables me to use recommended safe practice in my working role. I can develop my knowledge, skills, and understanding by: * Identifying the knowledge, skills and standards required for my job role. * Reflecting on my practice, and making improvements on previous practice. * Receiving constructive feedback from my manager, and colleagues. * Undertake learning activities that inform my working practice. * Put new skills that I have learned into practice. I attend regular staff meetings, where staff members can discuss service users in a confidential setting. This is good practice as it provides a platform for staff to share their experiences, and gain moral support and advice from colleagues. My employer also provides a counselling service for staff members, due to the ‘pressures’, of the role. I can ask my Manager for this service if I feel work pressures are too much, and my Manager and organisation will support me. If I have a work related problem, I can approach my supervisor, and line manager for support. I feel comfortable in doing this, as I am confident that they will address my issues, and help me to resolve them. I have the opportunity to develop in my role, as my employer arranges regular ‘in-house’, training opportunities. My employer has also encouraged me to undertake my NVQ qualification, and has allowed me ‘paid’ time for study. My employer advertises job vacancies internally, and I have been encouraged to apply for more ‘senior’ positions, for my career progression.

What Challenges Does the Traditional Public Administration

WHAT CHALLENGES DOES THE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION ENCOUNTER IN A CHANGING PUBLIC SECTOR ENVIRONMENT The traditional model of public administration (TPA) remains the longest standing and most successful theory of management in the public sector which pre-dominated for most of the 20th century.The TPA can be characterized as an administration under the formal control of the political leadership which was based on a strictly hierarchical model of bureaucracy, staffed by permanent, neutral and anonymous officials, motivated only by the public interest, serving any governing party equally, and not contributing to policy but merely administering those policies decided by the politicians. Its theoretical foundations were mainly derived from Woodrow Wilson and Frederick Taylor in the United States, Max Weber in Germany, and the Northcote–Trevelyan Report of 1854 in the United Kingdom.It is now being replaced by the New Public Management (NPM) due to the fact that the traditio nal model has been discredited theoretically and practically. The adoption of new forms of NPM means the emergence of a new paradigm in the public sector. This new paradigm poses a direct challenge to several of what had previously been regarded as fundamental principles of TPA. The aim of this presentation is to discuss the challenges that TPA encounters in a changing Public Sector environment. The discussion will focus on hierarchical structures, bureaucracy, political control, rigidity, one best way, meritocracy and technological change.The term administration is narrower and has a more limited function than that of management and in consequence, changing from public administration to public management means a major change of theory and of function. According to Hughes (2003:6), â€Å"public administration is an activity serving the public, and public servants carry out policies derived from politicians. † The Oxford dictionary defines administration as, â€Å"an act or p rocess of organising the way that something is done. According to Coulter (1996:8) â€Å"management refers to the process of getting activities completed efficiently and effectively with and through other people. From these various definitions it is argued that, administration essentially involves following instructions and providing service, while management involves the achievement of results and personal responsibility by the manager for results being achieved. The terms administration and management are not synonymous, neither is their application to the public sector. These two elements were not necessarily present in the traditional administrative system. Public administration focuses on processes, procedures and rules of etiquette, while public management involves much more.Instead of merely following instructions, a public manager focuses on achieving results and taking responsibility for doing so. It is this paradigm shift from Traditional Public Administration to the New Public Management which has exposed the weaknesses of the Traditional Public Administration Model as discussed below. The use of hierarchical structures which were not necessarily the best or efficient forms of organisations if comparing output and input was one of the problems or inadequacies of the Traditional Public Administration model.However, the hierarchical system meant that everyone knew his or her place and extent of authority. Someone is always technically accountable for all actions, from the lowest level to the highest. The system was reasonably efficient and effective in a narrow sense and meant instructions were carried out, especially when given clearly. It was also reasonably free from the temptations of diverting, eg, public funds for the personal use of the bureaucrat. When tasks were administrative and relatively simple, when the environment was stable, the system worked well.On the contrary, this system is not workable in big organisations. Many strata in a hier archical structure have a potential of slowing done work progress. The results or output take long to be realised. The Kavran Report of (1989:16) reported on hierarchical delays in the public service especially when processing business documents, water and electricity bills requests and others. According to Vecchio, (1991:510), to change the existing public system into one that is speedy, risk-taking, output-oriented, innovative and efficient requires a total change in organizational culture.The focus of subsequent reforms in the public service has been to move away from the idea of a rigid and bureaucratized career service, towards a more fluid structure. An example is that Foreign Direct Investment into Zimbabwe has been put under one roof to speed up processing and approval of projects. Bureaucracy is another problem associated with the TPA model. In small organisations like Civil Aviation of Zimbabwe, bureaucracy is ideal for control of human resource due to its defined reportin g and communication channels, it allows for certainty.Work is standardised due to laid down procedures, rules and regulations. The spans of control are scientifically calculated. However hierarchical structures are not good for management, is usually slow in moving, that is, work takes long to be accomplished and innovations are almost nonexistent. Any deviation from the norm through innovation can be punishable by law if ever anything goes wrong and investigations indicate that there was a deviation from the stipulated regulations or work procedures.However, Weber, in Hughes(2003:35) noted that, â€Å"every bureaucracy seeks to increase the superiority of the professionally informed by keeping their knowledge and intensions secret†, adding that the concept of official secrecy is the specific invention of bureaucracy. This concern still exists today, for example, in the ZRP any press release is done through their spokes persons. The Kavran report of 1989:17 reported that ther e were difficulties in obtaining information from the government. The same report indicated that one had to make innumerable visits and memorandum to get information even on a simple matter.There are now marked changes in the external environment functions with the greater external focus on NPM, through both strategy and managing of external constituencies, than was ever the case with TPA. Public service anonymity has certainly declined. Public servants are much freer to speak out in public, to appear at professional forum, to write articles in journals and generally to be visible and be public figures. The problem of political control or interference in public administration was also found to be one of the of TPA model challenges.Politics and administration are interlinked. Politicians make policies and administrators implement the policies. However, politicians are not necessarily administrators whereas public administrators are professionals in their work and are supposed to be a political; hence they need to be separated. Dahl (1998:59) argues that, â€Å"politics is ubiquitous†. This means that politics cannot be completely separated from administration. Hughes (2003:32) argues that, â€Å"The reform movement in the United States was not able to separate policy from administration, or politicians from administrators.It was only able to clarify the point where political appointments to the public service were to be separated from career appointments. † According to (Hughes 2003:26) â€Å"politicians should rule while public officials should do their bidding. Political offices should be filled competitively in the political arena whereas; bureaucratic offices should be filled competitively in the bureaucratic arena. Political officials should be selected on the basis of their political competence; bureaucratic officials should be selected on the basis of their bureaucratic competence.The separation of political and career routes should be inst itutionalised by legal or constitutional prohibition on concurrent office holding and interchange. Politicians should be judged by the electorate or their political peers whereas officials should be judged by their political overseers or their bureaucratic peers. Political office should be of limited tenure and subject to frequent elections and bureaucratic office should be of unlimited tenure, subject to good behaviour. According to the Zimbabwe Public Service Act, the Public service functions independently and is not answerable to the minister, however the minister can direct the commission on certain issues. Political interference has raised its head in a number of areas of the Zimbabwe Public Services like, the mining sector (ZISCO) where ESSAR was awarded a tender to run the mine and politicians interfered resulting in the withdrawal of the tender. The TPA model was rigid and bureaucratic, narrowly focused and preoccupied with structures and process..Rigidity to rules, regulati ons and order of doing work has a tendency of stifling innovation which is necessary for work effectiveness and efficiency. Robert Merton (1968: 260) argued that, â€Å"rigid adherence to rules could have unanticipated consequences, including a reduction in efficiency. The rigidity and bureaucracy of the system posed a problem to the NPM system which is result based and managers are accountable for their action. To maintain one’s job, is now dependant on one’s performance. The new pubic management encourages flexibility which is intertwined with innovation and increased output.The TPA model assumed there was ‘one best way’ of administering. Gulick’s POSDCORB and Taylor’s scientific management were ‘popular manifestations of this one best way theorising. ’ According to Stillman, (1991: 9) in Hughes (2003:25), the one best way, â€Å" is a methodology by which a few simple nostrums/remedies were followed in all circumstances. â⠂¬  Hughes (2003:33) argues that, â€Å"the one best way was determined by examining all the steps involved in a task, measuring the most efficient and, most importantly, setting out this method as a set of procedures.In the public services, the procedure manuals became ever larger with the method for dealing with every conceivable contingency spelt out in great detail. Once this was done the task of the public official was purely administrative, merely involving consultation of the manual and following the procedures laid down. There was little thought involved and no creativity other than that of finding the right page of the manual. Administrators by definition have no responsibility for results; one best way thinking allowed them to evade responsibility altogether. The results or output was also ignored by this notion of one-best way.This is prevalent in most government departments of Zimbabawe especially the military where things are done according to the book. There is very little room for innovations and accountability as demanded by the new public system. Meritocracy/ Professionalism. The TPA was based on non professional ways of recruitment. It was once common for those aspiring for employment by the state to resort to patronage or nepotism, relying on friends or relatives for employment, or by purchasing offices. This is still prevalent or being practised in most developing countries Zimbabwe included.This compromises standards, affects output and de-motivates professionals resulting in high labour turnover. The Zimbabwe Public Service Act requires that people be employed according to their professional qualifications or their merit. For example in the health sector, for a doctor to practice must be licensed, the same applies with lawyers. Weber formulated the theory of bureaucracy, the idea of a distinct, professional public service, recruited and appointed by merit, politically neutral, which would remain in office throughout changes in governmen t.One of the major challenges of TPA was that it was manual based hence slow moving. According to Muid, (1994:125). Technological change affects management, including the management of government. This should be regarded as one of the main driving forces both towards new forms of public management and away from traditional bureaucracy. With the adoption of forms of e-government (electronic government) technologically driven change is likely to accelerate.The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as distributed computer systems, Internet linkages, new databases could lead to a re-conceptualization of the very way that bureaucracies work. The changes have the potential to be beneficial, even though there are issues of privacy and security yet to be dealt with. It is inarguable that management of the public sector changes with the kinds of information technology currently available. In Zimbabwe the Presidential Computerisation programme is a typical example of p ublic sector effort.In conclusion, the traditional model of administration was an outstanding and widely emulated by governments all around the world . However with passage of time the TPA has been increasingly superseded by the NPM. The new model is not fully in place, there is now a greater focus on results rather than process, on responsibility rather than its evasion and on management rather than administration. This transition has its own challenges that it encounters during the process. The challenges include bureaucracy, political interference, meritocracy/professionalism and one best way and technological changes.It was only later,when NPM come into existence and managers became responsible for results, that there was any real thought that different methods could lead to different results and those methods and actions should be tailored to circumstances. According to Behn (1998:140), in reality there is no one best way but many possible answers. | Nostrum ineffective remedy: a remedy for a social, political, or economic problem, especially an idea or plan that is often suggested but never proved to be successfulMicrosoft ® Encarta ® 2009.  © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. ||

Women in Romantic Literature Essays

Women in Romantic Literature Essays Women in Romantic Literature Essay Women in Romantic Literature Essay During the time period that Romantic Literature was being written woman in society were being stereotyped, oppressed, and generally given no respect compared to their male counterparts. Feelings and actions that were considered to be natural for a man were then criticized when reciprocated in a woman especially when it had to deal with sexual desires. Authors such as William Blake and William Wordsworth commented on the role of women by writing poems in which the oppression placed on their women characters by the conventions of society is the cause of their demise. The question that is brought up in the poems â€Å"Visions of the Daughters of Albion† by Blake and â€Å"The Thorn† by Wordsworth is whether the women in the poems are victims to the cruelty of the word’s thinking or are they sinners being punished for being women with improper attitudes towards sex. Oothoon in â€Å"Visions of the Daughters of Albion† is quite open about her feelings towards men namely her love for Theotormon even being as brazen to say, â€Å"I loved Theotormon/And I was not ashamed†(Blake iii. 2-3). Not only was she admitting her feelings, she was also proclaiming that it was not something she felt she had to hide or feel bad about; she was not apologetic about having sexual desires. Martha Ray in â€Å"The Thorn† had similar feelings for Stephen Hill and it is said that she, â€Å"Gave with a maiden’s true good will/ Her company to Stephen Hill† (Wordsworth 117-118), which signifies her giving up her virginity to the man she loved for what she believed to be an understanding that he would marry her afterwards. Although feelings and ardor for someone are natural and can not be controlled women were not supposed to give in to them and after Oothoon voicing and Martha Ray acting upon their passions their fates do not end up as joyous as they once had hoped and planned on them being, as if they were being punished for their feelings towards the ones they loved. In the beginning of †Visions of the Daughters of Albion† Oothoon is the image of the typical innocent little girl wandering around a field plucking flowers but on her way to see Theotormon when, â€Å"Bromion rent her with his thunders† (Blake 1. 17), and she is raped thus losing her innocence. For Martha Ray her innocence had already been taken from her when she gave herself up to Stephen Hill but after being denied by him when he married someone else she also lost her sanity. Even though both poems show the ludicrousness of the effects society has on people’s lives Oothoon is able accept what has happened to her and move on from it whereas Martha Ray gives into what has happened to her and lets it define her. Blake did not believe in conventions and felt that societys way of thinking was small minded and that feelings regarding the human body were natural and should not be suppressed. He did not agree with the way women were treated and the hindrance that was placed on their emotions. His thoughts on how women were treated can be seen in the fist line of the first plate when he says, â€Å"ENSLAV’D, the Daughters of Albion weep† (Blake 1. 1) showing that he sees the burden placed on women similar to the one placed on slaves. After that the poem becomes the story of Oothoon breaking free not only from the figurative bonds she is attached to by being a woman but also the actual bonds placed on her by Theotorum when he bounds Oothoon to her rapist, Bromian,†The adulterate pair/Bound back to back† (Blake 2. -6). â€Å"Visions of the Daughters of Albion† is written as an allegory which Blake used to comment on how the roles people held in British society was the cause of this style of enslavement of not only women but men as well. His use of an allegory also showed what Blake saw as the answer, which was to look west towards America. Si nce America had just freed itself from Britain rule he saw it as them breaking the connection that forced discrimination onto people. In this allegorical set up Oothoon is the representation of America and the potential the new country held and is called, â€Å"the soft soul of America† (Blake 1. 4). This shows that Oothoon’s struggle against the overly pious and righteous hold of the church shown through Theotormen’s character whose name actually means tormented by god and the over controlling lustful man displayed by Bromian’s character is really a struggle of breaking past conventions to just be a liberated person who is able to live and love freely. After her rape Oothoon at first aligns herself with the conventional idea of her needing to be purified when she calls upon Theotormons Eagles to prey upon her flesh which shows that this idea is connected to Theotormon as well but through questioning and talking comes to the realization that she did not ask to be raped and calls herself, â€Å"A virgin fill’d with virgin fancies/ Open to joy and to delight where ever beauty appears† (Blake 6. 21-22). This is important because it shows Oothoon reaking away from the conventions that have been forced upon her and starts to understand that beauty is everywhere and should not be limited. A line in the poem which meter is extended by the use of spondees to convey the importance of what is being said is, â€Å"I cry Love! Love! Love! Happy Happy Love! Free as the mountain wind! † (Blake 7. 16). The importance of this line is that it holds the message of the poem which is that love should be and have no restrictions jus t like nature shown by Blake referring to love being as free as a mountain wind which has nothing to block it off. Also by having Oothoon be the one speak this line it supports how Oothoon understands there is no need for all these rules and limitations that Theotormon is tormenting himself about. She even goes as far to question Theotormon about his devotion to religion asking, â€Å"Why dost thou seek religion? Is it because acts are not lovely, that thou seekest solitude, Where the horrible darkness is impressed with reflection of desire† (Blake 7. 9-11) She is able to realize that the life he is following is one filled with the same desires she has only he is destined to wallow in them since he can not act upon them and will end alone because of this. It is these realizations that Oothoon makes that show she is not a sinner being punished but a victim who had to overcome her role in society. Martha Ray however was not able to overcome her tragic event of losing the man she loved to another woman. The effect it was said to have on her changed who she was, â€Å"A cruel, cruel fire, they say, Into her bones was sent: It dried her body like a cinder, And almost turn’d her brain to tinder. † (Wordsworth 129-132) This shows how she lost her sanity and becomes target of multiple stereotypes and is shunned from society for multiple reasons. She is a woman who acted on sexual desires that ended up badly which caused her to lose her mind and is said to have killed her baby because of it. Another way she is victimized by her community is the speculation that surrounds her life. On numerous occasions the narrator makes it clear that the story he is telling is not certain. Examples of this are, â€Å"I cannot tell; but some will say/ She hanged her baby on the tree,† (Wordsworth 214-215) and â€Å"No more I know I wish I did, / And I would tell it all to you;† (Wordsworth 155-156). This shows that this nothing but a story and one that is based on speculations. There was never any sympathy for what happened to Martha, she was never looked at as a victim hurt by Stephen Hill. In â€Å"The Thorn† Stephen Hill plays a similar role to the one that Bromian played in â€Å"Visions of the Daughters of Albion† since he is controlled by his desires. He does not care who he hurts as long as his needs are met just the way Bromian hurts Oothoon when he rapes her. Oothoon’s rape takes away her future with Theotorum and when Stephen rejects a future with Martha he takes away her place within in society. Martha loses her innocence twice in the poem the first one being when she gives up her virginity the other is in the death of the baby whether it is real or not. If she did kill her own baby she then has blood on her hand which is referenced through the color red that she wears on her cloak and is now a murderer and has killed a purely innocent being but even if the death of the baby is pure speculation Martha in eyes of society is shunned and deemed unstable. An important line that is repeated by Martha is, â€Å"Oh misery! Oh misery! † it shows how Martha has given into what society says about her. She does not put up a fight like Oothoon did to try to get the people to see things in her way by talking out her thoughts and feelings but rather gives into what is being said and cries about it. She accepts the label that has been put on her of being of unstable mind and an outcast since she does not try to interact with anyone else either and just goes up to the hill to sit by the thorn. When looking at these two poems the similarity of how women were put down in society if they acted against the grain and were punished for their actions even if they were out of their control. However I think Oothoon was portrayed stronger than Martha Ray since she was able to overcome her place in society and would not except the names and attitude Theotormon was giving her, and Martha was not able to overcome the fate that placed upon her and gave into what other people were saying.

Metallica essays

Metallica essays Metallica has not always been the talented group of rock musicians that they are today. It took many years and many albums to bring the band to its current standing as the kings of rock. Metallica has undergone changes in its lineup and its musical writing style. Comparing and contrasting the musical and lyrical content of each Metallica album shows exactly how much they have changed from the early 1980s to 2000. Metallica was founded in the early 1980s when a young man from Denmark named Lars Ulrich was looking to start a band in the Los Angeles area. The musical style labeled The New Wave of British Heavy Metal captivated Lars. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal started in England in late 70s and was a product of some peoples distaste for the current punk rock scene (Crocker 11-12). Lars, who had recently moved to the United States, started searching excessively for someone to jam with. He came across the name of a local heavy metal guitarist and vocalist in a local newspaper called The Recycler. This man was named James Hetfield. The two quickly became friends and began to play their favorite heavy metal music together on a regular basis (Hadland, Encyclopedia Metallica). The story behind the name Metallica is very interesting. A friend of Lars was starting a heavy metal fanzine and asked Lars for advice on what its title should be. The friend gave Lars a list of candidate names and the word Metallica was on the list. Lars liked it so much he told his friend to choose another name and kept Metallica for himself (Crocker 25-26). In 1983, the bands lineup came to consist of James on vocals and rhythm guitar, Lars on percussion, Cliff Burton on bass guitar, and Kirk Hammett on lead guitar. However, in 1986, while the band was several albums into their career, Cliff Burton was tragically killed in a bus accident while the band was on tour in Sweden. Jason Newsted of the band ...

1419 Work Related Learning

The Every Child Matters (2003) green paper also identified five outcomes that are most important to children and young people: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. These five outcomes are universal ambitions for every child and young person, whatever their background or circumstances. Following wide consultation with children’s services, parents, children and young people, the Government published Every Child Matters: the Next Steps in November 2004, and passed the Children Act (2004), providing the basis for developing more effective and accessible services focused around the needs of children, young people and families. The recently formed DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) echo’s the points made in ECM (2004) and seeks to ensure that all children and young people stay healthy and safe, secure an excellent education and the highest possible standards of achievement, enjoy their childhood, make a positive contribution to society and the economy, have lives full of opportunity, free from the effects of poverty. These outcomes are mutually reinforcing. For example, children and young people learn and thrive when they are healthy, safe and engaged. The DCSF also aim to raise educational standards so that more children and young people reach expected levels, lifting more children out of poverty and re-engaging disaffected young people. This is particularly applicable to my practice as the socio-economic circumstances of most of my students disadvantage them. Most of my students live in Camborne, Pool, Redruth and Hayle. These are widely recognized as deprived areas regarding economic opportunities, high number of single parent households, low employment prospects, and the majority of employment being minimum waged, relatively insecure, part time, seasonal or flexi time. (SDRC 2004). This relates back to ECM (2003) in that this seems to be applied in context of the geographic and demographic circumstances of children and young people. For example, a student from a poor single parent household in a deprived area with high crime rates who participates in underage smoking and drinking may be majority behaviour or the ‘norm’ in certain subcultures in Camborne, Redruth, Pool and Hayle but would attract more attention and concern in a more affluent area where this was not the ‘norm’. 2 We Could be Left Behind In every decade children are maturing physically earlier than before resulting in a constant shortening of childhood in a biological and social sense. This has a converse repercussive effect involving the constant lengthening of childhood in an educational sense. Cunningham 2006) This is reflected in the proposals in the DfE (Johnson 2007) report Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16 are highlighting the need to continue study for 14-19 year olds and by 2015 the school leaving age will be increased to 18 years of age. The reasons the government have given for such policies being implemented are illustrated by the secretary of education; Johnson (2007:3) when he said ‘ the undeniable truth is that if a young person continues their education post 16 they are more likely to achieve valuable qualifications, earn more and lead happier, healthier lives’. A seeming contradiction to Johnsons (2007) policy of staying in education longer and its benefits have been researched by Walker and Zhu (2003:145) who asserted that ‘there is no evidence that raising the minimum school leaving age made people who have not intended to leave at the minimum age raise their educational standard. This is consistent with the view that education raises productivity and not with the view that productive people get more educated’ Johnsons (2007) statement seems concerned with happiness, health and wealth. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR 1948) has wider reaching concerns. The UDHR (1948) states in Article 26 that ‘education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human right and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among nations, racial or religious groups for the maintenance of peace’. However, Johnson (2007:18) goes on to explain ‘we have a duty to prepare all young people for the labour market’ as ‘the world economy is developing at an ever more rapid pace. If we do not act now we could be left behind’. So its seems that it is not just for the benefit of our children’s wellbeing that Johnson encourages the parents of the youth of today to continue in education and so ‘achieving valuable qualifications, earn more and lead happier healthier lives’ (Johnson 2007:3) but more to do with deeper issues of ‘the world economy’s development and the UKs position of power within it’. In the same report Johnson (2007) quotes research carried out by the National Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) that reinforces the idea that when individuals achieve higher levels of skill and qualification, businesses and the economy benefit. This is compelling evidence that increasing the educative stock of human capital raises productivity at the macro economic level. In relation to literacy for example, a study by Coulombe Trembley and Marchard (2004) found that if a countries literacy score increases by 1% relative to the inter national average a 2. % relative rise in labour productivity and a 1. 5% rise in GDP per year can be expected. 3 Surf’s up This emphasis on cultural superficiality, fragmentary sensations and disposability offers wide implications and questions; not least ‘what is postmodernism? Postmodernism itself is a much disputed term that has occupied much recent debate about contemporary culture since the early 1980s. In its simplest sense it refers generally to the phase of 20th century Western culture including the products of the age of mass television since the mid 1950s. More often, though, it is applied to a cultural condition prevailing in the advanced capitalist societies since the 1960s, characterized by a ‘superabundance of disconnected images and styles most noticeably in television, advertising, commercial design, and pop video’ (Baudrillard 1998:72) In my practice I notice that these media have a profound impact on defining student’s social standing and identity within their peer group. In my role as a lecturer I observe that the students are encouraged through media and peer pressure to consume. Children’s identities centre prolifically on brand names and icons (mobile phones and hoodies) which help to fulfil their aspirations to obtain products which make statements about who they are. The latest fashions all contribute to the identity of the youth of today where a distinct subculture and language exist involving Xboxes, ipods, beebo, Bluetooth, myspace, chavs, hoodies, emos, skaters and goths. I ensure that I participate and involve such subcultural language within my practice when explaining tasks, demonstrating skills or providing metaphorical illustrations. Whatever postmodernism is and however the term evades definition, what the intellectual highbrows have been lecturing on postmodernism are soon to become extinct by their own doing. The postmodernist wave of consumer students have climbed the ladder and are nipping at the heels of the old school who created them like Doctor Frankenstein who is dispatched by his creation. This wave of postmodernist students could also be seen as in a vast ocean of modernity where far from the shore one can see the formation of a wave. As the wave builds in popularity it slowly approaches the shore, the crest breaks; postmodernity is born. As we stand and watch, it slips beneath itself, down into the ocean, and there in time it becomes ‘the modern’, dissolved and replaced by yet another breaking new wave. Paradoxically the new wave will emerge in a significantly disposable, shifting, fragmentary postmodern society with expectations of structured, quantifiable, standardised educative processes. One of the latest waves to begin its postmodernist journey towards the shore before slipping back into modernism and the norm is the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) announcement in January 2008 by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) who have â€Å"allowed commercial companies the ability to award nationally accredited qualifications to employees, for the first time Network Rail, Flybe and McDonald’s all achieve the standards set by QCA for awarding accredited qualifications, enabling them to assess, track and recognise work-place learning† (QCA 2008) McQualifications This links to Ritzers (2000) notion of the McDonaldisation of education, where education is based on the premise of efficiency, calculability, and predictability and is partially governed by non-human technology. This perspective is rooted in both Fordian principles of mass production, mechanisation and assembly lines (Ling 1991) and Weberian (1968) principles regarding the growth of formal rational systems with its emphasis on the rules and regulations of large social structures. Ritzer (2000:2) applies this process of McDonaldisation not only to ‘restaurants but also to work, health care, travel, leisure, dieting, politics, the family, and virtually every aspect of society’; including, of course, education. This could be illustrated with the OFSTED standardisation of observations and grading, league tables, units of competence, knowledge requirements etcetera. For example, Young (1961) asserts that in a meritocracy, all citizens have the opportunity to be recognized and advanced in proportion to their abilities and accomplishments. The ideal of meritocracy has become controversial because of its association with the use of tests of intellectual ability, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, to regulate admissions to elite colleges and universities. It could be argued that an individual’s performance on these tests reflects their social class and family environment more than ability. Maybe this is what Chomsky (1989) would label a necessary illusion. One that allows the system to keep on running with the support of its members even if massive disparities and inequalities exist. Supporting a system that does not support you as an individual is a typical hegemonic regime of truth; a discourse that the society accepts and makes function as true (Foucault 1980:131). Excellence in Schools (DFEE 1997) and Meeting the Challenge (DFEE1998) were ntroduced as the Governments educational policies and marked the change from centralised control to educational intervention where direct involvement and partnerships with parents, schools, Local Authorities and businesses recognised them as stakeholders in an attempt to improve standards in schools and to find ‘radical and innovative solutions’ (Blair 1998:1 cited in Meeting the Challenge 1998) to problems of underachievement. Reference List Baudrillard, J. (1998) The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. London. S age. Children Act (2004). London. HMSO. Chomsky, N. (1989) Necessary Illusions. London. Pluto Press Climbie Inquiry: Report of an Inquiry by Lord Laming (2003). London. HMSO. Coulombe,S. Trembley, F. and Marchard, S. (2004) Literacy scores, human capital and growth, across 14 OECD countries. OECD. Canada. Cook – Sather, A (2002) ‘Authorising Students perspectives: towards trust, dialogue and change in education’. Educational Researcher, 31, 4, p3 -14. Cunningham, H. (2006) The Invention of Childhood. London. BBC Worldwide Ltd. DCSF (2007). Department for Children, Schools and Families. Accessed online at dfes. gov. uk. DFEE (1997) Excellence in Schools. London. HMSO. DFEE (1998) Meeting the Challenge. London. HMSO. DWP (2006) Equality and Diversity: Age Discrimination in Employment and Vocational Training. London. HMSO. ECM (2004). London. HMSO. Every Child Matters (2004) Change for Children in Schools. Nottingham. DfES. HMSO ECM (2005) Change for Children: common core of skills and knowledge for the childrens workforce. DfES. ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) ‘Consulting Pupils about Teaching and Learning’. Foucault, M. (1980) Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews Other Writings 1972- 1977. Gordon, C. (ed) New York. Pantheon Books. Illich, I. 1973) Deschooling Society. Great Britain. Penguin. Johnson, A. (2007) Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16. DfE Kolb, D. (1984) Experiential learning as the science of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs. Prentice Hall. Laidlaw, M (1994) The democraticising potential of dialogical focus in an action inquiry. Educational Action Research, 2, 2, p223 â⠂¬â€œ 241 Ling, P (1991) America and the Automobile: Technology, Reform and Social Change, 1893-1923. Technology and Culture, Vol. 32, No. 3 p 627-628 National Institute for Social and Economic Research (2002). Britains relative productivity performance – updates to 1999. NISER Oplatka, I (2004) ‘The characteristics of the school organisation and the constraints on market ideology in education: an institutional view’. Journal of Educational Policy 19, 2, p143 – 161. QCA (2008) News release: Employers gain official awarding body status on line at http://www. qca. org. uk on 29/01/2008 Ritzer,G. (2000) The McDonaldization of Society. London. Pine Forge Press. Rudduck, J and Flutter, J (2000) ‘Pupil participation and pupil perspective: carving a new order of experience. Cambridge Journal of Education, 30, 1, p75 – 89. Schon, D. A. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How professionals think in action. London: Temple Smith Social Disadvantage Research Centre (2004) The English Indices of Deprivation 2004 HMSO Tomlinson, M. (2003) Tomlinson Report, The. Accessed online at qca. org. uk on 4. 12. 07. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) General Assembly of the United Nations. Usher, R. Bryant, I and Johnston, R (1998). Adult Education and the Postmodern Challenge. London. Routledge. Walker, I. and Zhu, Y. (2003) Education, earnings and productivity: recent UK evidence. Labour Market Trends. Accessed online at www. statistics. gov. uk-article labour. Market-trends-education mar03pdf on 25. 6. 07 Weber, M. (1968) Economy and Society. Totowa. Bedminster. Whitehead, J and Clough, N. (2004) ‘Pupils, the forgotten partners in education action zones’. Journal of Educational Policy 19, 2, p216 – 226 Young, M. (1961) The Rise of the Meritocracy: An Essay on Education and Equality. Great Britain. Penguin. Bibliography Donovan, G. (2005). Teaching 14-19. Great Britain. David Fulton. Vizard, D. (2004). Behaviour Solutions: teaching 14-16 year olds in colleges of further education. Great Britain. Incentive Plus. 1419 Work Related Learning The Every Child Matters (2003) green paper also identified five outcomes that are most important to children and young people: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. These five outcomes are universal ambitions for every child and young person, whatever their background or circumstances. Following wide consultation with children’s services, parents, children and young people, the Government published Every Child Matters: the Next Steps in November 2004, and passed the Children Act (2004), providing the basis for developing more effective and accessible services focused around the needs of children, young people and families. The recently formed DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) echo’s the points made in ECM (2004) and seeks to ensure that all children and young people stay healthy and safe, secure an excellent education and the highest possible standards of achievement, enjoy their childhood, make a positive contribution to society and the economy, have lives full of opportunity, free from the effects of poverty. These outcomes are mutually reinforcing. For example, children and young people learn and thrive when they are healthy, safe and engaged. The DCSF also aim to raise educational standards so that more children and young people reach expected levels, lifting more children out of poverty and re-engaging disaffected young people. This is particularly applicable to my practice as the socio-economic circumstances of most of my students disadvantage them. Most of my students live in Camborne, Pool, Redruth and Hayle. These are widely recognized as deprived areas regarding economic opportunities, high number of single parent households, low employment prospects, and the majority of employment being minimum waged, relatively insecure, part time, seasonal or flexi time. (SDRC 2004). This relates back to ECM (2003) in that this seems to be applied in context of the geographic and demographic circumstances of children and young people. For example, a student from a poor single parent household in a deprived area with high crime rates who participates in underage smoking and drinking may be majority behaviour or the ‘norm’ in certain subcultures in Camborne, Redruth, Pool and Hayle but would attract more attention and concern in a more affluent area where this was not the ‘norm’. 2 We Could be Left Behind In every decade children are maturing physically earlier than before resulting in a constant shortening of childhood in a biological and social sense. This has a converse repercussive effect involving the constant lengthening of childhood in an educational sense. Cunningham 2006) This is reflected in the proposals in the DfE (Johnson 2007) report Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16 are highlighting the need to continue study for 14-19 year olds and by 2015 the school leaving age will be increased to 18 years of age. The reasons the government have given for such policies being implemented are illustrated by the secretary of education; Johnson (2007:3) when he said ‘ the undeniable truth is that if a young person continues their education post 16 they are more likely to achieve valuable qualifications, earn more and lead happier, healthier lives’. A seeming contradiction to Johnsons (2007) policy of staying in education longer and its benefits have been researched by Walker and Zhu (2003:145) who asserted that ‘there is no evidence that raising the minimum school leaving age made people who have not intended to leave at the minimum age raise their educational standard. This is consistent with the view that education raises productivity and not with the view that productive people get more educated’ Johnsons (2007) statement seems concerned with happiness, health and wealth. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR 1948) has wider reaching concerns. The UDHR (1948) states in Article 26 that ‘education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human right and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among nations, racial or religious groups for the maintenance of peace’. However, Johnson (2007:18) goes on to explain ‘we have a duty to prepare all young people for the labour market’ as ‘the world economy is developing at an ever more rapid pace. If we do not act now we could be left behind’. So its seems that it is not just for the benefit of our children’s wellbeing that Johnson encourages the parents of the youth of today to continue in education and so ‘achieving valuable qualifications, earn more and lead happier healthier lives’ (Johnson 2007:3) but more to do with deeper issues of ‘the world economy’s development and the UKs position of power within it’. In the same report Johnson (2007) quotes research carried out by the National Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) that reinforces the idea that when individuals achieve higher levels of skill and qualification, businesses and the economy benefit. This is compelling evidence that increasing the educative stock of human capital raises productivity at the macro economic level. In relation to literacy for example, a study by Coulombe Trembley and Marchard (2004) found that if a countries literacy score increases by 1% relative to the inter national average a 2. % relative rise in labour productivity and a 1. 5% rise in GDP per year can be expected. 3 Surf’s up This emphasis on cultural superficiality, fragmentary sensations and disposability offers wide implications and questions; not least ‘what is postmodernism? Postmodernism itself is a much disputed term that has occupied much recent debate about contemporary culture since the early 1980s. In its simplest sense it refers generally to the phase of 20th century Western culture including the products of the age of mass television since the mid 1950s. More often, though, it is applied to a cultural condition prevailing in the advanced capitalist societies since the 1960s, characterized by a ‘superabundance of disconnected images and styles most noticeably in television, advertising, commercial design, and pop video’ (Baudrillard 1998:72) In my practice I notice that these media have a profound impact on defining student’s social standing and identity within their peer group. In my role as a lecturer I observe that the students are encouraged through media and peer pressure to consume. Children’s identities centre prolifically on brand names and icons (mobile phones and hoodies) which help to fulfil their aspirations to obtain products which make statements about who they are. The latest fashions all contribute to the identity of the youth of today where a distinct subculture and language exist involving Xboxes, ipods, beebo, Bluetooth, myspace, chavs, hoodies, emos, skaters and goths. I ensure that I participate and involve such subcultural language within my practice when explaining tasks, demonstrating skills or providing metaphorical illustrations. Whatever postmodernism is and however the term evades definition, what the intellectual highbrows have been lecturing on postmodernism are soon to become extinct by their own doing. The postmodernist wave of consumer students have climbed the ladder and are nipping at the heels of the old school who created them like Doctor Frankenstein who is dispatched by his creation. This wave of postmodernist students could also be seen as in a vast ocean of modernity where far from the shore one can see the formation of a wave. As the wave builds in popularity it slowly approaches the shore, the crest breaks; postmodernity is born. As we stand and watch, it slips beneath itself, down into the ocean, and there in time it becomes ‘the modern’, dissolved and replaced by yet another breaking new wave. Paradoxically the new wave will emerge in a significantly disposable, shifting, fragmentary postmodern society with expectations of structured, quantifiable, standardised educative processes. One of the latest waves to begin its postmodernist journey towards the shore before slipping back into modernism and the norm is the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) announcement in January 2008 by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) who have â€Å"allowed commercial companies the ability to award nationally accredited qualifications to employees, for the first time Network Rail, Flybe and McDonald’s all achieve the standards set by QCA for awarding accredited qualifications, enabling them to assess, track and recognise work-place learning† (QCA 2008) McQualifications This links to Ritzers (2000) notion of the McDonaldisation of education, where education is based on the premise of efficiency, calculability, and predictability and is partially governed by non-human technology. This perspective is rooted in both Fordian principles of mass production, mechanisation and assembly lines (Ling 1991) and Weberian (1968) principles regarding the growth of formal rational systems with its emphasis on the rules and regulations of large social structures. Ritzer (2000:2) applies this process of McDonaldisation not only to ‘restaurants but also to work, health care, travel, leisure, dieting, politics, the family, and virtually every aspect of society’; including, of course, education. This could be illustrated with the OFSTED standardisation of observations and grading, league tables, units of competence, knowledge requirements etcetera. For example, Young (1961) asserts that in a meritocracy, all citizens have the opportunity to be recognized and advanced in proportion to their abilities and accomplishments. The ideal of meritocracy has become controversial because of its association with the use of tests of intellectual ability, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, to regulate admissions to elite colleges and universities. It could be argued that an individual’s performance on these tests reflects their social class and family environment more than ability. Maybe this is what Chomsky (1989) would label a necessary illusion. One that allows the system to keep on running with the support of its members even if massive disparities and inequalities exist. Supporting a system that does not support you as an individual is a typical hegemonic regime of truth; a discourse that the society accepts and makes function as true (Foucault 1980:131). Excellence in Schools (DFEE 1997) and Meeting the Challenge (DFEE1998) were ntroduced as the Governments educational policies and marked the change from centralised control to educational intervention where direct involvement and partnerships with parents, schools, Local Authorities and businesses recognised them as stakeholders in an attempt to improve standards in schools and to find ‘radical and innovative solutions’ (Blair 1998:1 cited in Meeting the Challenge 1998) to problems of underachievement. Reference List Baudrillard, J. (1998) The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. London. S age. Children Act (2004). London. HMSO. Chomsky, N. (1989) Necessary Illusions. London. Pluto Press Climbie Inquiry: Report of an Inquiry by Lord Laming (2003). London. HMSO. Coulombe,S. Trembley, F. and Marchard, S. (2004) Literacy scores, human capital and growth, across 14 OECD countries. OECD. Canada. Cook – Sather, A (2002) ‘Authorising Students perspectives: towards trust, dialogue and change in education’. Educational Researcher, 31, 4, p3 -14. Cunningham, H. (2006) The Invention of Childhood. London. BBC Worldwide Ltd. DCSF (2007). Department for Children, Schools and Families. Accessed online at dfes. gov. uk. DFEE (1997) Excellence in Schools. London. HMSO. DFEE (1998) Meeting the Challenge. London. HMSO. DWP (2006) Equality and Diversity: Age Discrimination in Employment and Vocational Training. London. HMSO. ECM (2004). London. HMSO. Every Child Matters (2004) Change for Children in Schools. Nottingham. DfES. HMSO ECM (2005) Change for Children: common core of skills and knowledge for the childrens workforce. DfES. ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) ‘Consulting Pupils about Teaching and Learning’. Foucault, M. (1980) Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews Other Writings 1972- 1977. Gordon, C. (ed) New York. Pantheon Books. Illich, I. 1973) Deschooling Society. Great Britain. Penguin. Johnson, A. (2007) Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16. DfE Kolb, D. (1984) Experiential learning as the science of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs. Prentice Hall. Laidlaw, M (1994) The democraticising potential of dialogical focus in an action inquiry. Educational Action Research, 2, 2, p223 â⠂¬â€œ 241 Ling, P (1991) America and the Automobile: Technology, Reform and Social Change, 1893-1923. Technology and Culture, Vol. 32, No. 3 p 627-628 National Institute for Social and Economic Research (2002). Britains relative productivity performance – updates to 1999. NISER Oplatka, I (2004) ‘The characteristics of the school organisation and the constraints on market ideology in education: an institutional view’. Journal of Educational Policy 19, 2, p143 – 161. QCA (2008) News release: Employers gain official awarding body status on line at http://www. qca. org. uk on 29/01/2008 Ritzer,G. (2000) The McDonaldization of Society. London. Pine Forge Press. Rudduck, J and Flutter, J (2000) ‘Pupil participation and pupil perspective: carving a new order of experience. Cambridge Journal of Education, 30, 1, p75 – 89. Schon, D. A. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How professionals think in action. London: Temple Smith Social Disadvantage Research Centre (2004) The English Indices of Deprivation 2004 HMSO Tomlinson, M. (2003) Tomlinson Report, The. Accessed online at qca. org. uk on 4. 12. 07. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) General Assembly of the United Nations. Usher, R. Bryant, I and Johnston, R (1998). Adult Education and the Postmodern Challenge. London. Routledge. Walker, I. and Zhu, Y. (2003) Education, earnings and productivity: recent UK evidence. Labour Market Trends. Accessed online at www. statistics. gov. uk-article labour. Market-trends-education mar03pdf on 25. 6. 07 Weber, M. (1968) Economy and Society. Totowa. Bedminster. Whitehead, J and Clough, N. (2004) ‘Pupils, the forgotten partners in education action zones’. Journal of Educational Policy 19, 2, p216 – 226 Young, M. (1961) The Rise of the Meritocracy: An Essay on Education and Equality. Great Britain. Penguin. Bibliography Donovan, G. (2005). Teaching 14-19. Great Britain. David Fulton. Vizard, D. (2004). Behaviour Solutions: teaching 14-16 year olds in colleges of further education. Great Britain. Incentive Plus.

Infectious Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Infectious Disease - Essay Example So if the transition happens they move into infectious group. Consequently infectious group is the one that spreads it back to susceptible for certain period of time, which is known as ‘infectious period’ after that period they are a considered to be immune for life if recovered. The following picture depicts a basic SIR model used analyzing an infectious disease Using notation from our SIR model there are some equations that can be formed in order to find answer to my IA question. When modelling SIR models it is very important to identify the independent and dependant variables. As in majority of the mathematical models time ‘t’ is going to be independent variable and it is going to be measured in days. More people are getting infected when there is a contact between infected people and susceptible. In our equations represents number of contacts infective person has each day. If we decided that I represents number of all infected people than represents number for all infected contacts per day. But infected people come in contact only with susceptible ones therefore we need to multiply (susceptible fraction of the population) we get: This expression looks like first differential equation, but in our equation of change in susceptible class is negative. It is negative because people from that class are getting removed into the infected class. In order to represent those equations as a derivation they should be expressed with relation to our dependant and independent variables. In order to represent the rate of change as a derivation every dependant variable such as S, I, R should be represented with relation to time. When talking about infectious disease such function of time as ‘next day’ can be represented as: S(t+t) – S(t). Applying those changes to our equations we get: Following the same principle as we used explaining ‘Equation 1’ next day increase in I can be represented by finding all the cases that can happen tomorrow

Differentiated Instruction In the Classroom Research Paper

Differentiated Instruction In the Classroom - Research Paper Example At the California Montessori Project Charter School teachers use differentiated teaching methods that are based on Maria Montessori’s philosophy of following the child. In other schools in Sacramento the teachers that will be interviewed will share their techniques for small group work. There are also academic programs, such as â€Å"Handwriting without Tears,† that provide differentiation written into the curriculum. Each of these curricula is creating a new pathway for teaching, specifically because of the positive results which are currently being achieved. To continue with this approach, are also several trying to refine and work forward with the learning approaches that are used. Purpose of this Study The purpose of this study is to define the approaches to differentiation as well as whether this will benefit students that are learning with specific approaches. When examining the differentiation in the classroom, there will be the focus on showing the accomplishmen ts, progression and potential problems associated with this approach. Defining this will benefit students, teachers and educators, specifically because there will be more knowledge and background on differentiation. This will be combined with the understanding that education can begin to progress and change for classrooms which are inclusive of alternative styles for teaching. The research will provide information from Gardner, Vygotsky and Montessori as some of the researchers working with differentiated instruction. The research conducted to support this paper will help teachers with new skills and knowledge to best support their students in the classroom. It will also work to identify more of the... The significance of the study is to prepare teachers to expand their horizons when it comes to instructional strategies that are evidence-based and a proven product. It is expected that through this study, there will be the capability of creating new approaches to teaching and learning. Understanding the benefits and the gaps of differential instruction can help to refine the new methodology of teaching while assisting those within the classroom to approach students in a different manner. If this methodology can begin to evolve and become a standard within the classroom, there will be the capability of creating new opportunities for growth in the educational system. This report makes a conclusion that the concepts which were used in the qualitative study, as well as the quantitative research show that there is a demand to change the overall instruction in the classroom. The theoretical approaches show that there are diverse needs, both with the socio – cultural basis and with the cognitive learning capabilities which the children carry. This is combined with the needed changes associated with diverse settings which are now incorporating special education with gifted students, specifically because of the recognition that each student doesn’t have slower or faster learning abilities, but instead has different ways of learning. The theoretical concepts show that there are many associations with benefits and needs for differential instruction. While there is a strong need for the instruction, there are also questions over how to intertwine the theories with practical methodologies. The Montessori Method is one which has found explorati on as a main approach to the classroom.

Carpooling apps marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Carpooling apps marketing plan - Essay Example The target market will be students as this is relevant for this course as these groups seeks to exploit cost minimization approach in their daily expenditure. Segmentation is equally exhibited by this app as various social classes share rides and donates differently with their comparatively average earners (Crawford, et al. 56). The positioning of this marketing plan is strategic and competitive since it works on the basis of cost saving to the commuters and offers a considerable discount on the overall recurrent expenditure on transport among the students. Consider strategic fit with host organization Carpooling apps is likely to gain much market coverage due to its integration of technology in the growing transport sector. With 511 and LYFT as the main products and San Francisco state university as the host organization, it is worth to note that the technological application by the firm is likely to be sustainable with its internal management structure. The external environment which can be attributed to the increasing adoption of technology by the young generation is a recipe to its sustainable operation performance in the market (Crawford, et al. 256).

Leadership themes in World and American Hist Essay

Leadership themes in World and American Hist - Essay Example Subsequently, Deng implemented a development plan for the foundation of the Chinese economy known as the ‘Four Modernization policy’ (Benson, 2013). The approach focused on key development sectors such as agriculture, defense, industrialization, science, and technology. According to Benson (2013), Deng paid more attention to agriculture since it was the main economic and social activity in China (80%). Investing in agriculture would reduce poverty and hunger levels; hence, increasing the national economic growth. The modernization of the industry had more setbacks compared to other policies leading to a slow growth (Benson, 2013). However, agriculture provided a foundation for science and technology that would be used in mechanization of agriculture and production of ammunition for the military. Additionally, it also attracted urban and rural workers due to the high pays leading to higher rates of economic development. In the long-run, the economic growth under Deng’s reign attracted foreign investors that also contributed positively to the development. China also signed international treaties that linked its market to the global markets. The foundation of the CPP was a major political revolution in China under Deng (Benson, 2013). However, he had to change the political ideologies of most of the leaders. Consequently, he initiated a plan to eliminate some of the higher-ranking leaders in the party to ensure that the new members would follow his rule. He slowly dismantled China’s socialist ideas by adopting the Marxist-Leninist thought. The proposal had both political and economic benefits since his network of leaders made sure that it infiltrated the Chinese villages (Benson, 2013). China was under an imperial leadership structure that did not allow for any uprising from the public. Deng presented a political ideology that was recognized internationally mostly due to the previous notion of the enemy and

What are some cause of the Renaissance How did the Renaissance differ Essay

What are some cause of the Renaissance How did the Renaissance differ from the prior Middle Ages - Essay Example Various factors caused the beginning of Renaissance. One of the principal causes, which contributed to the beginning of the Renaissance, is the crusades. These crusades included a series of wars organized by Western European Christians. The Christians fought with Muslims in order to recapture Holy Land, which the Muslims occupied (Gundersheimer 67). In addition, after the end of crusades, emerging crusaders brought ancient Greek and Latin texts back, which brought a revived concentration in classical works. Another factor contributing to the start of the Renaissance was the opening of the Mediterranean trade routes in the Italian city states. The opening of the Mediterranean route led to the development of a new merchant class that was remarkably influential. The most popular dynasty of the merchant class was the Medici family. The Medici family remained powerful throughout since they maintained the financial strength of Florence city (Hay 43). This influenced the transformation of i ndividual thinking and allowed Renaissance. New secular hunger for discovering texts caused Renaissance. Monasteries and courts in Europe had repositories of old texts and manuscripts. However, scholars desired a change in classical works; this stimulated massive appraisal of classical works. The desire by artists to discover new texts led to transformation in art work. One of the writers known as Petrarch triggered the Renaissance through writing about how his intention to discover texts had been ignored (Martin 87). Secular readers introduced and developed a taste and a hunger of reading and spreading classical writings. This happened with a renewed strength than the previous years, which led to a total transformation in classical works. Hence, the hunger for discovery of texts led to Renaissance. Reintroduction of classical works also caused Renaissance. Although there were classical

Carpooling apps marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Carpooling apps marketing plan - Essay Example The target market will be students as this is relevant for this course as these groups seeks to exploit cost minimization approach in their daily expenditure. Segmentation is equally exhibited by this app as various social classes share rides and donates differently with their comparatively average earners (Crawford, et al. 56). The positioning of this marketing plan is strategic and competitive since it works on the basis of cost saving to the commuters and offers a considerable discount on the overall recurrent expenditure on transport among the students. Consider strategic fit with host organization Carpooling apps is likely to gain much market coverage due to its integration of technology in the growing transport sector. With 511 and LYFT as the main products and San Francisco state university as the host organization, it is worth to note that the technological application by the firm is likely to be sustainable with its internal management structure. The external environment which can be attributed to the increasing adoption of technology by the young generation is a recipe to its sustainable operation performance in the market (Crawford, et al. 256).

What are some cause of the Renaissance How did the Renaissance differ Essay

What are some cause of the Renaissance How did the Renaissance differ from the prior Middle Ages - Essay Example Various factors caused the beginning of Renaissance. One of the principal causes, which contributed to the beginning of the Renaissance, is the crusades. These crusades included a series of wars organized by Western European Christians. The Christians fought with Muslims in order to recapture Holy Land, which the Muslims occupied (Gundersheimer 67). In addition, after the end of crusades, emerging crusaders brought ancient Greek and Latin texts back, which brought a revived concentration in classical works. Another factor contributing to the start of the Renaissance was the opening of the Mediterranean trade routes in the Italian city states. The opening of the Mediterranean route led to the development of a new merchant class that was remarkably influential. The most popular dynasty of the merchant class was the Medici family. The Medici family remained powerful throughout since they maintained the financial strength of Florence city (Hay 43). This influenced the transformation of i ndividual thinking and allowed Renaissance. New secular hunger for discovering texts caused Renaissance. Monasteries and courts in Europe had repositories of old texts and manuscripts. However, scholars desired a change in classical works; this stimulated massive appraisal of classical works. The desire by artists to discover new texts led to transformation in art work. One of the writers known as Petrarch triggered the Renaissance through writing about how his intention to discover texts had been ignored (Martin 87). Secular readers introduced and developed a taste and a hunger of reading and spreading classical writings. This happened with a renewed strength than the previous years, which led to a total transformation in classical works. Hence, the hunger for discovery of texts led to Renaissance. Reintroduction of classical works also caused Renaissance. Although there were classical

Christianity and Islam Essay Example for Free

Christianity and Islam Essay A few months ago, when a Vatican official announced that Catholicism was surpassed by Islam as the world’s largest faith, many news agencies around the world carried what seemed to have been a largely unnoticed issue for this present generation – religion. At least for some time, renewed debates about whether or not one should indeed consider Islam as a religion that commands world’s largest followers surfaced one after another. The issue many people think should not be dismissed is the fact that Christianity – a religion which combines an array of all its offshoots namely Roman Catholicism, Orthodox, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Evangelicals, among others – still has the largest adherents compared to any other religion, including Islam. Even if Christianity may be broken down into some larger or other smaller denominations, many people subscribe to idea that since all Christians root their belief in Christ, one must take them as belonging to a singular religion, the largest in the world to be exact. To consider Christianity as a single religion involves rounds of new separate debates. Surely, when the differences between the mainstream Christian blocks and the thousand of other minor denominations are brought into the fore, their respective beliefs will manifest diversity, resemblance, opposition, and even contradiction. Tedious as this process may appear, one may not yet consider the fact that even in the Islam religion itself there are further classifications of membership that must be taken into careful account. Again, it is legitimate to inquire whether it is proper to take Islam as a unitary religion, or they too must be broken down into their finer types. As one may correctly observe, inner divisions within the world’s largest religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. – appear to be a fundamentally given fact. One can perhaps inquire whether it is possible to identify a major religion with millions, if not a billion of adherents, which does not have any, or have not suffered from any inner rift at any given point of its history. It may be interesting to ask therefore, what accounts for the eventual internal fall out of world religions in history? Better yet, how must we attempt to understand what happens in a religion that has been divided into smaller aggregate types in the course of history? II. Rationale and Scope This brief study presents a case for divisions transpiring within world religions. But since the scope of studying the issue is broad (considering that there are many major world religions to cite), this research shall be restricted at tackling Christianity and Islam as chosen types. Specifically, the study shall describe the events that transpired during the Catholic-Protestant divide of the mid 1500’s for Christianity, and the Shiite-Sunni divide for Islam. To be sure, there are other identifiable divisions which can be noted in the history of Christianity. While there are small schisms involving â€Å"heretics† who refuse to accept fundamental Christian teachings, Christianity is said to have been divided into two major blocks during the 11th century. It produced the dichotomization between the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox, which until the present still exists. For the purposes of limiting this study, the Christian division which shall be discussed in this study shall dwell on the Luther-led Reformation of the 1500’s. Meanwhile, it is also insightful to note even in the Islam religion, there have been various types of smaller divisions and schisms. For the purposes of this study too, the rift between the Shiites and the Sunnis that was created in the early years of Islam religion shall be the one in focus. A short analysis and interpretation of the sample religions used shall comprise the conclusion of this study. III. Discussion Proper a. Nature of Religion Before relating the events defining the divisions that were experienced both by Christianity and Islam, it will be helpful to cite some theories to help explain the dynamics of religion. This is important since it shall provide a working perspective which is to be used later on in the analysis. Religion is a phenomenon which may be understood in many ways. Basically speaking, it refers to the common innate feeling or â€Å"belief in a Supreme Being† (McCutcheon, 2007, p. 22). Religion obviously stems from a belief that there is a higher being that must be worshiped or adored. But religion does not pertain to kind of personal belief alone. It also describes how a believer finds the need to belong to a community which shares the same belief, and thus obey a given set of rules within it. Thus, another definition for religion may also be expressed as a â€Å"unified system of belief and practices relative to sacred things† which â€Å"unites (believers) into one single moral community† (McCutcheon, 2007, p. 22). Combing both definitions enable one to fully appreciate the fact that religion pertains to both a personal ascent to God, and a commitment to a community, a set of rules and a specific set rituals. When seen under the lenses of scientific inquiry (e. g. anthropology, sociology, philosophy, etc. ) religion reveals patterns and dynamism consistent with human belief system, knowledge, interest and relationships. This means that religion is molded into the belief system of the believers. For instance, if Christians hold that Christ in his lifetime was compassionate to the poor, it follows that they too, since they follow Christ, must do something good for their less fortunate brethren. Or if Moslems take Mohammad as their example, and Mohammad was a deeply spiritual man, they too must not take spirituality lightly in their lives. Religious mindset is committed to certain courses of action (Slater, 1978, p. 6); and these actions are meaningful only because believers draw their identities from a person or a belief system they embrace – be it the Lordship of Christ, or the greatness of the Prophet Muhammad (Slater, 1978, p. 82). This is one of the primary reasons why religions possess their â€Å"continuing identities† (Slater, 1978, p. 82). So long as a group of Christians identify themselves to the teachings of their religion, say Catholic Church, they will remain to be Catholics. As indeed, so long as a group of Moslems identify themselves to the teachings of their religion, say Shiite group, they will remain to be identified with it. What explains the shift in a belief system is when one cannot anymore identify either with a teaching, or specific religious structures. It is a general rule that key to a religion’s perpetuity is establishing an identity. When people start to feel alienated with what they used to hold or believe it, it can explain why a group of believers create their own groups to accommodate their otherwise alienated belief system. To help establish the point, it may be good to lay down two glaring examples. b. The Shiite-Sunnis Divide Islam was born at least five hundred years after Christianity was already an institutionalized religion. But what started out only as a small community following Muhammad, Islam grew in exponential proportion in just a short span of time. Within the rapid growth came bitter disputes and eventual breakaways. Although Islam is a religion which does not readily recognize that there are divisions within them, scholars are almost unanimous in agreeing that some factions already broke from within the Moslem community dating back to the days when the religion itself was merely beginning to be established. In a sense, Islam is a religion broken down into at least two major divisions even before it got to be formally established as a religious phenomenon. It all started when a certain man named Muhammad, who by the way was born in 570 to a very poor family, begun to attract followers after experiencing visions and revelations (Renard, 1998, p. 7). His reputation spread in neighboring places, and soon found himself at odds with ruling empires for the large number of followers he had gathered. After this increasingly expanding community finally settled in Mecca in 630, Muhammad would die two years after (Renard, 1998, p. 7). His death would then see his community figure in a prolonged tug-of-war for rightful succession, and would officially begin the drift within the newly established religious community. One group claimed that Muhammad chose his rightful successor in the person of his son named Ali before he died. The other group contested the claim and said, no instructions were made by the Prophet whatsoever. Instead, they held that it was appropriate for to appoint leaders themselves, and eventually chose Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law, as the first of the four caliphs (meaning head), to rule the Islam community. Those who embraced the leadership of Ali were eventually known as the Shiites, while the followers who believed Abu Bakr’s caliphate eventually came to be known as Sunnis. As such, the neat separation within the just-emerging Islamic religion has been established. Since it exists up until today, it can be described as the â€Å"largest institutional division within the Muslim community† so far (Renard, 1998, p. 13; Ayoub, 2004, 72). c. The Catholic-Protestant Divide The era that colored the Catholic-Protestant divide was a Church marred with controversies, silent disenchantment and an ever growing discontent among Christian faithful. As history would show, it was through and because of Martin Luther – and his whole ebb generating protests against the Church – that the radical break from Catholicism was to be established. But hundreds of years before the supposed break, there had already been numerous events that point to the restlessness within the membership of the Church which it tried to quell. What were the controversies about? As early as the 1300’s, roughly two hundred years before Luther was born, an ordained priest by the name of John Wycliffe started to publish series of attacks against some of the major teachings and traditions of the Church. In 1372, he was summoned and reprimanded by Church authorities for his teachings that dwelled on the following: his denial of the doctrine of transubstantiation (a belief that the bread and wine used in celebrating the Eucharist is transformed into the real body and blood of Christ), attacks on the authority of the Pope as the head of the Church, corrupt practices within the Church, and emphasis on preaching and the use of Scriptures for teaching the doctrines of the Church (Cook, 2008, p. 95). Wycliffe probably represented the first courageous voices which tried to confront what’s wrong with the Church. In fact, he did try to raise legitimate concerns about both the divisive doctrines and lamentable discipline which the Church at that time practiced. Years after, Luther would pick up from where his predecessors had left out. In 1517, he released his Ninety-Five Theses to the public – a collection of ninety-five protests against many Church teachings – both doctrinal and moral – and Church practices, such as indulgences (spiritual merits obtained in return for monetary donations), celibacy (the promise for priests not to marry), Eucharist, among others (Cook, 2008, p. 100). Since the general religious atmosphere at that time was already ripe for reforms, his ninety-five theses were easily duplicated and spread throughout the German empire – a testament, as it were, to a huge popular support he enjoyed for the risks he took. Luther’s break from the Church was formally established when he burned the Papal bull Exsurge Domine (a decree which threatened him of excommunication if he did not recant his protests) in front of many people in a public square (Cook, 2008, 101). After which, he did subsequently ask the authorities of the German kingdom to support his cause for Church reform. Luther is remembered as a man who broke the Catholic Church apart. True enough, even before he died, he already saw the far reaching effects of his call for reforms he perhaps initially did not intended to jumpstart. Thanks to Luther, Christianity would never be the same again. The â€Å"Germany after (the) Reformation† movement in the mid 1500’s became a home to a new breed of Christians who came to be branded as Lutherans, Calvinist, Reformers, or even Protestants (Pennock, 2007, p. 168). In principle, Luther earned the reputation of being an agent of division within the Christian religion. IV. Conclusion To be sure, Christianity and Islam are not the only major religions in the world which had suffered a kind of break-up from within. Religious divisions are commonplace, and that variations sprouting from within large communities may be brought about by various factors. When divisions occur, one normally observes that differences pertaining to a host of issues including (but not limited to) doctrines, practices, or even recognized leadership become patent. As earlier mentioned, the dynamics of religion may help explain why a feeling of alienation (or a loss of identity) can push a believer or a group to break-away from mainstream religion to form their own set of practices and norms independently. Christianity and Islam were taken as exemplifications. In the points that were developed, it was seen that they share a history with lots of bitter disputes, which in turn led to an eventual division. But both religions suffered from internal rifts quite differently as well. Islams division was more political in nature, as two major factions with their respective claims to rightful succession to their now-dead Prophet-leader tore the emerging community apart thus, the Sunnis and the Shiites. Christianity on the other hand, after experiencing many breakaway groups in the course of history, had to suffer yet another major blow from internal disputes led by Martin Luther in the 1500s on account of doctrine and practices. What followed was a Christian religion torn once again, which ushered the creation of a big faction named Protestants. Religious divisions can be put under rigorous inquiry. There are viewpoints that consider these divisions as something that separate one group after another, while there are those who propose to see the same divisions as something that merely distinguish (but not separate). While the two viewpoints may be valid in their respective senses, this study places much interest not on their â€Å"distinguishability† or â€Å"separability†, but on the fact that, truly, religious divisions from within happen. References Ayoub, M. (2004). Islam. Faith and History. Oxford: Oneworld. Cook, C.. (2008) The Routledge Companion to Christian History. New York: Routledge. McCutcheon, R. (2007). Studying Religion. An Introduction. London: Equinox. Pennock, M. (2007) This is Our Church. A History of Catholicism. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press. Renard, J. (1998)101 Questions and Answers on Islam. New York: Paulist Press. Slater, P. (1978). The Dynamics of Religion. Meaning and Change in Religious Traditions. San Francisco: Harper and Row. (Also consulted) http://ca. news. yahoo. com/s/capress/080330/world/vatican_muslims