Compare or Contrast Sonny's Blues & Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare or Contrast Sonny's Blues & - Essay Example ers try to conceal their true identities but they do not understand that they cannot disconnect themselves from their history and that their identity remains intact with their history. Sonny’s Blues characterizes Sonny and his brother as two counterparts of African American race. Sonny wants freedom from suffering while his brother accepts everything and locks his true personality. Both of them try to get rid of Harlem as its environment was criminalizing its inhabitants. According to Baldwin, disaster waits for the dwellers of Harlem and â€Å"some escaped the trap, most didn’t†. Sonny’s brother shows submissiveness by accepting what comes his way while Sonny stands as a revolutionary. In Everyday Use, Walker portrays two sisters, both standing in contrast to one another. Maggie accepts her identity and is submissive while Dee rejects her identity and wants freedom and proves that she is different. She feels that she is oppressed by her past as after telling about her changed name she says, She feels herself oppressed being a part of her race and wants to get rid of her identity. However, she cannot break her linkage to her roots. Both the stories reveal that the African Americans even after gaining freedom go through a phase that is depressing and pressurizing for them as they still consider themselves subjugated or ignored by the society in which, they exist. Some characters try to break their links with the past but they cannot, however, some accept their status and own their history. Sonny and Maggie want to lead their lives by being attached to their heritage and fight with their own selves to know better about themselves. Sonny as an African American boy takes refuge in crime to some extent and later on in Jazz music while Maggie takes refuge in her home and accepts her status and feels herself connected to her history and is the righteous owner of her mother’s belongings for which, she is proud of. Jazz music stands as a source of connection for

Superman and Paula Brown Essay Example for Free

Superman and Paula Brown Essay It is also ironic when she tells us of her odd friend, Sheldon became a Nazi and borrowed a goose step from the movies, but his uncle Macy was really over in Germany, and Mrs Fein began to grow thin and pale because she heard Macy was a prisoner and then nothing more. Because he was mocking the Nazis when really his uncle was over there as a prisoner. A literary effect that Charles Dickens uses is circumlocution to speed up and slow down the part of the story he is describing. An example of this is when Charles Dickens slows down the scene when he writes The company murmured their compliments. Uncle Pumblechook, sensible of having deserved well of his fellow-creatures, said-quite vivaciously, all things considered-well, Mrs Joe, well do our best endeavours; let us have a cut at this same pie. He slows it down by adding parts to the sentence. He then speeds up his text to create a feeling of panic and excitement when Pip fears that he will be found out, My sister wet out to get it. I heard her steps proceed to the pantry. I saw Mr Pumblechook balance his knife. I saw reawakening appetite in the Roman nostrils of Mr. Wopsle the sentences are sharp and quick. Like Sylvia Plath, Charles Dickens use Irony in this story. An example of his irony could be when he describes the change of dining arrangements on special occasions, We dined on these occasions in the kitchen, and adjourned, for the nuts and oranges and apples, to the parlour; which was a change very like Joes change from his working clothes to his Sunday best. I think it is ironic because Pip will be changing himself; he will change his opinions on how to act which will help him to mature. Another similarity between the two extracts is the way their parents/guardians perceive or are perceived by the characters. In Paula Brown the narrator has a strong relationship with her uncle but not with her mother, this is shown when she runs home after the accident to a greeting from her uncle Uncle Frank met me at the door. Hows my favourite trooper? he asked and then he swung me so high in the air that my head grazed the ceiling. There was a big love in his voice that drowned out the shouting which still echoed in my ears. This affection reassured her of the safety she could find in his love and that they wouldnt convict her like her friends did, but when David Sterling comes to the narrators house and tells her mother at the door that the narrator had pushed Paula into the oil, her mother immediately assumes that she had done it When mother came back to the table, her face was sad. Why didnt you tell me? she said, why didnt you tell me that you pushed Paula in the mud and spoiled her new snowsuit? Her mother isnt defending her or protecting her. In Great expectations Pip has a very strong relationship with Joe but not Mrs Joe. This is because Joe is the only person that really believes in him and protects him from getting hurt, this is why he doesnt tell him, he doesnt want to lose what they have by hurting Joe. This is shown when Pip tells us It was much upon my mind (particularly when I first saw him looking about for his file) that I ought to tell Joe the whole truth. Yet I did not, and for the reason that I mistrusted that if I did, he would think me worse than I was. The fear of losing Joes confidence, and of thenceforth sitting in the chimney corner at night staring drearily at my for ever lost companion and friend, tied up my tongue. Pip is not scared that he will be punished, but that he will lose Joes trust and that is why he keeps his secret from them. Pip also felt as if he had gotten away with it even though he hadnt actually done anything wrong. Also a similarity in the two extracts is that both the children in the story are powerless to their parents views. These extracts have many similarities despite the time difference and the different environment the two children were living in, P.B. living in the American suburbs of Boston, having the freedom to go out and play and being recognised as an adolescent rather than a small adult which is how the Victorians perceived children. Most Victorian adults did not have a very high opinion of children considering the Victorians made up the saying children should be seen and not heard. This is shown in great expectations when Pip is with the soldiers and they are about to go and look for the convicts, the sergeant asks about the convicts Anybody here seen anything of any such game? Everybody, myself excepted, said no, with confidence. Nobody thought of me. They dont think he could make a useful comment because he is only a child. Another time when this is shown is when Pip tells us I was always treated as if I had insisted on being born Maybe these stories are based on the authors experiences considering Sylvia Plath was American like the narrator and Charles Dickens lived in the Victorian times but they arent strong enough factors to rely on. What we do know is that these children realised that they couldnt rely on the safety and security of the adults anymore, they would have to start looking after themselves and start being more independent. They learned this through the experiences they have had. Amber James Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Great Expectations section.

Implementation Of Child Friendly Schools

Implementation Of Child Friendly Schools This article explores the contribution of Comparative and International Research in the successful implementation of Child Friendly Schools in Kenya. Emphasis will be placed on the background of CFS, current practices and emerging critics, success stories, problems and pitfalls and what CIR can do to subjugate some of these challenges. In the introduction section, the essay will start by examining literature surrounding the concepts of CIR and CFS in relation to global agendas; explore how CFS came into existence and the driving forces behind it. We then go on to focus on a case study of CFS in Kenya, discussing the role of CIR in the Kenyas CFS, arguing that CIR is used as a political tool in creating educational policy, rather than a research method or an intellectual inquiry. The article will further critically analyze challenges facing CFS and how knowledge on CIR can contribute to achieving the aims and objectives of CFS. A conclusion based on the literature and authors experien ce will then be drawn. Throughout the article we build a case in favour of CIR arguing that the strength of voices of comparative researchers lie on uncritical transfer of policies and practices from one context to another which could otherwise open a Pandoras Box. Introduction Perhaps, one of the growing fields in education in the modern age is comparative and international education, judged by the volume of studies reported in the literature. Central to this is that many countries around the world have formulated some of their educational policies based on findings from CIR. With the current wave of globalization, researchers and experts, especially in the field of education, are always trying to find ways of streamlining their educational policies with the global trends. According to Giddens (1990:64), globalization is the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distance localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa. Global forces therefore have an impact on shaping local practices with global trends. In order to do this tactically and critically, comparative and internal research remains cutting edge in informing people about the realities, the challenges and the possible ef fects of uncritical transfer of ideas. Interestingly, global agendas in matters related to education are prioritized towards basic education as opposed to adult education or higher education. In Africa, this would be probably because, as Oketch (2004) points out, basic education yields higher rates of returns compared to higher education. This has subsequently caused government and non-governmental organizations to focus more on improving the quality of basic education. Child-friendly schools (CFSs) in Kenya is an example of a non-governmental initiative sponsored by UNICEF with the aim of not just providing children right to education but the right to the right education. In other words, CFSs are more concerned with the quality of basic education in addition to its access. The emergence of CFSs in Kenya was catapulted by the forces of agendas 1 and 2 of Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) which emphasizes on the provision of basic education. The term quality in education is dynamic because of the social, political and eco nomic context at which it is used. Because of differences in contexts, it is imperative that knowledge of comparative and international research be used in designing policies and pedagogy in CFS that fit that particular context. But the question is: how can CIR be helpful in successful implementation of CFS in Kenya? To answer this question, this essay hinges on two broad concepts: Comparative and International Research and Child Friendly Schools. Literature Review In this section, the author will look atà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Concepts of Comparative and International Research (CIR) and Child Friendly School (CFS) CIR is a fusion of two broad areas of research: Comparative Research and International Research. To understand its full meaning, it is important we define the two areas of research separately. In his definition of comparative research, Mills et al (year) argue that: Comparative research is a broad term that includes both quantitative and qualitative comparison of social entities. Social entities may be based on many lines, such as geographical or political ones in the form of cross-national or regional comparisons. (p. 621) A similar perception was echoed by Noah and Eckstein (1969: 127), who described comparative education as an intersection of the social sciences, education and cross-national study [which] attempts to use cross-national data to test propositions about the relationship between education and society and between teaching practices and learning outcomes. In light of this definition, comparative research in the context of education can be defined as a study of two or more entities or events (Crossley Watson 2003) with the underlying goal of searching for similarity and variance. Cross-national or regional comparisons may include comparing educational policies, pedagogy, educational leadership and so on. According to Mills et al (2006: 621), the search for variance places more emphasis on context and difference in order to understand specificities. International education, on the other hand, can be defined as the application of descriptions, analyses and insights learned in one or more nations to the problems of developing educational systems and institutions in other countries (Wilson 2000a: 116). Thus, international research is concerned with research carried out across two or more countries, often with the purpose of comparing responses between them. This might be done in order to devise strategies that work well across both or all these cultures or to suggest local adjustments to a global strategy There is a close relationship between comparative and international education. Epstein (1994: 918) points out, that international educators use findings derived from comparative education to understand better the processes they examine, and thus, to enhance their ability to make policy. We can therefore draw from the above two definitions that CIR in education as a method of comparing both qualitative and quantitative entities in education across different countries, societies or cultures with the aim of identifying similarities and differences. It is however important to note that not all international research is comparative, and not all comparative research is international or cross-national. According to UNICEF, a child-friendly school is both a child seeking school and a child-centred school: It is child seeking because it actively identifying excluded children to get them enrolled in school. It is a child-centred school because it acts in the best interests of the child leading to the realization of the childs full potential, is concerned about the whole child: her health, nutritional status, and well-being and concerned about what happens to children before they enter school and after they leave school. A CFS system recognizes and respects childrens right and responsibilities; it provides the enabling environment to realize childrens right not only in schools, but also in childrens home and their communities. These include children from conflict zones, street children and children with disabilities. The Child-Friendly Schools model (see fig 1) is based on simple, rights-based concepts that would have all schools be: Safe, healthy and protective; Staffed by trained teachers; Provided adequate resources and the appropriate physical, emotional and social conditions for children to learn, develop their talents and reach their potential. Fig 1: Model of the Child-Friendly School Source: UNICEF, 2009. The CFS model provides a framework for planning (and monitoring the effectiveness of) strategies for increasing access to quality basic education with the specific focus on the development of strategies to include those children hitherto excluded from education (UNICEF, Global Education Strategy, 2007). International and Local Pressures and their influences to formation of CFS in Kenya Education in sub-Sahara Africa, and indeed in Kenya, is crafted from both influences by global trends in education and the legacies of colonialism. Chisholm and Leyenderker (2008) observe that: Since 1990, the goals and purpose of education in sub-Sahara Africa has been reshaped by four interconnected developments: globalisation, the changed focus of international aid agencies towards development assistance, the adaptation of sub-Sahara African countries to the new world order with its new political emphases, and the spilling over of new pedagogical ideas from the USA and Europe into sub-Sahara Africa. (p 198) Kenya is a signatory to a number of conventions in education, including the Convention to the Rights of the Child (1989), the World Declaration on Education for All (Jomtien, 1990), the Dakar accord and the Millenium Development Goals (2000). In achievement of education development goals, Kenya is bound to, among other things, quality education by MDGs. The Jomtien call for access for access, equity, quality and democracy in education appeared to promise both social and economic development (Chisholm and Leyenderker, 2008). Social and economic development, and continues to be believed, requires educational change and educational change is necessary for social and economic development (ibid:). Educational change, in turn, is perceived to depend on, amongst other things, the input from relevant development assistance projects. These projects, in the arena of education, are typically formulated with reference to internationally negotiated development agendas (like the MDGs) and priority (Crossley Watson, 2003). An example of these projects in Kenya is CFSs which are supported by United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF). The Education Section of UNICEFs Programme Division introduced the Child Friendly Schools (CFS) framework for schools that serve the whole child in 1999 (Chabbott, 2004). Theoretical underpinning of introducing CFS framework in Kenya The increased reliance of foreign aid to support education reform in Kenya has been accompanied by a transition, from understanding education as a human right and the general good to viewing it primarily in terms of its contribution to national growth and well-being through the development of the knowledge and skills societies are deemed to need. (Arnove Torres 2007:359). Occasional voices continue insisting that education is liberating, that learning is inherently developmental (ibid: 359). With the global concern that Sub-sahara Africa countries may not achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2015 unless the progress is accelerated (Carceles et al., 2001; Bennel, 2002), Kenya responded by introducing Free Primary Education (FPE) policy in 2003 with both local and global pressure. The rationale behind introducing FPE was (apart from the pressure from global and international agendas) to alleviate poverty attributed to lack of literacy skills. The success story behind implementation of FPE policy is the increased enrolment at primary schools by nearly 50%, from 5.9 million in 2003 to 9.38 million pupils according to the Kenya Economic Survey 2011. One of its standout achievements was the enrolment of the late Kimani Maruge, the worlds oldest person to start primary school, he enrolled in the first grade in 2004, aged 84, he holds the Guinness World Record for this. Besides the enormous enrolment rates resulting from free primary education, there are concerns about t he quality of schooling in primary schools in Kenya. There are not enough textbooks, classrooms are overcrowded and the infrastructure in many schools is inadequate for the numbers of pupils attending. Many of the schools do not have sanitation facilities. The teacher-pupil ratio is quite high: according to UNESCO there are more than 40 pupils per teacher, on average. All of these factors militate against the provision of quality teaching. There is no magic wand for fixing this problem of quality in education. In response to this CFS were introduced in Kenya by UNICEF. According to UNICEF (2006): The challenge in education is not simply to get children into school, but also to improve the overall quality of schooling and address threats to participation. If both quality and access are tackled, children who are enrolled in primary school are likely to continue, complete the full cycle, achieve expected learning outcomes and successfully transition to secondary school. (p. 1) The CFS framework (see appendix 3) aims at promoting child-seeking, child-centred, gender-sensitive, inclusive, community-involved, protective and healthy approaches to schooling and out-of-school education with a general goal of improving the quality of learning. Since CFSs are concerned with the quality of learning, it is important we look at the meaning of quality. The national examinations to obtain the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) at the end of primary cycle and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) at the end of secondary cycle are designed to evaluate the extent to which the primary and secondary graduates master the curriculum content. In other words, the national test scores are used as the indicators of quality. The limitation of this indicator is that it does not take into account the context at which learning takes place i.e. the learning environment, learners unique characteristics etc. There are many definitions of quality but one of the descriptions of quality which emphasizes on the context was by Coombs. In his definition, Coombs (1985) suggests that quality: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ pertains to the relevance of what is taught and learned to how well it fits the present and future needs of the particular learners in question, given their particular circumstances and prospectsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in the nature of its inputs (students, teachers, facilities, equipment, and supplies); its objectives, curriculum and educational technologies; and its socioeconomic, cultural and political environment. (p. 105) From his definition, Coombs puts context into consideration i.e. needs of the learner, cultural and political contexts. In addition, he emphasizes on the relevance of what is taught and learned and how it fits the nature of particular learners in question. The fact that CFS emphasizes on learner-centered pedagogy and puts the child at the centre or focal point in the learning process raises the idea of what is regarded as valuable knowledge and how this knowledge is acquired in this particular context. This leads us to the inquiry on the school of thought or paradigm behind introducing a contextualized CFS framework. CFS as an approach to education is premised on constructivism, a theory of knowledge arguing that humans generate knowledge and meaning from interaction between ideas and real experiences. According to constructivists, the notions of reality and truth are socially constructed and in different context with the understanding that knowledge is subjective and embedded in mul tiple realities. Thus, quality of learning should be viewed in the context in which it is occurs. Mainstreaming CFS model into the Kenyas educational system: Whose voice Matters? Challenges in implementing CFS in Kenya Access and Quality Dilemma: Which one should be first priority? As I mentioned earlier, one of the role of CFS in Kenya is to improve the quality of learning. But the access to education is still a challenge in Kenya and there is fear that Kenya will not have achieved EFA goals 1 and 2 by the year 2015. As we near the 2015 set deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, at a time when hopes should be high, universal access to primary education in Kenya seems to be slipping away. Many comparative researchers argue that different countries have different educational problems and it is the countrys obligation to identify what should be the priority and why. Aksoy (2008: 218) insists that: While developed countries are mainly engaged in activities to increase the quality of education, or they practice and seek new techniques and methods of learning and teaching, developing countries struggle to provide equal opportunities for education, trying to increase the rate of participation of all citizens in basic education, which is actually compulsory. To deal with its educational problems, each country works out countrywide or local solutions, depending on the nature of the problem. The tone of such statement is more closely allied to the question of priority. Priority in one country may not be a priority in another. In Kenya, the major problem basic education is facing is of access while higher education is facing the problem of quality. CFS focus more on quality, but in the Kenyan context, access to education is still a problem in basic education even after the introduction of FPE. The CFS concept of quality can however suit very well in small state commonwealth countries which have almost universal access to basic education. It has been noted that small sates have now shifted education priorities towards focus in school effectiveness, quality and inclusion (Crossley Watson 2003) and CFS in Kenya should learn from small states that the priority should now be on access to basic education before shifting to quality. Atomizing the child: is child-centred the solution to quality CFS? A key feature of a right-based, CFS system is that it is linked tightly to the child-centred learning process. CFS advocates for child-centred learning where a child is treated as a single entity or an atom in learning processes. The idea of atomizing a child has its drawbacks derived from child-centred learning. First, there is an oversight on early year development behaviour of the child. Psychologists believe children undergo various levels of development and their learning behaviours are different at each level. For instant, Vygotskys (1978) concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) implies that a child cannot ordinary create ZPD by himself; he needs the more expert individual to bridge the gap between his current development level and his proximal level of development. Secondly, a child-friendly, democratic learning environment may not work successful in overcrowded classrooms and school with limited resources like it is the case in Kenya. Thirdly, child-centred learning weakens the role of the teacher. The idea that a child must be active in construction of knowledge is often understood to imply a diminishing role for the teacher in learning process who now becomes a coach or a facilitator. A call for paradigm renovation, from an exclusively child-centred learning to a combination of both child-centred learning and teacher-centred learning approach is important so that the weakness of one method is complemented by the other method. Several comparative studies concur with this blended approach. What Lessons can Kenya learn from other Countries in Implementing CFS? A Review on the Contribution of Comparative Research The term that is commonly used in Kenya and indeed many Africa countries in the initial processes of designing an educational policy is benchmarking. Essentially, this is usually a comparative study which is carried out either locally and/or internationally in trying to compare different models of policy framework with the aim of critical adaption or adoption. Lessons are well learnt when a comparisons are made, and this underscores the strength and significance of comparative research. Moreover, since problems transcend national borders, it is prudent to seek possible solutions from a similar experience in another country, and this explains why international research is important. Kenya can learn from other countries that are either progressing or failing to implement CFS because lessons can either identify opportunities or gaps, based on comparative analysis. The first lesson to be learned is that documenting the emerging good practices and lessons learned within the regions is useful in informing evidence based programming and advocacy to enable us to achieve better results. For example, a Global Evaluation Report published by UNICEF in 2009 on comparative studies of how to six countries (Guyana, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand) with different experiences implementing CFS, demonstrated the following: CFSs in varying contexts successfully apply the three key principles of CFS models-inclusiveness, child-centredness and democratic participation. Schools operating in very different national contexts, with different levels of resources and serving populations with different needs have succeeded in being child-centred, promoting democratic participation, and being inclusive. Schools that had high levels of family and community participation and use of child-centred pedagogical approaches had stronger conditions for learning, that is, students felt safer, supported and engaged, and believed that the adults in the school supported the inclusion and success of each student. (UNESCO, 2009) Kenya can use this success report to assist in providing a broader perspective on the ways in which CFSs can contribute to quality in the countrys unique context. The caution should however be that any steps taken should have hindsight of the current context in the country to avoid uncritical transfer of practice which may end up opening a Pandoras box. Secondly, through CIR, studies of educational systems that share similar problems can provide information for learning possible consequences. A recent comparative evaluation research conducted by UNESCO in Nigeria, Gunaya, Thailand and the Philippines on CFS pedagogy gave different findings. While teachers in Nigeria and Guyana mainly focused on meeting basic instructional material needs (textbooks, paper), many teachers in Thailand and the Philippines focused on having greater access to information and communication technology (UNESCO 2009). Kenya experiences the same challenge as Nigeria and Gunaya, and data from these countries can be used to learn how they coping with inadequate basic instructional material. The caution here should be, that common problems may prevail in different countries, but common model cannot be applied because each country has different culture/context (Crossley Watson, 2003:39). This provides invaluable information of what to adopt, modify or avoid. Conclusion It is worthy reiterating Crossley'(2003) emphasis that context matters and different countries have different needs and priorities even if they are faced with the same challenges. The value of CIR is studying foreign systems of education in order to become better fitted to study and understand our own (Sadler 1900, reprinted 1964:310). Thus, this essay has not provided, and has not sought to provide, solutions to empirical problems affecting CFS, but has presented an overview of the contribution of CIR in improving successful implementation of CFS in Kenya. As such, the essay acknowledges the role of CIR in stimulating critical thinking and reflections about CFS system, its success and failures, strengths and weaknesses. This critical reflection facilitates self evaluation in our own context and the basis for determining appropriate courses of action. The article also hints that CIR helps us understand global agendas and how they shape educational development projects from organizati ons and development agencies like UNICEF. Recommendations and Way forward for Comparative and International Research in Education While policy borrowing and cross-national educational comparison have been central concerns of the field of comparative education since its inception, political, economic, and cultural changes worldwide have challenged comparativists to consider new questions of power, politics and relevance in relation to educational policy transfer and diffusion processes. First, it has been argued that politicians who talk about educational development or economic development talk less about education and its role in economic development. This means that if comparative researches are to have their voice heard, then it should focus on strengthening multidisciplinary directions both in vertical and horizontal orientation. Secondly, in 1980s, comparative education focused majorly on the issue of policy, but it has now been shifted to qualitative research with an aim of gaining information at grassroots level. This has been catalyzed by the fact that culture is a complex phenomenon and understanding i t requires researchers to focus more on specific, small-scale contexts.

Teachers Assessment of Writing in English Essay -- narrative, philosop

The most difficult aspect of being an English teacher, for me, is assessing my students’ writing. I can remember, so clearly, the day my cooperating teacher handed me a student’s writing and said, â€Å"Read this and give it a grade.† After reading it, I felt an overwhelming and uncomfortable power shadow over me. I didn’t know the rules of assessment. What was I supposed to be looking for anyway? I was able to realize immediately that there is a definite difference between knowing how to write an essay and knowing how to assess one. When I was asked what I finally came up with as a grade, I told her the student earned a â€Å"B.† She agreed and I remember thinking to myself that maybe my task wasn’t as difficult as I had thought moments before. Then, just when I thought the hard part was over, she asked me why I gave it a â€Å"B.† After giving her my reasons, she stated she was in agreement with me. At this point, I asked her what grade she had given it. She replied, â€Å"B-.† Now I was completely baffled. How could she agree with everything that I said and then give it a different grade? Whether or not teachers like to admit it, assessing writing is, in fact, a fragile issue as well as a partly subjective one. For instance, while my cooperating teacher agreed with my insight, she also thought that particular student should have applied more effort to the essay. After teaching this student for eight months already, she was aware of his capabilities as a writer and expected more. Her reasoning was one that I would never have been able to develop since I was not as familiar with the student. Can the assessment of writing be accomplished in a fair manner? There is no doubt that readers are subjective viewers. It is an issue that we are unabl... ...rection. In this way, the students will earn higher grades and become better writers in the process. This direction through assessment will help lead students to success. The use of assessment in writing remains a delicate topic for many teachers. However, with our help, it can grow to be a positive force in our students’ lives. Berlin once said, â€Å"To teach writing is to teach a version of reality.† The importance of communication and success in our world is, indeed, a reality. Isn’t the assessment of writing, after all, a version of reality as well? Aren’t we supposed to be preparing our students for their futures? Although assessing writing is not a simple task, it should not be viewed as unfair or unnecessary. Instead, we must consider it unfair and unjust to hide this reality from the students who will continually encounter it once they exit our classroom doors. Teacher's Assessment of Writing in English Essay -- narrative, philosop The most difficult aspect of being an English teacher, for me, is assessing my students’ writing. I can remember, so clearly, the day my cooperating teacher handed me a student’s writing and said, â€Å"Read this and give it a grade.† After reading it, I felt an overwhelming and uncomfortable power shadow over me. I didn’t know the rules of assessment. What was I supposed to be looking for anyway? I was able to realize immediately that there is a definite difference between knowing how to write an essay and knowing how to assess one. When I was asked what I finally came up with as a grade, I told her the student earned a â€Å"B.† She agreed and I remember thinking to myself that maybe my task wasn’t as difficult as I had thought moments before. Then, just when I thought the hard part was over, she asked me why I gave it a â€Å"B.† After giving her my reasons, she stated she was in agreement with me. At this point, I asked her what grade she had given it. She replied, â€Å"B-.† Now I was completely baffled. How could she agree with everything that I said and then give it a different grade? Whether or not teachers like to admit it, assessing writing is, in fact, a fragile issue as well as a partly subjective one. For instance, while my cooperating teacher agreed with my insight, she also thought that particular student should have applied more effort to the essay. After teaching this student for eight months already, she was aware of his capabilities as a writer and expected more. Her reasoning was one that I would never have been able to develop since I was not as familiar with the student. Can the assessment of writing be accomplished in a fair manner? There is no doubt that readers are subjective viewers. It is an issue that we are unabl... ...rection. In this way, the students will earn higher grades and become better writers in the process. This direction through assessment will help lead students to success. The use of assessment in writing remains a delicate topic for many teachers. However, with our help, it can grow to be a positive force in our students’ lives. Berlin once said, â€Å"To teach writing is to teach a version of reality.† The importance of communication and success in our world is, indeed, a reality. Isn’t the assessment of writing, after all, a version of reality as well? Aren’t we supposed to be preparing our students for their futures? Although assessing writing is not a simple task, it should not be viewed as unfair or unnecessary. Instead, we must consider it unfair and unjust to hide this reality from the students who will continually encounter it once they exit our classroom doors.

Content: Advantages and Disadvantages of IQ and EQ Essay

1. IQ gets you through school. 2. Having a high IQ is much better in cognitive skills. 3. The IQ may help with jobs that require little human interaction and mainly just a knowledge of a subject. 4. IQ is more rational thinking. 5. Quickness of mind 6. When you have a high IQ, your brain will increase its power and efficiency. Brain plasticity – the ability of brain to reorganize itself by growing new brain cells or connections. Energy supply to the brain – particularly when it’s working hard. Disadvantages of Having a High IQ 1. Be overly sensitive to criticism or disapproval, or respond strongly to minor suggestions or comments about their work or performances. 2. Having a possibility to grow with â€Å"maladjusted† in some way: for example having significant problems of anxiety, depression, personality disorder or experience of nervous breakdowns. 3. People with high IQ is more Likely to Be Self-Destructive. Advantages of Having a High EQ 1. ability to assess a situation and stay in control of your emotions and actions. 2. A high EQ can help in jobs that require good social skills. 3. When you have a high EQ, you can control your emotion. 4. You can be more optimistic. develops high self esteem which in turn gives the person the confidence to see the brighter side even in difficult situations. 5. Be aware of and manage your own emotions to achieve positive outcomes 6. Take responsibility for your own emotions 7. Have an awareness of others’ emotions 8. Be more effective and efficient as an individual and team member 9. Be able to coach others towards positive emotions and positive Outcomes. Disadvantages of Having a High EQ. 1. It’s difficult to test for emotional intelligence. 2. People might not take the importance of emotional intelligence seriously. 3. It takes time to develop the skills necessary to fully harness emotional intelligence. Unfortunately, this cannot be learned overnight. Advantages and Disadvantages of Having a High IQ 1. IQ gets you through school. 2. Having a high IQ is much better In cognitive skills.

Analysis of Queen Elizabeth’s Tilbury Speech Essay

My loving people, we have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety to take heed how we commit ourself to armed multitudes for fear of treachery; but I assure you, I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safe guard in the loyal hearts and good will of my subjects, and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all, to lay down my life for my God and for my kingdom and for my people, my honour, and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm; the which, rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know, already for your forwardness, you have deserved rewards and crowns; and we do assure you, in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the meantime my lieutenant-general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject, not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.