Mallarme(Poet) Essays - Prose, Prose Poetry, Poetry, Symbolism

Mallarme(Poet) St?phane Mallarm? St?phane Mallarm?, a French poet, became one of the most important masters of French symbolism, a nineteenth-century movement in poetry that stressed impressions and moods rather than descriptions of reality (Online). The poetry of Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, and others strongly affected Mallarm?'s writing (Online). He used symbolism to represent human emotions to make his poems unclear, thus avoiding direct communication with his readers (Online & World Book 110,111). Mallarm? was born in Paris on March 18, 1842 (Online). After his mother died when he was seven years old, his grandmother became his parental role model. His education included upper-class boarding schools where he often felt out of place because of his middle class background. When he was fifteen, the death of his younger sister, Maria, greatly influenced his poetic development. He turned from Romantic lyricism to much more morbid subjects like Baudelaire's Les fleurs du mal. In 1860, he received his baccalaureate degree from a ?lycee? in Sens. After an apprenticeship in the Registry's office, in 1862 he had his first sonnet published in Le papillon, a literary journal. In 1862 Mallarm? married Maria Gerhard and became a teacher in Tournon. The difficult duties of teaching often interrupted his poetic work and thoughts. Although his students made fun of him, Mallarm? was not discouraged and continued his writing. After translating Edgar Allan Poe's English poems into French, Mallarm?'s chief influence became Poe rather than Baudelaire. He began to compose long imaginative poems and a prose poem called Herodiade, the biblical story of Salome who caused John the Baptist's murder. Then he wrote his best-known poem L'Apr?s-midi d'un faune (Afternoon of a Faun), which explores the difference between reality and fantasy (World Book 110,111). After moving to Paris in 1875 and becoming a teacher at College Rollin, Mallarm? began to associate with such famous French poets as Theodore de Banville, Paul Verlaine, and Gustave Kahn (Online). These and others visited him on Tuesday evenings (les mardis), and these poets became known as les mardistes. Mallarm? spoke about using words as symbols and was considered an oracle. He became known as the ?Master of Symbolism? because of the great effect he had on the poets of his age. To honor his colleagues, he later wrote Toast funebre and ?Le tombeau d'Edgar Poe? (?The Tomb of Edgar Poe?), a poem telling of Poe's ?eternal genius? despite his sad life. This poem is one of the most often quoted poems in French literature. In 1869, Mallarm? started but did not complete Igitur: ou, la folie d'Elbehnon, twelve prose fragments of different lengths (Online). Classified as a story, a prose poem, and a drama, Igitur did not appeal to feelings but to the intelligence of the reader. It shows his lifelong preoccupation with death, infinity, fantasy, and absence. Despite Mallarm?'s requests to dispose of his Igitur notes at his death, his son-in-law, Dr. Bonninot, tried to reorganize the prose fragments and published them in 1925. In his final work Un coup de des jamais n'abolira le hasard (A Throw of the Dice Never Will Abolish Chance), Mallarm? showed his interest in musical verse form and set his words in different typefaces to illustrate visually the subject of the poem and to stress the unity of thought and sound. Mallarm? thought that one should not change or paraphrase the language of a poem (Americana 143). He believed that sacred things are surrounded in mystery and that poetry has secrets that should be protected, just as religion does. According to Mallarm?, poetry is not like music because the latter cannot be understood by all. To this poet, the silences in a poem are just as important as the words. He also thought that the reason for writing poetry is the creation of poetic language; therefore, poetry itself is the subject of all poems. Although Mallarm? tried to develop a ?Grand Oeuvre,? he spent so much time and energy thinking about the true nature of poetry that he was unable to write this work (Online). He sometimes suffered from depression and lack of creativity due to his changing poetic intentions, his dislike for instant pleasure in literature, and his insistence that the reader himself search for the symbolic meaning in

Different Kinds of Optical Swi essays

Different Kinds of Optical Swi essays Different Kinds of Optical Switches: The biggest problem with creating an all-optical network would be the switching; re-routing the information from source A to destination B. When information is sent, it does not flow directly from point A to point B. It passes through a series of switches that narrow the path down, and eventually the signal reaches point B. These switches have thousands of possible routes which information can be transfered. Right now, the optical networks that stretch across the globe switches electronically. This is a huge set back, if you are trying to make a network that works at the speed of light. Light travels at about 982,080,000 feet per second, and electrons at 300,000 ft/sec. So when an optical network uses an electronic switch, the light first has to be converted to an electronic signal, then it has to go through the switch, and finally the electrons are converted back to a light beam. This process only takes a few milliseconds, but these seconds can be compared to what an optical switc h operates at which is nanoseconds. The signal is slowed down so much that it can be compared to going down the highway at top speed, then when you reach the off ramp you stop, get out of your car, stumble and walk awkwardly, and slowly to the next onramp then you get back in a car and speed off at top speed. Optical to electronic switches are more of an extreme, the light is going over 3,000 times faster than the electrons. It is a very unnecessary and costly reduction in speed. Many corporations have took interest in this problem and decided to take action by inventing optical prototype switches. Some of which are faster then others, but are all faster than optical-electric switches. One of the best working switches is the MEMS Switch (shown on diagram). It uses mirrors that are less than half a millimeter in diameter. These mirrors reflect the light from one pipe to another. There ar...

Is Sports Cmpetition Relevant to Academic Learning

Is Sports Cmpetition Relevant to Academic Learning Read whether sports competition is relevant to academic learning. Learning Theories and Relevance of Competitive Sport Learning theories have significant implications in the way academic  institutions facilitate learning. For instance, learning through reward and punishment  is Behaviorist learning practices while learning through input and memorization of educational materials is a Cognitive-learning concept. Similarly, the term â€Å"student-centered† learning is a Constructivist idea that people learn better when they â€Å"construct† own knowledge and meaning. However, since the aim of applying these learning theories in a school setting is to enhance knowledge of curriculum, they do not support the kind of knowledge acquired through sports competition similar to the volleyball match where athletes with #PusoAteneo won. Social Learning Theory is for learning social skills and therefore not academically relevant. Some literature argues that it is relevant to physical education, as such academic subject contributes to socially and morally educated citizens. The problem, however, is the fact that physical education is never for students’ social or moral development, but for learning health-related activities. Moreover, social skills and moral values allegedly developed from physical education are results rather than a facilitator of academic learning. You may be interested in: Practice What You Preach Is High IQ a Guarantee of Academic Success? Contrary to common belief, sport is not synonymous with physical education. Sports are physical activities in which adults and young people compete while physical education is a learning process prescribed by the curriculum. Although the subject often includes sports, there is no inherent necessity for physical education to foster and promote competitive behavior. Sport, therefore, is never an academic subject while competitive behavior is exclusive to sport. Overall, competition is not an objective in physical education and irrelevant to academic learning. The question is why schools are so eager about competition and spending significant time and money on their respective sports teams. The True Benefit of Sport Competition The study shows that participation in sport is mostly an individual decision while school-sponsored sports competition is an after-school activity. The common objective is to facilitate the skills and knowledge necessary to support a healthy and productive lifestyle. Interscholastic sport or â€Å"varsity sport† is the system of competition between schools, but remains an extracurricular activity in terms of funding. Collegiate sports or sports competition between colleges and universities, on the other hand, are governed by private national organizations. The academic institutions, however, provide the funding and give a full scholarship to their athletes. Successful athletes in return generate a large amount of revenue for their school. The learning benefit of sports competition appears limited to elementary and school. Sport in higher education seems more of a business strategy than a learning experience. In fact, collegiate sports in North America according to author Maylon Hanold are â€Å"solidly a business† within academic institutions. Most successful teams and athletes received money from corporate sponsors and therefore always determined to win regardless of injury or being involved in cheating. The #PusoAteneo or â€Å"Heart of Ateneo† University is, therefore, referring to college athletes’ competitive spirit or the â€Å"heart of champion† that has nothing to do with physical education and academic learning.

Applying Educational Thinking to Classroom Essay

Applying Educational Thinking to Classroom - Essay Example Critical thinking in relation to education has vast significance even at this generation. Many educators would admit the importance of applying educational thinking in the classroom which could be achieved if the teacher understands well her/his students' cognitive processes, as well as methodologies to carefully and effectively utilize those cognitive processes in learning. Thinking is important in learning; and learning usually takes place inside the classroom; therefore, a teacher must know how to manipulate classroom activities by means of applying procedural tools to help make learning experience more meaningful and enjoyable. Before the post-modern period, teachers used a traditional method which was rote-learning and memorization in which , students were not allowed to do scientific analysis; and information were simply introduced to students to memorize. Whereas, during the nineteenth century until the twentieth century, because of the modern way of learning, many innovations have come, technology was later became a significant phenomena of the modern generation. This is attributed to the discovery of critical thinking in the classroom. ... Among other factors in achieving learning, the pupil which is the center of the learning process has to be analyzed so that learning will be effective. The learners being the center of the teaching-learning process must be dealt with utmost enthusiasm and interest because as humans they have strength and weakness, they have brain that functions according to learning types; and most importantly, they have emotions. Learning has "some deficiencies" according to the authors; these deficiencies are "biological, psychological, social and emotional" (Stoll, Fink, and Earl). Other people would consider these as factors to learning that can affect the mental process of a student while inside the classroom. Learning therefore varies depending on the conditions provided, that is why, no same student acquires same degree of learning; and this is what teachers should realize in order to reach out to her students and meet their learning needs. Teacher for this reason should prepare her lessons well applying techniques and experiences to make it meaningful; and at the same time, teacher should make the classroom ambience suitable and conducive to learning. Learning can be enhanced by utilizing the senses of the students; in many cases especially children, about 90% of the lesson is retained in the mind if the students make use of senses in their learning experience. This success in the teaching-learning process can be achieved through involving these students in the learning process using a lesson a well-prepared lesson with materials and tools that can enhance their experience. After each session, the teacher must evaluate the outcome of the learning; and if possible,

Organized Crime and Kentucky Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organized Crime and Kentucky - Research Paper Example Furthermore, the influences that such organized criminal gangs have had on the Commonwealth of Kentucky is both profound and impactful. This can be seen during the early 1960s with George Ratterman and his Committee of 500 attempted to rid the city of Newport, Kentucky of gambling enterprises that, in the eyes of many members of society, were both illegal and morally corrupting2. This truth was also reflected in the vice present during the middle 1980s when an organized group of police officers from Lexington, Kentucky known as the â€Å"Company† was actually found to be operating their very own drug cartel from within the Lexington Police Department3. The preceding two events, and others similar, demonstrate just how significant a role organized crime has played in the history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This paper will work to examine the role that organized crime has played in the historical development of Kentucky. It was do this by conducting a careful examination of the various political influences that have allowed organized crime to flourish across the Commonwealth, and will explore the very culture existent in Kentucky that allowed such criminal activities to continue largely unchecked for decades4. Finally, the paper will conclude by looking at various ways that the Commonwealth of Kentucky has shifted its focus and perspective towards organized over time. When considering organized in the United States, one often hears a discussion centered around the crime families of New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. In fact, much is known about the organized criminal elements throughout history in these major cities. We can trace their development and origin, and arrive at various sociological theories to explain away their existence. Less is understood, however, about the reality that organized crime has also flourished

Conan Doyle create Essay Example for Free

Conan Doyle create Essay By what means does Conan Doyle create and maintain an Atmosphere of Suspense and Mystery in The Adventure of the Speckled Band This short tale shows all the formulae that Conan Doyle uses to create suspense. It adheres to Conan Doyles previous successes by using his familiar way of building and prolonging suspense. The ways in which he achieves this are numerous. In this account he uses the description of buildings and objects to create suspense. For example, there is a description of the Roylott Mansion, Stoke Moran. Both Miss Stoner and Watson tell us of a large house, grey, two curved wings like a crab, in disrepair, blue smoke curling out of the chimney, and boarded over windows (to promote a sense of secrecy maybe). This description of the house forms suspense solely by creating an image of an eerie house, one that epitomises the stereotypical haunted house. Therefore one is thinking that something thrilling and exciting, but also sinister, is going to happen in this house. More suspense is built after Watson and Holmes enter the house, when they look at a few of the objects in the murdered womans bedroom, more specifically; the bell-pull, the ventilation and the bed. The bell-pull is odd because it is not attached to a bell, but is attached to a hook instead, by the ventilation therefore doing nothing, as voiced here; No, its not even attached to a wire. This fastened to a hook just above where the little opening for the ventilator is. The ventilation is weird because it does not lead to any fresh air but instead to another part of the house; what a fool a builder must be to open a ventilator into another room he might have communicated with the outside air! Finally the bed is odd because it is bolted to the floor meaning that it cant be moved away from where it already is by the ventilation and the bell-pull which are of no use; Holmes picks up on this later on; The lady could not move her bed. It must always be in the same relative position to the ventilator and to the rope These references build suspense because even after Holmes has done a long examination of them and asked himself a few questions, these questions are left unanswered: Whoever designed the room in this way must have calculated a need for it to be so, but who would have done so, and why. It makes you question, it makes you think, it makes you feel uneasy it creates suspense. The most obvious thing that one notices is the way that Conan Doyle describes and uses characters to produce and sustain the suspense. There are many examples of this, such as; the gypsies being used as a red herring to the investigation. As a reader one thinks that the title Speckled Band could refer either to the gypsy band or to the curious marks found on the dead woman of a speckled band. The description by Watson of Grimesby Roylott bursting into the room, a man so broad and burly that he nearly fills the doorway, wearing big leather boots and carrying a crop, tanned, deep-set staring eyes, and a long thin nose. This description makes one think of a menace of a man, maybe a killer, as weve already been told of his violent nature but the idea that he is the killer is immediately dismissed because one is thinking that Conan Doyle wouldnt make finding the murderer that obvious and easy, it seems too stereotypical, at least to the reader. He is still a suspect because his room is connected to the deceased by a ventilation shaft. Therefore one still wonders whom the murderer is, prolonging the suspense. Ironically in the end it turns out to be Roylott; Conan Doyle has double-bluffed us through his writing. Another aspect one has to mention is that of the opening scene when Watson mentions that this was the most incomprehensible of all Holmes 70-plus cases. Watson describes it as fantastic, unusual, and non-commonplace; we are immediately intrigued, creating a perfect opener for the habitual Holmes reader or any mystery reader as a matter of fact. It makes one want to read on and find out exactly why this could be one of Holmes and Watsons most strange and memorable cases; again the reader is held in suspense. The opening is rather abrupt, which quickly and easily draws one in because nowhere in this opening is there a lapse of interest, the reader cannot relax. Then just as one thinks that one has reached a climax, as we think we are going to be told short and quick who the killer was and what exactly it did, Conan Doyle changes the subject to another curiosity; from Watsons intriguing build-up to Helen Stoner demanding that they come to meet her step-father immediately. There are widespread rumours as to the death of Dr Grimesby Roylott which tend to make the matter even more terrible than the truth, then it seems a young lady has arrived in a considerable state of excitement, who insists on seeing me. Why does a lady want to see him? Why is she in that considerable state of excitement? Even more curious a question, What could be more terrible than the truth? Conan Doyle has created urgency, he has created unease, and thereby he has created suspense.

The Assassination of President McKinley :: American America History

The Assassination of President McKinley In Cleveland, Ohio, on May 6, Emma Goldman, "The Anarchist," gave a speech. She outlined the principles and methods of anarchy in this beautiful speech, where she said, "We ... desire complete individual liberty, and this can never be obtained as long as there is an existing government." Toward the end of her speech, Goldman said that most Anarchists were not violent; she added that she believed in their motives, since some people are unable to act without force. All the while, police were ready to arrest her if she said anything too radical. The entire time, Leon Czolgosz was the most supportive of anyone in the audience (Berkeley 1). On September 5, 1901, Leon Czolgosz entered the Pan-American exposition. He blended in with the crowd, and surveyed the security, grounds layout, and crowds. An enormous crowd was gathered to see President McKinley, and Leon pushed his way through the masses until he was close enough to hear the speech. Leon pushed his way through the crowd, determined to get close enough to shoot the President. A security guard blocked his chance, and the President was escorted away (Assassin Arrived... 1). The next day, Leon and McKinley returned to the exposition. In the afternoon, the President began shaking hands with people lined up by the Temple door. Near the end of this line, Leon waited patiently. His hand was wrapped in a handkerchief, which he held close to his chest, but no one seemed to notice. When the President reached him, Leon extended his left hand, pressed it against the President's chest, and shot him twice with the gun he held under his handkerchief (Secret Service Guard...1). He did not have a chance to fire again, because a black man - next in line to shake the President's hand - had already tackled him. In seconds, more than a dozen men had tackled him and were beating him up. At the same time, Secret Service officers and exposition police seized Leon and tore the gun from his hands. US Artillery soldiers beat Leon after this. McKinley, in the middle of this panic, is reported to have said, "Go easy on him, boys" (Assassination of... 2). When news of the attack spread, the thousands in attendance began a riot; some shoved their way into the temple, trying to see if the rumor was true, while others demanded that Leon be hanged.

A Mision Statement

Mission Statement 2 The Importance of a Mission Statement In helping students achieve at their greatest potential it is necessary for me to provide them with the necessary tools for accomplishing high success. One vital tool for my success (Canter, 2009) as well as the success of my students is to have a mission statement about my teaching beliefs that help guide my instructional planning, interactions with students and difficult times that might arise during teaching.Another tool that will help drive my mission statement is to collaborate with colleagues, parents and various organizations in order to stay abreast as to what changes need to take place in and out of the classroom. In staying deeply committed to my mission statement, it will be important for me to display it in my classroom as a constant reminder of what I want to accomplish as a teacher. My mission is as follows: To create a safe and positive learning environment that will allow students to achieve at their greatest p otential with an emphasis on recognizing individual differences.After intensely collaborating with several colleagues and a parent, I found it necessary to revise my mission statement in order to clarify what is most important to me as a teacher. My revised statement: To create a safe and positive learning environment while developing high morals and values, with an emphasis on academic excellence by recognizing individual differences in a multicultural society. As a daily reminder of what I would like to accomplish as a teacher, I would display my mission statement on the front wall of my classroom as well as tape it on the inside of my lesson plan book.By displaying my mission statement on the front wall, it will not only keep me reminded as to what I want to accomplish, but it will also give my students, their parents, and my colleagues the opportunity of knowing what my goals are as an educator. By having my mission Mission Statement 3 The Importance of a Mission Statement state ment taped in my planning book as a constant reminder of my mission statement, it will also help guide me during my instructional planning.Every classroom that I have had, consisted of students on various academic levels. Therefore, in my instructional planning; I will create assignments and strategies so that each student can successfully learn at his or her academic level. It is my desire to have comfortable and positive interactions with all students and treat each with dignity and respect. I have experienced that when students feel safe and are comfortable in the classroom with their teacher, they are more at ease with learning or even making mistakes.Also, in order to make a positive difference in the lives of my students, my interactions with them must remain respectful at all times. Once I loose their respect, it will be difficult to gain it back. At the same time, it is also important for students to show respect with their teacher and other people as well. Reflecting on a b ook, (Nieto, 2003) there are many challenges and obstacles that teachers face in their career. Even though I am viewed as a positive person, there are times when difficulties arise.My most difficult times are meeting deadlines, unpleasant conferences with parents or colleagues and behavioral challenges with a student. During times of difficulty and doubt is when I will need to read and reread my mission statement the most, as a reminder of what I want to accomplish as a teacher. However, what ever the difficulty is, by staying focused on my mission statement will help in achieving my goals. Therefore, while staying focused, it is also imperative that I remain positive. Mission Statement 4The Importance of a Mission Statement In conclusion, with the guidance of my mission statement, I hope to build a strong foundation for academic excellence in the classroom. In having a strong foundation for academic excellence, it is important for all students to demonstrate respect, good morals an d values that will help them develop as a learner and a person. As an effective teacher, I should exemplify characteristics that will gain the trust and belief from my students (Kottler, A. , Zehm, & Kottler, E. , 2005). Also, staying focused and committed on a daily basis are essential actors I need to exhibit in order to successfully achieve my goals. In short, constantly reminding myself, as to what I want to accomplish for maintaining a highly-qualified teacher is vital for my success. References Kottler, J. A. , Zehm, S. J. , & Kottler, E. (2005). On being a teacher: The human dimension (3rd ed. ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). The power of mission. . Baltimore, MD: Author Nieto, S. (2003). What keeps teachers going? New York: Teachers College Press.

Personal Reflection Paper Essay

I have learned a lot of important information throughout this course of Critical and Creative Thinking. I have learned mainly what critical thinking is and how it works. I think that it is important to be a critical thinker. I am going to share with you some information that I learned during this course that helped me use critical thinking more effectively. Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally. When you use critical thinking you can examine and analyze questions, issues, situations, and information of all kinds. It is important to use critical thinking because it helps you evaluate all decisions. When you are using critical thinking you are using different combinations of skills. By using critical thinking, it helps you gain a better understanding, concentrate, and deal with frustrations that are blocking your thinking. There are six different stages of critical thinking. These stages are the unreflective thinker, challenged thinker, beginner thinker, practicing thinker, and advanced thinker. It is important to know what stage you are at. By knowing what stage you are at it will help you distinguish what you need to do in order to move to the next stage. In the beginning of this course I placed myself as a stage one thinker, the unreflective thinker. I placed myself here because I was deceiving myself about the effectiveness of my thinking. I always thought that my thinking was fine. I had not identified the problems that were affecting my thinking. Since taking this course I would have to identify myself as the practicing thinker. I know that I am still not where I need to be but I am continuing to push myself to practice. I have realized that practice is a must and I am  not giving up. In order to move to the next stage, the advanced thinker, I have got to see that practicing has made me a better thinker. I also have to keep at practicing even when I get tired of practicing and lose my motivation. One important thing that I learned during this course is the difference between an issue and a problem. A problem is a situation that you regard as unacceptable, and an issue is a matter in which people disagree on to some extent. I always looked at everything as a problem. It is important to distinguish between the two so that you know how to approach it and solve it. You have to use your critical thinking in order to identify the problem or issue and know how to come up with a solution. To solve a problem you have to figure out what action to take that is the best way to change the situation. When you are resolving an issue you have to decide what viewpoint is more reasonable. I also learned three key strategies that can help stimulate my imagination. These three key strategies are use free association, visualize the solution, and construct pro and con arguments. There are other strategies but these are the three that best suite me. It is important to use imagination because it helps you to be more open minded. In order to be a critical thinker you have to be open minded. By being open minded it helps you to look at all possibilities. It also helps you considered other people’s thoughts and opinions. It is always important to consider other people’s ideas and opinions because there is always room for improvement. I had to realize that I am not always right and that I do not know everything in order to be more open minded. I have learned a lot in this course as you can see. This is just a summary of what all I have learned. I think this course will help me be a more effective writer and thinker. I am going to keep on practicing until I reach the stage of master thinker. Even when I have reached that final stage I am going to continue to practice and use critical thinking. As we learned in this course, â€Å"We can always use room for improvement.† I think that this course is an important course to help you be able to succeed. I have really  enjoyed this class and I have learned a lot. References: The Art of Thinking: A guide to Critical and Creative thought, Tenth Edition, By Vincent Ryan Ruggiero

Learner Characteristics Essays

Learner Characteristics Essays Learner Characteristics Paper Learner Characteristics Paper Learner characteristics often influence learner readiness to learn. There are many learner characteristics of employees working in a critical care work setting. Learner characteristics are often multi faceted and include personal, environmental and situational characteristics that may impact ones ability to succeed in a learning environment. It is important that teaching strategies consider adult learner characteristics that may influence the learners ability in the critical care setting specifically as this environment presents unique challenges to learners. Understanding of developmental stages is also vital to the learning process among critical care workers. This paper will discuss learner characteristics and learner readiness to learn in the critical care environment Overview of Learner Characteristics Central to adequate learning and teaching is an adequate understanding of the way some students learn and the characteristics associated with successful learners. Undoubtedly learners display various styles or characteristics of learning in the clinical care setting. It is vital that instructors consider an approach to learning that accommodates the characteristics of the learner and the goals of the teacher in the clinical care setting in order to inspire the greatest success among students and the classroom alike (Anderson, Boud Sampson, 1996). Common learner characteristics exuded by students in the clinical care setting include a tendency toward considering teachers as experts and authorities on all subject matter and the tendency to look forward to learning in a clinical setting or environment (Huttly, Sweet Taylor, 24). Learner characteristics common among clinical care students include the tendency toward preferring self-directed instructed methods and the tendency toward development of reflection and autonomy in the learner (Huttly, Sweet Taylor, 2003). Burns (2002) suggests that understanding learner characteristics can help teachers employ more cognitive and humanist approaches to teaching (p. 142). Further the author asserts that it is important that teachers consider individual behaviors and the influence learning styles have on the individuals potential to succeed, discover, understand and problem solve in the classroom. This approach is referred to as the cognitive approach to learning, and encourages educators to help facilitate individuals learning potentials by promoting self direction and valuing personal experience in the classroom in an environment that is supportive of teacher interaction (Burns, 142). Learner characteristics or attributes may include positive self-esteem or self-concepts that help students, particularly adult students, remain positively motivated in the classroom (Burns, 207). In this type of environment students provide their own validation for learning and view learning as an internal phenomena where they retain a certain degree of autonomy and locus of control (Burns, 207). This compared with the environment where students are more reliant on the teacher for direction and authority. This model, where the teacher acts as a lecturer and directs student interactions is far more common in the health care setting, but not necessarily valuable or supportive of learning particularly in the clinical care environment because it does not support the team model of learning, growth and development (Burns, 2002). Development of self-reliant behaviors is important for stimulating positive self-concept among adult learners and encouraging ample communication among adult learners (Burns, 2002). It is important therefore that the degree of autonomy and self-direction students experience is considered as a learning characteristic in a clinical health care environment. Learner characteristics common to individuals in a clinical care setting and adult environment include the ability to actively participate in learning, develop critical methods for interpreting reality and developing recognition of ones ability to change their reality and environment (Burns, 2002). Learner characteristics also include the tendency to look for opportunities to develop ones potential and discover new avenues for expressing ones abilities in the learning environment (Burns, 2002). While many learner characteristics are generalized including these, it is important to remember that individual learning styles are also very prevalent and important in the educational setting, particularly in an adult learning environment. Adults prefer working in a learning environment that provides an empowering learning situation. Empowered learners generally translate into competent and empowered clinical and critical care learners, helping others including other staff members, employees and patients develop their own sense of identity and empowerment through adaptive learning (Burns, 2002). An adults readiness to learn is often contingent on the amount of previous practice and learning or the amount of stored knowledge they have regarding given concepts or phase sequences (Burns, 260). An adults readiness to learn is also based on their ability and interest for assimilating new information into their current context. Typically readiness to learn is also contingent on the learners intrinsic motivation which is more likely to produce permanent learning because learning becomes more natural or instinctive to the learner (Burns, 260). Further it is important that in the adult learning environment and in critical care settings learners are provided with positive reinforcement for their efforts at learning, which theorists suggest is more effective than ignoring behavior or criticizing and punishing negative behavior (Burns, 2002). Readiness to learn may also be influenced by various factors including stress, time pressure, the context in which learning occurs, the level of interpersonal relationships the learner has with teachers and even fatigue or health pressures (Burns, 2002). Considering such conditions teaching strategies must target individual learning styles and contexts, working to help improve self-esteem among students and help facilitate more positive experiences within the learning environment (Burns, 2002). Developmental stage is also vital to the learning process for adult learners and learners in critical care work settings. Developmental stage approaches suggest that adult learners exude certain learning characteristics that are similar or analogous to their life experiences (Cross, 1981). Using this model one must consider the learners personal attributes or characteristics as well as situational characteristics that may impair or facilitate learning (Cross, 1981). These characteristics may include a persons physical or life developmental stages and personal characteristics. Biological characteristics including ones age may impact ones ability for example to learn effectively in the classroom; likewise developmental stages involving situational characteristics may include ones ability to work varying schedules in various environments (Cross, 1981). The medical employee working in a critical care environment will face many situational characteristics one must consider when developing a learning program targeted to this population in particular. These may include increased stressors and the need for programs that adapt to the experience level of varying workers in this diverse and often fast paced environment. In this case it may be beneficial for an educational program to focus on the learners personal and experiential characteristics to develop an appropriate learning model. Bibliography : Anderson, G. , Boud, D. Sampson, J. (1996). Learning Contract: A practical guide. London: Kogan Page. Burns, R. (2002). The adult learner at work: The challenges of lifelong education in the new millennium. Crows Nest: Allen Unwin. Cross, K. P. (1981). Adults as Learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Huttly, S. , Sweet, J. Taylor, I. (2003). Effective learning teaching in medical, dental and veterinary education. Sterling: Kogan Page.

A Synpsis of The foundation text of English literature, titled Beowulf

A Synpsis of The foundation text of English literature, titled Beowulf The foundation text of English literature, titled Beowulf (meaning â€Å"man wolf† when translated into the modern language), presents readers with a hero named Beowulf who fights three different battles, each with its own monster. Beowulf’s first battle awaits him when he travels to present day Denmark to save the Danes from a monster named Grendel that has been wreaking havoc on King Hrothgar’s men. Grendel’s defeat leads to Beowulf’s second battle with Grendel’s mother, who avenges the death of her son. Once Beowulf saves the Danes from the monsters they faced, Beowulf returns home to rule his land until he meets his death in a battle with a dragon, signifying the monster that overcame him. Although Beowulf’s success in battle with his literal monsters would name him a hero in almost any circumstance, Beowulf’s life and the situations that led him to battle fall into place with the same ideals that name him a classic hero und er Campbell’s hero archetype, where the hero must have a reason for departure, initiation through his defeat of an enemy, and a return from his journey. Beowulf’s journey of life, which was a battle until his death, relates to humans in the sense that although Beowulf’s monsters were real creatures, every individual faces their own version of a monster that phases them, but are conquered in the end. There is always one monster, however, that one can never overcome. Beowulf presents this monster as the dragon in the poem, which ties into every individual as the monster that has never been conquered: the monster of death. Campbell’s hero archetype is also known as the monomyth, or hero’s journey, that sets the framework of the traditional, classical hero. It defines a hero by the steps in the journey that the hero takes, which can be analyzed in three different stages. The first stage of the hero’s journey is his departure, which can be further explained by 5 further categories. The first of this five is â€Å"The Ordinary World,† which explains that the hero must come from an ordinary background, setting the level playing field for all heroes who fulfill Campbell’s criteria. It is important that the hero who fulfills Campbell’s archetype is an ordinary human in order for readers to relate to the story and identify with the hero. Beowulf achieves this criteria as he is known to be a Geat who lived in present-day Sweden as King Hygelac’s thane. He is described as, â€Å"of living strong men he was the strongest, fearless and gallant and great of heartâ €  (132-133), implying that Beowulf was an ordinary man except for his characteristics that set him apart from others. The second category within the departure stage is the â€Å"Call to Adventure,† in which the hero is informed of his need elsewhere. This call foreshadows the change from the character’s then-ordinary life to his journey as a hero. In Beowulf, this criterion is fulfilled when â€Å"[the] tales of the terrible deeds of Grendel reached Hygelac’s thane in his home with the Geats† (130-131), signifying Beowulf’s knowledge of the happenings with the Danes. Following this criteria is the â€Å"Refusal of the Call,† where the hero doubts his confidence with the challenge. This will cause the hero to refuse the call, but then face a shortcoming where he is forced to go on the journey. This, interestingly, is not completely evident in Beowulf, as Beowulf does not refuse the call to begin with. Much of the reason for his decision to travel to the Danes was because of his pride and reputation, putting him in a situation in which he could not refuse. If Beowulf had refused the call, however, he would have been faced with shame as he was described to be the â€Å"strongest, fearless, and gallant† (132-133), compensating for his incentive to travel in the first place. Because of this, the t hird criteria of the departure stage is fulfilled, as it can be seen that had Beowulf refused the call, he would have been pushed into seeking out Grendel anyway. The fourth stage in the departure level of Campbell’s hero archetype is â€Å"Meeting the Mentor,† where the prospective hero seeks guidance regarding the journey that he is about to begin. The mentor acts as a counselor who gives advice, re-instills confidence, or presents the hero with weapons that he will need to fulfill the quest. Although this is not seen in the very beginning as â€Å"counseling,† prior to Beowulf’s departure, â€Å"in the ship’s hold snugly they stowed their trappings, gleaming armor and battle gear† (149-150), meaning that Beowulf received weapons prior to his fight with Grendel, compensating for the lack of guidance he had received. This can also be paralleled by the way that prior to fighting Grendel’s mother, Beowulf was presented with Unferth’s Hrunting in order to kill the mother. This also fulfills the fourth criteria of Beowulf’s departure to become a hero. The fifth and final criteria in f ulfilling a hero’s departure is â€Å"Crossing the Threshold,† where the threshold is the line between the hero’s ordinary world and the alien world that he is about to enter. This is seen in the poem when Beowulf embarks the ship on his journey to the Danes, acting as if it was a journey that he could not go back on. In the poem, this is described as Beowulf â€Å"launched the bessel, the well-braced bark, seaward bound on a joyous journey† (151-152). This symbolizes the threshold that Beowulf crosses to embark on his journey as a hero. The idea of crossing the threshold also occurs when Beowulf jumps into the lake filled with sea creatures on his way to Grendel’s mother’s lair, marking the difference between the land is known and unknown. With the fulfillment of these five criteria, Beowulf embarked on his departure journey for the hero archetype. The second stage to Campbell’s hero archetype following the departure level is initiation, where the hero fulfills a series of tests and trials that will qualify him to fulfill his ultimate goal. This initiation can be more personal, such as maturing or gaining self confidence, or physical trials that the hero must endure. Like the departure level, initiation contains a set of criteria that the hero must meet in order to qualify for Campbell’s archetype. The first one is â€Å"Tests, Allies, and Enemies,† in which the hero faces challenges that test him. These obstacles can take almost any form and exists solely to disrupt the hero’s journey. In Beowulf, one of the obstacles that he immediately faces is Unferth’s challenging of Beowulf’s strength prior to Beowulf’s fight with Grendel. The poem tells this as, â€Å"Then out spoke Unferth, Ecglaf’s son, who sat at the feet of the Scylding lord, picking a quarrel for Beowulf†™s quest† (382-384). In this section, Unferth taunts Beowulf regarding a swimming match they had previously, ultimately challenging Beowulf’s honor. Beowulf overcomes this obstacle by being unfazed by Unferth’s comments and by reinforcing hope within the people in completing the ultimate goal. Following this, the bigger and more obvious challenge facing Beowulf is his fight with Grendel, his enemy. Beowulf fights unarmed and defeats him in the end, fulfilling the first criteria of the initiation journey by overcoming the challenges that he had faced during. Succeeding the tests is â€Å"Approach to the Inmost Cave,† where the hero must cross another threshold into an even greater unknown. Following Grendel’s defeat, Grendel’s mother wreaks more havoc on the Danes in order to avenge her son’s death, calling for Beowulf’s help once again. In order to fight Grendel’s mother, Beowulf first enters a lake that is filled with sea monsters that taunt him, described in the poem as, â€Å"the swimming forms of strange sea-dragons, dim serpent shapes in the watery depths, sea-beasts sunning on headland slopes† (937-939). The setting of this lake can be contrasted to Hell, emphasizing Beowulf’s crossing into the unknown. The measures that Beowulf takes in order to approach Grendel’s mother in the first place adds depth and foreshadows what is to come next, fulfilling the second part of initiation. The third stage of initiation is â€Å"Ordeal,† where the hero must overcome a physical test that will help the world he lives in. The hero often comes close to death and experiences some form of resurrection after overcomin g the dangerous task. In Beowulf, it was the defeat of Grendel’s mother. The significance of this scene in the text is that if Beowulf had not defeated the mother, he would have died and his kinsmen along with the Danes would have not been able to survive. Beowulf’s â€Å"resurrection† occurs when he comes back out of the water guarding the mother’s lair alive, which can be juxtaposed to the idea of floating up out of the water when baptized. The fulfillment of the dangerous task and thus the third stage of initiation immediately leads to the fourth, which is the reward from the task. Beowulf’s reward for slaying Grendel’s mother came in the forms of jewels and treasure from Hrothgar, along with a higher honor and reputation. Immediately following the battle, Beowulf returned with the sword hilt of Hrunting and Grendel’s slain head. With all the criteria fulfilled, Beowulf was ready for return. The final stage of Campbell’s hero journey is return, where the hero returns to where he began as closure of the quest. The first criteria of this stage is â€Å"The Road Back,† which is opposite of the â€Å"Call to Adventure.† Beowulf fulfills this stage by traveling back to his home with the Geats with ships filled with treasure from Hrothgar. Beowulf returns home with validation of his confidence and strength to be presented with the name of a ruler after King Hygelac dies. Following â€Å"The Road Back† is â€Å"Resurrection,† where the hero faces his final encounter with death. The battle in itself is a representation of a larger symbol that plays into the hero’s overall existence. In Beowulf, this is seen as the final battle between Beowulf and the dragon, which wreaks havoc on the Geats after 50 years of peace. Although Beowulf dies as a result of this battle, the dragon itself was supposed to symbolize death, and the true meaning of the battle would not have been fulfilled had Beowulf survived. The battle alone fulfills the â€Å"Resurrection† criteria of the return stage, and Beowulf’s death fulfills the final criteria in Campbell’s hero archetype altogether, which is â€Å"Return with the Elixir.† The Elixir is the lesson of death itself, which can only be fulfilled with Beowulf’s death. The overall lesson of this battle is that the hero’s journey will always and inevitably end with death, and the dragon symbolized the unconquerable monster that every individual will eventually face. Had Beowulf not died, he would not be considered a hero in the first place. Beowulf’s journey to become a traditional hero is non-traditional in the sense that instead of the journey encompassing a quest in which the hero returns to live a â€Å"happily ever after,† Beowulf’s journey was the journey of life itself, beginning with his departure to fight Grendel. He was a hero in the journey of life. This can be recognized as the most significant link between the readers and Beowulf: his story is reflective of the battles that people fight every day. Unlike other heroic stories, Beowulf’s connected with me in regards to his battles, especially with the last one being a symbol of death. As Beowulf himself declares, â€Å"death is not easily escaped from by anyone: all of us with souls, earth-dwellers and children of men, must make our way to a destination already ordained where the body, after the banqueting, sleeps on its deathbed† (1001-1007). The journey of a hero is his journey between life and death, encompassing all of the battles that he had faced to turn him into the character that he becomes when he dies. Beowulf’s journey of the archetypal hero is a representation of individual struggles we face, making humans heroes of our own life. Through Beowulf, we learn that death is the ultimate monster that overcomes us, and the quality of life is determined by the extent to which we live it.

The history and evolution of Chinese women' rights Research Paper

The history and evolution of Chinese women' rights - Research Paper Example This created way for the formation of the communist government in the country under the name of the People’s Republic of China (Johnson 121). The new government committed to implementing social changes with the aim of uplifting the status of women in the society. The evolution of women’s rights in China has been a slow, painful but steady process discussed in the essay below. The growth and radical changes leading to the modern liberal Chinese society that embraces the gender equality has been slow and with myriad sacrifices, between 1966 and 1976 for example, the country experienced a massive cultural revolution as feminist movements sought the inclusion of women in the governance of the country. At the time of the formation of the new people’s republic of china, the country’s workforce had only seven percent of the women. The new communist government formulated and implemented new radical changes that with the view of increasing the status of women in th e new society but the male dominated society resisted most of such changes. By 1992, the percentage of the women in the country’s workforce had risen to thirty eight percent. Marriage in the traditional Chinese society was an arrangement between families. Young girls would be married off to men of the family’s choosing thus nurturing the women in order to befit specific requirements of the spouse’s family. Such arrangement denied women the right and privilege to fall in love and determine their lives. They simply married the men their families thought right for them. The male dominated society thought such to be effective ways of developing strong social ties but at the expense of the girl children. The great Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976 sought to address the social vice that had threatened the development of effective cultures in the society. Prior to the revolution, the communist government had initiated policies that sought to address the vice. I n 1950, the government formulated the marriage law. The law provided for the revocation of all previous family arrangements thus setting women previously bound by their families free. The law was a result of effective government research on the effects of such marriages and family arrangement on the social development of the society. By revoking all such arrangements, the governments sought to formulate better and more ethical policies and systems of marriage in the country. The men in the Chinese society opposed the legislation but through concerted government efforts and the works of the numerous feminist movements in the country, the law successful laws. In 1980, the government formulated another family law that banned arranged and forced marriages in the country. By banning such marriages, the government set the children especially the female children free from the dominance of their parents who used benefited from such arrangements. The marriage law of 1950 further permitted wo men to instigate divorces in the society. This would provide disadvantaged women in the forced, arranged and even purchased marriages the freedom to break away and foster their own independent lifestyles. Prior to the legislation, the society only permitted a divorce if it befitted the man. Additionally, the society also permitted polygamy thus allowing men to marry as many women as they wanted. In fact, the number of women in a homestead symbolized wealth and influence in the society. While