Huichol Indians Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Huichol Indians - Term Paper Example When the spaniards invaded this place, the Huichols took refuge in Sierra. While some scholars are of the view that Huichols have aboded this place ever since the beginning. The Huichols primarily had five tribes having diverse cultures CITATION Lat \l 1033 . B.Hearths and Diffusions After the invasion of spanish soliders which made Huichol indians to further move into the depths of the mountains, the â€Å"Franciscan missionaries† came with their agenda of converting the indians to christianity. For this sole purpose they raised â€Å"four churches†. The motive of these missionaries was lost in vain as the Huichol indians remained true to their ancestrol religion and the churches built are in ruins. Although it is believed that Huichol indians were divided into five tribes, yet the recent studies tell of only three tribes namely the huautuari, the tuapuritari and the tateikitari. CITATION Lat \l 1033 II. Evaluation of Habitats. A. Physical Geography Huichol indians are among the primitive cultures and religion. They are settled in and around the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas and Durango in western central Mexico. They live in isolation of mountains of Sierra Madre Occidental. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The Huichol Homeland CITATION Lat \l 1033 B. ... Chapalagana bridge 1995 CITATION Lat \l 1033 C. Climate/Natural Hazards Due to the high altitudes, the climate Huichol indians experience is very dry and severe. The high altitude climate is quite cold specially in winters while the lower mesas has moderate tropical weather. The Huichols mostly remain in their ranchos built on a suitable elevation from the ground which keeps them safe from the extreme temperatures. One of the main problems the Huichols face is the shortage of water on high altitudes. In summers they move to their ranches built at a little higher elevation as the climate around the river gets very hot and humid. D. Flora and Fauna The plants found in the Huichol region are quite diverse.The most important among the flora of this region is the divine cactus. Its common names are â€Å"Peyote†, â€Å"Buttons† and â€Å"Mescalito†. This small spine-less, crown-shaped cactus grows under bushes and is of a gray-green color. It has hallucinogenic powers and belongs to the family of â€Å"cactaceae†. CITATION Lat \l 1033 CITATION Lat \l 1033 Another common plant of this area is Lavendar Pebbles or Graptopetalum amethystinum. This plant grows slowly but steadily. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The area is abundant in pine-oak forests. This region has a variety of plants both of mountaineous regions as well as deserts. In the lower parts the subtropical genres include Acacia, Ficus, Agave and Bursera along with many such kinds. CITATION Lat \l 1033 The fauna of these regions include the various wildlife species including jaguar, pumas, white-taled deers, white boars, skunks, iguanas and rabbits. Yellow winged Cacique is also a native bird of this area along with Black-Throated Magpie jay. CITATION Lat \l 1033 III. Population Characteristics A.

Chinese Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Chinese Philosophy Essay Human being is by nature a dynamic being, whose tendency to evolve is manifest in history, archeology and other disciplines that have put human development and progress in focus in the course of evolution and so does the society / community in which he resides. Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher, once stated; â€Å"As they step into the same rivers, different and still different waters flow upon them† (qtd. in Snooks 1). In line with this saying, we may say that change is something that is part of nature. Many of the activities of communities can address, embrace or resist change. In order to manage the various incidents and conditions that are experienced by man and his society, various instruments and frameworks are devised. In the case of the Chinese society, a number of philosophical standpoints were developed in a bid to confront the challenges facing China. This paper endeavors to examine Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism and Legalism as the instruments put in place by the Chinese in response to the wars that China was experiencing, especially in regard to leadership in a society. Confucianism Confucianism puts quality on the ability of the human being to achieve, through self introspective processes, a state of inner harmony and moral uprightness, which can elevate the individual from the stables of a common person to a noble person. Confucias (541 – 479 BCE) was China’s first moral philosopher who linked moral behavior to traditional roles and hierarchies. He linked the Zhou order that was deteriorating and believed that all should understand and accept their role in the society. This system of thought is good in so far as it has faith in the human being as being capable of managing his own destiny, and being able to change for the better. Confucianism gives an individual member of the society a chance to take responsibility for creating and maintaining harmony in the society, by having it entrenched in the individual countenance that recognizes nobility as a state that can be achieved by an individual, without anybody being able to gain it through ascription or inheritance and this is not closely attached to the exercise of political power per se (Barry et al. 24) In China where many communities were vying for political dominance, Confucianism offered a window for the restoration of order through self cultivation, oriented toward achieving a noble state, in spite of the person’s social extraction. This, as a philosophy that sought to bring harmony in the warring Chinese society, worked toward the establishment of personal moral uprightness, which in turn would affect the way people related to one another, especially in their relation to leadership. If the society regarded nobility highly, then the noble people, having cultivated themselves effectively; would have their influence in the society to steer clear of war, or to effectively lead the people in better battle campaigns against their adversaries. If on the other hand, the Chinese society was to transform itself into a nation of noble people according to Confucian principles, then everybody would maintain the peace, because people would look at each other with more humility and kindness. The Confucian noble is thus, one who is able to provide leadership without really reigning or ruling. Confucianism can also be seen as a direct response to insensitive leadership during the war period, and thus, a system to try and impress the virtue of good leadership amongst the rulers of the time (86). This was done in such a way that it did not threaten as much, the social structures prevalent then, hence the Confucian recognition of the social hierarchies, and insistence on the citizenry to uphold respect for the superiors. Of course, war is a period when it matters to positively receive instruction and commands from the superiors. Daoism While Confucianism promotes the practice of self improvement in line with the argument based on natural evolution of the human species, Daoism on the other hand places all human effort in the search for knowledge and purposeful transformation in the realm of vanity. Daoists wanted the governments not to override their lives and were interested in the spiritual aspect of human existence. The temptation to dismiss this school of thought prima facie is quite high. This is due to the natural orientation of man to take responsibility of his destiny and the natural tendency to seek a better life, to marvel at nature and to try to influence it so as to satisfy personal needs. In that respect, one would expect that a working formula has to emphasize man’s rationality and his wants and needs, as the central pillars of his push toward creating his own history and having dominion over his environment. On the other hand, Daoism offers a situation where, as a country at war, the Chinese had an opportunity to re-examine their value systems and act accordingly. The Daoist concept of being in harmony with nature and not struggling to bring about change could be looked at as a peace strategy. This is because wars are naturally fanned by human desire to achieve something that humans feel is of ultimate importance to them. Wars also spring out of humans’ questioning of things and hence inventions of valuable things (which they desire so much). Humans would also like to either wrest from people who wouldn’t like them to possess the valuable items, or fervently protect the items from the people who would covet them. The need for man to change, to improve on things and to have an influence over his environment is a tendency that puts man in contention with the Daoist principle. If people followed Daoism, then they wouldn’t engage in a lot of questioning, which would bring about the escalation or perpetuation of the war. Their social relationships would be smooth, for all of them would be in harmony with nature, which would naturally take its course and not support of war. Daoist leadership would therefore be a laid back kind of leadership, with nature ‘taking care of itself’. The kind of transformation to come out of the society would therefore be premised on the Daoist fact that nature is capable of transforming itself, and man doesn’t have to take steps to interfere with occurrence of events. This however, would be criticized on the premise that change is something to be managed by the human being, by use of his intellect. Daoism as a leadership style would be an aloof kind of leadership, and during the war period, something deliberate had to be done, the solutions to the problems then were not just left to ‘fall from heaven’. To best illustrate this, Barry calls Daoists â€Å"†¦those who wandered off†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (48) Legalism This school of thought argued that strong government depended upon effective institutional structures not just the moral quality of the leaders. This could be described as the application of law for the benefit of the majority. Legalism thus becomes a system of reinforcement, with an emphasis on both positive and negative reinforcement meted out to the members of the society in order to discourage certain socially undesirable behavior according to the majority of people paying allegiance to the society in question (Ebrey Buckley 23). According to legalism school of thought, society is shaped through its reward system, with socially unacceptable behavior being punished for, with blessings from the social framework that awards certain individuals the power to dish out these rewards, without necessarily being seen to deny one or infringe upon their rights. This may help galvanize a society or community, which will in turn have a more prominent sense of identity and solidarity. Such a stand in a war situation is good for the purpose of gaining victory over the enemy. Legalism is quite an ideal system for bringing the society together in the face of a common enemy. This also gives the ruler the chance to act with speed, since legalism is a system that is responsive to the times; changing with circumstances and accordingly responding to the dictates of the time. War times need an atmosphere where there is quick action and response, and with the foundation that gives legality to what the rulers are deciding on behalf of their subjects. Legalism was therefore, an ideal philosophical grounding for individual Chinese communities during the time of war, for it is a system that can well serve the expedients of war. This comes in the light of the fact that the Chinese had developed government structures bequeath to them by the Chin dynasty, and which lasted for more than two centuries (Barry et al. 145). The structures brought about by the Chin dynasty were important in the realization of the dictates of the legalistic system, which was organized around reward and punishment, and had to have a basis in the common will of the people. Thus, there had to be a person vested with the power to mete out punishment to errant members of the society, while at the same time hand down rewards to those who performed and behaved in accordance with the needs and aspirations of the society. This person also derived mandate from the same common will that requires the people to obey and take reward, both positive and negative, with understanding; since it is for the common good that this is done. It can be argued that legalism is something close to Confucianism, because it comes out of man’s free will. It is a product of social engineering, with a view to bringing about an ideal society; something totally distanced from Daoism, which emphasizes the need to let life just flow, without taking any action to influence one’s environment. Mohism This is a system of universal brotherhood, where everyone on the face of the earth is related to each other, with an obligation to look after one’s kin (Ebrey Buckley 35). Taken from this very standpoint, this is a perfect doctrine for humanity at any one time, and in this case, for China during the warring times. This is because, as we have noted above, human conflict springs out of differences. These differences, when not solved amicably, lead to war. The inclination to keep some things away from others and to take what is owned by others is a perfect recipe for war. If, in the light of Mohism, all of humanity was to lay a claim on brotherhood, and maintain that doctrine of being each other’s keeper, then the incidence of war would be remote. This is because brotherhood entails harmony and amity. It also presupposes the ability to communicate with each other without necessarily taking to arms. Mohists might not have been comprehensive in their brotherhood matrix. Even though all men are supposed to be brothers, the Mohists’ view of the world is quite hierarchical, with the junior members of the society bearing a social responsibility to be subservient to those who are perceived to be on an elevated social platform. This is a system that would have borne fruit if only the small people accepted it. If however, the common people are not agreeable to this arrangement, then Mohism would be just but another plank of wood in the fire, for they would revolt as a response to this flawed brotherhood arrangement. From a different perspective, Mohism could be taken to be the answer to the perceived social injustices prevalent in China then. Much as one could be the other’s brother, this system sought to cultivate an environment where an individual, after striving for, and accumulating enough superior residues; would acquire a higher status and would lead people. War needs strong willed people, since it carries a lot in terms of collateral damage, both in terms of human life and material possessions. War time also needs utmost sacrifice, so that as brothers, some members of the society do not just sit back and wait for the other people to work out way-through for them. If one is in a lower position, then he has to be obedient and provide for that one who is up. In this way, Mohism comes out as a system that influenced the social set up such that it recognized the need to love each other, and to be ready to stand by each other; while at the same time, not losing the individual. If they were to be juxtaposed, Mohism and Confucianism would relate up to a certain extent. One would easily say that in terms of hierarchy, both Confucianism and Mohism teach about the society in light of inequalities and the need for these to be maintained through proper social decorum. Confucius goes deeper to analyze, at a finer level, the social relations and how they should be handled for the sake of peace and tranquility. Mohists may differ on some of these because of the pedant stand they regard the social hierarchies and how they observe and maintain them. However, it provides a framework for the legitimization of rulership, for a ruler is someone who occupies a place in a hierarchical set up. Legitimacy of a ruler springs out of the acceptance the ruler enjoys from the society. War times need strong leaders who derive legitimacy from their people. In times of war too, a ruler could impose himself on the people, but for as long as he serves to protect them or unite them against the enemy, then his legitimacy may not be much of a problem, since it is in the people’s name that the ruler reigns. This solidarity is best achieved by communities that recognize hierarchy as a natural phenomenon in life, and which Mohists and Confucians upheld in their thought. Conclusion In conclusion, based on personal point of view, the various ideological developments in China which brought about the four schools of thought which have been examined in this paper are a response to certain conditions in the society at the time of their emergence, and that these are mechanism that were crafted so as to manage change. The difference only lies in the points that were stressed. Mohism, for instance, is a system that was conservative to a certain extent, reacting to the possibility of occurrence of a development that could challenge the existing hierarchical status quo. At the same time, it endeavored to foster change in the way people regarded one another, with the small people (the serfs and commoners) fully recognizing and venerating their lords. Confucianism on the other hand, much as it strove for change on the individual level which would later on seep into the entire social fabric of the Chinese, was also a fairly conservative system. Just like Mohism, it posed no threat to the existing powers. It was a system that would be used to bring the people together in times of war, for this was not a time for people to start questioning their authorities. By defending the hierarchical system existent then, the Confucians thought of an alternative leadership style where noble people would get to influence the rulers through their self cultivation. This system almost totally absolved the ruler from responsibility, since the leader had the social privilege of lording it over his subjects without being obliged to observe certain tenets of leadership. It was however incumbent upon the subject to go through the process of self improvement. What would happen if all the subjects had transformed themselves yet the leadership was not together with them? What avenues would they have to really exercise power? Daoism was one way of running away from the human responsibility to respond to change. By letting all systems go, the society would be at a greater risk of falling prey to the dictates of a bad ruler, a coward or one who would sell them to the enemy during this war period, since the Daoist doctrine was all about living and letting live. After considering everything, legalism seems to be the system that would have best defended the particular communities, and even a collection of the communities, for it is a system of action and reciprocation. The common person reacts, and then the system responds by awarding a deserving reward; whether positive or negative.

Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay -- Two Kinds, Amy Tan

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the story 'Two Kinds'; by Amy Tan, we are shown the struggles of a young girl Jing-Mei. Her struggle is that of a young girl growing up and trying to find her own sense of identity. Her troubles are compounded by her mother, who convinces her that she can become someone important. Because of her mother's constant overbearing behavior, Jing-Mei does everything she can to annoy and displease her mother even to the point of being a failure. This fight to find her own identity against her mother's wishes shows how parents cannot control their child's life; they can only point them in the right direction and let them make their own choices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the onset of the story we find Jing-Mei's mother convincing her that she 'can be prodigy…'; (491) and that she 'can be best anything.'; (491) Deciding that Jing-Mei's destiny is to become a prodigy, her mother takes control and begins to push Jing-Mei towards this goal. At first Jing-Mei is, 'just as excited as my mother, maybe even more so.'; (491) By saying these things, Jing-Mei's mother tries to create an ideal identity for her. Jing-Mei's mother begins to test her with questions and she cooperates. But as time goes on and the tests her mother gives her gets harder, Jing-Mei begins to be resentful and unwilling to cooperate. She thinks to herself, 'I won't be what I'm not.'; (492) This shows a child resisting it's parents control.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ...

Practical Demonkeeping Chapter 10-11

10 AUGUSTUS BRINE Augustus Brine sat in one of his high-backed leather chairs massaging his temples, trying to formulate a plan of action. Rather than answers, the question, Why me? repeated in his mind like a perplexing mantra. Despite his size, strength, and a lifetime of learning, Augustus Brine felt small, weak, and stupid. Why me? A few minutes before, Gian Hen Gian had rushed into the house babbling in Arabic like a madman. When Brine finally calmed him down, the genie had told him he had found the demon. â€Å"You must find the dark one. He must have the Seal of Solomon. You must find him!† Now the genie was sitting in the chair across from Brine, munching potato chips and watching a videotape of a Marx Brothers movie. The genie insisted that Brine take some sort of action, but he had no suggestions on how to proceed. Brine examined the options and found them wanting. He could call the police, tell them that a genie had told him that an invisible man-eating demon had invaded Pine Cove, and spend the rest of his life under sedation: not good. Or, he could find the dark one, insist that he send the demon back to hell, and be eaten by the demon: not good. Or he could find the dark one, sneak around hoping that he wasn't noticed by an invisible demon that could be anywhere, steal the seal, and send the demon back to hell himself, but probably get eaten in the process: also, not good. Of course he could deny that he believed the story, deny that he had seen Gian Hen Gian drink enough saltwater to kill a battalion, deny the existence of the supernatural altogether, open an impudent little bottle of merlot, and sit by his fireplace drinking wine while a demon from hell ate his neighbors. But he did believ e it, and that option, too, was not good. For now he decided to rub his temples and think, Why me? The genie would be no help at all. Without a master he was as powerless as Brine himself. Without the seal and invocation, he could have no master. Brine had run through the more obvious courses of action with Gian Hen Gian to have each doomed in succession. No, he could not kill the demon: he was immortal. No, he could not kill the dark one: he was under the protection of the demon, and killing him, if it were possible, might release the demon to his own will. To attempt an exorcism would be silly, the genie reasoned; would some mingy prelate be able to override the power of Solomon? Perhaps they could separate the demon from his keeper – somehow force the dark one to send the demon back. Brine started to ask Gian Hen Gian if it was feasible but stopped himself. Tears were coursing down the genie's face. â€Å"What's the matter?† Brine asked. Gian Hen Gian kept his eyes trained on the television screen, where Harpo Marx was pulling a collection of objects from his coat, objects obviously too large to be stored there. â€Å"It has been so long since I have seen one of my own kind. This one who does not speak, I do not recognize him, but he is Djinn. What magic!† Brine considered for a moment the possibility that Harpo Marx might have been one of the Djinn, then berated himself for even thinking about it. Too much had happened today that was outside the frame of his experience and it had opened him up to thinking that anything was possible. If he weren't careful, he would lose his sense of judgment completely. â€Å"You've been here a thousand years and you've never seen a movie before?† Brine asked. â€Å"What is a movie?† Slowly and gently, Augustus Brine explained to the king of the Djinn about the illusion created by motion pictures. When he finished, he felt like he had just raped the tooth fairy in front of a class of kindergartners. â€Å"Then I am alone still?† the genie said. â€Å"Not completely.† â€Å"Yes,† the genie said, eager to leave the moment behind, â€Å"but what are you going to do about Catch, Augustus Brine?† 11 EFFROM Effrom Elliot awoke that morning eagerly anticipating his nap. He'd been dreaming about women, about a time when he had hair and choices. He hadn't slept well. Some barking dogs had awakened him during the night, and he wished he could sleep in, but as soon as the sun broke through his bedroom window, he was wide awake, without a hope of getting back to sleep and recapturing his dream until nap time. It had been that way since he had retired, twenty-five years ago. As soon as his life had eased so that he might sleep in, his body would not let him. He crept from bed and dressed in the half-light of the bedroom, putting on corduroys and a wool flannel shirt the wife had laid out for him. He put on his slippers and tiptoed out of the bedroom, palming the door shut so as not to wake the wife. Then he remembered that the wife was gone to Monterey, or was it Santa Barbara? Anyway, she wasn't home. Still, he continued his morning routine with the usual stealth. In the kitchen he put on the water for his morning cup of decaf. Outside the kitchen window the hummingbirds were already hovering up to the feeder, stopping for drinks of red sugar water on their route through the wife's fuchias and honeysuckle. He thought of the hummingbirds as the wife's pets. They moved too fast for his tastes. He had seen a nature show on television that said that their metabolism was so fast that they might not even be able to see humans. The whole world had gone the way of the hummingbirds as far as Effrom was concerned. Everything and everybody was too fast, and sometimes he felt invisible. He couldn't drive anymore. The last time he had tried, the police had stopped him for obstructing traffic. He had told the cop to stop and smell the flowers. He told the cop that he had been driving since before the cop was a glimmer in his daddy's eye. It had been the wrong approach. The policeman took his license. The wife did all the driving now. Imagine it – when he had taught her to drive, he had to keep grabbing the wheel to keep her from putting the Model T into the ditch. What would the snot-nosed cop say about that? The water was beginning to boil on the stove. Effrom rummaged through the old tin bread box and found the package of chocolate-covered graham crackers the wife had left for him. In the cupboard the jar of Sanka sat next to the real coffee. Why not? The wife was gone, why not live a little? He took the regular coffee from the shelf and set about finding the filters and filter holder. He hadn't the slightest idea where they were kept. The wife took care of that sort of thing. He finally found the filters, the holder, and the serving carafe on the shelf below. He poured some coffee into the filter, eyeballed it, and poured in some more. Then he poured the water over the grounds. The coffee came through strong and black as the kaiser's heart. He poured himself a cup and there was still a little left in the carafe. No sense wasting it. He opened the kitchen window, and after fumbling with the lid for a moment, poured the remaining coffee into the hummingbird feeder. â€Å"Live a little, boys.† He wondered if the coffee might not speed them up to the point where they just burnt up in the atmosphere. He toyed with the idea of watching for a while, then he remembered that his exercise show was about to start. He picked up his graham crackers and coffee and headed for the living room and his big easy chair in front of the RCA. He made sure the sound was turned down, then turned on the old console set. When the picture came on, a young blond woman in iridescent tights was leading three other young women through a series of stretches. Effrom guessed that there was music playing from the way they moved, but he always watched with the sound turned off so as not to wake the wife. Since he had discovered his exercise program, the women in his dreams all wore iridescent tights. The girls were all on their backs now, waving their legs in the air. Effrom munched his graham crackers and watched in fascination. Time was when a man had to spend the better part of a week's pay to see a show like that. Now you could get it on cable for only†¦. Well, the wife took care of the cable bill, but he guessed that it was pretty cheap. Life was grand. Effrom considered going out to his workshop and getting his cigarettes. A smoke would go good right now. After all, the wife was gone. Why should he sneak around in his own house? No, the wife would know. And when she confronted him, she wouldn't yell, she would just look at him. She would get that sad look in her blue eyes and she would say, â€Å"Oh, Effrom.† That's all, â€Å"Oh, Effrom.† And he would feel as if he had betrayed her. Nope, he could wait until his show was over and go smoke in his workshop, where the wife would never dare to set foot. Suddenly the house felt very empty. It was like a great vacant warehouse where the slightest noise rattles in the rafters. A presence was missing. He never saw the wife until she knocked on his workshop door at noon to call him to lunch, but somehow he felt her absence, as if the insulation had been ripped from around him, leaving him raw to the elements. For the first time in a long time Effrom felt afraid. The wife was coming back, but maybe someday she would be gone forever. Someday he would really be alone. He wished for a moment that he would die first, then thinking of the wife alone, knocking on the workshop door from which he would never emerge, made him feel selfish and ashamed. He tried to concentrate on the exercise show but found no solace in spandex tights. He rose and turned off the TV. He went to the kitchen and put his coffee in the sink. Outside the window the hummingbirds went about their business, shimmering in the morning sun. A sense of urgency came over him. It became suddenly very important to get to his workshop and finish his latest carving. Time seemed as fleeting and fragile as the little birds. In his younger days he might have met the feeling with a naive denial of his own mortality. Age had given him a different defense, and his thoughts returned to the image of he and the wife going to bed together and never waking, their lives and memories going out all at once. This too, he knew, was a naive fantasy. When the wife got home he was going to give her hell for going away, he knew that for sure. Before unlocking his workshop he set the alarm on his watch to go off at lunchtime. If he worked through lunch he might miss his nap. There was no sense in wasting the day just because the wife was out of town. When the knock came on his workshop door, Effrom thought at first that the wife had come home early to surprise him with lunch. He ground out his cigarette in an empty toolbox that he kept for that purpose. He blew the last lungful of smoke into the exhaust fan he had installed â€Å"to take out the sawdust.† â€Å"Coming. Just a minute,† he said. He revved up one of his high-speed polishing tools for effect. The knocking continued and Effrom realized that it was not coming from the inside door that the wife usually knocked on, but from the one leading out into the front yard. Probably Jehovah's Witnesses. He climbed down from his stool, checked the pockets of his corduroys for quarters, and found one. If you bought a Watchtower from them, they would go away, but if they caught you without spare change, they would be on you like soul-saving terriers. Effrom threw the door open and the young man outside jumped back. He was dressed in a black sweatshirt and jeans – rather casual, Effrom thought, for someone carrying the formal invitation to the end of the world. â€Å"Are you Effrom Elliot?† he asked. â€Å"I am.† Effrom said. He held out his quarter. â€Å"Thanks for stopping by, but I'm busy, so you can just give me my Watchtower and I'll read it later.† â€Å"Mr. Elliot, I'm not a Jehovah's Witness.† â€Å"Well, I have all the insurance I can afford, but if you leave me your card, I'll give it to the wife.† â€Å"Is your wife still alive, Mr. Elliot?† â€Å"Of course she's alive. What did you think? I was going to tape your business card to her tombstone? Son, you're not cut out to be a salesman. You should get an honest job.† â€Å"I'm not a salesman, Mr. Elliot. I'm an old friend of your wife's. I need to talk to her. It's very important.† â€Å"She ain't home.† â€Å"Your wife's name is Amanda, right?† â€Å"That's right. But don't you try any of your sneaky tricks. You ain't no friend of the wife or I'd know you. And we got a vacuum cleaner that'd suck the hide off a bear, so go away.† Effrom started to close the door. â€Å"No, please, Mr. Elliot. I really need to speak to your wife.† â€Å"She ain't home.† â€Å"When will she be home?† â€Å"She's coming home tomorrow. But I'm warning you, son, she's even tougher than I am on flimflam men. Mean as a snake. You'd be best to just pack up your carpetbag and go look for honest work.† â€Å"You were a World War One veteran, weren't you?† â€Å"I was. What of it?† â€Å"Thank you, Mr. Elliot. I'll be back tomorrow.† â€Å"Don't bother.† â€Å"Thank you, Mr. Elliot.† Effrom slammed the door. His angina wrenched his chest like a scaly talon. He tried to breathe deeply while he fingered a nitroglycerin pill from his shirt pocket. He popped it into his mouth, and it dissolved on his tongue immediately. In a few seconds the pain in his chest subsided. Maybe he would skip lunch today, go right to his nap. Why the wife kept sending in those cards about insurance was beyond him. Didn't she know that â€Å"no salesman will call† was one of the three great lies? He resolved again to give her hell when she got home. When Travis got back into the car, he tried to hide his excitement from the demon. He fought the urge to shout â€Å"Eureka!† to pound on the steering wheel, to sing hallelujah at the top of his lungs. It might finally be coming to an end. He wouldn't let himself think about it. It was only a long shot, but he felt closer than he ever had to being free of the demon. â€Å"So, how's your old friend?† Catch said sarcastically. They had played this scene literally thousands of times. Travis tried to assume the same attitude he always had when faced with those failures. â€Å"He's fine,† Travis said. â€Å"He asked about you.† He started the car and pulled away from the curb slowly. The old Chevy's engine sputtered and tried to die, then caught. â€Å"He did?† â€Å"Yeah, he couldn't understand why your mother didn't eat her young.† â€Å"I didn't have a mother.† â€Å"Do you think she'd claim you?† Catch grinned. â€Å"Your mother wet herself before I finished her.† The anger came sliding back over the years. Travis shut off the engine. â€Å"Get out and push,† he said. Then he waited. Sometimes the demon would do exactly what he said, and other times Catch laughed at him. Travis had never been able to figure out the inconsistency. â€Å"No,† Catch said. â€Å"Do it.† The demon opened the car door. â€Å"Lovely girl you're going out with tonight, Travis.† â€Å"Don't even think about it.† The demon licked his chops. â€Å"Think what?† â€Å"Get out.† Catch got out. Travis left the Chevy in drive. When the car started moving, Travis could hear the demon's clawed feet cutting furrows in the asphalt. Just one more day. Maybe. He tried to think of the girl, Jenny, and it occurred to him that he was the only man he had ever heard of who had waited until he was in his nineties before going on his first date. He didn't have the slightest idea why he had asked her out. Something about her eyes. There was something there that reminded him of happiness, his own happiness. Travis smiled.

“Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzgerald Essay

â€Å"Great Gatsby† by Scott Fitzgerald is one of the best American novels owing to its thematic strength. There are many social themes in the story including Dream, vision, honesty, time, wealth, superficiality and shallowness, societal expectation, disloyalty, immorality and selfishness. The surface study shows that its about love relation between Gatsby and Daisy. But the story has much broader theme rather than big romantic scope. The most dominating theme of the story is that of â€Å"American Dream† or rather â€Å"Perverted American Dream†. It is very symbolic story of â€Å"Roaring Age† of 1920s America, particularly the story of shattering of American Dream in that era of economic prosperity and material abundance. The Great Gatsby is the biggest example of skilled narrative art as it is based on the principle of â€Å"double vision†. Everything in the novel is seen in two ways: on the one hand it looks a romantic  love story of Gatsby and Daisy, and on the other hand it is about   â€Å"perverted form of American   Dream†. Scott Fitzgerald  is successful in writing a fiction which carries two parallel stories at the same time. The writer himself once stated,† The test of   a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time , and still retain the ability to function†. The story offers the reader to form quality of double vision to see everything in two ways.The surface study of the novel shows that its about love relation between Daisy and Gatsby, but if we probe into the theme, its about corruption of American dream and a failure to achieve ideals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The writer attempted to make readers see through his eyes. The reader is made to believe in the possibilities of variety of opposed ideas. That’s why it is also called â€Å"an allegorical novel†. The reader forms different opinion about the novel when he starts reading, but he finds everything quite different when he reaches the end. The story shows that anyone in America can and can not achieve success to the best despite his level best efforts and hard work. The reader is trapped in enigma by thinking whether Gatsby would get Daisy or not. This is proved when Daisy rejects Gatsby and later accepts him and the reader is able to believe in both alternates.   Gatsby himself is the most real and the most unreal elite described in the story. The writer presents this principle of double vision more artistically by introducing character of Nick who tells us what he sees and gathers information about what he does not see himself. Everything in this novel is seen in two ways: on the one hand as glamorous , romantic   and exciting ,and on the other hand as crude, corrupt and even disgusting. This double vision applies to people, places and incidents of the novel. Gatsby, the protagonist of the story, struggles hard to achieve the desired American dream, but is also obsessed with  love of Daisy, his beloved. The most relevant scene to this double vision is the reunion between Gatsby and Daisy after long period of five years. Gatsby spends most of his time in earning wealth so that he would impress Daisy and get her love. Daisy, on the other hand, is highly indifferent to Gatsby and her marriage with Tom shows it clearly. Even their reunion has different effects on both of them. It seems as if Gatsby were having only one thing in mind: achieving American dream. But later we assess that he is only obsessed with Daisy’s love. The characters’ mind changes every minute and this change also affect the reader and help them expect any possibility. Some critic writes about Great Gatsby: â€Å"Fitzgerald called The Great Gatsby a â€Å"novel of selected incident,† modeled after Flaubert’s Madame Bovary.†What I cut out of it both physically and emotionally would make another novel,† he said. Fitzgerald’s stylistic method is to let a part stand for the whole. In Chapters I to III, for example, he lets three parties stand for the whole summer and for the contrasting values of three different worlds. He also lets small snatches of dialog represent what is happening at each party. The technique is cinematic. The camera zooms in, gives us a snatch of conversation, and then cuts to another group of people. Nick serves almost as a recording device, jotting down what he hears. Fitzgerald’s ear for dialog, especially for the colloquial phrases of the period, is excellent.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The reunion scene is the peak of dramatic point of the novel. The readers have been prepared to reach this point. The image of Daisy’s willingness is followed by an image of Gatsby seeing the greenish bay across from Daisy’ dock. colorful parties are followed by isolation in private life. The reader can’t realize at once what the characters already know. The reader reaching this scene takes interest to see whether Gatsby and Daisy renew their lost love. The reader is also interested in the response of Nick on whose intellectual prowess they depend on a lot. The clock scene also offers confrontation of ideas for the readers. The clock is the symbol of past which Gatsby ever yearns to  repeat so that he could again get love of Daisy. The breaking of clock indicates how awkward past moment looks when brought into the present. The facts that the clock does not work indicates flawed dream of Gatsby to win over Daisy. It is true that Gatsby can’t repeat his past and he can’t get best out of American dream and is rather disillusioned. The novel shows abstract philosophy that an idealist  reluctant to compromise can and can’t survive in this material oriented world. The principle of double vision is made more effective by using Nick as a narrator. The surface level study of the novel shows Gatsby’s thorough indulgence in love of Daisy. Nick is an ideal narrator in the story and is mouth piece of Fitzgerald. His physical proximity to the main characters proves that he is ideal narrator as he knows details of the story from many angels and observes everything quite clearly. It was rather impossible to keep two parallel stories in a single novel which had irreconcilable contradictions. The story of love has nothing to do with American Dream but the writer artistically puts them on right place. From the very beginning we find Gatsby prepared to get what Best America has to offer and he has staunch belief in the face that he will win over Daisy’s love, the  most loving woman he has ever seen. He can only win her if he measure up to the standards of old wealthy class. Nick holds the view that Gatsby’s dream was futile from the very start as he won’t be accepted by prejudiced old wealthy class and Daisy belonging to latter can never leave it resulting disillusionment for Gatsby. Here novel shows the fact that â€Å"American dream of equality for all† was a false promise. The story can be interpreted as juxtaposition of two opposed ideas. The ideals are shattered when they are confronted with reality. The ideals of American dream are shattered when  Gatsby gets love of Daisy, when he kisses her, and when he holds her in his arms. The ideal world, in Gatsby’s case, shatters in the face of the real one. The intricate weaving of the various stories within The Great Gatsby is accomplished through a complex symbolic substructure of the narrative. The green light, godly eye of Eckleburg,†brood on over the solemn dumping ground† which shows America as wasteland due to materialistic society and many other symbols make it easier for the writer to intricate stories containing opposing ideas. He also uses metaphors through which he hints at the standards of morality and immorality through out the novel. Daisy can’t change her luxurious living style and can’t accept the new wealthy class. Jordan Baker boasts of her careless driving. The proper utilization of dual symbolism and ambivalent expressions is truly profound and subtle art that Fitzgerald has mastered in this novel. There is no denying the fact that this beautiful novel offers the readers to form in them the habit to see things from more than one angle. The writer holds the opinion that seeing thing from one way may be faulty and it can be entirely different in reality. Thus it will be right to say that everything in the novel has got double meaning and the writer is successful in using principle of double vision in it.

Dont Overload the Bridge

Dont Overload the Bridge Dont Overload the Bridge Dont Overload the Bridge By Michael Every good writer is burning to say something, and fiction writers are no exception. Though their job is to tell a story well, they often have a message they want to get across too. Many seasoned fiction writers would say, Dont do it! Concentrate on your story. Let your characters do what comes naturally to them, and dont turn them into puppets for your beliefs. I try to take that advice, but I cant always do it. The message is often what excites me about writing the story. If youre thinking about how to squeeze your message into your story, imagine a ravine. A deep, flooding ravine. You have to get your readers across it. So, you build a bridge. You create believable settings and characters, and let them do believable things. You look at your story, and ask others to look at your story, with the question, Does this ring true? Then, you load up your readers into a bus to drive them across the bridge. Oh, and you also load up your message, your cargo, into the storage area under the bus. Will your bridge stand the strain? Have you built it strong enough and sturdy enough to hold up under the weight of your profound message to the world? Will the bus make it over without crashing through? If not, build the bridge again. Dont let your readers try to cross it until youve made it ready for them. The heavier the message, the stronger the story has to be. The characters need to be so believable, the plot so engrossing, that your readers wont worry that the cargo youve stashed underneath their feet is going to put them into the bottom of the ravine. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Farther vs. Further15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their Synonyms90 Verbs Starting with â€Å"Ex-†

Throes vs Throws - Commonly Confused Words

Throes vs Throws - Commonly Confused Words The words throes and throws  are  homophones: They sound alike but have different meanings. The plural noun throes means a great struggle or a condition of agonizing pain or trouble. The idiom in the throes of means in the midst of some painful or difficult experience.Throws is the third-person present singular form of the verb throwto toss, hurl, or discharge. Examples They simulated agonized death throes, rolling around on the ground, twisting their bodies into grotesque shapes and making hideous faces. (Ken Follett, The Pillars of the Earth)In the late 1970s, Uganda was in the throes of economic collapse, and there were long lines in Kampala for even the most basic goods.A young lady appears at the window and throws kisses to the crowd.A sacrifice bunt should be attempted only when the pitcher throws a strike. Practice: My four-year-old son whines and _____ a fit every time we try to take him to the playground.The country was in the _____ of revolution, and the king was compelled to abdicate.Gertrude _____ flowers into Ophelias grave, saying, Sweets to the sweet. Farewell.If you are in the _____ of a hurricane, steer for the calm spot. Answers My four-year-old son whines and  throws  a fit every time we try to take him to the playground.The country was in the  throes  of revolution, and the king was compelled to abdicate.Gertrude  throws  flowers into Ophelias grave, saying, Sweets to the sweet. Farewell.If you are in the  throes  of a hurricane, steer for the calm spot.

AP Scores in College Admissions Do They Really Matter

AP Scores in College Admissions Do They Really Matter SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Since you put so much effort into studying for and taking AP tests, you’ve likely wondered whether colleges look at AP scores.How is all of your AP prep and effort going to affect your chances of admission to college? In this guide, we'll illuminate the relationship between AP scores and college admission. We’ll also discuss how important AP scores are for your application, how colleges consider these scores, and what being an AP Scholar can mean for your admission chances. Do Colleges Look at AP Scores? There are two issues to address when we consider the connection between AP scores and college admission. First, do colleges even look at your AP scores when you apply? Secondly, if they do look, how much do they actually care about your scores? Do Colleges Look at AP Scores for Admission? While you don't typically need to send official AP score reports to colleges you're applying to, some schools will have space on their applications for you to self-report your AP scores.And if your scores are on your application, admissions committees will see them.Similarly, if you have any low AP scores you'd prefer admissions committees not see, you don't have to (and shouldn't) report them on your application. But of the AP scores you do report, how much weight do they have in the admissions process? Is it more or less than the weight of these three apples? Do Colleges Care About AP Scores? As with many college-admissions related questions, the answer to this question is, "It depends." However, as a general rule, your AP exam scores aren’t going to be a major make-or-break factor in whether you get into a college or not. High AP scores will definitely work in your favor, though they’re far from the most important factor (test scores, transcripts, and your personal statement are all much more critical). Particularly high AP scores (i.e., 5s in a variety of subjects) may be helpful for very selective institutionswhere every bit of edge to differentiate you from other elite students can count. Similarly, low AP scores (i.e., 1 or 2) can be a red flag to selective institutions. This is especially true if there’s a lot of inconsistency between your AP scores and your grades in AP classes. If you have consistently high grades but low test scores, this can indicate to colleges that there’s grade inflation at your high school. However, because you’re probably going to self-report your AP scores anyway, there’s nothing wrong with simply not reporting one or two scores you’re not satisfied with. Another situation in whichcolleges will look more closely at your AP scores is if you submit AP scores to a test-flexible school. These types of schools give you several options for what kinds of standardized test scores you can submit with your application. You might be able to substitute SAT or ACT scores with scores from AP tests, IB exams, or SAT Subject Tests. If you’re sitting on some 5s, this might be an appealing option! For example, at NYU you can submit three AP exam scores to fulfill the university's standardized testing requirement. The University of Rochester also allows you to use AP exam scoresas your primary test scores for admission. If you're using AP exams as your standardized test scores, you'll most likely need to send in an official AP score report to that school as opposed to just self-reporting. Your official AP score report normally includes all test scores, but you can pay extra to withhold particular scores if you don’t want the college to see those. Like these dancers, you can use flexibility to your advantage! How Much Do AP Courses Matter for College? The fact that your AP exam scores aren’t a critical factor in college admission does not mean that AP courses are not important. While your actual slate of scores on exams is only of middling importance, AP classes themselves can be very important. This is because one of the most significant factors in the college admissions process- especially at selective schools- is your transcript. Colleges want to see evidence that you were able to excel in difficult classes in high school, so it’s critical that you take a rigorous class schedule, which at many high schools will include AP classes. If your school prioritizes the IB program or doesn’t offer any AP or IB classes, colleges will take this into account. Nonetheless, selective institutions expect you to take the most difficult classes available to you.This also means that it’s perfectly fine to take AP classes and not necessarily take the exam for each class. However, if you do take AP exams, another potential advantage is that you can sometimes earn college credit and/or skip prerequisite courses with your scores. Public schools almost always offer college credit for high scores for at least some exams. Selective private schools are less likely to offer credit for individual exams. Some schools, such as Harvard, even let you bundle AP credits so you can graduate in six to seven semestersand pursue a master’s degree your fourth year. As you can see, many colleges will let you use high AP scores to bypass prerequisites and get to more interesting advanced classes more quickly! Fly past those prerequisites! Does It Matter If You’re an AP Scholar? The AP Scholar program gives honorary awards (meaning there’s no money involved) to students who meet certain score thresholds on certain numbers of AP exams. There are various award levels associated with particular scores and numbers of exams. For instance, you'd win an AP Scholar award if you got 3+ on three exams and a National AP Scholar award if you got 4+ on eight or more AP exams. In general, these awards aren’t going to make much of a difference in college admissions. The awards themselves really just communicate in shorthand how you did on your AP tests, and colleges will already have access to that information if you report your AP scores to them. In this sense, an AP Scholar award is not giving any new information to the school. The AP International Diploma program (created for students interested in going to college abroad) is similar. You’ll receive the diploma automatically once you meet the requirements. Again, though, since you'll likely be reporting your test scores, the diploma doesn’t provide schools with additional information. It's not the most important diploma you'll receive in your life. The Bottom Line: Do Colleges Look at AP Scores? Colleges typically ask students to self-report their AP scores on applications.As a result, they will see any scores you choose to report (and won't see any you choose not to report). The follow-up question, then, is this: do colleges care about AP scores?Although AP scores are far from the most important part of your application, high scores can act in your favor, whereas a number of low scores can be a red flag. This is especially true at selective schools. However, taking AP classes themselves (if they are offered at your school) are an important way to demonstrate that you’re taking the most rigorous schedule available to you- a quality that’s extremely important to selective institutions in the admissions process. Finally, AP exam scores can sometimes get you college credit or allow you to skip prerequisite classes in college. Not all schools do this, so be sure to check with the colleges you're applying to! What’s Next? If you need more information on the complete college application process, we've got you covered. We offer expert advice on the college application timeline, how many colleges you should apply to, and how to do college research to find the right schools for you! Looking to learn more about AP exams? We explainhow to prepare for AP exams, what you need to know in order toace your APs on test day, andwhether you should retake an AP test. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Feedback Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Feedback - Assignment Example The student offered a viable example of how businesspeople may affect the society. However, the student’s explanation of the Utilitarianism theory was not complete. The student did not offer supporting evidence to the explanation given. The student needed to reflect more on the reasons why the Utilitarianism Theory appels to them over the other theories. The student displayed good understanding of the Utilitarianism Theory. However, the student’s explanation of the theory was not exhaustive. The student failed to express reasons for the criticism of the theory. The student exhibited adequate understanding of the Utilitarianism Theory and explained the reasons for preferring the theory. The student arranged his work in a logical manner, making it easy to follow and understand the literature. The student referenced correctly as per the APA rules of referencing. The student earned 8.5 marks out of

Was the Paris Peace Conference a failure or a success Essay

Was the Paris Peace Conference a failure or a success - Essay Example There were a number of provisions in the treaty the most controversial and important one was that Germany accepts the full responsibility for the cause of World War 1. It levied heavy economical impositions ($31.4 billion) that took a number of years to pay up. Hence, this led Germany unsatisfied. Though financially weak it was not morally weakened. Therefore the treaty failed to subdue Germany in the right manner so that it later took a hostile step bringing much havoc in the world. 2 The Big Four Delegates from 32 different countries met at the Paris Peace Conference; however, four people took active participation in the drawing of treaties and were known as the Big Four. The members of the Big Four were David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of The United Kindom Georges Clemenceau - Prime Minister of France. Woodrow Wilson - President of the United States of America and Vittorio Orlando, Prime minister of Italy. The defeated countries suffered the conclusions of their talks. Wilson wo rked hard to have his Fourteen Points included in the league. He was specifically concerned about the League of Nations.

Effects of emerging technologies in Accounting Information Systems- Research Paper

Effects of emerging technologies in Accounting Information Systems- focusing on XBRL - Research Paper Example Due to numerous benefits, XBRL captured the market and now-a-days few biggest economies in the world such as US, China, France and Japan organizations are obliged to implement XBRL for financial reporting (Geerts, Guido, et al 815-840). XBRL assures control of data sources and in addition, it ensures the integrity of reporting information by using the structured format of XML that are adapted to the financial particularities. It helps in facilitating and automating the import of data from diverse computing environments. Along with summiting the regulatory constraints, the enterprises that are implementing XBRL are benefitting from an innovative context for improvement and cost diminution relative to their reporting processes. Recently, XBRL has come out to be a viable option for the public sectors (Jiu, Li, Wang and Gong 84-96). There exists number of extensions of XBRL such as XBRL IFRS and XBRL US GAAP that are created for the adoption of specific norms and rules for reporting in f inancial accounting. The objective of the report is to explain the impacts of technological advancements such as XBRL in accounting information system and its relevance. The evolution in the world of XBRL was exceptionally rapid, progressing from the state of initiative of American accounting expert Charles Hoffman in 1988 to the state of international standard that are used internationally and promoted by a significant number of national and international jurisdictions. Considerable numbers of paper are dealing with the problems of XBRL and its significance in accounting information systems (Baldwin, Amelia and Trinkle 1-24). This research report goes beyond the research preoccupation for adopting XBRL as a standard format and tool generally in business reporting and particularly in financial reporting. This research report will review the effects of emerging technologies on accounting information systems (AIS) majorly focusing on XBRL. This

TRAVEL ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TRAVEL - Essay Example It also gave me the opportunity to meet new friends. After spending hours in school, most children who lived close to the street of our apartment were expected to stroll around the community area. Around 4 to 5 p.m. each day, children around my age who live in nearby places would gather to play in the park. Some children would run around the park while other children would simply gather in one place to talk about what they had encountered in school the entire day. One thing that attracted me most in the park is an old acacia tree that was surrounded by colorful flowers. Instead of playing with other children, I remember that I used to carry a book which I normally read as I sat down on one of the benches close to that huge old tree. Culture pertains to the way a group of people live their lives (South African History Online, 2014). Since I grew up in East Africa, a significant part of my family culture practice a close family ties. Basically, the structure of my family is nuclear. It means that my ancestral house is composed of my father, my mother, and my siblings. Therefore, each weekend, my parents would convince my sister and I to spend a few hours at my grandparents’ house. Life indeed is a never ending journey. Even though I had to continue my higher studies in the United States, I had to travel back to my parents’ house to attend my sister’s wedding celebration. In Africa, marriage is considered as something sacred. In fact, matrimonial ceremony is considered as one of the most important family affairs. It is a common practice for African wedding preparation to last for months (Dyrness & Karkkainen, 2008: 520). When I had a one-on-one talk with my sister, she told me that the wedding preparation lasted for six (6) weeks. The entire wedding celebration went as smooth as planned. Our religious belief is Christian. Therefore, the wedding celebration has to take

Reading Summary 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading Summary 5 - Essay Example Most organizations, do not involve the shareholders and other directors in the policy making process. They are only involvement in the final output. For effective optimization of distribution channels, all the key stake holders should be involved from the time the company is drafting its distribution strategy (Kotler & Lee, 2007). A good distribution channel, should look at all the key sections of an organization that need to be looked at and questioned. For example, if the goods delivery time is delayed, what will impact will the effect have on the overall sales revenue? This type of questions need to be asked and answered by an organization in order to optimize of distribution channels (Kotler & Lee, 2007). One of the areas, which organizations give little attention is the inventory. The way a company manages its inventory, becomes more and more important. A company needs to know where and how it’s going to stock all the products (Kotler & Lee,

Perspectives on International Trade and Finance Assignment

Perspectives on International Trade and Finance - Assignment Example Joining WTO posed a vital influence on the political as well as economic reforms of China which were learnt to be influencing the telecom sector as well. Xiaolingtong is a mobile network which was developed in the year 1999, before China joined WTO and was controlled by the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) which was considered to be the backbone of the fixed line service providers. Later on, significant developments were made with regard to Xiaolingtong which assisted in capturing a significant share in the foreign market. The government provided full support towards the development of Xiaolingtong but those developments were not regarded as vital in comparison to the mobile or cellular service providers. There were also few issues which existed in relation to the adoption or implementation of the 3G service in China’s telecommunication services which required the involvement of different services and technologies. Discussion Key Issues or Options or Alternatives There a re few issues which are known to prevail or subsist in the telecommunication system of China and these issues are believed to be preventing the overall development of the system. The telecom market in China was characterized with arbitrary pricing as well as promotion policies. The main focus was to gain a significant market share instead of increasing its market size by providing new and valued services. The telecom market or the sector was observed to provide increased focus on deploying various services without being much concerned regarding the underlying quality with respect to the value added services for creating differentiation or competitive advantage for their products in the international market. There was an existence of high regulatory framework which created uncertainty as well as risk for the 3G mobile services. China’s telecom policies lacked a proper implementation of the relevant laws as well as regulations. It was found in this respect that MII played a maj or role in regulating the policies for the telecom system in China as the policies were not considered to be transparent which led to uncertainties. It was identified that to develop an efficient as well as effective competition in the telecom market, the existence of an ‘Independent Telecom Regulatory Authority’ was highly required. When China joined WTO, it should have then established an ‘Independent Telecom Regulatory Authority’ for the purpose of developing its telecom industry, but failed to do as MII used to formulate plans and policies as along with managing the telecom service providers (International Trade Administration, 2010). The telecom industry of China needed to conduct its business in partnership with some other international telecom services to compete in the international market. The firms formed out of Chinese partnerships with the foreign associates usually remained stated owned and lacked adequate experience in terms of competing in th e international market. The telecom equipment requires qualifying through various certifications as well as testing prior to their implementation and installation. A certain degree of limitation is imposed in China with regard to the aspect of foreign investment which restricts foreign companies to exercise control over the management of the Chinese telecom industry. A WTO obligation

Reading Summary 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading Summary 5 - Essay Example Most organizations, do not involve the shareholders and other directors in the policy making process. They are only involvement in the final output. For effective optimization of distribution channels, all the key stake holders should be involved from the time the company is drafting its distribution strategy (Kotler & Lee, 2007). A good distribution channel, should look at all the key sections of an organization that need to be looked at and questioned. For example, if the goods delivery time is delayed, what will impact will the effect have on the overall sales revenue? This type of questions need to be asked and answered by an organization in order to optimize of distribution channels (Kotler & Lee, 2007). One of the areas, which organizations give little attention is the inventory. The way a company manages its inventory, becomes more and more important. A company needs to know where and how it’s going to stock all the products (Kotler & Lee,

Motivations of Managers in Small- and Large Firms Essay

Motivations of Managers in Small- and Large Firms - Essay Example In the paper, the importance and major differences between small- and large-scale businesses such as in the case of the multinational corporations (MNCs) and the transnational corporations (TNCs) will be thoroughly discussed. In the process of going through the discussion, the differences between the ownership, goals, and business organization including the business activity of small- and large-scale businesses’ external environments will be compared and contrast. Whether a company is small- or large-scale, the main purpose of establishing a business is to earn large sum of profit. Earning profit is not solely dependent on increasing the company’s annual sales; the ability of the manager to maximize the use of its existing resources also contributes a lot when it comes to increasing the amount of profit a company can generate each year. Aside from the major differences between the corporate structure of small firms and large multinational companies, it is a common knowl edge that large-scale businesses are able to acquire bigger credit line from banks as compared to small-scale businesses. Since small-scale businesses have limited financial resources that can be used in operating the business. For this reason, managers within small-scale companies are not fully able to maximize the benefit of economies-of-scale. Large-scale businesses such as in the case of multinational corporations (MNCs) and the transnational corporations (TNCs) have the financial capacity to invest on highly competitive human resources and support employees’ needed training and development aside from investment on newly innovated communication and production technology and the benefit of purchasing of raw materials by bulk.

Educational psychology Essay Example for Free

Educational psychology Essay I am a big proponent of social cognition, and I am going to use it in my classroom. I believe that is a student puts their mind to something, and they really try to accomplish that goal it can be done. In order to elicit this response one must often use the operant condition when it comes to learning. People thrive on the words of others and their praise. â€Å"In operant conditioning the organism learns that a particular behavior produces a particular consequence. If the consequence is useful or pleasurable, the organism will tend to repeat the behavior to produce the consequence again. If the consequence is unpleasant, the organism will tend not to repeat the behavior. Pleasant consequences are sometimes called ‘rewards’, and unpleasant consequences are sometimes called ‘punishments’ (Berger p 42. )† This theory came about by the studies of B. F. Skinner. This is where I tend to move towards metacognition and self-efficacy. I believe that when a student does well on something it is quite satisfying, and they would like to see this result again. They noticed that when they studied hard the reward was the good grade. They receive their grade and self-gratification sets in. If they did not study they may fail the test and they are then negatively reinforced because they do not want to see this result again. I want to use this conditioning and encourage my students to do well. I know they can do it; they just have to have the right attitude and behavior about it. An example of this reinforcement is if I tell my student, â€Å"good job, I really enjoyed that†, when referring to a project they did; the student will most likely work harder and come up with and even more impressive project. My student wants the affirmation that he did a good job. The student want the positive reinforcement as it brings about a rewarding stimulus. This not only gets the student to do their work it also gets him thinking metacognitivly, which he will benefit from later on in life. He is looking at what he did to get my praise and analyzing what he did, and looking at how he can do better. This is exactly what I want from my students I want them to take an active role in their education. He does not know it, but my student through operant conditioning has arrived at a deep thought process. It is brilliant. As teachers I believe we use operant conditioning every day. We will prompt our students with cues helping them arrive at the answer. In giving the students positive reinforcement they do get a true yearning to learn. It may start out as just for the reward, but it is my hope that eventually they realize learning is the reward. Classical conditioning is useful, and thanks to Pavlov; we see that it works. I do want to condition somethings so that there is an automatic response. For example, when I ask my students quite down they will automatically respond to my voice, I know optimistic. In general though I prefer operate conditioning as it goes deeper into thinking. I again go with the cognitive approach when it comes to motivation. When someone internally processes something it becomes more real. It means more to them. When a student reflects on his work and looks at how he can improve upon it. This very closely reflects extrinsic motivation. Here someone does something to obtain something else. This could relate to the student who studies to obtain a good grade. I like this theory and will apply it to my classroom, because I really want to get my students gears turning. â€Å"They emphasize the importance of creating learning environments that encourage students to become cognitively engaged and take responsibility for their learning. This goal is to get students to become motivated to expend the effort to persist and mat ideas rather than simply doing good enough work to just get my and make passing grades (Perry, Turner, Meyer, 2006, p 467. )† If my students can come to the point of realization that studying equals doing well in the class I am in a good spot. Many students know this but they do not fully believe it because they have never tried (Wigfield, 2006, p 463.) Even stronger than this is intrinsic motivation. This motivation becomes so real to the student when they realize they can self-determine their outcomes. I love this method so much. The student is growing and understanding how to truly learn, they are learning that what they learn truly effects them. â€Å"In this view, students want to believe that they are doing something because of their own will, not because of external success or rewards (Deci, Koestner, Ryan, 2001, p 464. )† They have learned to stop relying on others; they have learned to push themselves through life. â€Å"Researchers have found that student’s internal motivation an intrinsic interest in school tasks increase when students have some choice and some opportunities to make personal responsibility for their learning (Grolnick, 2002, p 464. )† I want to motivate them by allowing them some freedom in my class. I will give my students choices because they then be more motivated to do the work with all their effort. The thing is, whatever choice they make they are still learning! Also they are processing it all through information processing to make sure that how they are acting now will be duplicated. They know their actions constituted a response from me, which was giving them more freedom. They enjoyed this stimulus and will want it to continue, so they will work really hard. This loops them all the way back to operant conditioning and positive reinforcement! It is all connected. Another big thing with this idea is interest. â€Å"Interest is especially linked to measure of deep learning, such as recall of main ideas and responses to more difficult comprehension questions, than to surface learning, such as responses to simple questions and verbatim recall of text (Wigfield, 2006, p 466. )† This is where I hope my passion for history comes in. I want to get my students excited about history. If I do get my students excited they will show interest and if they show interest they will understand the history at a deeper level than they normally would. My management plan also fits in with these ideas. I am going to run my classroom according to the authoritative perspective. I will be the teacher and the students will follow my rules, but they will be integrated into the classroom. My students will have a say as to what goes on in my classroom, in our classroom (Baumrind, 1971, p 513.I will manage my classroom with effect rules that can be up for change depending if the students do not agree with the rules. â€Å"To function smoothly, classrooms need clearly defined rules and procedures. Students need to know specifically how you want them to behave. Without clearly defined classroom rules and procedures, the inevitable misunderstandings can breed chaos (Evertson Emmer, 2009, p 515. )† I will have my procedures laid out at the beginning of the year so that the kids will have excuse when they do not follow the rules. I will be integrating William Glassers management plan. He suggested that there be a classroom meeting every once and while. This is just a chance for the students to say yes or no regarding structures of the classroom. I will also manage my classroom by listening to what my students have to say. I want them to know that I do care. I want them to trust me. If there is mutual peace between us, there will be far less conflicts that arise. â€Å"When most of us think of your favorite teacher, we think of someone who cared about whether or not we learned. Showing that you genuinely care about student as individuals apart from their academic work helps gain their cooperation (Pianata, 2006. )† Students feel safe and secure when the teacher shows that he cares. The classroom atmosphere if much more relaxed. It is not up tight and tense. If I teach like this a lot of anxiety and stress will be avoided. Target Group I am getting my teacher degree in secondary education. I will be teaching at the high school level. I would like to, at least some point in my career, teach in the Christian school system. I grew up in it, and I love what their mission is. I also would not mind teaching in a public school. It would be good experience for me and help me grow as a teacher. I would like to teach in traditional public schools and in Christian schools. I would like the experience of both. Public schools would allow me to reach out to those who are really in need and to those who thirst for knowledge and cannot get it anywhere except through free public education. This would be especially true if I were in an inner city situations. I would not mind this at all as I volunteer now helping with inner city children. I have a heart for them and would love to serve as a teacher there someday. I want to offer them knowledge and help them meet their full potential. I also would like to teach at a charter school. I observed a classroom at a charter school and I really liked. It is a good system and is run well and I would like to be a part of it, at least for a time. So, I am happy at any school; I will go where God sends me. The ages that I will be teaching will be ranging from the age of thirteen to nineteen. It is my hope that I will be teaching history. There is a scarcity of history teaching jobs right now, and I hope that will be able to find one. I absolutely love history and I really want to teach it. The other subjects I would be teaching would be biology or just a general science class, and depending on where I teach, bible class. I would also like to teach at a smaller high school, about six-hundred to seven-hundred students. A big high school with two thousand people, I believe, is too impersonal. A smaller high school, like my own, is just the right size and encourages kids to get to know one another. Also, in a big school I could not be as relational to the students as I would want to because there would be so many in all my classes. Environment and Routines If things are not explained clearly, or if things are not put in a well thought out manner; a teacher may run into behavior problems. In order to create good student behavior I plan to take the three-step approach that the Wongs developed. I need to teach my students how to follow procedures, or else I will run into problems. I must first explain the classroom procedure as clearly as I possibly can, and if there are questions I will answer them. Also it is a good idea to distribute my procedures at the beginning of the semester or at the beginning of a certain activity so the students know what is expected. After I explain what is going on I should practice or rehearse the procedure until it becomes routine. â€Å"Behaviors must be taught, modeled, practiced, and retaught (Wong p 175. )† In going over the procedures repeatedly the students then understand what is expected of them. Finally I must reinforce this procedure and I also must reinforce what is the wrong procedure. After going about this my students will know exactly how to act and what is expected of them, and there should be very few behavioral problems. A positive classroom environment involves both the teacher and the student. The students must respect the teacher and his authority. They must listen to what the teacher has to say, and they must be disciplined when they do not. The teacher also must respect the students. He must listen to what the students have to say, and he must not make it a dictatorship where the classroom is harsh and rigid in structure. The kids are only human. â€Å"A positive classroom environment encourages participation and risk-taking because students know they will not be harassed or belittled by the teacher. Students do not have to shrink within themselves to survive the forty-five minutes, ninety minutes, or full day with teacher who yells, throws things, or makes hurtful comments. In a positive classroom environment students can make jokes, engage in their learning, banter with the teacher, and feel comfortable with the tasks given. † (Kendrick) In a classroom a teacher should be encouraging to his students. He should let the students know that he believes in them. Students do not do well in class when their teacher does not believe in them. They stop trying, viewing themselves as failures, and it carries on later into life. I want to have a positive classroom environment. In order to achieve this I am going to teach from an authoritative classroom management style. I will encourage my students to think for themselves, if I think for them no real learning is accomplished. I will engage my students and show that I do care about them. I will listen to what they have to say and if things need to be changed I will. I will allow them freedom within their education and learning in my classroom; but I will still clarify the rules and establish the standards with some student input. I am not there to be their friend, but I do want them to understand that I care about them and to have some say in their education. I care whether or not I learn, and if I am doing something wrong I want them to feel comfortable telling me. To achieve a connection with the students I must be a good oral communicator. I must clearly communicate the information I am presenting. I will use words and ideas that meet the level of understanding of my class. I do not want them getting lost in my rhetoric. They will automatically tune me out if they think I am teaching above them; I have even done this myself without realizing it. Also many teachers speak way too fast and the students cannot keep up, or the teacher talks way too slow and the students are lost to boredom. I must teach at an appropriate pace so that my students learn and remain interested. When I teach, especially in history, I must be precise. I am going to avoid being vague. My students will fail or do below their academic level if I am vague. I also will not just teach the facts; facts are what lose classes when it comes to history. History is so much more than just dates and it is still relevant today, even though they are just a bunch of, â€Å"old dead guys. † Also I will have what I am going to do for class planned out. I do not want to be disorganized, and I am not going to wing it through my teaching. I will have my lesson ready for each class so that I am ready to teach. The students will then have confidence in me as their teacher and I will not lose time to senseless things. (Florez, 1999) Each class period I am going to start with a couple of facts of history that happened on that day. This would just be a fun way to start off the class period. It is always to cool to see what happened in the past. I will begin each class with the objectives for the day so that the students know what we will be covering. I will not always give out note sheets for my lesson, but sometimes I will hand out fill in the blank notes so that they can keep up and still learn. I will have them ready before hand each period. Also I do plan to have some group projects. At the beginning of the year I will number them off as to create groups of four; I believe more than this can be counter-productive. As the year goes on I will let them choose their own groups; this being because I now know the dynamics of my classroom much better, and I can switch people if I know work will not be done. Every week I will allow the students to choose from a list of events in history relating to the period we are covering in class. I will have them explain what happened and how it relates to us today, and what we can learn from it. This project will consist of a one to two page paper and a one to two minute presentation. All history is relevant history and I want my students to understand that. As a history teacher, I would like major historical events to be represented on my walls. I am going to be going to be teaching secondary education. I will not have the cute and cuddly decorations, but I will still have things that will bring the classroom to life. One thing I must have in my classroom no matter what, is a copy of the Declaration of Independence. I will also have the students add to the classroom with their projects and other things they do so that they feel a part of the classroom. I want to have a classroom where the students are excited to be there, in good measure of course, so that it is not so distracting that they do not learn. Twice a week I am going to hold a classroom meeting. This is a meeting to make sure that my students are understanding the material, and that I am teaching to their needs. This is where the students really get to give their input on the class and what is going on. This idea was set forth by William Glasser. It follows my method of teaching, authoritative, and fits how I would like to relate to my students. This would take up to ten or fifteen minutes, but I do not believe it is wasted time. I will start off the meeting to see if anyone has any questions about the subject/time period we are on. I will establish if they are understanding it enough or not. Then I will ask for suggestions on things I can improve upon, and also ask for things that they like. I will then change some things and keeps some things according to how I think the classroom would best fit the current needs of the students. I will make sure to always hand my students test within a week of the test date. I also appreciated it when the teacher had a set time that they would get my test and assignments back to me. I believe it is important for them to see how they did and then gage how they can improve for the next time. At the beginning of the year I will establish things like this with them. They will then know what to expect from the class. I will set up my rules and regulations and procedures so that they will know how to act in my class. Also, every class period at the end I will have them write a few sentences on how what we learned in class effects us today. I want them to understand how the history we are learning relates to their own live and their interactions with others. Motivational Strategies Motivation focuses on mainly two categories, behavioral and cognitive. One of the big pushes in motivation is rewards or incentives. These are positive or negative stimuli that drive the student to succeed. This can be allowing the student to do something special, such as playing computer games or going on a field trip. The other big approach is internal motivation. The student’s thoughts are what guide their motivation. Motivation is what pushes students forward towards their objective. The cognitive perspective encourages giving students should be given more chances to do things of their own desire and to give them more responsibility. They are then taking their education into their own hands. They will have much more incentive to do well and strive for perfection; they are of course still monitored and rules still do apply. This strategy focuses on â€Å"goal setting, planning, and monitoring progress toward a goal (Shunk, 2008, p 462. † If a student has a goal before them they will want to achieve it. This strategy has the student look at how their actions determine the outcome of their school work. They take responsibility and gain more incentive to do well. There are another two main types of motivation associated with behavioral and cognitive motivation : internal and external motivation. Internal motivation is formed by our own wants, needs, and what we like to do. â€Å" It is determined by your personal values and goals. The drive to do something because it is interesting, challenging, and absorbing is essential for high levels of creativity. Enjoyment based internal motivation is the strongest and most pervasive driver as is a belief that it is a good or right thing to do. Often it is something we pursue even without a tangible result. † (Weisner) External motivation is the second kind of motivation. External motivation focuses much more on rewards than on one’s likes or goals. â€Å"Your motivation to attain your goal comes from a source outside yourself. It reflects the desire to do something because of external rewards such as awards, money, and praise. † (Weisner) This motivation tool is much less satisfactory than internal. In my classroom I will use this motivation, but I will try to use internal motivation when I can. If a student is doing something because he is motivated by rewards it is not near as gratifying if done for self interest. I will use both in my classroom as, unfortunately; sometimes rewards and external motivators are the only ones to get them to do their work. Some kids need incentives to be motivated to achieve their best, or to even try. They add interest or excitement to a classroom and in turn motivate them to do well. This is especially true of those who seem to not even care about the class (Emmer Evertson, 2009, p 460. ) If I see that there is somewhat of a lack of interest in what I am teaching I could implement a game. The more they know the better they will be at the game. Most people are competitive by nature, especially those who do not care it seems. So , a game in my class would motivate them to pay attention and learn the material. We could play history hot potato. A ball would be thrown around as history questions would be asked, if they took too long the student would have to sit down. The winner would then get maybe some extra credit points, or if I feel generous maybe some candy. In reaching the kids who do not care, I believe this is the best method. If they get something for learning they will start paying attention. This is not the most desirable, but this is sometimes the route that must be taken. (Skinner, p 236) There are also those who are just plain hard to reach; most of the time this stems from no confidence in themselves. I will most often use the cognitive approach when it comes to this. I will encourage them to set goals. I will encourage them and I will make sure they understand that they as a student can effectively control their environment. (Shunk) I will constantly encourage them and remind them that they are smart and that they can do it. I will also use Skinner’s operant conditioning in this situation. I will use positive reinforcement. I will reinforce their work with a smile, or a â€Å"good job†. Students feed off the praise of their teachers; we as humans naturally want to please others. Problem Behaviors The behaviors of students are not always conducive to the classroom and can cause disruptions. I will implement some rules so that they know exactly what is expected and I will have less problems. One rule that I think should be followed in my classroom is that the kids must be in their desks when the bell rings. This is a really good rule, because so much time can be lost on a class period just by making people sit down at the beginning. Another rule I would have for my classroom would be my students would have to bring all their books and materials to class. This rule is good as it is a distraction to people when someone leaves the room. A third rule I would have in my room would be ‘hands to yourself. ’ This rule prevents not only distraction between a couple people, but it also helps prevent distraction for others in the class. Another big rule I will have is no swearing, cursing, profanity, coarse jokes, or vulgar of any kind will be allowed in my classroom. They are not called for and should not be used, let alone in my classroom. A fifth and final rule I would implement would be that my kids would have to raise their hands to answer a question. If the kids just blurt out answers it will be chaos and I will not be able hear what people are trying to say. These five rules will help run my class smoothly. Rules however are not a safety net against behavioral problems. When dealing with behavioral problems I am not going to send my student to the principal’s office right away. The most desirable action when dealing with behavior problems is to work it out with the student first; after trying hard to work it out if the student still refuses to listen then more drastic measures must be taken. I would at first use minor interventions. (Evertson and Emmer, 2009, p 528. ) Nonverbal communication can be very useful when dealing with disruptions. One thing I could do is when a student is acting up is take make eye contact with them. I could give them the look, and convey with my eyes that what they are doing is not appropriate or I could make signs such as shaking my head, hand signal, or put my finger to my lips. This simple action lets the student know that they must get back on task. Another thing I could do is to keep the activity going. When there is not time in between things a student no longer has time to be disruptive. This way one does not even have to address the behavior issue; it is eliminated by procedure. Placement can even change the behavior. I can move the spot where I am teaching from. If a student is acting up I can move over by them and usually they will quite down and get back to work. Sometimes the student just needs to be reminded what they are supposed to be doing, I could address the class reminding them what they are supposed to be doing; in doing so the distracted student gets back on task. Also, a student may just need to be told no. I would need to keep eye contact and keep my voice down. I would address them with assertiveness and tell them that their actions are not accepted. I could also give the student a choice. He can either behave or accept the consequences. This makes him think and he will most likely choose to be good as to avoid a negative consequence. These strategies most often work as the student just gets off task and needs a little nudge in the right direction. The strategies above stem from positive and negative reinforcement and correlate with Skinner’s operant conditioning. The student, however, will not always respond to these strategies and more drastic measures. The students will not always cooperate and sometimes more moderate action must take place. Some students will abuse privileges, be disruptive, or interfere with my work with individual students. There are always the students who completely abuse the privileges they have been given, when this happen the teacher can take it away. This takes away an activity that the students use to enjoy and the next time they will think about their actions twice. They will not want to lose their freedom again. Also if a student acts up I could remove the student from positive reinforcement. If the student is removed from his element the gratification of his actions is taken away. I could take the student into the hall and talk to him one on one. This is never a pleasant experience and should stop the student from repeating the action; no one likes to hear, â€Å"can I see you in the hallway please. † Also I could impose a penalty such as extra homework; this needs to be done with care so as to not stem more annoyance with the class. (Evertson, Emmet, Worsham, 2009, p 528. ) Also I could have my student attend detention for their inappropriate behavior. This enforces that their actions will not be tolerated. â€Å"The teacher is given command over the student, who is expected to be respectful, submissive, and willingly obedient. When the pupil does not readily conform to the request made on him, discipline becomes necessary. By this is meant the use of coercive measures to bring about the desired behavior. †(Phenix p 41) If these actions still do not work a trip to the principal’s office or a phone call may be in order. Assessment Assessment is a big part of education, and helps a teacher gage how their students are doing. There are two main types of assessment in education, informal and formal. â€Å" ‘Informal’ is used here to indicate techniques that can easily be incorporated into classroom routines and learning activities. Informal assessment techniques can be used at anytime without interfering with instructional time. Their results are indicative of the students performance on the skill or subject of interest. Unlike standardized tests, they are not intended to provide a comparison to a broader group beyond the students in the local project (Navarete. )† I will use a variety of informal assessment to tools to gage how my students are doing. One tool I will be using is regular homework. This will tell me if they can grasp the subject enough that when asked to dive into the book and the content that they can give back to me a fair understanding of what is presented. Another tool I could use would be journaling. I would have my students journal about something they find interesting in what we are studying and then check how good their understanding of it is. When my class plays a game I can also check to see how well they know the material; if they are struggling for the answers something must done. Also general observation of my students is informal assessment. I would look for participation and understanding in class, and also as I would walk around I would observe their work. (Navarete. ) â€Å"Formative assessment is utilized to immediately determine whether students have learned what the instructor intended. This type of assessment is intended to help instructors identify material which needs to be clarified or re-taught and should not be used to evaluate or grade students. Results of formative assessment can assist instructors to ascertain whether curriculum or learning activities need to be modified during a class session or before the next class meets (Formative. )† I would quizzes mainly to judge this assessment. This is a quick way of assessing how much they know. It gages their current progress, not their progress as a whole. Other things would be reading quizzes to see if they get the material I have asked them to go over. It could also be something like a minute write where I have them write down something that tells me they understood what I thought during class that day. These tools give me a fast analysis or where they are at. Another assessment like this is the summative assessment. This assessment documents the students performance. This assessment uses a lot of standardized tests and things related to that format. This allows the tester to understand where the students are at as a whole. In the classroom I would use this when administering unit end tests. I can see how they have progressed and I can assess what to do better for the next unit. A Measure I would measure my students how they are doing on my tests and assignments, if they are failing I am doing something wrong. This, however, is not the only way that I would measure if my management plan was working. I would, as stated above, have classroom meetings. This would give me an opportunity to discuss with my students how the class is going. This would be my chance to get input on them on what I am doing right and what needs to be changed. I would hope that they would be mostly satisfied with the way things are going, but if they are not I will change my plan so they can learn better. This of course goes back to William Glasser and it also goes back to the authoritative management style. Glasser is very keen on having students involved in the classroom and the teaching process. I very much agree with him. The opinion of my students is very important to me. The authoritative plan also focuses in on the student’s role. They need to have a hand in their education. If their voice is not heard, the students will just continue to fail and the teacher will not know why. So, if my plan is working well my students will do well on their tests, quizzes, and assignments and they will have positive things to say at our classroom meetings. Our relationship will be a cordial one and not one of animosity. Completed Rubric 1. I believe that I have a very compelling argument for my planned proposal. It fits to the rest of my paper and sets a precedent for how I will go about running my classroom. I have many cited supports and they were all knowledgeable on the subjects I discussed. 2. I described all five of the target groups at a satisfactory level. I let the reader know exactly what my future looks like for teaching. The reader can look at any one of the components and know what I want to achieve in my vocation. 3. I believe that I very effectively communicated my rules policies and management ideas in such a way that is very understandable to students and teachers. This letter home is in a very nice format with great colors, and it is pleasing to the eye. It is attractive and professional.