The Game of Baseball Essay Example for Free

The Game of Baseball Essay Baseball is one of Americas favorite past times, as well as mine. There are many different sports for boys to play, however, baseball was the only one my heart got attached to. It has always given me that adrenaline rush that made me want to continue playing even up to today. Baseball is one of my fondest memories because it was a huge part of my childhood, it introduced me to some of my best friends, and helped mold into the person I am today. The baseball field brings back the best memories. Baseball is in my genes. When I would run onto the baseball field it’s like I just got hit with adrenaline. I played soccer and basketball also, but as I got older I felt that if I focused on one sport I could make myself great. I’ve been playing ever since I was able to throw and catch, and I am still playing in college. When I was younger it started with playing recreation sports. Playing for the recreation department wasn’t the greatest experience, but everyone made the team and everyone was out there to have fun. -16 Once I turned eleven I joined a travel team. On the travel team we traveled to Baton Rouge or Gulfport every weekend. We qualified for a chance to go play a week in Cooperstown, New York. We then got on a plane and flew to South Carolina, which we were supposed to switch planes to go to New York. When we got to South Carolina we found out that the plane we were supposed to get on left early so we had to take a charter bus the rest of the way and it took forever. We didn’t win the tournament; it was a great experience to play teams from all over the United States. After that tournament that team split up, and I joined a different team, which we played for a few years and won many tournaments. When I was fourteen, we qualified to go to the World Series in Liberty, Missouri. We won our first four games in pool play. We ended up getting second seed going into double elimination. Then we lost our first elimination game. If we lost any more games we were finished. When the team got back to the hotel we had a team meeting with all the parents. That meeting had everyone thinking and saying, â€Å"We aren’t losing the World Series. † We came out playing teams that also had one loss that were in the losers bracket, ten run ruling almost every team. We were dominating after our pep talk from the parents. When we made it out the losers bracket, we had to play the first place team that everyone was talking about the whole tournament. We had to beat them twice because they were undefeated and had to lose two games. The first game was a breeze, we won twelve to three. Then the final game we came out hitting and beat them again like it was nothing, twelve to two. We dog piled on the field, and after we stripped down to our sliding shorts then ran and jumped into the pond behind the center field fence. Winning the world series in a different state was the best baseball experience at the age of fourteen. Since I started playing at such a young age it got me prepared for middle school, in which I played both years. Then came high school, in which the fields were much bigger and bigger crowds. My senior year in high school was a year that I will never forget. I played five different positions, contributing my skills everywhere to help the team out in any way. I was First Team All-District Utility Player of the Year and had the second best batting average in district. We had a great season going undefeated in district. We were upset when we ended up losing in the second round of the playoffs to Central Baton Rouge 3-1. I was shocked when they got the last out of the games, I didn’t know what to do. After we went shakes hands the team just walked to the outfield and just sat down. It was a very emotional time because we were expected to win state. I walked to center field and just sat down and started tearing up. Some of the younger players didn’t know what to do but it helped a lot when everyone started giving out hugs. Then after a while we got into a circle and the coaches said a few words, but it was hard for them to talk. That was probably the hardest to ever leave a baseball field. Once we walked back to the dugout the parents were waiting for us to try to cheer us up. The seniors stayed in the dugout for probably an hour just realizing that was the last game we would play together on the same team. The baseball field looks amazing when the grass is freshly cut and the infield dirt is freshly dragged on game day. The night games are the ones that get your heart pumping when the lights come on and the field is lit up. It makes you feel like yopur invincible.

Teacher Accountability For Quality Education In Mauritius

Teacher Accountability For Quality Education In Mauritius There are various papers and reports on teacher accountability worldwide. Our paper focuses on teacher accountability in the Mauritian context. In this study, we argue that even though these studies are stepping stones to conduct pedagogical survey, however they are not sufficient for qualitative research since a recent review from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development claims, rigorous experimental and qualitative research that defines and characterizes effective teaching methodologies that demonstrate improved student performance is limited. This model has been developed from teachers perspective and analyzes their role in the success and failure of students. The conditions identified are based on a literature review on school and teacher accountability. Questionnaire data were collected from a representative teacher sample (N = 206) in 6 State Secondary Schools in in the four educational zones of Mauritius. Keywords: accountability, Qualitative INTRODUCTION The need for teacher accountability is to evaluate a teacher, like evaluating any other professional, one needs to determine what that professional needs to know and be able to do , and then how that professional demonstrates this knowledge through performance (John Schacter). Reports from education policy specialists help us see how we come to have failing schools, low-performing students, and little accountability (Unicef report, 2000) and how we can devise the affordable, reasonable, and workable accountability systems and incentives we need to raise student learning. Therefore, following Earl LeMahieu (cited in Earl, 2005:7) we understand that, Accounting is gathering, organising and reporting information that describes performance. Accountability is the conversation about what the information means and how it fits with everything else that we know, and about how to use it to make positive changes. In fact various literatures stress upon how accountability has become a cornerstone of schools reforms. Gurr (2006:2) notes that, in recent time there has been intense interest in most parts of the world to create systems for monitoring school performance. De Grauwe and Naidoo (2004:20) refer to the worldwide trend towards school evaluation. The Mauritian School is presently experiencing a need to assure academic success and development for all students and the focus is on providing opportunities for students achievement and removes barriers to students access (Strategy Plan 2008- 2020). In this light the focus is on finding ways to reach more students and on the implementation of strategies for successful teaching and learning. At a time of rapid technological advances, there is a need to increase standards-based education through a foundation of accountability to account for academic achievement (Strategy Plan 2008-2020). Global Perspective Recent reform initiatives have laid increasing emphasis on teacher accountability. The aim of President Clintons Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994 was to shift the focus from inputs to results and this reform initiative led to a national development of standard-based educational reform (Herrera Murray, 2006). According to McLaughlin and Shepard (1995), standards-based education can be defined as setting standards of performance in academic subject areas as a means of improving the substance of school curricula and increasing the motivation and effort of students, teachers, and school systems and thereby improving student achievement. In addition to setting high standards, the reform aimed at making educators feel accountable for what students learned and their performance on standardised tests (McLaughlin Shepard, 1995). The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law (2002) mandates that USA states adopt comprehensive accountability systems for identifying and improving underperforming schools. The major focus of NCLB is to provide all children with a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain high quality education. The moves towards a more balanced and sustainable approach to school accountability processes in England followed the release of the Governments Green Paper in 2003 called Every Child Matters. Under the accountability and integration proposal outlined in this paper, the creation of an inspection framework for childrens services was to be actioned with the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) taking the lead in bringing together joint inspection teams. School and teacher accountability relates to an ongoing pursuit of quality improvement and at the same time providing public assurance. De Grauwe and Naidoo (2004:39) conclude that the challenge is not to choose between accountability and quality improvement, but to find the right balance between these aims, between internal and external evaluation, between the criteria set by central authorities and those set by the school staff itself, between the demands of the public and the needs of the professional community. Opinion is divided on the impact of school evaluation and accountability processes on the performance of schools. Many authors question the inherent value of the components of some systems. Elmore (cited in Gurr, 2006:3) disputes the long-term worth of external accountability environments and suggests that for real and sustained school improvement, teachers and principals need to take more responsibility for the outcomes they influence. Hattie (2005:12-13) argues that we must develop an accountability system that is located from the student level upwards, directly involving and influencing the teacher and principal level, as such a system is more likely to have major effects on the quality of teaching and learning. Leithwood (2005) proposes the adoption of a reciprocal, professional approach. Together with the assessment of student progress, he emphasizes upon the importance of developing and appraising teachers performance against professional standards. The Reports on School Accountability Framework Review, National and International Perspectives and Approaches help to have an insight in the accountability processes in other countries: In Scotland a system of proportional response has been established linked to the findings of school inspections. In some USA and Australian states various regional and district based services are called upon to support schools in response to reviews and the analysis of test results. Finland, South Korea and Singapore have a strong focus on teacher training and continued professional development for serving teachers and principals. In Finland the initial selection process for students applying for the teacher education program is very rigorous. All teachers graduate with a Masters degree (5 years). South Korea has recently introduced an evaluation system for teachers and principals, while in Singapore teachers and principals are appraised using the Enhanced Performance Management System. Every school is to have a School Staff Developer to ensure that training and professional development programs encompass teacher needs while maintaining a focus on school goals. Experienced teachers in Ontario, Canada are formally evaluated every three years. Inexperienced teachers are mentored, closely monitored and evaluated. An unsatisfactory rating for any teacher can result in a recommendation for termination. In contrast with general trends De Grauwe (2004:78) notes that in Finland, a country that consistently performs at the highest level in international tests, the national inspection system was discontinued in 1991. Decision-makers felt that the benefits from external inspection and advice services were minimal and that, in view of the high level of training and professionalism of teachers and the strong parental interest in the schooling of their children, quality control could be entirely trusted to them. Accountability as an Auditing Tool An accountable educational system can be set up and managed through strategic planning processes, which shape and guide the system, where it is going and how it is going to get there (Kaufman et al, 2002). In the work world, management and employees are held accountable. Those that do well gain merits and are promoted. The marketplace creates incentives for their efficient performance, holds them closely accountable, and rewards success. Likewise, the accountability principle extends to most sectors of Mauritian life more significantly the private sector. Unfortunately, the Mauritian school system lacks the marketplace accountability, which is seen only at the level of large-scale examination systems associated with higher achievement, Cambridge School Certificate and Higher School Certificate. Educators resistance to testing and accountability is not surprising and is rather to be expected. Neither doctors nor bricklayers would choose to be accountable for their effort, it would be much easier for them to say that alls well as they request higher compensation (Evers et al.) Government-generated movement for accountability is generally welcomed by the public, vigilantly accepted by the school personnel responsible for implementing them and skeptically viewed by the teachers who are to be appraised (Odhiambo, 2003). Accountability is a contentious and divisive issue regardless of the context within which it operates. It is not unusual for teachers to openly, or covertly, resist involvement in appraisal schemes for numerous reasons, ranging from a fear of negative information becoming public to a complete lack of trust in the appraiser (Dimmock Walker, 2005). According to the report prepared by Michael Heim for Hawaiis School Leadership Academy on Accountability in Education: A Primer for School Leaders, the author based on different literature review comes up with the Conceptual model for accountability. Heim writes that, The evaluative nature of accountability, i.e., using authority justifiably and credibly, is an essential characteristic. The evaluative dimension is what distinguishes accountability from reporting. Furthermore he asks a simple question, Who is responsible for what to whom? The Who is Responsible? and To Whom? components contain numerous accountability providers and recipients: policymakers, the government, education officials, school staff, parents, students, the general public, and special interest groups. It can be noticed that there is an internal-external dimension to accountability. That is, accountability relationships arise internally within the same organization, and also externally that is with recipients outside the organization The following diagram tries to integrate various accountability frameworks found in the literature with the definition of accountability used herein. The diagram contains the necessary components required of a conceptual model for accountability. Conceptual Accountability Model C:UsersAdminDesktopAccountability in Education A Primer for School Leaders_filesAccountability.png Source: M. Heim, Hawaiis School Leadership Academy on Accountability in Education: A Primer for School Leaders Teachers are responsible for accomplishing tasks such as aligning curriculum, classroom instruction, and student assessment practices. Teachers are also responsible for truly involving others so that the co-production of learning can be successful. Attention must be given throughout these efforts to thoughtfully cultivate a relationship with students. Accountability between students and teachers, teachers and parents, and students and parents, can only exist on a mutually agreed relationships and responsibilities among them. Student learning is not a one way traffic or unidirectional, it encloses many factors, some of which are within the authority of school and its staff to control, and others which are not. Whatever the educational circumstances and limiting factors contributing to educational goals, teachers must make a difference in the lives of children and youth. Teachers accountability for student outcomes, then, must highlight the ways and extent to which they have contributed to making a difference. Testing students performance is useful, but information that shows growth or improvement over time is essential (Heim, ). 1.3 Reform Initiatives on Accountability and Quality in the Mauritian Educational System International commitments such as Education for All, Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategies, and the Millennium Development Goals increasingly influence strategy decisions and planning in the Mauritius education sector. Over the past decades, through the different policy papers and reports, the Government has aimed at creating an education system responsive to the emerging needs of society. Besides, the new Programme-Based Budgeting (PBB) system demands achievement in return for investment, and it requires a system of performance measurements at all levels of the education system. According to the Strategy Plan 2008-2020, the vision of the Government is to ensure Quality Education for all. Teacher performance, student assessment and the structure of the system are specifically designed to improve the quality of education and ensuring excellence for all. Quality in the education system requires accountability on the part of teachers for both the learning environments they provide and the learning outcomes they enable their students to achieve (Strategy Plan, 2008). In 1991, the Master Plan pointed out that there were insufficient accountability and poor communication within the educational system as duties and responsibilities were not clearly defined. There was no School Management Division. The Master plan therefore proposed an improved and more effective system of management by re-establishing policy and operational management of responsibilities at all levels to achieve accountability (Parsuramen, 1991). One of the recommendations of the White Paper (1997) was that Heads of Schools should manage their schools within clear policy guidelines and accountability parameters (Pillay, 1997). Moreover, the Action Plan (1998) insisted on accountability and transparency at each level and the setting up of a Quality Assurance Division in order to achieve increased quality and cost effectiveness in the education system. At the turn of the new millennium, Obeegadoo in his reform plan Ending the Rat Race (2000) highlighted that for colleges to be centres of excellence, it is necessary to have a close monitoring of standards with clear lines of accountability. The Strategy Plan 2008-2020 also indicated that performance indicators should be set up so as to increase the accountability of school personnel to produce results. Existing Framework The Mauritian System has developed accountability frameworks which consist the components of school planning, school self-assessment, school reporting and school review (internal or external). Self-assessment and reporting are usually annually based, planning is often both longer term (3-5 years, strategic) and annual (operational) with review cycles. With the purpose of ensuring the accountability of teachers within the educational system, the following indicators are in place: Guidelines such as, the National Curriculum Framework, define the task and responsibilities of teachers. The Personnel Management Manual of the Ministry ensures uniformity and stability of employee action through specified rules and regulations. Quality Assurance Teams assess teaching and learning. Heads of Schools monitor the work of teachers through regular class visits. A Performance Management System (PMS) is in place. After being on a pilot basis in 2009, the system will be fully operational in 2011. Establishment of clear reporting guidelines and schedules. Performance Analysis Report provide statistical data on student achievement results and progression Percentage pass rate at SC and HSC level. 1.5 Barriers/ Limitations that exist 2 levels: one general, second specific (related to our topic) According to David Blake (Quality Assurance in Teacher Leadership Education, A case study) the emerging framework for quality assessment in teacher evaluation is clearly problematic because many problems such as definition, workload, funding, bureaucracy and values are involved. Furthermore, sanctions and rewards are elements of the accountability processes and as mentioned above, teachers as the appraisee are scared of the appraiser. Furthermore to hold the appraisee accountable there needs to be valid and reliable assessment mechanisms. Teacher accountability, as per various studies, is very broad Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to find out whether state secondary school teachers feel accountable for their students performance. This study examines the roles and responsibilities of state secondary teachers and it aims at transforming teachers into accountable, responsible competent collaborators, demonstrating best practices. This article reviews the research on teachers accountability for quality education and proposes that by implementing firm teacher performance based accountability systems (The Milken Family Foundation, 2000), can improve teaching practices and ultimately students success. METHODOLOGY Survey Method The survey method is a research method to gather data about people, their opinion and behaviours (Wikipedia, 2010). The survey method was selected as it is an efficient way of collecting information from a large number of respondents. Survey is flexible as it produces a wider range of information compared to other methods, like direct observation, experimentation (Wikipedia, 2010). Several questions can be asked about the given topic, thus conferring considerable flexibility to the analysis, and standardised questions make measurement more accurate. Statistical tests can be used to determine validity, reliability and statistical significance (Wikipedia, 2010). There are two types of surveys, namely questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires are usually paper-and-pen instruments which the respondent completes whilst interviews are completed by the interviewer based on the say of the respondent (Trochim, 2006). For the purpose of our study, we found that the Questionnaire method would be best for our situation. Questionnaire Design Data was collected through the use of questionnaires. Our survey used the quantitative measure, i.e. forced-choice questions were used. Cross-sectional survey was used, as information was gathered on a population of State Secondary College teachers, as of October 2010. Once we had selected Questionnaire as our survey method, we had to construct the survey itself by tackling a few issues, including the different types of questions, decisions about question content and purpose, decisions about question wording, decisions about response format, and, question placement and sequence in our questionnaire. Our survey consisted of close-ended questions, where the response options were exhaustive and mutually exclusive. Two types of response scales were used, namely, dichotomous, and four-point Likert. Five main sections have been duly taken into consideration while designing the questionnaire namely Respondent Profile, Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction, Professional Responsibilities and Support and Demand. These are essential components regarding collection of data in connection with teacher accountability for quality education. Participants A representative sample of State Secondary School teachers was selected from a population of 3439 teachers so as to collect questionnaire data. The study was explained to the teachers and they were asked to fill in a questionnaire. The questionnaire data was collected from a sample of 206 teachers from 6 State Secondary Schools from the four Educational Zones in Mauritius. 3 of the schools are termed as State Colleges and are high-performing schools with an average pass rate of 80%, whilst the other 3 schools are low-performing schools with an average pass rate of 75%. The sample was 59% female and 41% male; the age ranged between 23 and 60 years with an average age of 30-40 years. The participants belonged to 14 different departments. Limitation of the study Though there are advantages to the questionnaire method, we would, however, like to point out that there are a number of weaknesses to the method. For instance, the quality of responses cannot be judged and respondents honesty cannot be proven. Human biases for e.g. ego of the respondents are there. High response rates were not achieved; out of the 300 questionnaires distributed, only 206 were retrieved. The period during which the survey was carried out was not appropriate due to the fact that many teachers were involved in Cambridge examinations at that given time. Moreover, some respondents did not attempt a few questions whilst others, although having the best of intentions, could not find the time to respond to the questionnaire. Others misplaced the instrument or forgot to return it. It was also noted that though secrecy was assured, some respondents were unwilling to provide certain information as they felt this would somehow intrude on their confidentiality, for e.g. some omitted to specify whether they were the Head of Department or not. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Purpose of study The purpose of the study is to find out whether state secondary school teachers feel accountable for their students performance. This study examines the roles and responsibilities of state secondary teachers and it aims at transforming teachers into accountable, responsible competent collaborators, demonstrating best practices. Respondent Profile Male (%) Female (%) Age group 30-40 41-50 >50 10.6 58.8 12.9 17.6 30.0 55.0 10.0 5.0 Teaching experience 5-15 yrs 16-25 yrs >25 yrs 13.4 54.9 13.4 18.3 25.2 59.7 9.2 5.9 Educational zone 1 2 3 4 12.9 58.8 15.3 12.9 22.3 41.3 9.9 26.4 Posting Gaetan Raynal SC Shrimati Indira Gandhi SSS Quartier Militaire SSS Sookdeo Bissoondoyal SC Sir Leckraz Teeluck SSS Sharma Jugdambi SSS 13.1 21.4 3.6 14.3 34.5 13.1 26.4 11.6 15.7 9.9 14.0 22.3 Type of posting Permanent Supply Medco 88.2 7.1 4.7 89.2 6.7 4.2 Department English French Mathematics Science Social Studies Computer Economics Accounts Home Economics Art and Design Design and Technology Physical Education Oriental Languages/ Hinduism Music and Dance 5.1 8.9 20.3 17.7 3.8 1.3 7.6 10.1 0 2.5 6.3 5.1 8.9 2.5 16.5 13.0 7.8 9.6 1.7 1.7 5.2 3.5 4.3 5.2 0 1.7 25.2 4.3 Head of Department Yes No 23.5 76.5 19.2 80.8 Working periods 16-20 21-25 >25 2.4 3.6 22.6 71.4 4.1 5.8 25.6 64.5 Qualifications Diploma Degree Masters 4.8 69.0 26.2 5.0 65.3 29.8 Professional training Yes No 64.6 35.4 49.6 50.4 Teacher Accountability/Effectivess Performance Management System One of the governments principal stated reasons for introducing performance management into schools was that it claimed doing so would help improve the professional development of teachers (DfEE, 2000, p.3). The PMS (Performance Management System) in Mauritius allows the educator to be assessed based on a variety of competencies, of which he/she has to choose at least ten. This new tool of performance appraisal of teachers is still at its initial stage in Mauritian schools. The results obtained are provided below. Table 1: Educators self-rating based on competencies enlisted in PMS Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Always 83 40.3 41.3 41.3 Often 82 39.8 40.8 82.1 Rarely 25 12.1 12.4 94.5 Never 11 5.3 5.5 100.0 Total 201 97.6 100.0 Missing System 5 2.4 Total 206 100.0 The study carried out by Brown, A (2005) showed that performance management can, under certain circumstances, help to improve the quality of primary education in England. with new challenges in the field of education, teachers also basically need to be assessed by such appraisal systems so as to maintain accountability. However, the study by Monyatsi, P. et al (2006) in the context of teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of teacher appraisal in Botswana concluded that though some teachers consider teacher appraisal as an axe ready to chop teachers which is contrary for the appraisal process to serve the purposes of accountability, yet, through the appraisal process as practiced in Botswana secondary schools, teachers can gain increased knowledge and skills, which ultimately enhance their performance in their daily duties in the schools Our study supports this fact as out of 205 respondents in this section, 146 educators organise and manage their classrooms effectively whereas on 2 of hem rarely do so. To bring about a rise in performance through efficiency and effectivenss, there are two major aspects which need to be taken into account. One, professional development of the teacher and second, accountability. The Strategy Plan 2008-2020 caters for this aspect by focusing onlifelong learning of the educator. With the growing challenges in education, teachers roles are changing rapidly. Globalisation and meeting international educational standards demand the teacher to be more professional in his/her teaching tasks. Teachers are expected to be equipped with updated trainings in pedagogy, teaching skills and professional development. Many countries are coming with teacher appraisal management systems so as to make the teacher of today become accountable at various levels. (ON DEMAND SUPPORT ?) The study conducted on teacher accountability demonstrated that the expectations of educators as far as support in the form of trainings, opportunities to work with experienced teachers or even participation in decision making are much below and somewhere, there is a co-relation between support and the accountability of educators towards their multiple tasks they perform. Though, many educators (107 often give remedial work, 94 often encourage group learning and 94 collect feedback on students performance whereas on 1 educator never does so in all the cases) are accountable towards their modes of instruction and are satisfied with their teaching practices, yet,some seem to be less accountable as far as performance of students on an overall basis is considered (18.9%). Many have held the rector responsible for the overall rate of failures or passes while detaching themselves from the schools performance. Normore (2004) mentions that being accountable means, among other things, being o bligated or subject to giving an account. In saying that someone is accountable we could imply that he/she is obligated to give a report, description, explanation, justifying analysis, or some form of exposition of reasons, causes, grounds, or motives for what we have observed Table 2: Educators feel rector is accountable for acedemic success/failure of students Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Always 49 23.8 24.7 24.7 Often 51 24.8 25.8 50.5 Rarely 64 31.1 32.3 82.8 Never 34 16.5 17.2 100.0 Total 198 96.1 100.0 Missing System 8 3.9 Total 206 100.0 It implies that, based on our survey, educators in Mauritius are normally very much satisfied with performance at their departmental level rather than at the institutional level. Many (144 educators) assert that they are satisfied with their classroom teaching only. As for the Planning and Preparation aspect, most educators do prepare their Lesson Plans and their Scheme of Work on a regular basis (135 out of 206 always do so). Out of 203, only 1 educator never preprares the Scheme of Work. Out of 203, 13 rarely align their objectives with the National Curriculum Framework. Hanley, C. (2009) documents a number of the ways in which accountability pressure has changed school instructional policies and practices in Floridas low-performing schools, and relate these instructional policy and practice changes to increased student performance. Many educators also felt that demonstrating a general feeling of warmth, care and respect towards their students make them accountable and thus, contribute to their professional development (140 always do so whereas only 3 never do so). Feeling responsible towards the classroom setting and oraginsing and managing classrooms effectively has an impact on the performance of students and therefore bring quality teaching, they believed. This is why, a considerable number of educators take care of these aspects with existing infrastructure at their particular schools. However, some educators (40 rarely and 4 never do so) do not feel responsible/accountable for preparing their students for competition and collaboration in a global economy. This confirms that the vision of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, as stated in the Strategy Plan 2008-2010, has not totally reached the understanding of educators. Another reason might be that though the vision is noble yet appropriate infra structure and training are hardly to be provided to schools for implementation. 3.4 Teacher Experience a

Henry James The Wings of the Dove Essay -- Henry James Wings Dove Ess

Henry James' The Wings of the Dove This paper will present briefly Henry James and his thoughts about the art of fiction that is presented by his same titled essay before thoroughly analyzing his novel: The Wings of the Dove. James’ ideas on his article The Art of Fiction will be applied to The Wings of the Dove and the narrative style that he uses will be indicated by certain quotations taken from the novel. James had read classics of English, American, French, and German literature and Russian classics in translation. His models were Dickens, Balzac, and Hawthorne. Then, there is a harness of French, British, and American culture in his works. His first novel, Watch and Ward (1871) was written while he was travelling through Venice and Paris. James wrote novels that portrayed Americans living abroad during his first years in Europe. He is a very important literary figure both in American and British culture. However, he loves Europe and this fact gives us a clue about his interest in different cultures that come out as American characters traveling abroad in most of his novels. James’ approach to the civilization is presented as: Henry James, at the other extreme, never ceased to regard America as essentially an outlying region of European, more specifically of Anglo-Saxon, civilization . . . Henry James was a patriot to his race, and his final transfer of citizenship, though immediately called forth by his sense of America’s procrastination in the World War, was but the outward sign of a temperamental repatriation already complete.1 In fact, the outbreak of World War I was a shock for James and in July 1915 he became a British citizen in protest against the U.S.’ refusal to enter the war. He was sensitive on n... ...elham. The Art of the Novel. New York: Russell &Russell, 1966. Forster, E.M. Roman SanatÄ ±. Trans.ÃÅ"nal Aytà ¼r. Ä °stanbul: Adam YayÄ ±nlarÄ ±, 1985. Introductory Notes on Henry James . 14 Dec 2001 . Michalski, Robert. â€Å"Spirit and Material Possession in the Supernatural Fiction of Henry James†. 14 Dec 2001 . Myers, Cathleen. Rev. of â€Å"Washington Square and Wings of the Dove†. 7 Nov 2001 . Wagenknecht, Edward. The Novels of Henry James. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1983. Zervos, Kathry. â€Å"The Subtext of Violance in Henry James’ The Wings of the Dove: The Sacrificial Crisis†. 21 Nov 2001 . . .

Graduation Speech: Stand Tall, Set Your Goals High :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As I look out on this crowd tonight, I see a diversity of people. I see grandparents who have raised their families, lived through many crises and have accomplished many goals. I see mothers and fathers who have fulfilled some of their dreams, but still may be struggling with challenges and goals to meet. Some families are here tonight to watch their oldest child graduate. For other parents, they’re here to celebrate with their youngest child. Yet all parents wish the best for their children and hope to see them succeed in their endeavors. And last, I see our graduating class. We are excited about what lies ahead, yet some of us are filled with uncertainty about our futures. But we all have one thing in common: We have just begun to search for our hopes and dreams. As we start out on our journey some of us will find the golden path right away. This will take us straight to our destination with few obstacles along the way. Others will take a path that will lead them to more obstacles and hardships. And some will hit a dead-end. But remember, most dead-ends do have room for a turn-around, and each new day can be a fresh start. Without a doubt, the biggest challenge I have faced in my life is adapting to life without my father. Watching my family start a new life after his death has made a big impact on me. This tragedy has encouraged me not to take life for granted, and to grab every opportunity that life has to offer. It has taught me to take a chance in life. It has shown me how suddenly life can change and how fragile it really is. Life is precious, be thankful for what you have, and try and make the most of it. Each of you should take a moment to reflect on your past, to remember those who have helped you get here tonight: your parents, your teachers and your friends. Hold on to these memories that are precious to you. As we leave Warren, our paths will lead us to a world full of opportunities and career choices. Using our technical, manual or personal skills, going to college or developing our creative and artistic talents are all possibilities. As children, we dreamed of becoming teachers, nurses, policemen or astronauts. But as we reached our teen years, our true interests and abilities began to materialize.

Symbolism in August Wilsons Piano Lesson Essay -- August Wilson essay

In The Piano Lesson each central character learns a lesson. August Wilson uses plenty of symbolism throughout his play, the strongest symbol being the piano itself, representing the family's history, their long struggle, and their burden of their race. Throughout the play, the conflict revolves around the piano, and Berniece and Boy Willie's contrasting views about its significance and about what should be done with it. Berniece is ashamed and cannot let go of the past, or the piano, and Boy Willie wants to move his life forward, and use the piano to do so. Wilson portrays the 'lesson' of the piano as accepting and respecting one's past and moving on with one's life gracefully, through Berniece and Boy Willies contrasting actions and the play's climactic resolution. Berniece believes the piano represents the spirits of the past and should be left alone and never bothered, and is afraid to accept or embrace her family?s history. The piano represents a particularly bloody and disturbing past for her. She sees Sutter?s ghost and senses his presence, and is constantly haunted by the thought of the dead spirits coming into her life. She believes the piano stands for the bloodshed in her family?s history, and is ashamed of the violence associated with obtaining it. When encouraged to play the piano, she refuses steadfastly, saying ?that piano?s got blood on it.? She thinks that the spirits in the piano are bad, and is ashamed of the bloodshed they have caused. ?All this killing and thieving,? she exclaims. Berniece also believes the piano has strong sentimental value, and won?t agree to let go of it any way. She remembers how her mother cared so much about it. Berniece says, ?For seventeen years she rubbed on it till her hands bled.... ..., and Boy Willie finally realizes the true power and significance of the piano, the conflict is resolved. Wilson demonstrates how one should accept and respect the past, move on with their life or slow down to pay respects to their family?s history, by describing the struggle over a symbolic object representing the past like the piano. Often people will sulk in the past and struggle with themselves and the people around them when they cannot come to terms with their personal history or a loss. Others will blatantly ignore their personal history and sell valuable lessons and pieces of it for a quick buck to advance their own lives. Berniece and Boy Willie in The Piano Lesson are great examples of these people. Through these contrasting characters and supernatural occurrences, Wilson tells the tale of overcoming and embracing a rough and unsettling family history.

Cultural artifact speech topic Essay

For the purposes of this speech, think critically about who you are and where you come from, to identify a culture that you identify with most strongly. This can include your ethnic culture, gender, religion or occupation. Perhaps your hobby makes a definitive statement about who you are and the other people you identify with most strongly. Whatever your choice, select an artifact that represents that culture and your place in it. Selection of the artifact is limited only by your imagination and the dimensions of our classroom. (For example, the muscle car that represents your automotive hobby won’t fit through the door, so bring a picture or model of it instead.) The speech itself should be 4-5 minutes long and should inform the audience about the culture, the significance and explanation of the artifact in the culture, and the ways in which the culture defines you as an individual. Objective: This speech should be an original effort to convey your culture to your audience in an interesting manner. Focus on how knowing this information is significant – it is not just a story. Grading Criteria: The speech should be interesting, well organized, competently presented, and should be appealing to your audience. You must have a captivating introduction, logical organization in the body, and have a conclusion that summarizes your theme memorably. In addition: 1. A speech that meets, but does not exceed the minimum requirements listed above will receive a C. A â€Å"C† is average; one must put forth considerable effort to earn above a C. 2. Any speech that does not meet the time requirement or does not have a clear thesis and/or main points will receive a grade penalty. 3. You must bring an artifact that represents the culture. 4. You are advised to use note cards during your speech. Should you choose to write either part of or your entire speech on note cards or a sheet of paper you will receive a grade no higher than a C for your speech.

Effects of Earthquake Essay

Primary effects are the immediate damage caused by the quake, such as collapsing buildings, roads and bridges, which may kill many people. Those lucky enough to survive can suffer badly from shock and panic. Secondary effects are the after-effects of the earthquake, such as fires, tidal waves, landslides and disease. Fire – earthquakes destroy gas pipes and electric cables, causing fires to spread. Broken water mains prevent the Fires being extinguished. Fires spread very quickly in cities, especially in poor-quality housing areas where wooden buildings are common. Tsunamis – an earthquake on the sea floor or close to the coast may cause huge waves. Landslides – earthquakes often cause landslides, especially in steep river valleys and areas of weak rocks. Disease and famine – fresh water supplies are often cut off causing typhoid and cholera. Lack of shelter and food causes much suffering. soil liquefaction when soils with a high water content are violently shaken they lose their mechanical strength and behave like a fluid and so buildings can literally sink. Excellent clip 2011 Japan Tsunamis Mega tsunami caused by a landslide July 9th 1958 Explanation Outline causes A tsunami can be generated when destructive plate boundaries abruptly move and vertically displace the overlying water. It is very unlikely that they can form at constructive or conservative plate boundaries. This is because constructive or conservative boundaries do not generally disturb the vertical displacement of the water column. Subduction zone related earthquakes generate the majority of all tsunamis. Tsunamis have a small wave height offshore, and a very long wavelength (often hundreds of kilometers long), which is why they generally pass unnoticed at sea, forming only a slight swell usually about 300 mm above the normal sea surface. and they travel quickly at speeds over 700 km/h. They grow in height when they reach shallower water.