Benefits of playing chess Essay

The chess theory is complicated and many players memorize different opening variations. You will also learn to recognize various patterns and remember lengthy variations. Chess improves concentration. During the game you are focused on only one main goal-to checkmate and become the victor.  § Chess develops logical thinking. Chess requires some understanding of logical strategy. For example, you will know that it is important to bring your pieces out into the game at the beginning, to keep your king safe at all times, not to make big weaknesses in your position and not to blunder your pieces away for free. (Although you will find yourself doing that occasionally through your chess career. Mistakes are inevitable and chess, like life, is a never-ending learning process.)  § Chess promotes imagination and creativity. It encourages you to be inventive. There are an indefinite amount of beautiful combinations yet to be constructed.  § Chess teaches independence. You are forced to make important decisions influenced only by your own judgment.  § Chess develops the capability to predict and foresee consequences of actions. It teaches you to look both ways before crossing the street.  § Chess inspires self-motivation. It encourages the search of the best move, the best plan, and the most beautiful continuation out of the endless possibilities. It encourages the everlasting aim towards progress, always steering to ignite the flame of victory.  § Chess shows that success rewards hard work. The more you practice, the better you’ll become. You should be ready to lose and learn from your mistakes. One of the greatest players ever, Capablanca said, â€Å"You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player.†  § Chess and Science. Chess develops the scientific way of thinking. While  playing, you generate numerous variations in your mind. You explore new ideas, try to predict their outcomes and interpret surprising revelations. You decide on a hypothesis, and then you make your move and test it.  § Chess and Technology. What do chess players do during the game? Just like computers they engage in a search for the better move in a limited amount of time. What are you doing right now? You are using a computer as a tool for learning.  § Chess and Mathematics. You don’t have to be a genius to figure this one out. Chess involves an infinite number of calculations, anything from counting the number of attackers and defenders in the event of a simple exchange to calculating lengthy continuations. And you use your head to calculate, not some little machine.  § Chess and Research. There are millions of chess resources out there for every aspect of the game. You can even collect your own chess library. In life, is it important to know how to find, organize and use boundless amounts of information. Chess gives you a perfect example and opportunity to do just that.  § Chess and Art. In the Great Soviet Encyclopedia chess is defined as â€Å"an art appearing in the form of a game.† If you thought you could never be an artist, chess proves you wrong. Chess enables the artist hiding within you to come out. Your imagination will run wild with endless possibilities on the 64 squares. You will paint pictures in your mind of ideal positions and perfect outposts for your soldiers. As a chess artist you will have an original style and personality.  § Chess and Psychology. Chess is a test of patience, nerves, will power and concentration. It enhances your ability to interact with other people. It tests your sportsmanship in a competitive environment.  § Chess improves schoolwork and grades. Numerous studies have proven that kids obtain a higher reading level, math level and a greater learning  ability overall as a result of playing chess. For all those reasons mentioned above and more, chess playing kids do better at school and therefore have a better chance to succeed in life.  § Chess opens up the world for you. You don’t need to be a high ranked player to enter big important competitions. Even tournaments such as the US Open and the World Open welcome players of all strengths. Chess provides you with plenty of opportunities to travel not only all around the country but also around the world. Chess is a universal language and you can communicate with anyone over the checkered plain.  § Chess enables you to meet many interesting people. You will make life-long friendships with people you meet through chess.  § Chess is cheap. You don’t need big fancy equipment to play chess. In fact, all you may need is your computer! (And we really hope you have one of those, or else something fishy is going on here.) It is also good to have a chess set at home to practice with family members, to take to a friend’s house or even to your local neighborhood park to get everyone interested in the game.  § CHESS IS FUN! Dude, this isn’t just another one of those board games. No chess game ever repeats itself, which means you create more and more new ideas each game. It never gets boring. You always have so much to look forward to. Every game you are the general of an army and you alone decide the destiny of your soldiers. You can sacrifice them, trade them, pin them, fork them, lose them, defend them, or order them to break through any barriers and surround the enemy king. You’ve got the power! To summarize everything in three little words-Chess is Everything!

Amul: Deary Cooperative in India Essay

Abstract In this paper we describe a case study of a dairy cooperative, AMUL, in western India that has developed a successful model for doing business in large emerging economy. It has been primarily responsible, through its innovative practices, for India to become world’s largest producer of milk. A subset of strategies followed by AMUL would still be very useful. Thus, firms that are contemplating addressing large undeveloped markets or have an intention of taking advantage of extensive but marginal supplier base would still benefit. Introduction The Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited was established on December 14, 1946 as a response to exploitation of marginal milk producers in the city of Anand (in Kaira district of the western state of Gujarat in India) by traders or agents of existing dairies. Producers had to travel long distances to deliver milk to the only dairy, the Polson Dairy in Anand – often milk went sour, especially in the summer season, as producers had to physically carry milk in individual containers. These agents decided the prices and the off-take from the farmers by the season. Milk is a commodity that has to be collected twice a day from each cow/buffalo. In winter, the producer was either left with surplus unsold milk or had to sell it at very low prices. Moreover, the government at that time had given monopoly rights to Polson Dairy (around that time Polson was the most well known butter brand in the country) to collect milk from Anand and supply to Bombay city in tu rn (about 400 kilometers away). India ranked nowhere amongst milk producing countries in the world in 1946. The producers of Kaira district took advice of the nationalist leaders, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (who later became the first Home Minister of free India) and Morarji Desai (who later become the Prime Minister of India). They advised the farmers to form a cooperative and supply directly to the Bombay Milk Scheme instead of selling it to Polson (who did the same but gave low prices to the producers). Thus the Kaira District Cooperative was established to collect and process milk in the district of Kaira. Milk collection was also decentralized, as most producers were marginal farmers who would deliver 1-2 litres of milk per day. Village level cooperatives were established to organize the marginal milk producers in each of these villages. The first modern dairy of the Kaira Union was established at Anand (which popularly came to be known as AMUL dairy after its brand name). The new plant had the capacity to pasteurise 300,000 pounds of milk per day, manufacture 10,000 pounds of butter pe r day, 12,500 pounds of milk powder per day and 1,200 pounds of casein per day. Indigenous R&D and technology development at the Cooperative had led to the successful production of skimmed milk powder from buffalo milk – the first time on a commercial scale anywhere in the world. The foundations of a modern dairy industry in India had just been laid as India had one of the largest buffalo populations in the world. We move to year 2000. The dairy industry in India and particularly in the State of Gujarat looks very different. India has emerged as the largest milk producing country in the world. Gujarat emerges as the most successful State in terms of milk and milk product production through its cooperative dairy movement. The Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited, Anand becomes the focal point of dairy development in the entire region and AMUL emerges as one of the most recognized brands in India, ahead of many international brands. Starting with a single shared plant at Anand and two village cooperative societies for milk procurement, the dairy cooperative movement in the State of Gujarat had evolved into a network of 2.12 million milk producers (called farmers) who are organized in 10,411 milk collection independent cooperatives (called Village Societies). These Village Societies (VS) supply milk to thirteen independent dairy cooperatives (called Unions). AMUL is one such Union. Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation or GCMMF is the marketing entity for products of all Unions in the State of Gujarat. GCMMF has 42 regional distribution centers in India, serves over 500,000 retail outlets and exports to more than 15 countries. All these organizations are independent legal entities yet loosely tied together with a common destiny. In a recent survey GCMMF was ranked amongst the top ten FMCG firms in the country while AMUL was rated the second most recognized brand in India amongst all Indian and MNC offerin gs. 2nd Phase: In 1966, Amul hired Sylvester daCunha, then managing director of the advertising agency AS to design a new ad campaign for Amul Butter. daCunha designed an add campaign as series of hoardings with topical ads, relating to day-to-day issues.[14]The campaign was widely popular and earned a Guiness world record for the longest running ad campaign in the world. Since the 1980s, cartoon artist Bharat Dabholkarhas been involved with sketching the Amul ads, who rejected the trend of using celebrities in advertisement campaigns. Despite encountering political pressure on several occasions, daCunha’s agency has made it a policy of not backing down. Some of the more controversial Amul ads include one commenting on Naxalite uprising in West Bengal, on the Indian Airlines employees strike, and the one depicting the Amul butter girl wearing a Gandhi cap. Amul hired DraftFCB+Ulka for the brands of Amul milk, chocolates, paneer, ghee, ice-cream. The establishment of Amul is also known as White Revolution. The White Revolution of India inspired the notable Indian film-makerShyam Benegal to base his film Manthan (1976) on it. The White Revolution ushered an era of plenty from a measly amount of milk production and distribution. Aside from the great measurable success that this project was, it also demonstrated the power of â€Å"collective might†. A small set of poor farmers of Kheda district in Gujarat had the vision and foresight to act in a way that was good for the society and not for the self alone. There have been several factors driving the restructuring of the dairy business (which has chiefly been organized around cooperative principles). These include efficiencies in managing fewer large plants versus a number of under-utilized small plants, need for more milk supply (and declining membership), need to offer wide variety, improvements in trucking & milk handling thereby facilitating long hauls, opening of new international markets (also markets for new products), seeking marketing clout and need to bring investment from outside the cooperatives. AMUL in India has learnt from many experiences and has been influenced by practices in dairies around the world especially in its formative years. It has, however, formed it own organizational structure (i.e., AMUL is a cooperative of village cooperatives) to bring about a change in the lives of marginal farmers of India. The AMUL experience has attracted considerable interest from the development community – predominantly an thropologists, development & agriculture economists, and political scientists. Key areas of their enquiry have been the role of AMUL in reducing social and economic inequality in the region of the cooperative, the sociology of cooperation, interface of the dairy cooperative and the rural power structure, relation of the State and the Cooperative and the role of government in its growth (interestingly, AMUL has successfully managed to exercise its independence from the government unlike other cooperatives in India), elements & replicability of the cooperative movement at Anand, cost effectiveness of subsidies to AMUL (in its initial years) etc. A few studies have evaluated the operational effectiveness of the operations at AMUL. Studies have reported usage of mobile veterinary dispensaries, wireless sets to link mobile units to service centers as early 1951, developing a programme of cross breeding of cows in early 1970s etc. that have led to a phenomenal rise in productivity of milk (Patel, 1988). AMUL’s Journey towards Excellence AMUL’s journey towards excellence is marked by some critical understanding of the business environment in large emerging economies like India where markets have to be developed by combining efficiency related initiatives with increasing the base of marginal suppliers and consumers. The essence of AMUL’s efforts were as follows: †¢ It combined market and social development in an emerging economy. It recognized the inter-linkages between various environments that governed the lives of marginal milk farmers and the unmet needs of consumers. It also changed the supply chain paradigm in order to reduce the cost to the consumer while increasing the return to the supplier. †¢ It realized that in order to achieve their objectives, it had to benefit a large number of people – both suppliers and consumers. While large scale had the danger of failure due to poor control and required more resources, it also had the advantage of creating a momentum that would be necessary to bring more people into the fold and thereby help more suppliers and consumers. †¢ It also realized that its goal could only be achieved in the long run and this required developing values in people and processes that were robust, replicable and transparent. †¢ It also realized that the cooperative would not be independent and viable in the face of competition if it were not financially sound. Leadership While Kaira Union (or AMUL) had the support of national leaders who were at the forefront of the Indian independence movement, its local leaders were trained in Gandhian simplicity and had their feet rooted firmly amongst people whom they had mobilized – the poor farmers of Anand. The foremost amongst them was Tribhuvandas Patel who had led the movement for the formation of cooperatives of small and marginal farmers in order to compete against investor owned enterprises on one hand, and keep bureaucracy away on the other hand. Tribhuvandas was the first Chairman of the cooperative. His skills lay in organizing the village producers, in making them believe in the power of cooperation and their rights towards improvement of human condition. He is remembered as fair and honest person whose highest sense of accountability to the members of the union laid the foundation of trust between network members. Another important aspect of his remarkable management style was his gentleness and ability to repose trust in people – he gave complete autonomy to managers of the union and earned complete commitment from them. Verghese Kurien was one such manager who would, first, shape the destiny of the Union and then the milk movement throughout the country. Several young people left better paying jobs to help create a dream of making India the milk capital of the world. Kurien had learnt the persuasive charm of Tribhuvandas through plain speaking and had soon created a cadre of highly capable managers to whom he had delegated both management as well as commitment. These leaders were created at the village, district and state levels in different organizations of the network. Tribhuvandas knew that his fledgling cooperative needed a technocrat manager who shared his concern for the farmers and also had the tenacity to organize marginal producers. Convincing farmers to join the cooperative required commitment bordering on stubbornness, a can do attitude and a desire to change lives of poor people. Verghese Kurien had those skills and had linkages to the government. He was charismatic in his communication and committed in his effort. Over a period of time, he developed a very close link with the poor farmers who, as he always says, â€Å"w ere his employers† at the cooperative. He would travel through the villages along with Tribhuvandas and work out the details of how the milk collection cooperative would work, how trucks would pickup milk from village societies, how the cattle would have to be taken care of and how all of this would help the poor milk farmer come out of poverty and the clutches of the middleman. Operational details were meticulously planned and executed. And then, he along with two of his close associates would work on the design of the dairy plant including conducting experiments to create powder out of buffalo milk – a task that was ridiculed by all who heard of it including the international aid agencies in the dairy industry. Tribhuvandas and Kurien were able to convince the government also of the value of his efforts and secured funding for several projects of the cooperative. Kurien’s biggest strength lay in his ability to convince people that the cause of rural farmers was important thus establishing an important shar ed value. Subsequently, he could convince the government to replicate the AMUL model in almost all states of the country. Strategy AMUL’s business strategy is driven by its twin objectives of (i) long-term, sustainable growth to its member farmers, and (ii) value proposition to a large customer base by providing milk and other dairy products a low price. Its strategy, which evolved over time, comprises of elements described below. Simultaneous Development of Suppliers and Customers: From the very early stages of the formation of AMUL, the cooperative realized that sustained growth for the long-term was contingent on matching supply and demand. Further, given the primitive state of the market and the suppliers of milk, their development in a synchronous manner was critical for the continued growth of the industry. The organization also recognized that in view of the poor infrastructure in India, such development could not be left to market forces and proactive interventions were required. Accordingly, AMUL and GCMMF adopted a number of strategies to assure such growth. For example, at the time AMUL was formed, the vast majority of consumers had limited purchasing power and was value conscious with very low levels of consumption of milk and other dairy products. Thus, AMUL adopted a low price strategy to make their products affordable and guarantee value to the consumer. The success of this strategy is well recognized and remains the main plank of AMUL’s strategy even today. To summarize, the dual strategy of simultaneous development of the market and member farmers has resulted in parallel growth of demand and supply at a steady pace and in turn assured the growth of the industry over an extended period of time. Cost Leadership: AMUL’s objective of providing a value proposition to a large customer base led naturally to a choice of cost leadership position. Given the low purchasing power of the Indian consumer and the marginal discretionary spending power, the only viable option for AMUL was to price its products as low as possible. This in turn led to a focus on costs and had significant implications for managing its operations and supply chain practices (described later). Focus on Core Activities: In view of its small beginnings and limited resources, it became clear fairly early that AMUL would not be in a position to be an integrated player from milk production to delivery to the consumer. Accordingly, it chose a strategy to focus on core dairy activities and rely on third parties for other complementary needs. This philosophy is reflected in almost all phases of AMUL network spanning R&D, production, collection, processing, marketing, distribution, retailing etc. For example, AMUL focused on processing of liquid milk and conversion to variety of dairy products and associated research and development. On the other hand, logistics of milk collection and distribution of products to customers was managed through third parties. However, it played a proactive role in making support services available to its members wherever it found that markets for such services were not developed. For example, in the initial stages, its small and marginal member farmers did not have access to finance, veterinary service, knowledge of basic animal husbandry etc. Thus to assure continued growth in milk production and supply, AMUL actively sought and worked with partners to provide these required services. Managing Third Party Service Providers: Well before the ideas of core competence and the role of third parties in managing the supply chain were recognized and became fashionable, these concepts were practiced by GCMMF and AMUL. From the beginning, it was recognized that the core activity for the Unions lay in processing of milk and production of dairy products. Accordingly, the Unions focused efforts on these activities and related technology development. Marketing efforts (including brand development) were assumed by GCMMF. All other activities were entrusted to third party service providers. These include logistics of milk collection, distribution of dairy products, sale of products through dealers and retail stores, some veterinary services etc. It is worth noting that a number of these third parties are not in the organized sector, and many are not professionally managed. Hence, while third parties perform the activities, the Unions and GCMMF have developed a number of mechanisms to retain control and assure quality and timely deliveries (see the sub-section on Coordination for Competitiveness later in the paper for more details). This is particularly critical for a perishable product such as liquid milk. Financial Strategy: AMUL’s finance strategy is driven primarily by its desire to be self-reliant and thus depend on internally generated resources for funding its growth and development. This choice was motivated by the relatively underdeveloped financial markets with limited access to funds, and the reluctance to depend on Government support and thus be obliged to cede control to bureaucracy. AMUL’s financial strategy may thus be characterized by two elements: (a) retention of surplus to fund growth and development, and (b) limited/ no credit, i.e., all transactions are essentially cash only. For example, payment for milk procured by village societies is in cash and within 12 hours of procurement (most, however, pay at the same time as the receipt of milk). Similarly, no dispatches of finished products are made without advance payment from distributors etc. This was particularly important, given the limited liquidity position of farmer/suppliers and the absence of banking facilities in rural India. This strategy strongly helped AMUL implement its own vision of growth and development. It is important to mention that many of the above approaches were at variance with industry practices of both domestic and MNC competitors of AMUL. Organization AMUL is organized as a cooperative of cooperatives (i.e., each village society, a cooperative in itself, is a member of the AMUL cooperative) thereby deriving the advantage of scale and uniformity in decision making. The founders of Kaira Union realized that to fulfill their objectives, a large number of marginal farmers had to benefit from the cooperative – a network of stakeholders had to be built. And once built, it had to grow so as to draw more rural poor to undertake dairy farming as a means of livelihood. The network had to have several layers – the organizational network where the voice of the owners governed all decisions, a physical network of support services and product delivery process and a network of small farmers that could deliver the benefit of a large corporation in the market place. More importantly, a process had to be put in place to build these networks. Building an organizational network that would represent the farmers and the customers was the most complicated task. A loose confederation was developed with GCMMF representing the voice of the customers, the Unions representing the milk processors and the village societies representing the farmers. Competition in the markets ensured that the entire network was responding to the requirements of the customers at prices that were very competitive. The task of ensuring that returns to the farmers was commensurate with the objectives with which the cooperatives were setup was achieved through representation of farmers at different levels of decision making throughout the network – the board of directors of societies, Unions and the Federation comprised farmers themselves. In order to ensure that most returns from sales went to the producers, the intermediaries had to operate very effectively and on razor thin margins. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise – the operations remained very â€Å"lean† and started to provide cost based advantage to the entire network. AMUL establ ished a group to standardize the process of organizing farmers into village societies. In addition to establishing the criteria for selecting members, the group had to train the VS to run the cooperative democratically, profitably and with concern for its members. This included establishing procedures for milk collection, testing, payment for milk purchased from member farmers and its subsequent sale to the union, accounting, ensuring timely collection and dispatch of milk on milk routes established by the union, etc. The Village Societies Division at AMUL acts as the internal representative of village societies in their dealings with the Union. Cooperative development programmes at the village level for educating & training its members have become an important part of the strategy to build this extensive network. Milk procurement activity at AMUL comprises development and servicing of village societies, increasing milk collection, procurement of milk from societies & its transport to the chilling locations, and resolving problems of farmers and village societies. Thei r stated objective is to ensure that producers get maximum benefits. The Village Societies Division coordinates these activities. Milk collection takes place over a large number of pre-defined routes according to a precise timetable. The field staff of this division also help village societies interface with the Union on various issues ranging from improvement of collection, resolving disputes, repair of equipments to obtaining financing for purchase of equipment etc. In addition, they are also responsible for the formation of new societies, which is an important activity at AMUL. In essence, the organization structure of AMUL allows effective utilization of resources without losing the democratic aspiration of individual members. It is obvious that such a system needs charismatic leadership to achieve consensus across issues – a process that has long-term benefits for any organization. Marketing GCMMF is the marketing arm of the network and manages the physical delivery and distribution of milk and dairy products from all the Unions to customers. GCMMF is also responsible for all decisions related to market development and customer management. These activities, which range from long-term planning to medium-term and short-term operational decisions are described below. As mentioned earlier, introduction of new products and choice of product mix and markets should be consistent with the growth strategy, and synchronous with growth in milk supply. GCMMF’s demand growth strategy may be characterized by two key elements: (i) developing markets for its high value products by graduating customer segments from low value products, and (ii) maintaining a healthy level of customer base for its base products (low value segment). This strategy often requires GCMMF to allocate sufficient quantity of milk supply to low value products, thereby sacrificing additional profits that coul d be generated by converting the same to high value products. Interestingly, advertisement & promotion (a la FMCG) was not considered to be enough of value addition and hence the budget was kept relatively small. Instead, GCMMF preferred a lower price with emphasis on efficiency in advertising. In this context, GCMMF provides umbrella branding to all the products of the network. For example, liquid milk as well as various milk products produced by different Unions are sold under the same brand name of AMUL. Interestingly, the advertising has centred on building a common identity (e.g., a happy & healthy â€Å"cartoon† AMUL girl) and evoking national emotion (e.g., the key advertising slogan says â€Å"AMUL – The Taste of India†). GCMMF also plays a key role in working with the Unions to coordinate the supply of milk and dairy products. In essence, it procures from multiple production plants (the thirteen Unions), which in turn procure from the Village Societies registered with each Union. GCMMF distributes its products through third party distribution depots that are managed by distributors who are exclusive to GCMMF. These distributors are also responsible for servicing retail outlets all over the country. GCMMF sales staff manages this process. Retailing of GCMMF’s products takes place through the FMCG retail network in India most of whom are small retailers. Liquid milk is distributed by vendors who deliver milk at homes. Since 1999, GCMMF has started web based ordering facilities for its customers. A well-defined supply chain has been developed to service customers who order in this manner.

Audience Misdirection in Magic Acts

Audience Misdirection in Magic Acts For hundreds of years, magicians have performed acts which are perceived to be impossible, causing the viewer to question how the act was performed. The viewer would generally know that act performed by the magician will use some sort of trickery or illusion, but still viewers are usually unable to detect the change when it occurs, even when the trick is in full view of the audience. Sometimes when a magician performs a magic trick, he uses misdirection to trick the audience. The magician would usually draw your attention elsewhere while the trick is being performed to stop the audience seeing how it is done (Kuhn, Amlani lasting only 15 seconds, where the magician was to drop a lighter and cigarette into his lap without the audience seeing, causing the audience to think the items had magically disappeared. First the magician removes the cigarette from the packet and deliberately puts it in his mouth the wrong way round. He then pretends to light the cigarette, which enhances the a udience’s interest in the mouth/cigarette region. Both magician and the audience then realise the mistake, and the magician turns the cigarette around with his left hand while keeping his gaze fixed on his hand and cigarette. During this time the magician drops the lighter into his lap, which is in his right hand. He then causes attention to go to the disappearance of the lighter by attempting to light the cigarette. When he is unable to light the cigarette, he looks to his right hand, snaps his fingers and waves his hand; pulling the audiences’ attention to his right hand. While the audience are looking at the disappearance of the lighter in the right hand, the magician drops the cigarette from a height of around 15cm. He then turns his gaze to his left hand, and opens it to show that the cigarette is also disappeared. The magician uses gaze direction to disguise his actions while performing the trick (Tatler however the dropping of the cigarette was done in full vie w of the audience, from about 15cm above the table top, but this action is also not usually detected, usually due to gaze misdirection. This shows that the magician successfully misdirected the audience’s overt and covert attention at the correct time during the trick, right when the disappearance occurs.

Human Dignity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Dignity - Essay Example Facts and discussion presented in this critical analysis are basically meant to support the claim that â€Å"denying human dignity which is one of the biggest ideologies of human nature through some notorious genetic advancements like cloning and assortative mating can lead the world down a very dangerous path.† This complication is well highlighted and explained by the author by way of judging the valid importance of human dignity against genetic advancements in the chapter. First, the author strives to explain how the concept if human dignity holds importance and should be respected by way of mentioning Factor X and what it professes. Factor X is identified as the basic reason why every human being should be credited with a certain level of respect and dignity. The author justifies his argument by smartly associating Factor X with the need to preserve human dignity by discussing that violating Factor X is like committing a crime against humanity which should be detested. However, many practical examples can be found even in the present world regarding how many times, certain humans are ripped off of their natural rights including dignity only because they belong from a lower class or have a different racial or ethnic background than the ruling class of a society. â€Å"We accord beings with Factor X not just human rights but, if they are adults, political rights as well† (Fukuyama 3). It is claimed in the chapter so as to support the main argume nt that why every human should be considered worthy of a certain level of respect is because Factor X is assigned by God to all humans and also because a human being is able to develop many complex relationships in life with the natural intellect god blesses him/her with which makes human beings become far superior than the rest of natural creation. Secondly, a very important disadvantage is mentioned by the author after discussing Factor X in the

Developing Leadership Capacities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Developing Leadership Capacities - Essay Example an seeing the leader as a co-equal of followers Transformational Theory Gives emphasis on the role of leadership in initiating and implementing change Attaches too much importance to the leader as a catalyst of change rather than to all the stakeholders as creators and performers of change Applying Theory U to Cross-Functional Team Leadership One theory of leadership which can help leaders positively transform cross-functional teams is theory U. The first step, going down the U’s left part, is referred to as ‘sensing’ or building up a perceived image of the organization’s present reality that should be understood and transformed (Scharmer, 2009). In a cross-functional team, it is important to develop highly committed members. ... The important questions to answer are: (1) what the team desires to create, (2) why it is important, (3) how to accomplish this, (4) who is responsible, and (5) when and where to perform this. By employing ‘sensing’, the leader of a cross-functional team is able to achieve its goal of improving service to key customers by (Kahane, 2010): (1) discovering shared ideas and perspective by sharing the story and situation that brought highly diverse people together in one team; (2) motivating and being an inspiration to the team; (3) training in deep-dive (‘do what you love, love what you do’ principle) processes and discussion interviews; (4) recognizing key stakeholders that have to be visited and known. Apparently, when relating to the team and the environment, a leader should set in motion and bring in the ‘four channels of listening’: â€Å"(1) listening from what you know, (2) from what surprises you, (3) from empathizing with the interviewee, and (4) listening from her or his authentic source or highest future possibility† (Anonymous, 2012, p. 10). Through ‘sensing’, a leader will be able to uncover the highest potential of every member of the cross-functional team with an open heart and mind. The second step is ‘presencing’, or a more profound understanding of one’s duty and function in the organization; after profoundly engrossing oneself in the perspectives and situations that are appropriate to a setting and its greatest future prospect, ‘presencing’ concentrates on tapping on a more profound source of understanding (Scharmer, 2009). In order for a leader of a cross-functional team to carry out the ‘presencing’ step successfully s/he should form circles where in s/he commits one

Blog 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Blog 3 - Essay Example To the contemporary period in which we live in, the two quotes, that is, the Quran verse and the Hadith by Prophet Muhammad play, as they were initially intended, to put greater emphasis on the need for human brotherhood and the practicing of the virtues of goodness of good actions. Essentially human beings are known to have a moral sense of ensuring that they live peacefully amongst themselves and in the current context of the life we live, the Quran verse and the Hadith from the prophet implore us to love each other and help each other (Gauss145-152). The current times are full of various evil deeds propagated by human beings; hence, it would only be essential that brotherhood among human beings is encouraged. As a virtue, the brotherhood will enable one to restrain from doing bad towards another but, only practice good actions (Gauss 102-109). Therefore, this elaborates on the significance of human morality in the former and current

William Butler Yeats Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

William Butler Yeats - Essay Example Yeats can get away with absolutely cliched poetical language like "loveliness" and still create lines of matchless significance about a woman's beauty: "How many centuries spent/The sedentary soul/In toils of measurement/Beyond eagle or mole,/Beyond hearing or seeing, Or Archimedes' guess,/To raise into being/That loveliness" (Opening song from the play Fighting the Waves). Of language he was a past master. The themes and subjects of Yeats' poetry could be varied, because he was a man of varied interests and pursuits. Yeats could combine simplicity, a concise style, and innate wisdom for commentary on war from a soldier's point of view: "I know that I shall meet my fate/Somewhere among the clouds above;/ Those that I fight I do not hate, Those that I guard I do not love;"An Irish Airman Forsees His Death, The Wild Swans at Coole. 1919). He could make a commentary on the Easter Rising in Ireland like he did with his poem Easter(1916): "Too long a sacrifice/ Can make a stone of the heart./O when may it suffice/ That is Heaven's part, our part /To murmur name upon name,/As a mother names her child /When sleep at last has come /On limbs that had run wild". Or, he could write with a deep sense of almost Wordsworthian longing for the peace and beatitude of nature: "I will arise and go now, for always night and day/ I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;/ While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,/ I hear it in the deep heart's core".(The Lake Isle of Innisfree, The Rose, 1893). In his final years, Yeats was also known to give expression of his occultist beliefs in a 2000-year cycle of existence: "The darkness drops again but now I know/ That twenty centuries of stony sleep/ Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,/ And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,/ Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born"( The Second Coming, Michael Robartes and the Dancer.1919) This range and versatility is the outcome of a lifetime of evolution, because Yeats is one of those rare breed of creative minds who can produce their best work in their waning years. Yeats was born on 13 June 1865, and came from an Anglo-Irish heritage. It was his mother who introduced him to Irish folktales which were to be an important influence on his poetry. He had ideal parents for his profession as a poet : "Yeats has told of the deep emotional reserves in his Sligo-born mother, "whose actions were unreasoning and habitual like the seasons. From his father, John Butler Yeats, a man of original mind who had been trained in the law but turned to painting and to the pre-Raphaelite enthusiasms current in the '70s and '80s, Yeats early heard that "intensity was important above all things." (Bogan, 1938) Yeats was moved to London from Ireland when he was two, and remained there for all his schooling till he enrolled in the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin for two years in 1884, and here he saw the early beginnings of his poetry. In Dublin he made famous acquaintances like G.B. Shaw, and W.E. Henley, and soon began to publish poetry, and in 1889, came out with The Wanderings of Usheen [Oisin] which included works

Wise Blood By Flannery OConnor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wise Blood By Flannery OConnor - Essay Example For instance, Motes has the character of a martyr, despite spending most of his time trying to run away from God. As a child, Haze was convinced he could avoid Jesus if he avoided committing sins. When this does not seem to work, he becomes determined to convert to nothing. Motes cannot go to any place without people mistaking him for a preacher, no matter his actions. Nevertheless, the key purpose of the novel is to show that here is an exploration of repercussions of the decision made by Motes after deciding to reject God. Sin and forgiveness, as a theme is clearly depicted in almost all the characters, in the novel. When Motes pursues the new prophet, Solace Layfield, Motes rams his car and runs over him. Right before Layfield dies; he confesses his sins, including the fact that the car was stolen and asks Jesus for help. This scene serves to the give the novel a moralistic lesson. Readers learn that it is difficult to deny Christ’s salvation in both life and death; in deat h, Layfield does not resist Christ’s presence and asks for forgiveness. The idea in his mind, that, Jesus would have sacrificed his life for every sinner â€Å"in ten million deaths† (p.10), haunts Motes. Motes later comes to a conclusion that he does not believe in such beliefs as evidenced in the text; â€Å"There was already a deep black wordless conviction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ .... The author indicates that Motes soon realized that he was not supposed to watch a naked lady, let alone one in a casket, as it was sinful to do so. Motes punished himself for his actions. O’Connor also quotes for her readers, on her views on sin; â€Å"You can tell people better how terrible sin is if you know from your own personal experience.† (O’Connor 15). It is evident that the author is sending the message; sexuality is sinful. The figure of Christ is the other theme, in the novel. O’Connor informs her readers that before Motes decided to join the army, he wanted to become a preacher. Motes goes home only to avoid Jesus who appears in his mind numerous times. As the author explains, no matter what Motes does Jesus moves "†¦from tree to tree in the back of his mind, a wild, ragged figure motioning him..."(O’Connor 47). It is a figure that reminds Motes he is in dire need of salvation. Hazel Motes returns to the small town only to establish the â€Å"Church without Christ†. Hawk, a preacher in the town informs Motes that he will never run away from Jesus, but despite being told this, Motes still believes that Jesus does not exist. This is evidenced when he says â€Å"I’m going to preach a new church; the church of truth without Jesus Christ Crucified (O’Connor 28). O’Connor’s assertion of the figure of Christ is also depicted through the use of signs. When Motes drives all the way into the country, he stops and sees a sign that says â€Å"†¦Jesus Saves†. This emphasizes the fact that Motes cannot escape Jesus Christ, despites all the efforts used. The working of God’s grace in a person’s life is also another key theme in Wise Blood. O’Connor’s concept of Grace in the central character, Hazel Motes, is strongly enforced

The Fund for Electronic goods recycling project Essay

The Fund for Electronic goods recycling project - Essay Example Discussion Available funding bodies Small business owners need to rely on investors for financing their activities. For any start-up of a business or introducing a new product, upgrading of equipment, investors are required to help provide the company with funds. There are several types of investors for a business. They are as follows. Angle Investors Angle investors are basically affluent individuals who provide funds for a business start-up. He usually does it in exchange for ownership equity or convertible debt. An Angel investor follows his basic instincts and accordingly invests in businesses which may otherwise face difficulties in attracting other investors to fund their operation. In some cases they want to get a share of their investment in case of profit by the business. He will want a certain predetermined percentage of his investment or in other cases in may want partial ownership of the business in which he has invested, or in other cases management decisions. Angel inve stors invest typically from hundreds or thousands to a few million dollars. Advantages of angel investors Most angel investors can provide business with the ability to generate small amounts of money needed. It can be less than $5, 00,000 or even upto $ 1 million. Since most early ventures require small amount so money, Angel investors can provide them with this amount from their own personal source of funds. When entrepreneurs have exhausted their supply of money from family, friend, bank loans, personal savings and credit cards for their start-up business they can seek the help of angel investors to help fill the equity gap needed to do the business. Angel investors are more flexible in their business arrangement as compared to traditional source of money lenders like venture capitalist and banks. Since they invest their own money it is possible to negotiate their business deals. They also don’t require highly monthly fees as required by banks and credit cards. Angel invest ors typically invest according to their own risk. Hence it is considered as high risk business investments. Since there is no record of company success for the new start-up, the angle investors is perfect for start-up. Also nowadays Angel investors are typically located everywhere across all the industries. Disadvantages of angel investors Angel investors typically do not make follow on investments, because of the risk associated with reinvesting is even more for an unsuccessful company. Angel investors can sometimes be deceptive. Though majority of the angel investors can look beyond the return of their investments, there are few angel investors who are greedy and want more money in return rather than promoting good for the company. Also they tend to be less patient with new entrepreneurs and hence don’t provide them with proper guidance or mentoring in their early stage of the business. Sometimes the return on investment which they want can be costly. Peer-To-Peer Lending P eer-to-Peer lending which is also known as social lending, person-to-person lending is the process of lending money to its peers also known as unrelated individuals, without going through banks or other financial intermediary (Mu and Gnyawali, 2003, pp. 689-711). These types of lending typically takes place online on company’

Kentucky Fried Chicken Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 35

Kentucky Fried Chicken - Case Study Example According to the study, increased political turmoil constantly threatens the existence of KFC in it e.g. in Jan 1, 1994; around 150 people were killed in the Mexican province of Chiapas on the Guatemala border when NAFTA went into effect. In another incident of 1998, the peso crisis resulted in recession in Mexico leaving KFC managers with a great deal of uncertainty regarding Mexico’s political and economic future. This has led to KFC approaching investment in Mexico conservatively until the time when greater economic and political stability is achieved. KFC employs the perfect strategies in selecting its man power and operational procedures. For instance, in china it employed managers who speak and write the native Chinese language, and who is also proficient in the restaurant business and understands the needs of the local Chinese customers better. Its employment plan is localized through hiring the locals. All materials and chicken come from the local supply chains thus en suring that the customers and surrounding communities feel as if they are also one big part of KFC’s existence. It also moved quickly to establish itself by expanding its branches to different parts of the countries in which it had started offering its services so as to serve a larger percentage of the population. Creating its own distribution system has ensured that supplies reach the store network at an appropriate time and in good condition. It has also emphasized on extensive staff and management training on preparation and customer relations and logistics which helps it to attract more customers. Since the early 2000s, fast food has been criticized on the links to obesity, negative environmental impact and cruelty records pertaining to animal welfare. KFCs choice of poultry suppliers worldwide has been protested by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) since 2003.

Rewards of Teaching ( A Reflection of Experience) Essay Example for Free

Rewards of Teaching ( A Reflection of Experience) Essay â€Å"Never in my wildest dreams have I dreamt of becoming a teacher.† This was my introductory line when I delivered my impromptu speech in front of a group of teachers who took master’s class at Xavier University. Along with this line were scenarios flashing back. . . My elementary and high school teachers tagging along not just big bags full of teaching materials but with commercial stuff to help augment the meager income they received in doing the taxing and heart quenching job of teaching. They were to me, missionaries who painstakingly labored their way out just to reach out to the young populace in far flung areas and made education available despite low salaries and in limbo benefits. Teachers were images of sacrifice, of service, and of deprivation to financial stability. They are sacrificial lambs in many occasions and situations which call for heroism. They are full of passion and are too busy to be in fashion and I could see how laborious their work was. These were reasons why I told myself that I should not become one. But fate has it all that brought me to my most dreaded profession. Situations and conditions pre-determined my destiny and it took me awhile to realize that it was never an accident that I matriculated education during college and that I was meant to become a teacher for life. It was during my early years of teaching when I truly realized that indeed teaching has never been an easy task. It is always paralleled with drawbacks, challenging responsibilities and unswerving demands of the job. It is twinned with orders, circulars, and memorandums which are bound to be followed and implemented. It is in fact, a profession which requires a certain degree of commitment, patience, service-orientation, level-headedness, and docility of heart to perform the tasks/responsibilities expected of it. In teaching, the teachers are duty bound to obey (sometimes blind obedience is deemed necessary) any policy and to perform its vast and enormous culpability. That is why teachers are always at risk and are prone to various stressors which in many cases have caused frailty. A lot of factors are to be considered in order not be weighed down by its pressures. Often times, the call of duty impede our personal desires and whimsical pleasures. The deadlines we have to meet, the requirements we have submit, the lessons and strategies we have to prepare, the clienteles we have to face, the co- workers we have to deal and the superiors we have to obey orders with are the myriad responsibilities a teacher has to perform. But my number of years in teaching has aligned my thoughts and has shaped my emotions. The day to day experiences and encounter with children has proven me wrong that despite the demands and challenges, there is fulfillment in teaching. There is a sense of pride and joy in knowing that children under your care have been formed into a total person and have become successful and great assets in the society where they belong. When students come back and say their pieces of sincere thank you, a certain feeling of elation is somehow felt bringing to mind the fruition of what I have labored for. With this thought, an inmost joy is felt knowing that I had my share in the most noble profession and mission of molding the hearts and minds of the children and above all, I have my share in building a nation with a promising future †¦ Furthermore, there is a rewarding feeling, knowing that, what I do in the service of the youngsters is my way of serving my creator, the Greatest Author and Teacher of all times. And in faith I know that my sacrifices will never be in vain in the eyes of my Master Teacher my unseen partner. My only prayer is to bloom in this vineyard where He has planted me and not to grow weary despite the tests that He prepared for me! Now I realized that, â€Å"never in my wildest dreams have I dreamt of becoming a teacher† because I was molded and predestined to be. HE is my potter and I’m just a clay.

School prefects generally enforce rules Essay Example for Free

School prefects generally enforce rules Essay 1. Prefects have been part of the British school system for decades, but many Americans had not heard of the concept until the advent of the Harry Potter books. School prefects are somewhat similar to the American hall monitor; students who are basically an extension of the school administration and are utilized to enforce school regulations. Prefects are usually chosen because of their maturity, leadership qualities and good behavior, so being chosen as a prefect Prefects are student leaders typically chosen by their teachers or peers based on academic or moral merit. Generally found in private education institutions in Great Britain, the school prefect plays a role similar to that of a hall monitor or student body government representative. Being a prefect requires leadership, responsibility and dedication to the management and efficiency of school policy in regard to his fellow students. Prefects are assigned area-specific duties on a daily basis to make sure school standards are continuously maintained. 1. Monitor Designated Areas * Prefects usually monitor one or more specific areas of the school, such as the hallways, library, common areas, lunchroom, bathrooms and assembly rooms. It is each prefects job to know when and where he is on duty at all times. But prefects are never off duty altogether, and may still administer discipline in an area they are not not assigned. In general, monitoring an area entails ensuring the students are maintaining good behavior, that there is no yelling, running, loitering or other disorderly behavior, and that the area is kept clean and free of trash. Prefects also must make sure any queue lines are orderly and that movement in and out of the area is carried out in an effective and efficient manner. 2.Uphold School Rules and Regulations * Prefects are, above all, leaders and role models for their fellow students. As such, it is important that they embody, follow and uphold all school rules and regulations, including dress and behavior codes. They should treat other students with dignity and respect, attempting to solve all disciplinary matters without physical action or intimidation. Prefects should remind their fellow students of the rules without arguing or debating the topic, and should discipline everyone in the same manner, leaving out personal or emotional payback. * 3.Report Incidents * When a prefect cannot handle a difficult situation himself, he must report the incident according to school policy. Reportable incidents include intimidation or abuse of fellow students, damage to personal or school property, breaking school rules and situations of severe personal disrespect. Methods of reporting incidents include notifying a senior prefect, a teacher or other administrator, or by filling out a form which leaves the situation to be dealt with by an appropriate staff member. Students will them be reprimanded or punished according to school policy for the specific matter. it has its irritations, is considered an honor. 4.Lead by Example * One of the most important duties of a head boy is to lead by example. Each day at school, he must act in keeping with school rules and regulations, keeping in mind that other students will look to him for behavioral clues. This includes showing up to class on time, participating in school events, maintaining good grades and showing school spirit at sporting events. 5.Represent the School Head boys are often required to be ambassadors for their school at events around the county or even the country. At these events, which may include festivals and conferences, the head boy may speak on behalf of the student body, volunteer or man a school booth. At school parents evenings 6.Organize Prefect Duties * The head boy is responsible for organizing school prefects, who are leaders from each grade level. He must plan and assign duties, head meetings, explain the rules and regulations and is often the first line for prefect conflicts. The head boy ensures that prefects are taking care of their supervisory responsibilities and may speak with teachers to discuss any issues. 7.Participate on Committees * During the course of a school year, the head boy is responsible for serving on various committees to plan school events. He may head up committees for dances, school carnivals, newspaper activities, clubs or other organized events. He may also handle fund-raising events. 8.Read Daily Bulletins * Depending on the school, the head boy may read daily announcements, whether it be over a loudspeaker system or in person at assembly. 9.Resource for Students * The head boy is often the person younger students go to when they are having problems with bullies or when they run into other trouble at school. Depending on the school, the head boy has a varying level of authority in such situations, but is always able to give advice and may organize a mediation session when necessary.

The Social Effect Of Extracurricular Activities English Language Essay

The Social Effect Of Extracurricular Activities English Language Essay The present chapter intends to present some of the most prominent issues concerning employing extracurricular activities and their effect on the learners achievement in writing in general and in the ELT in particular. Also, its relation with attitude of the learners, writing apprehension, and the emergence of different strategies will be under study. Extracurricular Activities in ESL/EFL Context Extracurricular activities play an important role in todays secondary education programs (Holland Andre, 1987).The development of extracurricular activities was slow in the beginning, with many seeing it simply as a temporary fashion that would pass and quickly lose its style (Millard, 1930, as cited in Broh, 2002). One of the early philosophies behind extracurricular activities was that they should, wherever at all possible, grow out of curricular activities and return to curricular activities to enrich them (Millard, 1930, p. 12, cited in Broh, 2002, p. 71). Eventually people, including educators, began to see the benefits of extracurricular activities, but it took a while to assimilate with the new trend. In fact, before 1900, educators were suspicious of participation in extracurricular activities, believing that school should focus solely on narrowly defined academic outcomes. Non-academic activities were viewed as being primarily recreational and therefore were detrimental to academic achievement, and consequently were discouraged (Marsh Kleitman, 2002, p. 5). Early experts on extracurricular activities including Millard (1930, cited in Broh, 2002) believed that Extracurricular activities supplement and extend those contacts and experiences found in the more formal part of the program of the school day (p. 16). It was not until recently that educational practitioners and researchers have taken a more positive perspective and asserting that extracurricular activities may have positive effects on life skills and may also benefit acade mic achievements (Marsh Kleitman, 2002). Kuh (1993) asserted that more than70% of what students learn in college comes from extra-curricular activities and that most students believe that the activities they do out of class provide the most significant learning experiences (Moffatt, 1989). In addition to the confirmations made by these researchers, the students themselves asserted that extracurricular activities contributed to their maturation (Kuh, 1993). Jugovics (2011) positive perspective about extracurricular activities was concerned about the power of such activities to overcome some difficulties in the language classroom. He believed that it is advantageous to think outside the box, and in various contexts, to consider and apply the physical aspect of language learning such as integrating simple activities like talking and walking, which occur in natural communicative situations (Jugovic, 2011). There have been some studies devoted to studying the relationship between student involvement in activities and student academic achievement and the optimal proficiency in a foreign language (Jogovic, 2011; Marsh Kleitman, 2002). Although a positive correlation has been shown in many of these studies, there is still a fierce battle among educators concerning the need for extracurricular activities. Even some researches took a more neutral stand and attribute the ultimate influence of extracurricular activities to the context in which they occur (Shephard, 1996). They assert that extracurricular activities can have a positive or negative impact on students, depending on the context in which they are experienced. One way of viewing the impact of after-school activities is to apply a risk and resilience framework to them. Under certain circumstances after-school programs may present deficiencies (detract from positive growth and development); while under others they may provide protect ive impacts (prevent students who are at risk for negative outcomes from experiencing those outcomes). Two positions appear to be prevalent in todays academic community regarding extracurricular activities (Marsh, 1992). These are referred to as either the academic or developmental perspective. The academic perspective considers extracurricular activities as purely leisure and not part of the purpose of schools. The developmental perspective considers extracurricular activities necessary to the total development of the student in todays schools (Holland Andre, 1987). Educators who believe in the developmental perspective see activities as an extension of the educational program. Furthermore, participation in these activities is positively associated with many student characteristics. Activities allow students to develop skills such as leadership, sportsmanship, self-discipline, self-confidence, and the ability to handle competitive conditions. Participation is associated with higher levels of self-esteem (Marsh, 1992; McNamara, 1985; Simeroth, 1987). Participation is also related to lower delinquency rates (Marsh, 1992; Newman, 1991). Howley and Huang (1991) found that extracurricular activity across different schools exhibited a positive correlation on academic achievement. McNamara (1985) concluded in his study that students benefit academically if they participated in high, moderate, or low numbers of extracurricular activity. Extracurricular activities offer an opportunity to interact in ways that allow the previously mentioned skills to develop. The developmental professionals believe that many of these skills would be impossible or very difficult to develop in a classroom setting. Marsh (1992) stated: According to different theoretical perspectives, extracurricular activity participation may be posited to (a) divert attention from academic pursuits, as evidenced by its negative effects on narrowly defined academic goals; (b) have little or no effect on academic outcomes but contribute to desirable nonacademic outcomes; or (c) have positive effects on nonacademic outcomes and facilitate academic growth, perhaps indirectly, as well. (p. 553) According to Marsh (1992), extracurricular activities may have both positive and negative effect on students academic growth. Based on this statement, Jordan and Nettles (2000) referred to structured after-school activities which have been associated with higher educational outcomes. Jordan and Nettles (2000), in their analysis of data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988, found that student participation in structured activities, religious activities, and time with adults during 10th grade had a significant positive effect on educational outcomes for those same students in 12th grade. Conversely, students who spent more unstructured time were at greater risk of negative educational outcomes. The authors provided a model reflecting that in addition to student characteristics and factors inherent in the school context, the investments students make during their off hours in themselves and in their community affects their investment in schooling and, consequently, t heir performance in school. It is important to note that the extracurricular activities examined in the study were broad-based, and did not specifically included homework assistance programs. Cosden, Morrison, Albanese, Macias (2001, cited in Jogovic, 2011) summarized the outcomes of 10 studies on structured after-school programs that offered students assistance with homework and other academic needs. Nearly all of the studies focused on children considered at risk for school failure as a result of low income, limited familial resources, and/ or poor grades. Further, these after-school programs offered a broad range of activities in addition to academic support (Beck, 1999; Halpern, 1992; Posner Vandell, 1999). While the nature of the academic support varied, each program provided children with structure and adult contact. The full impact of these programs on the students academic performance appeared to be combined by other child and teacher factors, such as increases in the childs self-esteem and school bonding and changes in teacher impressions regarding the effort and abilities of the students. In a comprehensive study, Cooper, Valentine, Nye, Lindsay (1999) also examined the relation between after-school activities and academic achievement as measured by standardized tests and teacher-assigned grades among students in grades 6 through 12. Using a questionnaire, adolescents reported approximately how much time they spent on homework, working at a job, extracurricular activities, structured groups outside of school, and watching television. Findings revealed that more time in extracurricular activities and less time in jobs and watching television were associated with higher test scores and grades. In addition, more time on homework was associated with better grades. In another study, both Beck (1999) and Halpern (1992) conducted qualitative evaluations of the dynamics of large, urban after-school programs. Beck (1999) studied a program that was suitable for youth from kindergarten through 12th grade. The author reported that the factors crucial to the programs success were the provision of a structured time and location for doing homework and instructional support. Beck (1999) suggested that academic outcomes of this program were conflated by changes in the students self-confidence as well as changes in teacher impressions of the students endeavors. Halpern (1992) conducted a qualitative evaluation of a program that provided after-school homework assistance to younger children (5-12 years old). Similar to Beck (1999), Halpern (1992) found that participation gave students greater confidence in their abilities and provided an opportunity to develop positive, school-related, adult attachments. Although the findings of these two studies were descriptive and did not identify causal relationships between homework completion and academic performance, they suggested that homework completion can affect students perceptions of themselves and teachers expectations of students in meaningful ways. In a comprehensive study of 400 elementary school children in several different after-school programs, Ross et al. (1992) provided support for using these programs to build self-esteem, while also finding that self-esteem can be a predictor of academic performance. The researchers found that participation in an after-school program designed to build self-esteem had positive effects on standardized test scores in math and reading, while receiving extended school time to complete homework did not have the same positive effects on self-esteem or achievement. These findings strengthen the idea that after-school academic support does the greatest achievement when it enhances the students perceptions that they can be successful at school. Several other studies (e.g., Morrison et al., 2000) have found that after-school academic tutoring or homework assistance may not result in an improvement in academic performance, but, rather, prevent a decline in performance that is evidenced by many at-risk youth. The extracurricular activities such as watching were connected to cognitive development of students (Shin, 2004). The amount and quality of television viewing and family involvement were not the only influences of helping at risk students. The effects of music and sports were also influential in their relation to the prevention of this decline. Morrison et al. (2000) studied 350 at-risk students, half of whom participated in an after-school program that provided homework assistance, tutoring, and cultural enrichment activities. They found after 1 year students in the program maintained their initial levels of school bonding and teacher ratings of student behavior, while some of students who did not participate in the program showed decreases on these measures over the same period of time. Ross et al. (1992) evaluated an after-school tutoring program serving low-income African American students. After 2 years, participants did not show significant increases in grades, but students who were not in the program showed a significant grade decrease. Together, these studies indicate that after-school academic support may play a protective role by helping to prevent a loss of school engagement even if it doesnt result in higher levels of functioning and academic success. Based on the concept of extracurricular activities, The Gevirtz Homework Project (Cosden, Morrison, Albanese, Macias, 2001) was established as an after school program. It differed from other previously reviewed after-school assistance programs in that it included students who were not at risk for school failure. All fourth-grade students in three participating schools were engaged in the project, with students randomly assigned to treatment (Homework Project) and non-treatment after homogenizing them into high, medium, and low achievement groups at school. Students were also homogenized on the basis of ethnicity and English proficiency, with equal numbers assigned to the homework project and to the non-treatment control group. The program was designed to provide students with homework assistance and to help them learn study skills. Students attended the program 2-3 times a week over a period of 3 years (Grades 4-6); although during the specified time the lack of attendance of some m embers in the treatment group was observed. All students in the Homework Project and the non-treatment control group were assessed at the beginning and end of each grade. Measures included students ratings of their impressions of school belonging, teacher ratings of student behavior, student grades, and standardized test scores from the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-9). At the end of sixth grade, teachers rated English language learner participants in the homework project higher in academic effort and study skills than English language learners in the control group. This was not the case for students who were proficient in English. That is, students with English proficiency in the treatment and control groups had similar teacher ratings and academic outcomes at the end of the 3-year project. Further, there was higher overall attrition from the treatment group for English proficient students. It appeared that regular attendance in the Homework Project in fourth grade helped students develop study skills, which they were able to use in later years. This was supported by student interviews conducted as part of the process evaluation (Brown Herrity, 2001). In particular, the investigators found that students who benefited the most from the Project were those who learned to do homework right after coming home from school, while children who benefited le ast did not. For example, one child stated, Most of the time I start my homework right away (after school). I didnt do this in third grade. I guess I got in the habit from the Homework Project (Brown Herrity, 2001, p. 8). Some other studies, reported on the low dropout rate of students in school by doing the extracurricular activities (Cooper, Valentine, Nye, Lindsey, 1999; Gerber, 1996; Jordan, 2000; Mahoney Cairns, 1997). These studies typically assessed involvement in non-academic activities, most of which occurred after school hours. Rather than divert students from meeting their academic goals, studies found that students engaged in extracurricular activitiesincluding sports, service clubs, and art activitieswere less likely to drop out (Mahoney Cairns, 1997) and more likely to have high academic achievement (Gerber, 1996). Of particular importance, students at risk for school failure appeared to benefit even more from participation in extracurricular activities than do children who were normal achievers. Most researchers believed that involvement in extracurricular activities had an indirect impact on achievement by increasing connectedness to the school and by helping to build student strengths, thereby increasing self-esteem and positive social networks. Mahoney and Cairns (1997) noted that while supportive academic programs focus on the deficits of students, involvement in high interest, non-academic activities provides a gateway into conventional social networks through the maintenance and enhancement of positive characteristics of the individual that strengthen the student-school connection (p. 248). 2.2.1. Social Effect of Extracurricular Activities With regard to the importance of the extracurricular activities, a great body of research has been done to evaluate the social aspects of these activities on the development of students personal and interpersonal characteristics and the ultimate result in language proficiency (Astin, 1985; Tinto, 1993; Pascarella Terenzini, 2005). Some researchers focused on the affective side of extracurricular activities. One study found that adolescents who participated in extracurricular activities reported higher grades, more positive attitudes toward school, and higher academic aspirations (Darling, Caldwell, Smith, 2005). Darling, et al (2005) conducted a longitudinal study concerning extracurricular activities and their effect on various aspects of development, including academic performance. A survey containing a list of twenty different extracurricular activities was distributed to students; they were asked to check which extracurricular activities they participated in that year. Demographic questions, such as their favorite activity, gender, and ethnicity were asked in order to take the social factors and influences into account when calculating the results. The students were also asked what their academic goals were and their grade point average (GPA). The results indicated that the students who participated in sc hool-based extracurricular activities had higher grades, higher academic aspirations, and better academic attitudes than those who were not involved in extracurricular activities at all. McNeal (1995) also attributed the low rate of school drop outs to the affective aspect of extracurricular activities. The outcome of his research was observed primarily among students who were at highest risk for dropout. The association between reduced rates of early school dropout and extracurricular involvement differed according to the competence of the individual. For students in the risk clusters, the associated reduction in dropout was stronger compared with more competent students. For students whose prior commitment to the school and its values had been marginal, such participation provided an opportunity to create a positive and voluntary connection to the educational institution. Unlike optional procedures (e.g., school dropout prevention programs, remedial education), which focused on the deficits of students, extracurricular activities can provide a path into the conventional social networks while, concurrently, promoting individual interests, achievements, and goals (Ed er, 1985; Kinney, 1993; McNeal, 1995). Thus, school dropout could be effectively decreased through the maintenance and enhancement of positive characteristics of the individual which intensified the student-school connection. Kinney (1993) commented that the associated reduction in school dropout was greater during early high school. One explanation is that the increased diversity of activities offered in high school provided adolescents more opportunity for activity participation suited to their interest-ability (Kinney, 1993). The range of activities included in the domains that risk students most often participated (athletics, fine arts, and vocational) increased during high school, as did their participation in these areas. Also many activities highlighted in yearbooks required expertise in particular domains (e.g., music, sports, languages, mathematics, science), some school activities required minimal academic performance in order to be eligible for participation in them. Furthermore, socioeconomic status, although not a general barrier to participation, could influence the types of activities students would choose to participate and the attainment of status within those activities was crucial for s tudents (Coleman, 1961, cited in Jordan, 2000). Thus, the effect could be stronger in high school because participation increases as a result of greater opportunity. In an exhaustive survey, Kinney (1993) referred to North American public secondary schools as unique educational places which offer a range of pursuits in classroom and beyond. In addition to offering a broad academic curriculum, middle schools and high schools encourage students to participate in various extracurricular activities; these include organized sports, special-interest academic pursuits, vocational clubs, supervised student government, newspapers, yearbooks, and various other activities. Extracurricular activities differ from standard courses in American school because they are optional, ungraded, and are usually carried out outside the school day in school. The researcher mentioned that although these activities are extra to the curriculum, they are closely linked to academic achievement and performance (e.g., math club, French club, national honor society). He concluded that the participation in this kind of context would enhance learning instruction. For example, parti cipation could raise an individuals status within the school, extend her or his social affiliations in the school community (Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, Whalen, 1993; Eder, 1985; Eder Parker, 1987; Kinney, 1993), or enable both to occur. The impact would be to make school a more meaningful and attractive experience for students who have experienced few successes in academic subjects. An overview of the educational and psychological literature on the effects of extracurricular activities indicates, curiously, that only subtle attention has been given to the effects of extracurricular activities for marginal students (e.g., Brown, 1988; Holland Andre, 1987). In contrast, a large amount of work has concentrated on the role of extracurricular activities for the smartest and the most privileged students. Specifically, (a) activities and positions of leadership may indicate only a small number of individuals (Brabd, 1987; Hollingshead, 1949, cited in Broh, 2002; Cooper, et al, 1999), (b) students of high socioeconomic class tend to report more engagement than lower class students and show greater leadership and talent within these activities (Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, Whalen, 1993; Hollingshead, 1949, in Broh, 2002), (c) girls tend to participate in more activities than boys (Coleman, 1961; Hollingshead, 1949; Jacobs Chase, 1989 all cited in Broh, 2002), (d) those individuals who participate in interesting activities tend to be popular with peers, are school leaders, and may be influential in conducting the status norms of the school social system (Coleman, 1961, cited in Broh, 2002; Eder, 1985; Eder Parker, 1987; Kinney, 1993), and (e) participation in academically linked activities is connected with somewhat higher levels of academic performance and educational attainment (Brown, Day Jones,1983; Marsh, 1992; McNeal, 1995; Shephard, 1996). Extracurricular activities also may facilitate the development of qualities such as determination and perseverance. Individuals with these characteristics may be less likely to surrender when they face challenging tasks at school, which also may explain the researchers found an association between extracurricular activities and school self-esteem (Marsh, 1992). 2.2.2. Formal and Informal Extracurricular Activities Some researchers have divided extracurricular activities into informal and formal activities. The formal activities include activities which are relatively structured, such as participating in athletics or learning to play a musical instrument. Informal activities, on the other hand, also known as leisure activities, include less structured activities, such as watching television. Some literature on leisure studies has suggested that formal and informal activity settings have different influences on motivation and feelings of competence (Guest Schneider, 2003). One study found that more time in leisure activities was related to poorer academic grades, poorer work habits, and poorer emotional adjustments, while more time in structured groups and less time watching TV were associated with higher test scores and school grades (Marsh Kleitman, 2002, p.5). Structured activities outside of school may also facilitate the development of social ties (Eccles Barber, 1999; Larson, 1994). Time in organized activities, for example, may bring youth into contact with peers and adults who share their interests. Interactions with well-adjusted peers who share similar goals and aspirations, in turn, can motivate youth to do well in school and cause interest in future educational and occupational pursuits (Jordan Nettles, 2000). Jordan and Nettles (2000) also used broader conceptualizations of youths time outside of school among high school students and found that students who spent more time in structured activities (e.g., youth groups, sports) as well as students who spent more time alone in skill-building activities (e.g., computers, hobbies, reading) had higher math and science achievement. Schreiber and Chambers (2002) categorized adolescents after-school activities as in- or out-of school, academic or nonacademic, and organized or unorganized. Focusing on results for eighth grade African American adolescents, these researchers found that participation in out-of-school, nonacademic, organized activities (e.g., neighborhood clubs, nonschool team sports) was negatively related to math achievement, and participation in out-of-school, academic, unorganized activities (e.g., homework) was positively related to math achievement. These findings are consistent with theories about the benefits of participation in structured activities, which claim that such activities provide adolescents with opportunities to learn and develop skills (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Larson Verma, 1999). In addition to specific skills, participating in sports and clubs may facilitate learning organizational, planning, and time management skills that are important for school success. Furthermore, participa tion may have implications for the self-system (Holland Andre, 1987). For example, participating on a sports team may promote self-confidence. Also students learn the attitude of respect toward their counterparts. They try to tie up their good school relationships and continue their friendships outside of the context of school. The feeling of self efficacy can also be developed within individuals as they see themselves supporters of other fellow students and the leaders of the groups. Leadership qualities are the special personal traits that their root can be strengthened within school days. 2.2.3. Academic Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular activities that focus on academic areas include the school newspaper, quiz team, science club, school government, and debate team or journalism club. Each of these activities promotes academic excellence and provides students with an opportunity to expand their content knowledge outside the classroom (Linder, 1999). While building leadership skills, students will also learn the advantages of technical writing, keeping and meeting deadlines and public speaking. Students will also have opportunities to broaden their content knowledge about unfamiliar subjects by conducting research in preparation for debates or academic competitions (Mahoney Cairns, 1997). Regarding the role of extracurricular activities for ESL/EFL students, Al-Ansari (2000) confirmed the previous research that  sheltered curricular exposure to the target language through English-medium instruction would seem intuitively to be a qualitatively different and potentially much richer source of intake than other, less sheltered kinds of exposure, especially as far as the development of academic proficiency in the target language is concerned (Krashen 1982; Wigzell 1983; Wesche Ready 1985). ).  In order to verify this impression, Al-Ansari (2000) carried out a study in a sample of Bahraini university students. He gave the students two types of questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire was designed to measure the amount of extra-curricular contact and the second part the amount of curricular contact through English-medium instruction in subjects other than English language.  Ã‚  For the first part of the questionnaire, a set of questions, each with three alternative responses, was formulated to measure the frequency/duration of each of the modes of contact: Extra-curricular listening activities included watching English videos, films and TV shows, listening to English programs on the radio. Listening activities consisted of both academic and nonacademic extracurricular activities. The next category was out-of-class speaking activities with various categories of competent English speakers such as parents, teachers, fellow-students and others, both on and off campus. Like the previous category, this one also included both academic and nonacademic extracurricular activities. The thi rd classification was reading activities involving different kinds of reading materials in English such as newspapers and magazines, stories, non-fictional material other than course-related material. The focus of this category was mainly nonacademic materials. Next item was social interaction with the target language community within Bahrain in places such as home, in clubs, recreation centers and other locations. Here the emphasis was mostly on nonacademic activities. The next part of the questionnaire belonged to questions regarding contact hours of English-medium instruction per week. The findings with regard to extra-curricular contact had different implications for different categories of learners.  As far as the average achievers were concerned, the implications were clear:  in order to improve their proficiency level, they need to be more engaged in various extra-curricular activities in the target language, especially listening and speaking activities. The results obtained for high achievers and underachievers, however, suggested that contact with the language outside the classroom was not a solution that would guarantee further linguistic development at all levels of attainment.  With regard to the underachievers or false beginners, the findings were consistent with two possible inferences:  either their level of proficiency was too low for them to derive any benefit from the kind of extra-curricular exposure they got to the language, which would suggest that much of the input they received was largely incomprehensible, or they did not have the necessary cognitive and verbal characteristics to derive the kind of benefit from their exposure that would be reflected in higher scores in an academically biased proficiency test Much of what has emerged from the Al-Ansaris (2000) study supported Krashens (1982) views.  Central to his main thesis is the claim that certain linguistic environments and certain kinds of linguistic activity are a richer source of intake than others.  This claim was proved by Al-Ansaris (2000) findings, which presented that sheltered curricular exposure correlates more consistently with attained levels of proficiency than unsheltered extra-curricular exposure. In another study, Dheram and Rani (2007) carried out a study on how the newspaper as an academic extracurricular activity could be used for promoting learner autonomy in an international classroom with varying levels of English proficiency. It highlighted how the authentic use of the language helped the ESL/EFL teacher turn the newspaper into a powerful tool for encouraging reflections on its relevance to language learning. Similarly, the activities demonstrated how the students imaginative and creative potential could be used for

Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay -- Raymond Carver Cathedral Literatur

Raymond Carver's Cathedral Raymond Carver utilizes his character of the husband, who is also the narrator, in his short story "Cathedral." From the beginning of the story the narrator has a negative personality. He lacks compassion, has a narrow mind, is detached emotionally from others, and is jealous of his wife's friendship with a blind man named Robert. He never connects with anyone emotionally until the end of this story. At the beginning of the story the husband is telling of a blind man coming to visit him and his wife. The narrator?s wife had worked for the blind man at one point. Since then they have maintained a strong friendship and keep in touch with tapes. The narrator talks about not looking forward to the blind man?s visit. The narrator, his wife, and the blind man spend the evening talking, but eventually the wife falls asleep. The narrator is uncomfortable about being left alone with a blind man. There is something about cathedrals on TV and the blind man asks the narrator to describe what a cathedral looks like. The narrator only describes physical things and so the blind man decides that they should try drawing one instead. As they draw the blind man and the narrator connect and a transformation in the narrator?s character takes place. Throughout the majority of the story Carver uses a variety of devices to portray the narrator negatively. One reason is that he lacks compassion. At the beginning of the story he says, "I wasn?t enthusiastic about his [the blind man?s] visit. He [the blind man] was no one I knew. And his [the blind man] being blind bothered me." The narrator also feels intimidated by his wife?s relationship with the blind man. When he is telling of her friendship with Robert h... ...r so long, after he stepped out of it he got uncomfortable and reverted back. Robert tells the narrator to find some heavy paper and pencils so they can draw a cathedral together. As they drew Robert tells the narrator to close his eyes. There was a connection made between Robert and the narrator and he says, "it was like nothing else in my life up to now." Robert tells him to open his eyes, but he doesn?t because he doesn?t want the experience to end. A transformation took place during the story and it is evident through the narrator?s character. In the beginning he was lacking in compassion, he was narrow minded, he was detached, he was jealous, and he was bitter. Carver used carefully chosen words to illustrate the narrator?s character and the change. Throughout the story his character undergoes a transformation into a more emotionally aware human being. Raymond Carver's Cathedral Essay -- Raymond Carver Cathedral Literatur Raymond Carver's Cathedral Raymond Carver utilizes his character of the husband, who is also the narrator, in his short story "Cathedral." From the beginning of the story the narrator has a negative personality. He lacks compassion, has a narrow mind, is detached emotionally from others, and is jealous of his wife's friendship with a blind man named Robert. He never connects with anyone emotionally until the end of this story. At the beginning of the story the husband is telling of a blind man coming to visit him and his wife. The narrator?s wife had worked for the blind man at one point. Since then they have maintained a strong friendship and keep in touch with tapes. The narrator talks about not looking forward to the blind man?s visit. The narrator, his wife, and the blind man spend the evening talking, but eventually the wife falls asleep. The narrator is uncomfortable about being left alone with a blind man. There is something about cathedrals on TV and the blind man asks the narrator to describe what a cathedral looks like. The narrator only describes physical things and so the blind man decides that they should try drawing one instead. As they draw the blind man and the narrator connect and a transformation in the narrator?s character takes place. Throughout the majority of the story Carver uses a variety of devices to portray the narrator negatively. One reason is that he lacks compassion. At the beginning of the story he says, "I wasn?t enthusiastic about his [the blind man?s] visit. He [the blind man] was no one I knew. And his [the blind man] being blind bothered me." The narrator also feels intimidated by his wife?s relationship with the blind man. When he is telling of her friendship with Robert h... ...r so long, after he stepped out of it he got uncomfortable and reverted back. Robert tells the narrator to find some heavy paper and pencils so they can draw a cathedral together. As they drew Robert tells the narrator to close his eyes. There was a connection made between Robert and the narrator and he says, "it was like nothing else in my life up to now." Robert tells him to open his eyes, but he doesn?t because he doesn?t want the experience to end. A transformation took place during the story and it is evident through the narrator?s character. In the beginning he was lacking in compassion, he was narrow minded, he was detached, he was jealous, and he was bitter. Carver used carefully chosen words to illustrate the narrator?s character and the change. Throughout the story his character undergoes a transformation into a more emotionally aware human being.

Tragic Irony in Shakespeares Macbeth :: Free Essay Writer

The Tragic Irony of Macbeth  Ã‚   There are many types of irony used in Macbeth. Without the irony, the tragedy would not be quite so tragic. One type of irony used in Macbeth is verbal irony. This is when a character says one thing and means the opposite. Examples of this are when Macbeth says to Banquo, â€Å"Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir, And I’ll request your presence (III, i, 13-14)† or when he says â€Å"Fail not our feast (III, i, 28).† Verbal irony makes the play more tragic because, if the reader understands the irony of what a character is saying, then the reader can see the true nature and intentions of the character. Another type of irony Shakespeare used is the irony of a situation. This is when the results of an action or event are different than what is expected. One example is when Macduff is speaking with Malcolm about the tragedies in Scotland, not knowing that his family has been murdered. He says: â€Å"Let us rather Hold fast the mortal sword, and like good men Bestride our down-fall’n birthdom. Each new morn New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds As if it felt with Scotland and yelled out Like syllable of dolor (IV, iii, 4-7).† Macduff, ironically, is remarking on new widows howling, not aware of the fact that he is a widower. This presents a great deal of irony to the reader, as well as a tragic situation. Dramatic irony is also used in Macbeth. This type of irony is when there is a contradiction between what characters of the play do, and what the reader knows will happen. In Macbeth, an example is the pleasantry with which Duncan, the King, speaks of Inverness. This pleasantry is a facade, because little does Duncan know, but the plot to murder him is being hatched and will be carried out here at Inverness. How ironic for the reader, and how tragic, to hear Duncan say: â€Å"This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses. (I, iv, 1-3).† Finally, irony of Fate is used. This is when a result defeats the purpose of an event. For example, because of Macbeth’s reaction to seeing Banquo’s ghost in Act III scene iv is so dramatic and violent, he casts suspicion onto himself, instead of gaining