Credit Rating Agencies Role in Financial Crisis

1. Credit rating agencies present one of the key problems in reconfiguring the global financial architecture. Why? What are the options? What is the most likely solution? * The rating agencies present one of the key problems because they were behind the rating of the complex CDOs as well as taking an active part in creating these mortgage-related products which created conflict of interest. The ratings given to the CDO tranches did not effectively disclose the true credit quality of the underlying securities which contained a much higher default probabilities. * Options: * More regulations by SEC to control the â€Å"issuer pays† model. â€Å"To correct the competition problem within the â€Å"issuer pays† model, the SEC could place limits on the competition that occurs among the rating agencies. † (Acharya & Richardson, 2009) * â€Å"An alternative structure (†¦) would be for the SEC to create a department that houses a centralized clearing platform for ra ting agencies. † (Acharya & Richardson, 2009) * Another option is to deregulate the industry and allow free-market competition forces to shape its further growth and development which could bring in players like Bloomberg that would offer bond rating as a value-added services to its clientele. Most likely solution: * Although it is a very complex situation and it would require a series of regulatory changes, a regulatory oversight agency that would closely monitor the rating agencies and act as an intermediary in matching the issuers with the rating agencies. 2. Greece is in trouble. Why? Fast-forward 5 years and describe the most likely outcome of the current problems and their consequences for global banking and financial markets. * Greece is in trouble because it has failed to keep under controls its ballooning debt and accumulated a total national debt of over 113% of the country’s GDP. In April and May of this year Greece has to repay a total of $23 billion of its maturing government bonds which raised the question of whether it will be able to refinance the debt at its current financial state. * It has come to light that Greece used a series of financial transactions facilitated by Goldman Sachs to make its financials appear much nicer to adhere to the EU requirements of the member countries having to maintain the budget deficit under 3% of GDP. â€Å"†¦concerns about Greece's high level of debt led the three main international credit ratings agencies to downgrade Greek government bonds in January, so when Greece issued its bonds, it had offer them at much higher interest rates (five percent higher than those offered on benchmark German bonds) in order to attract investors. † (Fleeson) * Depending on how EU deals with the Greece problem, the Euro zone could become stronger in the outcome or it could face a moral hazard when more of the problematic EU c ountries (Portugal, Ireland, and Spain) encounter the same problem as Greece and will expect EU to bail them out. If Greece is allowed to default on its international debt it will put pressure on the entire Euro zone and will make it more problematic for Portugal, Ireland, and Spain, who have â€Å"ratios of debt to gross domestic product that are three times higher than the EU ceiling of three percent†, to borrow in the near future. (Fleeson) * If EU backs Greece, it will be more easier for the country to borrow at favorable rates and it will ease the pressure from the speculators which were betting against Greece and aggravating the problem even more. On a more positive note, the fact that the euro has weakened during the past four months as a result of the situation with Greece has the made the European goods relatively cheaper and export conditions more favorable. * Most likely outcome is that EU will eventually back Greece in some shape or form, once the member countries can agree on the measures, to keep it from defaulting and impose stricter economic rules on the members to adhere to in order to create sounder economic environments. â€Å"†¦analysts say that supportive talk (and even credit guarantees) will probably not be enough to salvage Greece’s finances and that ultimately the country is likely to need a package of loans put together by other EU governments and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). † (Fleeson) * â€Å"As part of the deal being forged in Brussels, Germany and France are demanding that the eurozone rewrite its rule book about economic convergence, including sanctions against governments (such as Greece’s) that deceive their EU partners about their real financial situation. (Maudave) * â€Å"The emergence of changes of this sort, including effective measures of discipline against offending eurozone countries, the new fiscal discipline and beginning of collective economic governance among the eurozon e countries, could be an important step forward to the EU’s global clout. Such progress toward economic coherence and credibility could amount to progress on a par with the Lisbon treaty – and, for the long run, a silver lining to the current economic hardship being inflicted on the EU economies. (Maudave) References Viral Acharya, Matthew Richardson. â€Å"Restoring Financial Stability: How to Repair a Failed system. † New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , 2009. Print Tony Spadaccia. â€Å"U. S. is Resembling Greece’s Economic Decline. † The Breeze, March 18, 2010. Web. Sat. 20 March, 2010 ; http://breezejmu. org/2010/03/18/us-is-resembling-greeces-economic-decline/; Will Fleeson. â€Å"Sovereign Debt Liable to Overwhelm System in the EU’s Five â€Å"PIIGS†. † The European Institute, February 2010. Web. Fri. 2 March, 2010 Will Fleeson. â€Å"Euro Zone Acts to Dodge Greece's Bullet — But More to Come From PIIGS? † The European Institute, February 2010. Web. Fri. 12 March, 2010 http://www. europeaninstitute. org/February-2010/euro-zone-may-dodge-the-bullet-from-greece. html Basil Maudave. â€Å"EU Bail-Out For Greece? Time Has Come, Reportedly, To Do It — With Conditions. † The European Institute, March 2010. Web. Fri. 12 March, 2010 Arthur E. Wilmarth, Jr. â€Å"Controlling Systemic Risk in an ERA of Financial Consolidation. †

Is Gay Parenting Bad for the Kids?

â€Å"Is Gay Parenting Bad for the Kids? † In the society we live in today, many people believe that being raised by a homosexual or lesbian couple isn’t a good thing for the children. Based on the article â€Å"Is Gay Parenting Bad for the Kids? † it seems to me that Charles C. W. Cooke (the author) and Dr. Mark Regenerus also believe that gay parenting is a bad thing. In the article, Cooke says that gay parenting is a bad thing because, â€Å"the child(ren) will end up different† or â€Å"the children are going to be missing at least one of their biological parents and they might experience some instability.Even though this article is defending the fact that gay parenting is bad for children, there are a few key points that challenge this statement because I believe that homosexual and lesbian couples are just as good as heterosexual couples when it comes to raising children. The first key point is that the article states that, â€Å"two women parents better on average than a woman and man, or at least than a woman and man with a traditional division of family labor. † This statement is basically saying that two women (on average) are better when it comes to staying in a relationship when it comes to raising children.Most heterosexual couples divorce even though they have family together, but lesbian couples continue to work things out in spite of their kids. That is a point that makes a comparison between lesbian and heterosexual couples. The next point is that, â€Å"children raised by homosexual or lesbian parents are as likely as children raised by heterosexual parents to be healthy, successful, and well-adjusted. † This means that no matter what sexual orientation the parents are, the child is not going to become a failure in life. They are still going to go to school, graduate, and become something in life.Just because the parents didn’t graduate doesn’t mean the child won’t graduate. Just because the parent didn’t become something in life doesn’t mean the child won’t. The last reason is that â€Å"marriage between gay partners will enhance the family’s stability and therefore be good for the children. † This also proves that there is nothing wrong with homosexual or lesbian couples being parents. I feel as long as the family is stable, then it shouldn’t matter if the parents are homosexual, lesbian, or heterosexual. In my opinion, I think that it has nothing to do with the children. I think that it is just a stereotypical issue.Many people feel that because in most states gay marriage is not legal (yet) that homosexuals and lesbians shouldn’t be parents. This article challenges and defends whether or not gay parenting is bad for the children. Even though majority of the article is against gay parenting, the challenging points stand out more than any of the other evidence. In conclusion, I do not think that gay parentin g is bad for children. When the children start to understand what is going on, they have their own choices to make on whether to be stable and become something in life or worry about missing a biological parent and becoming unstable.

The Latifundia System in Rome

The latifunda system, which established first in ancient Rome around 2nd century BC, were large farms which were owned by the wealthy classes. The latifundia became common in the Roman Empire as a result of the decline of Roman moral values and the political corruption that resulted from the acquisition of wealth and power that the Empire brought. With the breakdown of the Pax Romana and the inability of Roman law to provide security, small landowners increasingly turned to larger, more powerful estates for security.Peasants turned over their land to the latifundia and formed a new class called the slaves. Slaves from conquered territory were bought and forced to manage and work. The abundant supply of slaves led to increase in worse labor condition and decrease in free laborers on these large estates. These estates turned plantation systems included a lot of working slaves, known as Latifundias, became popular and spread throughout many regions in the Roman. In my opinion, it is not ignorable that the latifundia led to huge increase in production and trade, so more profit and wealth. But these gains served only the wealthy landowners.Latifundia benefited the elite class greatly, because it provided freedom as merchant traders and they used cheap slave labour force to gain more agricultural or animal product. With the latifundia, instead of previous demands to grow grain, a new age of farming was introduced, producing olive oil and wine, and herding sheep and cattle for trade. In my opinion the increasing gap between lords and slaves was a negative effect of latifunda that lead to some social problems. For instance, only the wealthy could afford to lease this land they eventually began treating it as if it were their own and not the states.The small farmers and slaves became to depend on the wealthy class and lose their freedom. Sometimes there are several protests were all in attempt to lessen the power gap between the wealthy and poor, but, as the protests ke pt being overturned. However tension between the wealthy and peasants continued to increase. One of the important negative effects of latifundia system is â€Å"Over-farming†. As independent farmers were replaced by large slave-farmed estates the basis of farming became short-term profit; so there was little done in terms of conservation or properly fertilizing crops, so fertility  decreased quickly in these agricultural areas. Large areas of southern Italy became literal dust bowls, as they remain today.As a result, Italy could no longer feed itself. In sum, although the latifunda system raised the production and trade, it lead to negative social and environmental condition which would cause bigger problem in future in Rome.

Comparison between C++ and Java Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison between C++ and Java - Research Paper Example Later it was adapted as the basis for â€Å"HotJava† thin client that depends on a virtual machine that is very portable and secure. Java is provided with a wide-ranging library that supports total abstraction for the fundamental platform. Java is a statically typed OOP like C++ and both languages display a similar syntax though their syntaxes are not compatible with each other. Moreover, Java was designed from scratch and was aimed at portability. (Deitel & Deitel, 2009) Comparison of Features Java and C++ differ significantly when it comes to certain features and implementation in each language. These are discussed below with examples to clarify the differences. Java does not possess multiple inheritances, instead it relies on interfaces. Interfaces in Java are comparable and largely similar to classes in C++ that have nothing except for virtual functions. Java allows inheritance from one base class only even if the other base classes are composed of little else than abstrac t methods (which are pure virtual functions). However Java allows the implementation of multiple interfaces which is similar to C++ and is nearly similar. (Horstmann & Cornell, 2008) An interface in Java for a Stack would be: public interface Stack { public void Push(Object o); public Object Pop(); }; The structure for C++ is similar and is shown below: class Stack { public: virtual void Push(Object&) = 0; virtual Object& Pop() = 0; }; It must be borne in mind that an interface in Java is not a class and any functions declared in a Java interface are not implementable in the same interface. A Java interface is not allowed any member variables either. This helps Java to eliminate the multiple virtual inheritance problems seen in C++ as it is not possible to inherit identical member variables from more paths than one. Virtual inheritance creates difficulties for the programmers of all kinds. Java solves this by eliminating multiple inheritances of classes by permitting multiple interf ace implementations. This has simplified Java appreciably in comparison to C++. However there is a drawback too. Java does not allow inheriting implementation from multiple classes in cases where there are no identical member variables too. Most coding situations require that variables have multiple inheritances from base classes that possess data and functions. While C++ can help implement these through careful variable naming, Java disallows it altogether. Another aspect of major difference is garbage collection. Garbage collection is a way to manage memory by freeing memory blocks that are not being referred to anymore. For example if the Java code presented below is considered: Clock a = new Clock(); // a is a new clock // ... a is used for a while a = null; // a is set to null and the system will remove it afterwards The code above creates a new Clock object by using the keyword new. The variable a is used to refer to this new object. a has a similar structure to reference vari ables used in C++ but Java allows the reassignment of references unlike C++. The variable a is used for some time after which it is reset to null. The Java runtime system keeps a in watch and when it detects that there are no more references to a, it brands a as garbage and clears it up. This aids in returning memory to the heap. In comparison C++ does not offer such an extensive garbage collection system. Although third party freeware and

The advantages of using Electronic Medical Records Essay

The advantages of using Electronic Medical Records - Essay Example The advantages of using Electronic Medical Records The implementation of EMR although will require initial investments, it will prove to be beneficial in the long run. The costs for maintaining paper records will be eliminated. Moreover, the plans for implementing EMR will be provided and required changes that have to be undertaken shall be discussed. Last but not the least, a fact sheet will be developed that will include generally and frequently asked questions for the colleagues to familiarize the concept of portable EMR. Overview In this world of technologies, where organizations from all industries are implementing modern technologies to simplify the work practices, medical institutions are not far behind. The record maintenance of patient information has become an important and common phenomenon in all medical organizations and institutions. It enables institutions for providing effective advice to the patients regarding any medical emergencies. Traditionally, institutions maintained records of the patients manually through files. However, this practice is not efficient while maintaining the records for a longer period of time. The files are prone to damages or being mismanaged due to mishandling or human carelessness. Thus, the need of maintaining patient information through electronic mediums has evolved and organizations have started to implement strategies for adopting the practices. EMR is a modern concept for protecting the information of the patients which enabled institutions for having access for a longer period of time. ... In addition, it provided the flexibility of switching vendors and accessing EMRs from various places. Thus, EMRs were made portable through Core Data Sets (CDs) and flash drives that could easily be carried and remains with the patients every time and everywhere (OntarioMD Practice IT Operations, 2011). Development American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA) is a non-profit organization which deals in social welfare and well being of the people. The members of the organization have recognized the importance of maintaining the records of the patient information who have been assisted for treatments without their personal expenses. Furthermore, as the association deals with funds from various sources, information regarding the spending in treatment of patients should be maintained efficiently and for a longer period of time (American Nursing Informatics Association, 2012). The vendor associated with ANIA in providing and maintenance of the computer systems had stopped its dealings due to business failure. Therefore, the members recognized the urgency for contracting with a new systems vendor in providing efficient services. Therefore, portability of EMRs evolved as a necessary task in order to protect the patient information in case of any replacement or malfunctioning (American Nursing Informatics Association, 2012). In accordance with the HITECH Act proposed in 2009, all medical practitioners and organizations in the healthcare industry are required to implement various changes in order to maintain Electronic Health Records (EHR) or EMR of patients in the prescribed format. Although many organizations or practitioners objected due to the time and costs involved in the transitional phase, 48.3%

Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Leadership - Assignment Example This led to constant bickering and lack of consensus about direction. This conflict was borne of her inferior emotional intelligence. In fact, she proclaimed that Star Jones was evil, illustrating her poor leadership characteristics. Marlee Matlin, the deaf star contestant in 2011, was an individual with superior leadership skills. Matlin observed many disputes occurring between her colleagues, but simply chose to distance herself from it and bring it to her superior’s attention: Donald Trump. A quality leader understands chain of command and does not overstep their authority or fuel even further conflict. Matlin was very courteous to her team members throughout the entire season, often using soft language to inspire others to achieve their greatest potential. This is another trademark of a very competent leader to be able to use charisma and inspirational dialogue to gain loyalty. Marlee Matlin also publicly praised her most fierce competitor, John Rich, which illustrated the necessary respect for others common in quality leaders. At the same time, Matlin always tried to help others, showing that she thought their opinions and talents were valuable to the

Exercise #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exercise #4 - Essay Example The direct action approach proposed by King is considered be effective and capable of resulting in negotiations. King uses his own authority as the person who has been president of Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The size of the organisation which king heads, seeks to establish the credibility of kings authority. His audience comprises of fellow clergymen ad these people all have a previous understanding of the issues being discussed. The arguments fall into the categories of general and dismissal of evidence contexts. The general appeal is presented by his arguments and presentation of authority as leader of an organization. The presentation of various facts in a different situation indicates the dismissal of evidence. Pathos refers a figurative speech which is aimed at appealing to the emotions of the audience and it is one of the most powerful strategies of public speaking. It provides a way through which the author uses to demonstrate agreement with an underlying issues with the audience. Logos refers to the presentation of a logical argument which seeks to appeal to the understanding of the audience about a topic. The presentation of logical information which is based on facts makes the speaker to look knowledgeable on the subject under discussion. While it is a strong strategy for building credibility among the audience, many facts can confuse the audience. Ethos refers to the form of appeal which seeks to establish the authority and credibility of the author to the audience. It seeks to present the author as someone who is well qualified to speak on the topic being discussed. It is a strategy which enables the author to demonstrate the mastery of the subject. King uses logos and pathos as the two most effective strategies in persuading his audience in the letter which he has written. There are various facts which king presents within

European Commissions Proposal to Introduce Audit Independence Reform Essay

European Commissions Proposal to Introduce Audit Independence Reform - Essay Example This paper illustrates that following the evaluation, the auditors determine the level of conformation between those declarations and the required auditing standards, and communicating their opinion through the audit report. The quality and authenticity of audit report and compliance with the prescribed practices of audit standards have always been a subject of discussion in the corporate environment. Adherence to audit standards practice is necessary as it helps a corporate organization to lessen risks as well as optimize its business performance at the same time. Currently, the competitive business environment that prevails worldwide, calls for a rigid regulatory setting and compliance to audit standards norms, for businesses and the financial system to sustain in the long run. However, the European Commission considers the global economic depression during 2007-2009 had pointed out significant drawbacks in the audit system followed in Europe. The Commission believes so because man y financial organizations were found to have been given clean reports by their auditors, in spite of the fact that those institutions had grave financial health issues. As a result, the European Commission had proposed a number of reforms to improve the independence of the auditing profession. To alleviate the danger of any impending conflict of interest owing to an acquaintance risk, the European Commission in its report has proposed that all publicly listed companies will have to obligatorily alter their auditor after each six years in case they had employed one auditor to execute the audit process, and after each nine years when two auditors were employed to perform the audit. This proposed reform is said to have a number of advantages in the context of dealing with issues like conflict of interest and in so doing enhancing the quality of the audit. The major advantage expected from this reform is the reinforcement of professional skepticism.

Path Toward Success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Path Toward Success - Essay Example Concomitantly, it has resulted into the fore numerous confrontations experienced by the hospitality segment in the framework of its operational areas, for instance HRM, cross cultural communications and marketing management. These challenges have prompted the organizations operating in the service industry to implement strategies that help them to offer services that can create an impact on the customers, leading into establishment of health organizational-customer relationships. These relationships if maintained well, can elicit customer loyalty as well as preference, resulting in a competitive edge for the organization (Terrero 2009). With the contemporary issues that arise from the competitive environment of the hospitality industry, this essay will outline some of the modern themes that have penetrated the market as strategies to improve the customer relationship and establish competitiveness. Additionally, some challenges will be identified, with discussion of some steps that ca n ensure that these obstacles can be overcome. Contemporary Themes Even though superlative services provided is constantly at the hotelier forefront, both the hospitality education providers and the hotel industry are responding to transformations in the contemporary consumer and market trends (Laskarin, 2013). This has led to development or embracing of different elements in order to tailor their services and products to what fundamentally matters to this novel customer generation. The following is a discussion of three contemporary themes that have been embraced by the hospitality industry in an attempt to maintain competitive positions. Social Media in the Hospitality Industry Withiam (2012) highlights that the easy internet accessibility and the augmenting recognition of social media amid tourists have opened extensive prospects to impact travel decisions. Above 75% of tourists, search the social media to attain travel-related review and information prior to purchase and hotel b ookings. On the other hand, 32% of the tourists do not book or purchase travel accommodations with no reading reviews first. Mihaiu (2013) outlines that realizing the escalating latency of social media, the hospitality industry is now influencing travelers on search platforms and competition inside the social room, a practice that has turned out to be more powerful. This is with the establishment of novel platforms for instance Google Plus. Moss (2011) agrees that with regard to a survey performed by Hubspot, the current most widespread platforms marketers apply YouTube, blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Of these platforms, the most extensively applied by hospitality marketers are YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to increase bookings and promote search. Hotels that score greatest in social media commitment comprehend the wants of the novel generation, which involve instant satisfaction thus; they are continually reacting to responses in a distinctive and non-corporate method (Mih aiu, 2013). When this is merged with recompensing the guests with invariable deals and incentives, it acquires more followers and supporters on the organization’s social media platforms. Personalization in the Hospitality Industry Currently, personalization is compelling hospitality organizations into a shift of mindset from producer-led fragmentation to consumer-driven preference (Hotels 2020, 2012). Much has been developed

Managerial Planning and Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managerial Planning and Skills - Assignment Example Therefore, a manager should be able to address all upcoming details in a clear and concise manner for better understanding by the junior staff members. Presentation of Information The manager has the ability to give the case personal mastery so that he can have a clear vision to what has been brought to him. This will help him get an understanding of the way to speak out the message and the format that he will use to deliver the information. The manager should apply the suspension judgment quality to ensure he has full control of over him/her self and end the ego of the position that he might be holding in the organization. In a matter where the manager is unable to comprehend over the matters that he has he has a room to identify assumptions that will give him the clearest assumption and this will be possible through dialogue (Gennard, 2009). Therefore, the manager should apply the management weapons so as to get the final ability to confront the staff and brief them on the news. Th erefore for the case of budget deduction the manager should take the initiative to go down and sit with the staff and deliberate first on the reasons that have led to the decline in the budget allocation. This will help the manager pass the information and help him make some decisions so as to handle the situation that has already aroused in the organization. ... Team work can lead an organization to a higher level of production that can help the organization try and cover up the five percent amount withdrawn from their yearly income. Staff Involvement The manager should totally involved the staff in decision making that will require good listening skills which will help the management focus on major options that they get from the dialogues (Gennard, 2009). This gives us the overview that in order the organization to grow and flourish again it has to return to starting board so that it can restart by laying down major or strategic plans that will enable the organization to shoot up again. This is a major step that the management has to reconsider so as to recover on the amount that has been reduced and run the organization smoothly. The manager should review the older budget so that he can restart by laying down the vision and mission of the organization. The manager should on look to the future results and objectives of the organization so t hat the management can develop actions that are to be carried in order to achieve the laid down objectives and goals. The re-laid plan should be followed and implemented within the time frame that it was meant to be accomplished. The manager should have a track record on the performance of every part of the organization so as access the progress of achieving the organization's objectives and goals (Bowhill, 2008). This will help in the evaluation of employee task force that will help the manager to have a wider over view of how the business of the organization is progressing. When there is frequent evaluation the management can notice the areas of weakness therefore, improving on them and thus propelling the organizational

The egg drop challenge is not mostly Essay Example for Free

The egg drop challenge is not mostly Essay The egg drop challenge is not mostly a shock absorption exercise; the springiness of the padding around the egg is the determining factor. A bus without springs is near impossible to drive, while one without shocks feels almost normal until moments when the shocks are needed. What will break the egg is to have a force on the egg greater than the shell can withstand. This can be avoided by distributing the force evenly across the eggs surface. The shell is very strong if the force is well distributed, and very weak if the force is all at one point, or on a small area. You can pierce the egg with a very small force with a needle, yet you can put it between your palms and push with great force without breaking it. If your padding is too soft, it will work well until the padding has compressed, and then the egg will experience a large g-force and break. If your padding is too hard, then the egg will break while the padding is being compressed. What is desired is padding that will compress at a rate that gives the egg the longest time to stop. We believe that the best solution is to have increasingly soft padding surrounding the egg in multiple (in our case, 3) layers. Our guess is that firm foam around the egg with softer foam outside of that and still softer foam further outside will give the desired results. It is also imperative that the foam in direct contact with the egg fit the eggs shape as well as possible, to help evenly distribute the forces on the egg. Also, if you can get the egg to fall vertically rather than horizontally it will endure much more force because of the oval shape of the egg. This point is easily demonstrated by the fact that it is very difficult to break an egg in your hand when you apply the forces on the top and bottom of the egg, while it is much easier to break the egg by compressing its sides. The final point we will make is that the larger your package, the further the egg travels during its stop, thus decreasing the impulse that the egg experiences, so we have done our best to ensure that the container for our egg is as close to 12 cm3 as possible.

Phoenix Jackson and the Modern Day Woman Essay Example for Free

Phoenix Jackson and the Modern Day Woman Essay A phoenix is a mythical bird of great beauty fabled to live 500 or 600 years in the Arabian wilderness, to burn itself on a funeral pyre, and to rise from its ashes in the freshness of youth and live through another cycle of years: often an emblem of immortality or of reborn idealism or hope; a person or thing of peerless beauty or excellence; a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation; A person or thing regarded as uniquely remarkable in some respect. Eudora Welty, in her character Phoenix Jackson, creates humanitys counterpart of the phoenix firebird from oriental tradition (Wampler 4 June 2013). Although Phoenix Jackson can not lay claim to the immortality manifested by consuming fiery rebirths (as does the mythological bird), she possesses a fiery spirit and is consumed by love for her grandchild (Wampler 4 June 2013). Phoenix Jackson is wise, confident, fearless, tenacious, courageous, and has a clear goal in mind, which is to get her grandson’s medicine despite any obstacle that she may face. Phoenix Jackson can be summed up in one word which is noble. All women should have the characteristics of Phoenix Jackson but some of those characteristics are being lost with the evolving society. Phoenix Jackson is an elderly African American woman walking into town on a cold winter morning to get medicine for her sick grandson. One aspect of Phoenix’s likeness to the mythical phoenix is their journey before they die. The Natchez Trace is an old highway that runs from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi (Natchez Trace 27 May 2013). By 1800 it was the busiest in the American South (Natchez Trace 27 May 2013). Phoenix lives â€Å"a way back off the Old Natchez Trace,† which indicates that the journey along with the fact that it is December is difficult for her (A Worn Path n. d. ). The obstacles she faces shows how deeply she cares and sacrifices for her grandson. At the end, when we are told she â€Å"began on the stairs, going down† it indicates that she is faced with a return journey as difficult as the one she has just completed (A Worn Path n. d. ). She is also between 80-100 years old which further magnifies the intensity of her journey and the tragic situation of her grandson’s dependence on her. Like many people who have lived to be Ms. Jacksons age, they gain strength from the years of trials and experiences in their lives. Ms. Jackson was unschooled, black and a woman who grew up during the depression and slavery years. This along with her many years on earth have made her cautious, strong willed and driven. Phoenixs appearance is yet another aspect of her likeness to the phoenix. At the beginning of the story, Phoenix is described as having a golden color [running] underneath [her skin], and the two knobs of her cheeks were illuminated by a yellow burning under the dark (A Worn Path n. d. ). Welty further describes Phoenixs hair as being tied back in a red rag (A Worn Path n. d. ). These images cannot be taken to be a mere coincident as the phoenix from the ancient Egyptian legend is described as having a beautiful red and gold plumage. Furthermore, Phoenixs eyes are said to be blue with age (A Worn Path n. d. ). This description is the first of many that give an indication of her age. The phoenix is a bird that matures to an extreme age before it bursts into flame and is reborn from the ashes. Welty also employs some rather unusual imagery, in which she describes Phoenixs skin as having a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead (A Worn Path n. d. ). All of these ties back in with the age the phoenix grows to. During the 1940’s women’s roles and expectations in society were changing rapidly. Previously women had very little say in society and were stereotyped to stay home, have babies, to be a good home maker and wife. Modern day women have it so easy compared to women in the 1940’s. Women today have many career opportunities that were not open to women of the 20th century. In fact, the great majority of women were illiterate because it was assumed that they didnt need to read if all the work they would do in life was raise children. Women of the 21st century have access to dozens of labor-saving devices that allow them to do housework in a fraction of the time that it took women in the olden days (Women’s Rights). Women today use birth control to plan the size of their families. Centuries ago, it was not unheard of for women to have 11 children, and childbirth was the single highest cause of death for women in their 20s and 30 (Women’s Rights). Women in these times live under a justice system that tries to stop domestic violence, whereas women in 1808 were the property of their husbands, who could do whatever they liked without penalty (Women’s Rights). No policeman or judge would ever think a man had done wrong if he had to beat his wife to get her to behave. Modern women control their own finances. Women two hundred years ago were unable to sign for a bank loan without a male consenting to co-sign (Women’s Rights). They were judged incapable of owning property, even to the point that any property that they brought with them into their marriage or inherited from their father was immediately transferred to the safe keeping of their husbands (Women’s Rights). If he then turned it into cash and invested it in a business deal that went bad, the wife had no recourse to recover the money. Women were only given the vote in 1920 (Women’s Rights). Before that, they had no say whatsoever in the laws that were passed that affected their lives. In a few ways, modern women have a harder time than women of yesteryear. Today some women move so far from home that their social and family networks break down. It appears that women living in the 21st century have it vastly easier than women of the 1940’s, although not in every case. Phoenix Jackson was a very rare woman during her time and she is unlike the modern women of today. Not many women today or even back then would do what she did for her grandson. Most women are focused on their careers and would send their husband or nanny to get the medicine for their child. Phoenix Jackson sacrificed a lot because of the love she had for her grandson. Phoenix Jacksons courage and tenacity are illustrated repeatedly as she faces crisis after crisis during her journey a frozen day in December, animals in the thicket, hills, thorny bushes, creeks, barbed-wire fences, a com field maze, superstition, a hunters gun, a tower of steps, her own forgetfulness, and failing physical healthall obstacles to be overcome (Wampler 4 June 2013). And thats what Phoenix Jackson does (Wampler 4 June 2013).

Advantages of Learning English

Advantages of Learning English In present, English has become an international language and the most spoken language in the world, with Chinese and French coming in a close second and third, which is use by dominant people in the world and use to make a bridge between people from other country who want to communicate each others. Moreover, english is already accepted as a foreign language. There are over 750 million people who speak English as a foreign language. In the year 2000 the British Council said that there were about a billion people learning English. Kolik jazykÃ…Â ¯ znà ¡Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡, tolikrà ¡t jsi Ä lovĆºkem. You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once. (Czech proverb) That proverb tell that mastered in other language is very important, especially when someone mastered speak in the most spoken language which is English. Learning English is very important, because it will gives many advantages that will be very important in this life and here are 3 important advantages, which are for education, for information and the last is for facing the globalization. The first thing is about to get the best education. The fact is learning English can make education better. To get the best education it is very impossible if someone just study from his/her country. It will be better to study from the others country, such as to get a scholarship. In order to that, it a must to mastered English because to study abroad it will need a TOEFL test and many kinds of that. Education is not just about study, but also about work because work can educate people too. This day most of the computer language and international business is use English and to become the best, people have to become an international person,so he/ she can communicate with any people using English as the most spoken language. Also the knowledge of English language may give people chance to find better job, promotion to the better position, or to go for foreign business trips. So, to get better education hwich are study and work, we must mastered the most spoken language which is English first because it is a bridge between better education and the best education. The second one of the advantage of learning English is about information that it will gives to people around the world. This day technology is in advance, it proves by the existence of the internet which become the most functionable source that people used. Many information exist in the internet if people want to search it, becaus it is connected all over the world, so people can exchange the information between Afghanistan and Canada, but most of it using English. By using English, people will be able to discover all of the information from all over the world with internet. Because English is the language of the internet, people has to know and has to able to understand English if he/she want to get accurate and up-to-date information from the internet. By internet too, people can communicate with foreign people by sending an e-mail, but of course people must use English to make foreign people understand too. And over 80% of the information stored in the worlds computers is in English, more than half the worlds scientific journals are in English, its the main language on the internet, and so on. Because English is the most spoken language and an international language, for people who understand English could get the information of news or opportunities to get job faster thatn the others could. The last advantages of learning English is to face the globalization Era when now happened. The globalization is something that is well-known in this era because its already happened this day. One of the example of globalization is when Malaysia can pick someone from Indonesia to work in Malaysia company directly, it can happen now. So, it can said that globalization era is the same with International era. To face this international era the first thing that we can do is to master English because communication is the most important thing when we make a relation between people. Master English is because English is the most spoken language that used in every country. So, to keep in track in this globalization era, people can understand English well is a must. When people cannot understand English, they cannot communicate with foreign people and when they cannot communicate with foreign people, they cannot get a good relation and they cannot face the globalization era. So, English is the one that people must have understand in order to face the globalization era. In addition, English as the most spoken language has many advantages for people and the most important advantages are for information, education, and for facing that globalization era.

The Invention of the Modern Automobile Essay -- Cars Car Ford History

The Invention of the Modern Automobile â€Å"The way to make automobiles, is to make one automobile just like another automobile [1].† With this statement, Henry Ford had invented the modern automobile. Many people may question this idea, as they know self propelled vehicles were in existence long before the days of Ford. In fact, these people would undoubtedly be correct; the idea of a self propelled vehicle and its actual realization had been present for at least one hundred years before Ford ever made one. However, by considering the definition of invention, the idea of the modern automobile and then briefly tracing the history of the self propelled vehicle, it will become increasingly clear how Henry Ford had invented this dominant form of land transportation. Before any evidence can be introduced in support of the topic at hand, the definition of invention must be established. Legally, an invention is a new, useful, and non-obvious process, machine, or product. Maurice Fabre, author of A History of Land Transportation (1963), offered an interesting take on the automobile and its inventor. â€Å"Who, for that matter, can say who invented the automobile? Was it Cugnot with his lumbering â€Å"fardier† of 1769? Was it Trevithick with his steam carriage of 1801, or the Bollees with their steam car of 1813? Or Benz or Daimler with their first successful internal combustion gasoline engine cars of 1886? It depends what you mean by an automobile [2].† In the year 2001, what do we consider the automobile to be? I invite the reader to take a minute to look out the window. I see a street lined with cars. Many of these cars possess similar shapes and sizes. In fact, some of them are the same make and model, only... ... The Automobile Age. pg 13. 17 Williams, Trevor I. A History of Invention: From Stone Axes to Silicon Chips. pg 248. 18 Flink, James J. The Automobile Age. pg 36, 38. 19 Flink, James J. The Automobile Age. pg 35. 20 Kaempffert, Waldemar. A Popular History of American Invention. pg 156. 21 Beard, Charles A. A Century of Progress. New York. Harper and Row Publishers, Inc. 1970. pg 67. 22 Flink, James J. The Automobile Age. pgs 40-43. 23 Hughes, Thomas. American Genesis. New York. Penguin Group. 1989. pgs 188, 193, 203-204. 24 Flink, James J. The Automobile Age. pg 115. 25 Flink, James J. The Automobile Age. pgs 37-39. 26 Flink, James J. The Automobile Age. pgs 43, 119-120. 27 Hughes, Thomas. American Genesis. pg 139. 28 Hughes, Thomas. American Genesis. pgs 1-11, 53, 139, 186

An Analysis of Jack Londons To Build a Fire :: London To Build a Fire Essays

An Analysis of Jack London's To Build a Fire In his article "To Build a Fire" a Physical Fiction and Metaphysical Critics Charles E. May comments and disagrees with a statement that "To Build a Fire" is "a masterpiece of a short fiction"(20). Literary critics claimed that London used many metaphors in this work such as "sun-fire-life" or "cold-darkness-depression-death"(20), but May argues that this story should be read and interpreted literally and does not contain deep, dual or metaphorical meaning. He says: "For Jack London, and consequently for the reader, the man in the story is simply a living body, the cold is simply a physical fact"(22). What is more article's author strongly disagrees with the critic, who compares the theme of the story to a theme of a classical tragedy. May sarcastically states that the only visible similarity in terms of theme would be the issue of protagonist's death(22). I think that "To Build a Fire" story relates to many issues hidden behind a superficial plot. The story takes place in a very severe winter; the man under appreciates the dangers of nature forces and struggles to return to camp. He is warned about possible dangers, but he is also too pride and too self-confident to take the advice into consideration. The protagonist is accompanied by a dog. The man tries to survive, but forces of nature are stronger and he dies. The interpretation of the story, however, reveals real "treasures": problem of loneliness, deadly fear, acceptance, understanding, issue of time, and a scary silence. The protagonist seems to be a very independent and strong person, he rather listens to himself first. He planned his way back home, and regardless to weather condition he realizes his plans and sets off. During this trip he starts to realize that it may be too cold, initially tries to set up a fire, but it is not enough to survive. He is scared, and has a feeling of a coming death. In some ways he is similar to a contemporary person, who never has enough time for anything. The protagonist rushes to get home, to realize his own plans, to go forward, then on a deserted land he suddenly finds time, too much time to think, and to feel. It was a very uncomfortable feeling to be aware of his own death; he is able to predict what will happen. At first, he tries to escape and safely find camp, but afterwards he learns it is impossible, and accepts his fate.

Environment and Governmental Policies :: Politics, Daoism

As humanity begins to use nature to fulfill their need for resources, they tend to create negative consequences to the environment that surrounds them. There are only a few governmental policies that ultimately lean towards a conservationist stand view, since this may be an economically unappealing concept, but there are some moral stances that promote the preservation of nature. In some cases, though, governments are able to support their ecological and economic issues together. It is stated that the â€Å"government has done nothing effective with its forests† and â€Å"the laws... provide neither for the protection of the timber from destruction nor for it’s use where it is most needed† (Doc. 5). This proposal supports the idea that the government’s policies do not advocate the safekeeping of our surroundings appropriately. The destruction of our environment is not decreasing because as our technology expands it becomes easier to â€Å"rule over [nature] without difficulty† (Doc. 4). Taking this into account, we must realize that â€Å"although development is vital...bio-diversity† is something that even humanity can’t live without (Doc. 8). Native American, Chief Seattle, responds to the government in 1852 saying that â€Å"to harm the earth† is something that is considered disrespectful to â€Å"its creator† (Doc. 6). From our own ethical conceptions, humanity is mostly in favor of the safeguarding of wildlife. Daoism, an early chinese concept, conforms to the conservation of nature in that they believe they shouldn’t â€Å"try to change the world by force† because it can cause â€Å"damage to [themselves]† (Doc. 1). From a Buddhist point of view, perpetuating the environment seems to be an important factor in their religion as they wish â€Å"all [creatures to] be blessed with peace always† (Doc. 2). In the Book of Genesis it states that we should â€Å"have dominion† over the creatures yet still â€Å"replenish the earth† (Doc. 3). As the environment is here for our uses, we still must keep it in a state that we can continue to use it. â€Å"Ethical criteria† of the earth may be defined that something is â€Å"right... when it preserve[s] the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community† (Doc. 7). In a point of view that is m erely based on morals, conservation of nature is a good and a necessary abstraction. On the other hand, the way we go about environmentalism is something that the human race has come to focus on and improve in the years past.

Education for Students with Exceptional Needs Essay

Education is a detrimental factor to one’s success. Through formal education an individual’s knowledge is maximized and nurtured. It is because formal education hones the human mind to think critically and helps human mind in improving its decision making ability. Education also allows individuals to learn about history that enable them to better understand the present and face the challenges of the future. Education helps individuals receive information from the external world. The things people learn through formal education are the very foundation that permits them to move up in the world and seek better jobs. While it is true that hands-on-experience is an important aspect to get to the top, formal education and training are also essential to be qualified for top positions. Raw talents are important but they also need honing and the best way to hone them is through experience and assistance through schooling. Education is a must for everyone. Individuals with exceptional needs should also be given equal opportunity to learn and gain knowledge. Teaching students with exceptional needs is indeed a challenge (Adams, 2006). Teachers who wish to impart their services to these individuals should be equipped, trained, and should posses great patience and care. I believe that the experiences and learning that I am gaining from the university would significantly help me to become a better teacher for these individuals. My major helps me understand that the field of special education is an evolving and changing discipline. It is based on philosophies and it involves studying evidence-based principles and theories, which could be complicated without the guidance of experienced professors. In addition, teachers must learn how to communicate effectively with students and parents so that students will have a more enriched learning experience. I have always been taught that sharing knowledge to others is one of the best ways to help people. Teachers are heroes, they say. I do not want to become a hero but I simply want to help others. Individuals with exceptional needs have to be helped so that they could also learn to stand on their own. Giving them education is one way to support these people. It will help the students reach their full potential and give them more confidence. This will also empower parents and give them less worry regarding their children. Sincerity is an important trait of a person working for individuals with exceptional needs. I sincerely want to help them that is why I chose this field as my career. I believe that pursuing a career on the field of special education would give me the opportunity to help others. As a rehabilitation service major, I know that I will be able to impart my knowledge to these individuals and help them in my own little way. Many teachers are not very enthusiastic in pursuing a career in special education since this is a very challenging task. On the contrary, I am one of those who enjoy facing challenges. Since there are only few who choose the path on special education, I decided that I will be one of the few who could make a difference to these individuals with exceptional needs. I also believe that all people could actually learn. However, since each person is unique, appropriate instructional support is needed especially for individuals with exceptional needs. Thus, training is needed to become a suitable teacher for these individuals. That is why I highly appreciate all the things that I learn in the university because I know that the knowledge will help me in my future career.

Lillian D. Wald

Dear Mr. President, To keep the country running smoothly, the citizens must participate in it. If we, the citizens of the United States, don’t do our part, the government will have full reign over OUR society. Essentially meaning that would no longer be a democracy. That is something that we Americans pride ourselves on, being a democracy. We must ensure that we maintain and keep the rights and freedoms that we have. The purpose of this letter is to ask you to consider declaring a new holiday in the name of Lillian Wald.This day wouldn’t just be to recognize her as a person and all of her accomplishments, but what her accomplishments really were- Civil Rights. Lillian Wald’s achievements stretched from the health field to civil rights for children. Her feats have shed a new light on the American society, inspiring to us all. Lillian Wald was a nurse, social worker, public health official, teacher, author, editor, publisher, and most importantly a civil rights act ivist for peace, women, children, the sick, and many others.She had such an unselfish devotion to humanity, which ultimately made her great. It all started when Wald met a young nurse who inspired her to follow in her footsteps. At the age of 22 she had graduated nursing school and enrolled in the Women’s Medical College to begin studying to become a doctor. During her time in college, she managed to be a volunteer nurse for the poor and less fortunate in New York’s lower east side. While volunteering, Wald saw the need for change. Immediately dropping out of med school, she moved closer to the needy.In 1893 Wald created the Henry Street Settlement. Starting off with the help of 10 nurses, she created a small empire that would expand to 250 nurses that treated 1300 patients per day by 1916. All of this needed some kind of funding. Well Wald took care of that with fund raising and volunteer donations. Also made it a point to make all of this racially integrated. Lillian Wald, with the help of some volunteers, treated and cared for the poor and educated people about health, hygiene, and protecting themselves from diseases. But that’s not all.She had now moved her sights to the New York Board of Education. She had made it a goal to make it mandatory to put a nurse in every school, everyday. Of course, that goal had been accomplished, following it by protecting children further by ensuring that their civil rights had not been forgotten. From children she went to help women, and protecting them from being forced into almost slave labor conditions, making sure divorced women weren’t left without money, and giving them the right to birth control. Did she stop there? Not if her name was Lillian Wald!She was also an anti-war activist and fought whole heartedly for peace. But after those efforts went amiss, she didn’t hesitate to do her part and become the Chairmen for the committee on Community Nursing of the American Red Cross. Major industries were her next target, making sure to protect workers with health inspections, and also making sure a nurse was on site at most job sites and factories. Of course all of this hadn’t gone unrecognized; she had been named in the New York Times 12 greatest living American women in 1922.Also she had received the Lincoln Medallion and proclaimed and outstanding citizen of New York. But all of this was a long time ago, and I’m afraid people have forgotten what she has done, which calls for a reminder. Lillian Wald once said â€Å"We have found, that the things which make men alike are finer and stronger than the things which make them different, and that the vision which long since proclaimed the interdependence and the kinship of mankind was farsighted and is true. †She began her journey to achieve her dreams in 1893 when she came across a situation that needed attention now. Her answer to this problem served as an essential stepping stone to all of her li fe’s accomplishments that in time spanned to an international scale. Without her, health care amongst many other things wouldn’t be where they are today. Considering this information, I ask you Mr. President, to make a new national holiday to be recognized in her name, with the thought of our Civil Rights that she made sure we had.

Marjane Satrapi – Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi’s book Persepolis is alternatively called by the critics a â€Å"graphic novel† or an autobiographical comic sketch. The book is made up of a series of black and white illustrations, arranged in little episodes that represent different scenes from the life of Marjane’s family, in Tehran. It begins immediately after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 and continues with the first four years of the war between Iraq and Iran. The main character in the story is Marjane herself, who is ten years old when the revolution starts. Although both the language of the novel and the illustrations are very simple and straightforward, only revealing the essential facts of the story, the book is nevertheless very effective and delivers its message as well as any other text. The scarcity of text doesn’t cut down on its literary value, on the contrary, the book seems to gain a lot from this brief and report-like writing style. The main reason for this is the fact that the author creates a sharp contrast between the objective, documentary style, with its brief sentences and its matter-of- fact information and the personal narrative that is actually conveyed to the reader. The subjective point of view in the book is only hinted at in an apparently impersonal tone. Moreover, Marjane Satrapi intentionally substitutes the ten years old girl for herself, and thus manages to register her reaction as a child to the religious and political movements in Iran. The girl actually grows as a character by the end of the book, passing, like any character of fiction, from one stage to another in her development. This is achieved mainly through the careful notation of the child’s reactions to every event mentioned in the book. Although all the statements in the novel seem unbiased, Marjane Satrapi succeeds in conveying her own message as if she had written a truly subjective and explanatory narrative of her experiences. Although very succinctly, the book captures the absurdities of the fundamentalist movement in Marjane’s country, with the array of social and political transformations that took place afterwards. All this is done in an ironic tone, although again, the writing style remains unornamented. One by one the main social and political problems are displayed, from the dispute around the subject of the veil that the women have to wear all the time, according to the fundamentalists, to the closing of the all bilingual schools and of all universities for two years, or the closing of the American embassy because of the attacks of the religious fanatics. The author cleverly unmasks the backward views of the new political regime, who was capable of closing the schools so as to ward off the â€Å"dangerous† capitalist ideas that were cultivated there: â€Å"The educational system and what is written in schoolbooks, at all levels, are decadent. Everything needs to be revised to ensure that our children are not led astray.† (Satrapi, 25) At the same time that the crucial events of going on in the country are related (mostly in the form of television reports, as the family actually found out the news probably), there are also many events that involve the family as well, like the women’s protest against fundamentalism and â€Å"the veil†, which is rapidly suppressed by the political forces, or the attack that the girl’s mother suffers on the street because she doesn’t wear the veil. Society also changes, and the parents of the girl note that the same people who engaged in usual â€Å"liberal† activities before, like wearing â€Å"modern† clothes or drinking, suddenly change these habits outwardly and start lying. The moment when Marjane’s mother tells her to tell everyone that all she does at home is pray is very ironical: â€Å"If anyone asks you what you do during the day, you say pray, you understand?†(Satrapi, 29) In very few words and illustrations, Satrapi manages to portray the Iranian society after the Islamic Revolution, with its insincerity and fear of persecution. All through the book, Marjane evolves by reacting to the environment that surrounds her and by understanding new things. The author carefully transcribes her reactions: for example, during first episode or â€Å"The Veil†, the girl remarks that she â€Å"really didn’t know what to think about the veil† (Satrapi, 2), capturing thus the dilemma and confusion of the child, who although deeply religious, was at the same time used to the modern ways of her family. Other reactions and feelings are registered in the book, like the dream of the girl to become a prophet, or the moment when the family comes back from Spain to find out that the war had begun in Iran, and Marjane experiences a feeling of patriotism, and discovers that she wanted to fight for her country. Her desire to become a chemist like Marie Currie follows, and then more rebellious years as an adolescent who listens to American music. All these examples and many more, manage to portray ten years old Marjane as a strong character who is able keeps her views in the midst of the general confusion and fear, and to cope with the war and violence that surrounded them. The book makes a good literary work especially because of the personal voice of Marjane, which although it is not really heard as such, vibrates through the ironic and objective style. The genre that Satrapi creates is thus at once documentary because it is true and autobiographic, and literary, since as all literary works, it manages to convey much more than can be read at the surface of the text Works Cited: Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books, 2003

Dancing in the Night

It was a long, frigid night. The air was crisp and there was fog building up on the windows, as she sat and waited in the car for the night to end and daybreak to arrive. She had been fighting with her boyfriend of several years. As always, the fight ended with a loud WHACK†¦ Her face red with shame and damp with tears she shed. She did not know why she shed them- more for the pain or for the embarrassment. She sat in the car, her cries for pain dancing in the cold air, her breath becoming shorter on the intake. She wanted to break free. She wanted to break the chains over this abuse! Oh how she wanted to drive, drive anywhere and start her life over again. But again, as always, she had an excuse. She had reasoning for this crazy life, this notion of love. Thoughts swirling in her head. And then her breathing would dance in the frigid air once again. It was two o'clock in the morning. She had little clothing on to keep her warm. The only protection from the cold, besides the thin sheath of a jacket on her arms and an old scarf, was the array of goose pimples. She cupped her icy hands over her mouth and withdrew a hearty, deep breath. That still was not enough. She ran the scenario through her mind, trying to figure out where she went wrong, where she wronged the man whom she loved so dearly. All she could think of was how the thrashing of their bodies collided together, the pain she felt everytime he wanted to. She would tell him to stop, but he would stop at nothing. He always got what he wanted. These thoughts running through her mind were making her cry uncontrollably. She brought her hands to her face, gently cupping her rosy, tear stricken face. Pondering once again about her life, she could not understand one thing. She could not understand how this man, the man whom she has been with for so long, could be such an ass at times. He would man handle her, like she was one of the guys, when in reality she was frail, weak, a porcelain doll. He treated her in such a way that a savage young boy would do to a quaint dollhouse with glass dolls inside. She wiped a tear from her frozen left cheek. Rubbing her nose with the sleeve of the sheath, she gently blew. All of this crying left her nose terribly stuffed up, like traffic on a freeway during rush hour. He had broad shoulders with bulging veins, high cheekbones, a strong trunk, chiseled legs. Why would he force her? Why would he strike her? She could not think. She was almost frozen. Shaking once again from the cold night, she decided to try and get the heater to go on in her old Oldsmobile. Turning the key clockwise, pumping the break†¦ A load croak and moan spoke from within the car. Her luck- the car was dead. She knew nothing about cars. She was miles from home and from civilization. Her life was very complicated. This man spoke words of poetry about getting married and starting a family. Why would he strike her? He did not mean to though. He always bought her tulips after their fights. Pink and red ones. She loved the tulips he bought. They brought her back to her childhood. Her father was the same way. That is why she loved him so much. They are so much alike. She always fixed the same drink when they came home from a long day- Jack on the rocks. Then they would ask her to sit on their knee. Sometimes she would. When she would not, they would grab her pencil- like arm and force her down on their knee. They would never ask though. They would never ask if they could. They would just throw her frail body on the bed and pin her down. She would fight back, but after exuding so much energy, she would give in. And then the pain would begin. She never liked it. She never wanted her daddy to do this, her boyfriend to use that. After it was all over, she would sit and cry in the bathroom, blood oozing from her. Thinking about this made her flush once again and the heavens flowed from her angelic eyes. Six o'clock. Almost time for the rooster to crow. She made her way from the broken car to the side of the road. She saw some truckers pass by this secluded road during the night. She wondered if any of them had heat. What she would do for warmth right about now†¦ Then she spotted it- a large tractor-trailer coming her way. She withdrew her chaffed thumb from her pocket, shaking violently from the rough night of tears and lack of warmth. She still managed to shake her hip and open one more button on her jacket. She slightly exposed her sequin top from work the day before. She hid her tips in the hole of the right sleeve. All she needed was warmth and a place to lay her head. The tractor-trailer slowly grooved its way to a stop, like a train stopping on the tracks. The window disappeared into the door and the rough smile of this man was comforting to her. She opened up one more button and managed to say amidst the shaking, â€Å"Could ya give me a ride to the motel a few miles up? I seem to be havin' some car trouble. In return, I could give you some company- and anything else you might need, want, hafta have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A half smile crept on her face. The driver had a sly smirk, as provocative thoughts ran through his head. He agreed to give her the ride. She agreed to his wishes. After all, that is how she met her boyfriend nearly three years earlier, running away from her daddy.

Buddhist And Christian Ethics Theology

Buddhist And Christian Ethics Theology Buddhism and Christianity are religions with comprehensive and contrasting ethical laws and customs. Throughout this essay the ethical practices of both religions will be described in detail, with an exploration of their similarities and differences presented. Description of Buddhist Ethical Practices Seven weeks after Prince Siddhartha Gautama had attained enlightenment whilst meditating under a bodhi tree, he delivered his First Sermon to his five former ascetical companions under that same tree. The contents of that initial sermon are knows as the Four Noble Truths, which are essentially the foundation of the religion. They are as follows: (Gwynne 2011, p. 93) â€Å"1. Suffering: Now this, monks, is the noble truth of suffering: Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering. 2. The Source of Suffering: Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: It is the craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there; that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination. 3. The Cessation of Suffering: Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: It is the remainder-less fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, and non-reliance on it. 4. The Way to the Cessation of Suffering: Now this, monks, is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: It is this Noble Eightfold Path: that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.† Like its parent religion Hinduism, Buddhism teaches that the ultimate goal of the lives of adherents is to bre ak free from the wheel of reincarnation and attain nirvana. Where it differs from Hinduism is instead of stressing the importance of obligations related to caste, gender and age (varna ashrama dharma), it stresses the embodiment of the sublime truth that was rediscovered by Prince Siddhartha on his night of enlightenment, which was imparted to his early followers in his First Sermon. The essence of Buddhist dharma (as opposed to Hindu dharma) is the Four Noble Truths which, along with the Buddha himself and the community of adherents (Sangha), make up the Three Jewels of Buddhism. The last of the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, is often divided into three categories: 1. Wisdom (panna) – right view and right intention 2. Meditation (samdhi) – right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration 3. Virtue (sila) – right speech, right action and right livelihood. This category specifically provides ethical instruction for Buddhists, insisting that a dherents must refrain from abusive, deceitful or divisive words through right speech; calling buddhists to be generally righteous in their actions; and implying that certain occupations may be immoral and hence unsuitable. (Gwynne 2011, pg. 92) Buddhism lacks a clear belief in a supreme being, resulting in Buddhist morality being based upon the degree as to which thoughts and actions will advance or impede one’s quest for final liberation. It is not based upon commandments issued by a transcendent God which are to be unquestionably followed by adherents, as is the case in the Abrahamic religions. Without a God to dictate what is good and evil, Buddhists refer to certain actions as â€Å"skillful† (kausalya) or â€Å"unskillful† (akausalya) rather than right or wrong. Buddhist morality is based upon considerations of individual progress on the road to liberation from the wheel of reincarnation rather than practicing the will of a divine God.

NURSE PRACTICE ACT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

NURSE PRACTICE ACT - Essay Example In order to be aware about the legal obligations, a nurse must be familiar with both the Act and also with the regulations associated with it, which will in turn help the nurse practice nursing safely at any location. It is also a fact that despite changes in the Nurse Practice Acts in many states, barriers to nursing practice remain. In the future, clearly stated and uniform standards, scopes of practice, educational requirements, and evaluation of competencies are required The state nursing practice act is an important legislation affecting nursing practice. The nursing practice acts defines nursing, gives guidance on the scope of practice, and sets standards for the nursing profession. The main purpose of nurse practice acts is to protect the public from unsafe practitioners. The ultimate goal of this act is to provide competent, quality nursing care by qualified nurse practitioners. The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) was organized in 1901 with the intention of obtaining a legal credentialing mechanism for nursing practice, and thus protects graduate nurses. The title Registered Nurse, â€Å"R.N† was derived from the nurse registration act or the â€Å"Armstrong Bill† in 1903. The first license was issued in 1904, to the class of 1902 from the Rochester Homeopathic Hospital (The Nursing Practice Act, n.d.) Since the public does not have adequate information or experience to identify such a health care provider, they are particularly vulnerable. Thus it is vital that by means of proper regulatory processes, the government permits only those with proper credentials to practice nursing (NCSBN, n.d.) The Nurse Practice Act is a set of state laws, and the statutes are grouped with a chapter of state laws. By ensuring basic requirements for nursing practice, the Act aims to protect the public from an unsafe nurse. Since the legislature of each state determines the Acts content, each states Act may

Gateway art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gateway art - Assignment Example She adds voice to her portraits by including calligraphy on the images, one of the calligraphy is a poem by feminist contemporary Iranian poet. Farrokhzad was one of the renowned Iran female poets whose work enticed Neshat to include in her paintings. Artistically works and poems were the main channels the Muslim women could use in revolution against their frustrations with the social and cultural restrictions. Following Iranian unveiling in 1936 the Irans women bodies were unveiled, subsequently female poets and artists like Neshat started revealing their thoughts, emotions and desire (Meskimmon, 2012). Neshat portrays Iranian women determination in executing their mission by the picture of her self-cladding in a black chador with her rifle aiming at the viewer. This portrait is unlike the others that do not direct their weapons at the audience the black veil leaves only the upper part of her face visible. Neshat grew up in an era before the Islamic revolution when Shahs government was trying to promote secular culture. She employs the art of photography in self-expression when she displays the characteristics of Iranian society culture and traditions. All the images covered in the women of Allah illustrate the theme of bound restriction, silence, old-fashioned and the violent Muslim women (Sheybani, 1999). Historically Islam religion and believes hold it that a womans body is a battleground for several kinds of rhetoric and political ideology. Neshat uses photography in exploring the relation between a Muslim woman and the positions that she inhabits. The traditional arrangements of the western democratic society were making efforts in eliminating difference and boundaries, comparatively contrary to Islamic culture where Islamic men and women holding different spaces are meant to come together to create a cohesive unit. Women of Allah series was Neshats artwork after visiting Iran in 1990 she makes a

Advertising Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Advertising Paper - Essay Example ommercial media advertising can bring out the unique taste and natural additives such as fruit nuts differentiating the product from other chocolate brands. Starbucks coffee is a branded product that can be differentiated through advertisements based on hidden differences. Starbucks coffee may look and taste the same as any other brand, but the unique preparation recipe of artificial sweeteners different. The combination of social media, internet, and out-of-home advertising can be used to inform the consumer on the unique recipe to achieve the hidden difference of Starbucks coffee. Wall Street Network Solution provides telecommunication services that can be differentiated through advertisements based on induced differences. Each telecommunication offers similar services, but Wall Street Network Solution has sponsored and helped financial institutions grow making it unique from similar service providers offering networking services. Advertising campaigns and special event sponsorships can be used to portray the induced differences in that the service is not only focused on only providing networking services to the financial community, but also provide support. Additionally, support provided by the service feature in most newspapers forming a part of advertising that indicate favorable publicity; hence, most consumers would choose the service given its uniqueness bringing about induced

Wealth distribution. Wealth tax and estate planning Essay

Wealth distribution. Wealth tax and estate planning - Essay Example Riches are accumulated at a rate faster than the affluent can normally spend yet it is being held and proportioned among themselves while the gap between wealthy and the needy visibly widens.In a study of disposable weekly income by the ONS, the richest 10% of have at least 658 per week (after deductions), compared with the poorest 10%. T Twenty-three percent of the nation's total riches is owned the by richest 1% group. Intangible wealth is left to the hands of its owner to amass and enjoy during his lifetime free from any liens and encumbrance. With the current budget crisis, tax imposition and structure on intangible wealth would surely correct the scenario and for the country to appropriately create solutions that is beneficial to each citizen. Instead of finding ways and means to increase the tax percentage remittances of the working class, channeling the deficit to the excess of the affluent could entirely minimize the growing responsibility of its weary ordinary taxpayers.Weal th according to Frank "is an abundance of items of economic value or the possession of such items" which could either be money, personal property or real property. Other countries would identify wealth as the possession of crops and livestock. Historical data would portray wealth as an accumulation of non-necessities. In the Middle East, wealth denotes ownership of arable lands. Smith saw wealth as "the combination of materials, labour, land and technology in such ways as to capture profit. Across the ages from tribal society to modern age several means to moderate wealth distribution and its acquisition and use was relatively studied. Some tribes along the Pacific Rim kept wealth evenly distributed by means f giveaways to the poorer members of the society. The tradition of philanthropy exists in modern civilized society. Such traditions according to Cook "are recognized as responsible wealth". Government policies can gear towards the redistribution of wealth to the rich and poor respectively. In disaster relief operations, wealth is transferred to those who are victims of natural disasters and calamities. Social security benefits transfers wealth earned to the older individuals. Wars transfers wealth to other sectors of the society and in reparations wealth is transferred to other countries. Public education allows the wealthy to send children of needy families to school. Certain government campaigns support the hungry in third world countries. Yet, people from the upper social strata despise having to contribute to these programs and continue to evade them. The act of wealth distribution itself cannot achieve 100% efficiency due to the maintenance of structures to collect and redistribute it. Arguments as to its accumulation and redistribution often create conflicts within the system. However if a certain society implements wealth distribution by means of persuasion valued on the different capital and the production of wealth, the rich once in a while can be mandated to give away at least a small part of their extra assets to the poor. In turn, according to the Keynesian theory, this redistribution and expenditures have a multiplier effect that stimulates the economy and creates wealth again back to the wealthy capitalists. In France, residents declare their annual worldwide assets and their value for which assets exceeding 732,000 a graduated tax is payable annually. Married couples and minor children file one common return. Non-residents who own assets or bank deposits including shares of stock in France or French companies are also liable under the wealth tax law. As a significant source of revenue this law was implemented in 1989 and declared taxable assets which include: real estate; furniture; jewelry; cars and other vehicles; horses; shares and bonds; endowments and redeemable value of life insurance. Assets that are held in trust for beneficiaries under the French law are not recognized. French authorities regard a trust as

MKTG 406 = MID EXAM & FINAL EXAM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

MKTG 406 = MID EXAM & FINAL EXAM - Assignment Example This can be anything, a stable income or job, etc. The next level of needs which is requirement by the person is the need of love and society. The sense of belongingness is his concern at this stage. He or she starts a family and wants to become a part of the society. The next step in the level of needs is the requirement of self esteem. The person wishes to have a successful carrier and wants to be known for his success. He or she thinks himself or herself to be special. Once the self esteem stage has been achieved, the person goes on to the final level of needs known as the self-actualization. This need is way more important than anything; the aspirations come into play over here. Now having discussed the Maslow’s Hierarchy, let us go on to relating these 5 levels of needs with marketing. As the person goes through the different level of needs, he is always influenced by the some products or services at some point of time. In the first step where the person is looking for the basic needs such as food and shelter, he or she will try to select a food is cheap at the same time nutritious, the advertisement displayed or shown will play a major role in his choice. Similarly, in the second stage the person is looking for security and safety. The security can job or life insurance. Again in this situation, the various firms will try to divert his or her mind to purchase their product or services by saying how different and exclusive their services are. This way the person may or may not get manipulated in purchasing the above services. Again in the next three stages also there are various forms of marketing involved which are used against the consumers. For e xample Vodafone might call a person saying that he or she is their most valued customer and that is he or she is being offered a new mobile connection free of charge. This in return tends to affect the person emotionally and the person will most likely go ahead with the deal. Another

Global Management and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Management and Leadership - Essay Example There are various functional departments such as finance, operations, Human Resources, Wholesale, Direct Sales, Information Technology, Marketing, Merchandise, Property, Sales, Supply Chain and Design. The heads of all these departments report to the CEO. The CEO along with other directors forms the board of directors which takes crucial organizational decisions. Such an organizational structure suits a company like Pumpkin Patch whose lines of business are quite few. This organizational structure enables appropriate designation of responsibilities (Organizational Chart Pumpkin patch, 2010). Pumpkin patch has been following an aggressive growth strategy which is not constrained by geographical boundaries. The company has retail stores in 4 countries as well as wholesale association in 16 countries. 80% of company’s revenues come from outside New Zealand. The company is listed on the New Zealand stock exchange and has more than 200 stores worldwide. It has strong financial stat ements and cash flows. A large part of the company’s sales comes through online sales. This indicates its adaptability to modern technologies, tastes and lifestyles. 2. Weaknesses As Pumpkin Patch grows, relying on a simple organizational structure as present could be risky. There would be a need to include structural components based on geography and lines of business. For example, there could be geographical heads for 4 prime geographical regions the company caters to (Organizational Chart Pumpkin patch, 2010). Pumpkin Patch’s turnover is still a fraction of the top retailers in United States and has a long way to go in spite of its recent scalability. 3. Opportunities Pumpkin Patch has a number of opportunities in all 3 channels of sales it uses i.e. Retail, Wholesale and Direct (Internet). In retail segment, the company has been relying solely on margins rather than volumes. Pumpkin Patch needs to scale up even faster to gain a significant market share in the crowd ed U.S. market. For this, the company can make use of franchise model. In the wholesale segment, the company needs to have strategic collaborations with top multi-brand retail chains such as Spencer’s and Wal-mart. Internet market is the best opportunity Pumpkin Patch can make use of. This is a relatively new sales channel and Pumpkin already has a significant presence there. It has not been exploited to its potential by competitors. This should be treated as a priority. The aim should be to generate at least half of the sales from this channel in coming years (Pumpkin patch Limited, 2007). 4. Threats Pumpkin has a significant mind space among the customers. However, U.S. children’s clothing market is highly crowded. There are well known reputed brands such as Gap, Next, Mango, Zara, Billabong, Gymboore and others (Pumpkin patch Limited, 2007). Scaling up in wake of this intense competition would be a difficult task and involve marketing and infrastructure spends. With huge store opening costs, the company may not be able to realize economies of scale with small stores. References Organizational Chart Pumpkin patch. (2010). Retrieved online January 18, 2012 from Pumpkin patch Limited. (2007). Macquarie Securities Data Related Information from PART 2 Relevance of Core Competencies Core competency is the unique capability of a firm that cannot be easily imitated and provides it a unique competitive edge. Core competencies

The bible from Genesis to Revelations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The bible from Genesis to Revelations - Essay Example God created Eve and Adam who later gave birth to three sons, that is, Cain, Seth, and Abel. After some time Enoch emerges and later Noah and the ark. Next, is the story of the tower built in Babel and after about 1000 years later, Abraham also appears. The story of the people chosen by God begins from Abraham. This is because God had promised Abraham that he will make him a father of a big nation and his descendants will be as many as the stars. Abraham after many years gave birth to Isaac who later gave birth to Esau and Jacob. The name Jacob later changed to Israel and Israel means â€Å"wrestles with God†. Jacob gave birth to twelve sons who later formed tribes in Israel. The tribes were twelve in number just as they were twelve. Jacob’s most famous son was Joseph. Joseph was sold as a slave to Egyptians, and later he rose to a higher rank in Egypt and because of his influence in the Egyptian government, he managed to bring his family to stay in Egypt in order to save them from famine. The story in the book of exodus starts 400 years later. In this book, the family of Israel does not enjoy the prestigious status as it used to when Joseph was alive. Most of them were taken as slaves as when Joseph died (Maartens & Van, 2011). After about 400 years later, God broke His silence with his manifestations seen when he revealed Himself through signs and wonders to the masses. God, in order to make pharaoh leave his people to go back to the Promised Land, did many wonders in Egypt. The wonders inclu ded the plagues that he brought to the Egyptians. When Pharaoh released the Israelites, God gave them directions and told them how to build the tabernacle and this marked the book of exodus. The book of Leviticus begins, but it is full of laws hence nothing much on it can be discussed. Numbers is the next one and a good part of this book is about census. It begins with a census where they count the population of

Essays of Pochury Festival Essay Example for Free

Essays of Pochury Festival Essay The attack was undertaken by the Eastern Command’s 1st Brigade under the command of Major General Zuheto, along with the then 4th battalion of Pochury Region under the command of Lt. Colonel Thorpa. The monsoon was at its height during the time and all major rivers like Tizu, Lanye and Thethsii were in full spate. The attack was launched after destroying all the six bridges on all the rivers. This was done to stop reinforcement from reaching the besieged army post. As the attack continued into the thirteenth day, ammunitions on both sides were running short and on several occasions the Indian Air Force plane tried to drop relief material and ammunitions but were prevented by the Naga Army. At the same time the Indian Air Force jet fighters strafed the attacker’s positions. An Indian transport plane (Dakota) trying to drop relief materials and ammunitions to the besieged post was shot down by the Naga Army on the 14th day of the siege and crash landed at Zathsii, a paddy field of Meluri village. The Naga Army captured all the 9 (nine) airmen including Flt. Lt. A. S. Singh. This led to a heavy army operation in Pochury area by the Indian Army, who was on a mission to search and rescue the captured airmen, none of whom were ever tortured but were later set free through the Red Cross. In the process of the army operations to rescue the airmen many villages were burnt down and untold atrocities and tortures were inflicted upon the villagers. On September 1, 1960, 6 (six) villagers from Phor village were tortured to death. Their names are Lt. Turachu, Village Chief, Lt. Yutsuchu, Pastor, Lt. Chupuchu DB, Lt. Yituchu GB, Lt. Turuchu GB, Lt. Mughazu GB. Again on September 3, 1960 another 3 (three) villagers from Yisi village were beaten to death namely Lt. Mazu GB, Lt. Throchu, Lt. Mazu RP. Two villagers Lt. Yichuhu and Lt. Nyupuchu. from Mokie village were also beaten to death. In Laruri village, Lt. Lingsang was buried alive after severe beating. Lt. Nyukhrusuh and Lt. Rhorupa of Meluri village were beaten severely and after which, their heads were chopped-off. Two villages, namely Tsikuzo and Kuluopfu, were abandoned due to tortures and humiliations meted out by the Indian army. On 6th September 1960, the Punjab Regiment posted at Kangjang village reached Matikhrii village around 10 am. The entire village was encircled in three rings and all the villagers were ordered to gather in one place. Men folk were separated from women and children. All the men were made to keep jumping and do sit-ups, for more than 5 hours in the scorching sun, naked. Any signs of tiredness were met with kicks and hits with rifle butts. Then just before sunset, Indian army not satisfied with the punishment meted out to the villagers, rounded them up inside the Village chief’s house and were forced to sit heads down like a lamb being lead to its slaughter. Lt. Thah, the then Village chief, knowing what was in store for them bravely volunteered to sacrifice. He stood bravely for the Naga cause even to his last breath and said â€Å"It’s a man’s pride. No surrender, no compromise for our birth right. This sacrifice is to protect our freedom. I shall gladly lay down my life for the Naga future generation. † Then an Indian army jawan, holding a blunt dao(hatchet) chopped off the head of Lt. Pogholo who was first in the line. Witnessing the brutality and horror in front of their eyes and knowing that all of them were going to be killed, one of the villagers managed to escape the execution forcefully. Then one after another heads rolled down separated from the bodies, and in the event a total of nine lives were lost. Their names are Lt. Thah, Lt. Pogholo, Lt. Mezitso, Lt. Pongoi, Lt. Eyetshu, Lt. Zasituo, Lt. Thitu, Lt. Kekhwezu, Lt. Kezukhwelo. The Indian army did not even allow the loved ones to perform last rites and rituals for the dead. All the dead bodies were dumped inside the village chief’s house and were burnt down to ashes along with the other houses and granaries. The women and children who had fled to the jungle to evade the horror and torture of Indian Army came back the next morning to find the whole village burnt down to ashes. Lt. Thitu who narrowly escaped from the execution was found by his wife Mrs. Rhiitariih with three cuts on the neck, stomach slashed and intestines thrown out. He quoted â€Å"Love, tell my beloved children the sacrifice I have borne for them and I am waiting to die in your lap with a cup of water† and after drinking, he breathed his last. Another victim Lt. Zasituo, traveling Pastor, was also found almost dead with multiple injuries on his chest and neck. Not long after, he died. Then the horrified women and children with no means simply covered the dead bodies with mud and left for the jungles fearing the Indian army might turn up any time. For days together, the survivors wandered in the deep jungle without proper food and shelter. The wild berries and fruits of the jungle were their only food and means of survival. The only comfort and encouragement they could give to each other was the knowledge of glorious sacrifices made by their men folk. The wild animals and birds of the jungle were their only companions, besides themselves. In extreme conditions of hardships and difficulty, many more precious lives were lost. The Naga Army then came to their rescue. They were given food, shelter and protection. Even today, the nightmares and tragedy of the incident still remain fresh in the mind of the survivors. In this long dispersion and exodus, the survivors entered Burma and stayed with the Naga Army in their camp at Sathi where Gavin Young of London Observer met them in the later part of 1961. In his book â€Å"Indo-Naga War†, page 29-30, he wrote that when he met the survivors, there were only a pathetic thirty people.

Readiness of Kindergarten Teachers along K-12 Curriculum Essay Example for Free

Readiness of Kindergarten Teachers along K-12 Curriculum Essay One of the major reforms in our country’s educational system is Republic Act 10157, otherwise known as â€Å"The Kindergarten Education Law† or the K to12 (K+12). This Law made the Kindergarten compulsory and mandatory entry to basic education. This Law was initiated by the Aquino administration in order to address the perceived decreasing quality of education in the country, and to meet the international standard regarding the number of years in basic education. This program will require all incoming students to enroll into two more years of basic education. The K+12 System will include the Universal kindergarten, 6 years of elementary, 4 years of junior high school with an additional 2 years for senior high school. The program is implemented and formulated along with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The current k-12 model that had been implemented in the country is an educational landscape for basic and secondary system patterned after the United States, Canada and some parts of Australia had done it. According to Patricia  Velasco’s article, the K- 12 Curriculum envisions â€Å"holistically developed learners with 21st century skills† (DepEd Primer, 2011). This further means that every student would have an understanding of the world around him and a passion for life-long learning while addressing every student’s basic learning needs: â€Å"learning to learn, the acquisition of numeracy, literacy, and scientific and technological knowledge applied to daily life† (p. 6). The main objective of the K to 12 curriculum is to achieve the DepEd’s goal of eradicating illiteracy rate in the country. â€Å"No child is left behind. † (source). Every Filipino has the right to receive quality education in order to become an asset in all dimensions, competent, efficient, effective and productive citizen leading to a decent and comfortable living. The most interesting part concerning the K to 12 program is on its practical assistance for the poor but skillful students. For instance, the student cannot afford to go to college; he is given an option or privilege to be employed not as a professional but on technical job because his skills acquired and developed during his Senior High School can be a guarantee for his  qualification for a vocational employment. Moreover, the program aims to uplift the quality of education in the Philippines in order for graduates to be easily employed. Our country is the only country in Asia and among the countries in the world that has a 10 year pre- university program. The program also aims to meet the standards required for professionals who would want to work abroad. The system aims to fully enhance and develop the students in order for them to be well-prepared especially in emotional and cognitive aspects. Through this, graduates will be able to face the pressures of their future workplace. The K-12 aims the students to have a relevance or importance in the social and economic reality of life. The realm of their role as members of the country. Thus, this vision will be complete through an enhanced curriculum. (K-12 Kindergarten Curriculum Guide 2013) DepEd said that this is the right time to do something better for the field of education, having poor quality education. The DepEd released their stand along the reform. In stressing the need for the new system of basic education, President Benigno S. Aquino III said, â€Å"We need to add two years of our basic education. Those who can afford pay up to fourteen years  of schooling before university. Thus, their children are getting to the best universities and the best jobs after graduation. I want at least 12 years for our public school children to give them an even chance at succeeding. † (source) With the K-12 program, different arguments were formulated. Not all are in favor of the K+12 Education program. There are students complaining of the additional years and there are parents who are not in favor of the additional expenses. But it is an undeniable fact that additional years in the education system will really require more budgets not just from the government but from the  parents as well. Aside from this, students will need additional classrooms, school supplies and facilities. The program would need more qualified teachers as well. Teachers plays an important role 1 / 3 in the K-12 program because they are the ones who will teach the kindergarten pupils, especially the Pre – school teachers. Markovac amp; Rogulja, 2009, stated that the, early care main goal is to fulfill the Delors principles: â€Å"Learning to be, learning to do, learning to know and learning to live together and to live with others. † The early childhood is a time of rapid growth in all aspects of  children’s development fostered by their natural curiosity and adult support. Therefore, Preschool education is the foundation for a childs education. The skills and knowledge that a child develops in the preschool years will have a dramatic impact on a childs success when formal schooling begins as well as life success. Preschool education is important because it can give your child the edge in a competitive world and education climate. The first year of a child’s life is globally acknowledged to be the critical year for lifelong development because the pace of development during these years is  extremely rapid (National Council of Educational Research and Training, 2006 as cited in the K to 12 Curriculum Guide – Kindergarten). While children who do not receive the fundamentals during their preschool years will be taught the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors when they begin their formal education they will be behind the children who already possess that knowledge and skill set. The Pre – school teachers are supposed to have the courage and knowledge to teach the little ones. They will serve as the guide and the second mother at school. Children’s learning will greatly depend on the teachers strategies. Hence, kindergarten teachers should provide them with an engaging and creative curriculum that is developmentally – appropriate, age – appropriate and socio – cul;turally appropriate (DepEd K to 12 Curriculum guide for Kindergaten, 2012). Many new parents start hearing about K-12 since before their kids are born. However, they are not very clear about what K12 means, and why is necessary for them to start inform themselves about it as it will impact their kids’ future. What Is K12 Education? This term was coined to describe primary and secondary education. This includes kindergarten (K) all the way to the 12 grade. This extremely popular type of education is very common among several countries around the world. â€Å"K to 12† stands for kindergarten plus 12 years of elementary and secondary education. This educational system for basic and secondary education is widely adopted around the world. Early childhood education is intended to support and complement family upbringing and the main goal is to create good opportunities and conditions for each child’s well-being, create a stimulating environment for the child’s comprehensive development and learning while taking into account their age, gender and individual features. The role of early childhood care and education settings in improving children’s development has begun to be viewed with increasing importance. The recognition that centre-based childcare is associated with a host of positive developmental outcomes for children, such as increased cognitive abilities, language development, and emotional and social development (Kagan amp; Neuman, 1997; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Childcare Research Network [NICHD], 2000, 2002, 2008; NICHD amp; Duncan, 2003), has led to the introduction of a new policy in Ireland that provides every three-year-old child with access to a free preschool place for one year (Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs [OMCYA], 2009). The importance of preschool learning is that first, parents must remember that preschool education is the foundation for your childs education. As Adams (2008) stressed that early childhood education is the key to building a strong foundation for a child’s educational success. The skills and knowledge (not to mention aptitude and attitude) that your child develops in the preschool years will have a dramatic impact on your childs success when formal  schooling begins as well as life success, as supported by the House Bill 5367 (2009), aimed to incorporate preschool education to basic education with the DepEd at the frontier of its implementation all over the country. This bill was in consonance with the state’s policy to provide equal opportunities for all children to avail themselves of free and compulsory preschool education that effectively promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional simulations, let alone values formation to adequately prepare them for formal elementary schooling, second is that by actively  promoting and encouraging your childs preschool learning you will promote his or her self esteem as well. Help your child gain confidence by making learning fun and easy at this age and you will 2 / 3 help make your child an eager lifelong learner and the finally preschool education is important because it can give your child the edge in a competitive world and education climate. While children who do not receive the fundamentals during their preschool years will be taught the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors when they begin their formal education they will be behind the children  who already possess that knowledge and skill set. According to Anita Woolfolk Hoy and Megan Tschannen – Moran ,(2002), teachers’ sense of efficacy has been related to students outcomes such as achievement (Ross, 1992), motivation, (Midgley, Feldlaufer, amp; Eccles, 1998) and students’ own sense of efficacy ( Anderson, Greene, amp; Loewen, 1998). DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro stated that enhancing the competencies of pre-school teachers will have a great impact on the young learners. â€Å"We should ensure that teachers are ready for the challenge of making our young kids’ first school experience enjoyable  and giving them a positive experience that will motivate them to remain in school and complete their education. † This means that pre-school teachers are the implementers of the socially defined curriculum objectives. They help children to adapt to the society and to become its members, to develop interaction between children and different generations, and absorb the main behavioral habits and roles of the community. Also their task is to educate children to become unique subjects and persons as they truly are (Dewey, 1916; Ojakangas, 1998; Siljander, 2002) To become preschool teachers one must have the ability to deal with pupils ages 5. A preschool teacher needs to be proficient in helping children learn how to cooperate, providing fun learning activities suitable for preschoolers, keeping children safe, working as a team member with other teachers and interacting with parents. Preschool teachers need to be eager participants in childrens growth and development, as well as helping students understand how to use their natural curiosity to help make the appropriate developmental leaps in their skills and abilities. They are expected to create an atmosphere where risks can be taken and discoveries made while children remain safe. POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).