Precis Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Precis Paper - Assignment Example the Governor raises concerns of whether the government will beat the time scheduled to pay the $1.7 billion which will be just a third of what the government is supposed to pay by 2018. In his state of the state speech last month, the governor said that education and other needs will be shortchanged by the rising payments. He is expected to continue with the speech on Tuesday during the annual budget address. Over 40 states have overhauled their pension systems but experts say that this is just deferment of costs of pension to the future. Pension overhauls have failed because the cost of benefits and money set aside for payment has grown from $3.1million in 2009 to $4 trillion this year according to Joshua D. Rauh, a finance professor at Stanford University. The gap keeps widening from year to year and many states are in dept of amount equal to or more than their annual revenue. Pension overhauls experts’ advice that the most effective solution is to raise taxes substantially or do away with future retirement benefits of public workers. This is illegal in the government but is practiced in companies in some states. There are many reasons why pension overhauls have failed. One is state contributions are deferred to pension funds and end up in depth in the long term. Pension investments earning estimates are also overly optimistic. Another reason is politics. Governors and legislatures are unwilling to spend on financing their failing pension systems. New Jersey for example diverted the pension systems money to other programs promising better benefits in 1992.By 2010, the whole system was unfunded and the state accused of securities fraud by federal regulators. The system was redeemed in 2011 with several changes. Retirement age for new workers rose to 65 years with 30 years of service from 55years with 25years of service. There was also compulsory increase in contribution from current workers and suspension of cost of living increase for retired workers. This

Frederick Douglass Essay Example for Free

Frederick Douglass Essay Life has many ups and downs. It is like a roller coaster ride in that it takes many turns. All the way through the life of a person, there will be good times and celebrations along with bad times and grief. The most significant thing to remember is to think positive and always stay strong mentally even at your lowest points. Frederick Douglass is a name of struggle. Being born into slavery, he faced many hardships throughout his life that people of today will never know, but overcome all of them because of his relentlessness to never give up, his passion to learn, be his own man, and more significantly staying strong mentally and keeping faith in God. Mental stiffness is when all things seem to be going wrong and there are no signs of hope, but you continue to strive for what you believe in, and Douglass did a good job of that. Douglass never gives up even when there appears to be no hope, and in the end is rewarded for all of his commitment. After the whole thing Douglass goes through, in the end he is not granted his freedom, but instead takes it on his own and his dream of being free is no longer a dream but in fact reality. Douglass resided in Baltimore intermittently from his arrival in the city in 1826 at the age of eight until he escaped from slavery twelve years later. Reflecting the uncertainties of black life in antebellum Baltimore, Douglass could state that â€Å"a city slave is almost a free man compared with a slave on the plantation† and lament that while in Baltimore â€Å"I often found myself regretting my own existence and wishing myself dead† (Narrative 50, 56). Douglasss conflicting impressions of his adolescence as a slave in Baltimore, impressions of comparative liberty and abject despair, reflected the larger paradox of African-American life in the city that claimed Americas largest black population at the time of the Civil War. Located on the border of slavery and freedom, Baltimore created space for African Americans to develop dynamic institutions that proved very important to their post-emancipation history. Yet these institutions developed under harsh restrictions on the freedom of non-slave African Americans that white Baltimoreans devised to replace the increasingly impractical bonds of slavery. Black agency amid the constraints and opportunities of an urban slave society gave Douglass with his first classroom in the limits of freedom for nineteenth-century African Americans. When Douglasss mother Harriet Bailey died he was hardly affected by the news for the reason that he rarely seen her. Douglasss father was a white man; slaveholders usually impregnated their females slaves to increase the number of slaves they owned. As a child Douglass didnt work in the fields because children werent strong enough. Therefore, he had free time to do other things besides tasks. Sometimes he would go along wit the Colonels grandson, Daniel, as a servant when he went hunting. Daniel in time became close to Douglass which was an advantage. But, Douglass still suffered because slave children were only given a long linen shirt, therefore in the winter he would be really cold. When Douglass was eight years old he was selected to go to Baltimore to live with Hugh Auld. Douglass was not sad to leave the plantation because he had no family or any sense of home that children usually had. He believes that if he had not been removed that he would still be a slave today. Douglass was amazed how kind his new was; unlike other white women she did not punish him for looking her in the eye. But, after some time, her kindness turned to cruelty, and she completely changed as a person. When Douglass first moved in with the Aulds, Mrs. Auld began teaching him the alphabet and some small words. When her husband found out he ordered her to sop because education ruins slaves, making them unmanageable and unhappy. Douglass overhears this and comes up with the strategy of what white men use to enslave blacks. From that he now understands what he has to do to win his freedom. Douglass lived in the Aulds household for seven years, he was able to learn how to read and write. Mrs. Auld became hardened and cruel and no longer tutored him. But, Douglass already learned the alphabet and was strong-minded to learn how to read. Auld rents Douglass for one year to Edward Covey, who was known for breaking slaves. For the first six months Covey worked and whipped everything out of Douglass to the point where he no longer cared about reading or freedom. This all changed when Douglass and Covey had a clash and after the fight Covey never touched Douglass yet again. Douglass was then rented to William Freeland, even though Freeland was milder and a fairer man, he was still going to escape. Frederick went on to become a famous orator, U. S. minister to Haiti, and a leader of his people. Douglass, like the other slaves is not born with this mental toughness, but acquires it mainly through his faith in God, hard work, and learning to read and write. Douglass faith in God is crucial because Douglass can turn to God at any point in his life. When Douglass is at his lowest, his faith in God is always there to lift him up. O God, save me! God, deliver me! Let me be free! (72). Their are times where Douglass questions God because of brutal conditions with Mr. Covey, but Douglass still stays strong mentally and spiritually, and that is key to taking his freedom. Douglass has a strong mind of his own, and does not let anyone or anything change what he believes is right. Conditions for slaves are pretty much severe everywhere they go. Slaves work long hard hours, for pretty much nothing, and to go along with that are poorly nourished. Douglass is lucky enough to be sent to Baltimore to live with the Aulds because conditions are a slightly easier there, but most importantly because that is where he learns to read and write. Luckily for Douglass, Mrs. Auld teaches him the alphabet and small words before her heart turns to stone. Very soon after I went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld, she very kindly commenced to teach me the A, B, C. After I had learned this, she assisted me in learning to spell words of three or four letters. (45). Although reading lessons with Mrs. Auld eventually stop, this does not stop Douglass in trying to acquire as much knowledge as possible. This makes Douglass even hungrier for knowledge because he knows that being literate is key to being free. The poor white children of the neighborhood eventually teach Douglass how to read in return for some food. As many of these as I could, I converted into teachers. With their kindly aid, obtained at different times and in different places, I finally succeeded in learning to read. (49). This is crucial for Douglass to gain his freedom, and help him believe in himself. Although brutal times are shortly ahead for Douglass at Mr. Coveys, the slave tamer, this knowledge and insight is definitely one of the major factors that helps him get through it. Before going to Mr. Coveys, Douglass been through a lot of mental and physical pain, but he does not know the worst is yet to come. Because of his disobedience and excessive curiosity in Baltimore, Douglass master sends him to Mr. Coveys, who is one of the cruelest slave tamers around. Douglass states that the first six months with Mr. Covey are unbearable. Douglass first task is to guide the oxen, and when he fails he barely leaves with his life. Covey whips him repeatedly, and continues to do so for weeks. Coveys extreme work and brutal punishments drain Douglass mentally and physically; he feels his hope for freedom is slipping away. This is where Douglass faith in God is crucial because he literally has no one else to turn to except God. It seems as if Douglass is about to let Mr. Covey win, and believe that all he is put on this earth to do is slave for others. But one day as Mr. Covey tries tying Douglass up for another brutal beating; Douglass defends himself and finds the courage within him to stand up to Mr. Covey by fighting back. Douglass injures Mr. Covey to the point where he is bleeding. Because of his courage to stand up for himself, Covey never lays a finger on Douglass again. This part of the autobiography is indeed a turning point because it restores Douglass confidence that he always had inside of him, and makes him believe that he will one day be a free man. This battle with Mr. Covey was the turning- point in my career as a slave. It rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom, and revived within me a sense of my own manhood. (78). This is indeed the turning point in his life because he stands up for what he believes in and actually wins. After this point Douglass is extremely confident in himself, and due to the knowledge he gains and his mental strength he is able to get through possibly his hardest obstacle in his life. I did not hesitate to let it be known of me, that the white man who expected to succeed in whipping, must also succeed in killing me. (78). This is such a powerful line in that it shows Douglass relentlessness to never give up, and it shows that he is once again strong, not necessarily physically, but more importantly mentally. This turning point helps Douglass stay on track, and eventually helps him escape to New York City. After New York Douglass goes to Massachusetts were he meets abolitionist Garrison, and is eventually employed as an abolitionist. All in all, Frederick Douglass achieves his goals due to hard work and his passion to learn. After all, the struggle throughout his life, Douglass dream finally comes true, and it could not have happened to a more deserving man. One more Douglass master was Mr. Gore who was a key example of the many white people who let their power go to their heads. Frederick Douglass lived a hard life as a slave as pretty much all slaves did. He is pushed to the limit mentally and physically, and although there are times Douglass almost breaks down, he never lets that happen to him. By learning how to read and write he realizes that knowledge is power, just like it is today. Ignorance is ugly, and he does not want that to happen to him. Douglass knowledge helps open doors for him that he would never have opened if he was not educated. Frederick Douglass is an amazing man, and shows that if you are strong mentally you can accomplish anything you put your mind too. Douglass accounts in his thrilling and morbid firsthand account of slavery in the south. Douglass lets the reader look at slavery in a style that reflects the desperation of slave life. Points covered range from the exploitation of slave women by their white masters to the violent treatment, and in some cases murder of slaves, to the back-breaking labor and lack of personal time. The biography includes chilling accounts of his mother. She walked twelve miles every night to see him, in infancy, and when she died, Douglass was not even allowed to witness her burial. This was common practice in those times, but to the modern reader, this is quite appalling. Douglass life was only made more complicated by the accusation that his master, Captain Anthony, was also his father. The treatment of these mixed children was often worse than that of regular slave children due to the fact that the mistress of the house felt animosity towards them. As a result, Frederick had to face the wrath of Captain Anthonys wife. What made Douglass experiences truly unique was the fact that he learned how to read and write. Most slaves were killed if they were caught doing so but in Douglass case, he was very lucky. When he was sent to Baltimore, Sophia Auld, his new mistress, taught him how to read a few simple words. From that point, he taught himself new words everyday through The Columbian Orator, a collection of speeches and essays dealing with liberty, democracy, and courage. Douglass saw this as his ticket to freedom. Douglass sheds some light on several areas such as the reason behind the slave songs and what it feels like to watch a family member be beaten and abused. His narrative does a very thorough job of conveying the slave experience to an audience that has no idea. The image conjured of slave owners and all of southern society in the 18th and 19th century is a negative one. This caricature holds shockingly true in Douglass narrative. However, there is a lot more complexity to Southern society show in Douglass well-crafted words. There are different kinds of slave owners in different parts of the south. People like Captain Anthony and Thomas Auld, who reside in the deep south, are cruel to the slaves they own, as they are property. Like the cotton gin, they are there to turn a profit. As long as they can work and do work, nothing else really matters. In Baltimore, a different type of slave owner is known. Sophia and Hugh Auld live next to neighbors that do not own slaves and are therefore, conscious of how they treat their slaves in public. Sophia had not even owned slaves before Douglass, so in the beginning, she was very kind and treated Douglass as you would treat any child. The abolitionist movement is a larger concern in Baltimore, because it is in the very streets. In the deeper south, though they are concerned about slaves escaping and abolitionists, the threat is not as axiomatic. Douglass also exposes the false piety of slave owners. Though many of them are bible thumping, none of them truly understands the lessons they are preached. Douglass analyzes the moral woes of slavery and the unnatural state that all involved are subjected to. Douglass words give the reader a depiction of southern life and morality in an intricate and intriguing way, which is fair and abrasively honest. In modern times, people think of slavery and think that it was north against south. In reality, many Northerners were indifferent to the plight of slaves. When Fredrick Douglass first escapes to the north, he finds that there are many people who support slavery and many that oppose it, but most of them are indifferent. This is because most northerners have no idea what is going on in the south. Therefore, they are ignorantly blissful with their lives. Douglass addressed this issue in letter to an abolitionist associate. Douglass moved to New Bedford in the year 1838 and found work as a caulker for whaling ships. In New Bedford, he decided to drop the name Bailey, in order to defend himself from slave catchers, and became famous as Frederick Douglass. Between the time of 1790 and 1860, the institution of slavery declined in Baltimore but the boundaries of African-American freedom narrowed significantly. When free black people posed little threat to white people, as in the 1790s, whites imposed relatively few limitations on them. But as the free black population grew so did racial competition for jobs and social power. White privilege responded to the dynamism of free blacks by circumscribing their liberty. Douglass lived in Baltimore when free African Americans made considerable economic gains and expanded an already powerful network of black institutions. By the time of the Civil War whites rolled back many of the gains of the 1830s and pushed free blacks to the edge of slavery. Douglass first witnessed white racism towards free black people during this tightening of Baltimores restrictions on non-slave African Americans that coincided with slaverys end. Work cited Browne, Gary Lawson. Baltimore in the Nation, 1789-1861. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1980. Douglass, Frederick. Letter to an abolitionist associate. In Organizing for Social Change: A Mandate for Activity in the 1990s. Edited by K. Bobo, J. Kendall, and S. Max. Washington, D. C. : Seven Locks Press. [1849] (1991) Douglass, Frederick. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. 1892. New York: Collier, 1962. Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. 1855. New York: Dover, 1969. Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. 1845. New York: Penguin, 1968. Fields, Barbara Jeanne. Slavery and Freedom on the Middle Ground: Maryland during the Nineteenth Century. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985. Frey, Sylvia. Water from the Rock: Black Resistance in a Revolutionary Age. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991. Gardner, Bettye. Ante-bellum Black Education in Baltimore. Maryland Historical Magazine 71 (Fall 1976): 360-366. Gardner, Bettye. Free Blacks in Baltimore, 1800-1860. Diss. George Washington University, 1974. Garonzik, Joseph. Urbanization and the Black Population of Baltimore, 1850-1870. Diss. State University of New York, Stony Brook, 1974. Graham, Leroy. Baltimore: The Nineteenth-Century Black Capital. New York: University Press of America, 1982. Maryland. House of Delegates. An Act Relating to Paupers, Beggars, Vagrants, Vagabonds and Disorderly Persons in the City of Baltimore. The Laws of Maryland ch. 116. March 10, 1854. Muller, Edward K. and Paul A. Groves. The Emergence of Industrial Districts in Mid-Nineteenth Century Baltimore. Geographical Review 69 (1979): 159-177. Steffen, Charles G. The Mechanics of Baltimore: Workers and Politics in the Age of Revolution, 1763-1812. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1984. Wesley, Charles H. Richard Allen: Apostle of Freedom. 1935. Washington: Associated Publishers, 1969.

The Holistic Assessment of a Patient Admitted to a Hospital :: Nursing Medical Papers Surgery

The purpose of this essay is to describe the holistic assessment of a 66 year old male patient who has been admitted to hospital for bowel surgery following the diagnosis of a cancerous tumor. The operation will result in the patient having a part of his bowel removed after which the patient will require a colostomy bag for the elimination of feces (see patient profile in appendix 1 for further details). A Pseudonym will be used to protect the patient’s confidentiality and he will be referred to as ‘Peter’ in this essay which is in line with the nurses’ code of conduct guidelines (NMC 2002). The process of the assessment will be described along with the nursing model chosen. The nursing model gives the student nurse a framework to help direct and guide her throughout the assessment process (Aggleton and Chalmers, 2000). The Roper, Tierney and Logan model (1986) has been chosen as it is the model the ward follows for all assessment procedures. The assessment process using the Roper, Tierney and Logan model is holistic because it relates to the study of the human being as a whole rather than its individual parts. A holistic view point includes two basic beliefs: 1) The individual always responds as a unified whole, 2) Individuals as a whole are different from and more than the sum of their parts (Pearson, Vaughan and Fitzgerald, 2000). Thus the assessment process would not be as accurate if you concentrated on individual systems or parts of the human body. This holistic approach takes into consideration the biological, social and cultural factors that will affect the outcome of the assessment. The nursing process was introduced as a method of nursing that concerns itself with individual’s physical, social and psychological reactions to disease, and which takes into account that the patient is a member of society, which may affect his reaction to disease (Faulkner, 1996). The nursing process is a sequence of steps (Person, Vaughan and Fitzgerald, 1997) passed through in order to achieve the

Compare The Ways In Which Ferg :: essays research papers

Both of the articles that are being studied are very different to any usual piece of reportage in the way that what the BBC or the Times was expecting from these two journalists was very different from what they received. Marie Colvin and Fergal Keane were reporting on very serious topics in interesting times yet both of their pieces were so different from the stereotype newscaster articles. This is because they were a lot more personal and contained a lot of information that was not necessary but made the article a lot more pleasant to read and brought the events described in it a lot closer to the reader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marie Colvin was in Baghdad writing about the crisis in Iraq in January 1991. She wrote a lot of controversial things in the article “Baghdad under Fire'; due to the fact that the general atmosphere was such that any criticism of British or American forces was not seen to be acceptable and there was some censorship of the news by the ministry of defence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fergal Keane’s article was written much later in and it was broadcast on Radio 4 as part of the foreign correspondent programme. During the time that Fergal Keane was in Hong Kong he was covering the take over of Hong Kong to China. The BBC were expecting the usual cover of weekly events in the area that Fergal Keane was covering yet what they received was a very personal insight into Fergal Keane’s views and opinions on the take over conveyed in the form of a letter to his five day old son.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both articles are similar because they mix facts with personal opinion and the subjective and objective converge. The sense of place is evoked right from the start in both articles giving an immediate setting of the scene. “It is 6 o’clock in the morning on the island of Hong Kong. You are asleep, cradled in my left arm';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Baghdad under Fire takes a slightly more subtle approach giving a description of a man, a place and then bringing it all down with a simple radical statement that confronts the situation reminding you that this is in fact a news article. “Hussein stood alone in the carpet souk on the eastern bank of the Tigris. The market square of the souk usually bustled at this time of early evening. But it was January 15, the Untied Nations deadline for Iraq’s withdrawal from Kuwait.

Ib History Mao’s Cultural Revolution Notes

The great Proletarian cultural revolution * All over China was the campaign to destroy the old and build the new * Abolishing the four olds * The people crowding Beijing in 1966 carried the little red book and the Mao badge * forcefully taken away anything old or has traditional values. * The children were taken into actions as well * Giving social advantages to the Red guards, thousand took advantage * The youth were educated of the revolutionary stories * Women had equal status in the revolution as men did Political figures such as Liu Shaoqi and Wang Guangmei were persecuted and eventually dead * 1968 the red guards started to fight each other, the PLA joined different groups causing increase in violence * Same year Sino-Soviet battle in XinJiang threatening China’s national security, Mao ordered to terminate the revolution in the XinJiang Province * Later on that year he decided that the revolution has reached its primary goals, therefore declared the success of the revolu tion * Students were sent home, but when some university students continued to fight, PLA was sent in * Mao restructured the government by forming the Revolutionary Committee which runs the country. Power struggle pursued * 1966-1969 the dark time of the cultural revolution, half a million people died from torture * Youths were raised without supervision caused social instability * A whole generation, the realization that their loyalties earned them only manual labor jobs in rural China and that their supposed counter revolutionary targets were exonerated contributed to changing attitudes towards the Party and its ageing leadership. Economy fell as most of the urban workers were afflicted in politics, as did agriculture and production * 1971, Lin Biao tried to assassinate Mao, the 571 incident. After failure he tried to escape on a plane which was shot down * 1972, Nixon came to China due to international pressure in the UN as well as US political needs * Border tension with USSR, I ndia, DPRK, North Vietnam, therefore needed the improved relations with US * Jan 1976, Zhou Enlai died; Later on that year Zhu De died. September 9th, Mao died * Mao’s widow Jiang Qing with three other men were arrested for crime against state, and Hua Guofeng would succeed Mao. Mao’s Impact Though his failure in the great leap forward and the cultural revolution, he remained an icon in China, but was portrayed as a tyrant in overseas. * Heightened sense of nationalism was when the CCP defeated the Japanese, which laid foundation for the overall success in 1949 * He made China to stand up, which is why he remained an icon for most Chinese people * Economically, despite the setbacks from the great leap forward and the cultural revolution, China did develop hugely in economic sector during his rule. * Life expectancy reached 65 by the time of Mao’s death. * Women gained the same social status as men did * Literacy rate increased

The Big Bang and the Origin of Everything

The Big Bang and the Origin of Everything How did the universe begin? Thats a question scientists and philosophers have pondered throughout history as they looked at the starry sky above. Its the job of astronomy and astrophysics to provide an answer. However, its not an easy one to tackle. An artists concept of what the Big Bang might have looked like, if anybody had been around to see it. HENNING DALHOFF / Getty Images The first major glimmerings of an answer came from the sky in 1964. Thats when astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered a microwave signal buried in data they were taking to look for signals being bounced from Echo balloon satellites. They assumed at the time that it was simply unwanted noise and attempted to filter out the signal. The antenna that Penzias and Wilson were using when they stumbled across the signals from the cosmic background radiation heralding the birth of the universe. Fabioj, CC BY-SA 3.0 However, it turns out that what they detected was coming from a time shortly after the beginning of the universe. Although they didnt know it at the time, they had discovered the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). The CMB had been predicted by a theory called the Big Bang, which suggested that the universe began as a densely hot point in space and suddenly expanded outward.  The two mens discovery was the first evidence of that primordial event. The Big Bang What started the birth of the universe? According to physics, the universe sprang into existence from a singularity - a term physicists use to describe regions of space that defy the laws of physics. They know very little about singularities, but its known that such regions exist in the cores of black holes. Its a region where all the mass gobbled up by a black hole gets squeezed into a tiny point, infinitely massive, but also very, very small. Imagine cramming Earth into something the size of a pinpoint. A singularity would be smaller. Thats not to say the universe began as a black hole, however. Such an assumption would raise the question of something existing before the Big Bang, which is pretty speculative. By definition, nothing existed prior to the beginning, but that fact creates more questions than answers. For instance, if nothing existed prior to the Big Bang, what caused the singularity to be created in the first place? Its a gotcha question astrophysicists are still trying to understand.   However, once the singularity was created (however it happened), physicists have a good idea of what occurred next. The universe was in a hot, dense state and began to expand through a process called inflation. It went from very small and very dense, to a very hot state. Then, it cooled as it expanded.  This process is now referred to as the Big Bang, a term first coined by Sir Fred Hoyle during a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio broadcast in 1950. Although the term implies some kind of explosion, there really wasn’t an outburst or a bang. It was really the rapid expansion of space and time. Think of it like blowing up a balloon: as someone blows air in, the exterior of the balloon expands outward. The Moments after the Big Bang The very early universe (at a time a few fractions of a second after the Big Bang began) was not bound by the laws of physics as we know them today. So, no one can predict with great accuracy what the universe looked like at that time. Yet, scientists have been able to construct an approximate representation of how the universe evolved. First, the infant universe was initially so hot and dense that even elementary particles  such as protons and neutrons could not exist. Instead, different types of matter (called matter and anti-matter) collided together, creating pure energy. As the universe began to cool during the first few minutes, protons and neutrons began to form. Slowly, protons, neutrons, and electrons came together to form hydrogen and small amounts of helium. During the billions of years that followed, stars, planets, and galaxies formed to create the current universe. Evidence for the Big Bang So, back to Penzias and Wilson and the CMB.  What they found (and for which they won a Nobel Prize), is often described as the â€Å"echo† of the Big Bang. It left behind a signature of itself, just like an echo heard in a canyon represents a â€Å"signature† of the original sound. The difference is that instead of an audible echo, the Big Bangs clue is a heat signature throughout all of space. That signature has been specifically studied by the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) spacecraft and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). Their data provide the clearest evidence for the cosmic birth event.   The detailed, all-sky picture of the infant universe created from seven years of WMAP data. The image reveals 13.7 billion year old temperature fluctuations (shown as color differences) that correspond to the seeds that grew to become the galaxies. NASA / WMAP Science Team Alternatives to the Big Bang Theory While the Big Bang theory is the most widely accepted model that explains the origins of the universe and is supported by all the observational evidence, there are other models that use the same evidence to tell a slightly different story. Some theorists argue that the Big Bang theory is based on a false premise - that the universe is built on an ever-expanding space-time. They suggest a static universe, which is what was originally predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Einstein’s theory was only later modified to accommodate the way the universe appears to be expanding.  And, expansion is a big part of the story, particularly as it involves the existence of  dark energy. Finally, a recalculation of the mass of the universe seems to support the Big Bang theory of events.   While our understanding of the actual events is still incomplete, CMB data are helping shape the theories that explain the birth of the cosmos. Without the Big Bang, no stars, galaxies, planets, or life could exist.   Fast Facts The Big Bang is the name given to the birth event of the universe.The Big Bang is thought to have occurred when something kicked off the expansion of a tiny singularity, some 13.8 billion years ago.Light from shortly after the Big Bang is detectable as the cosmic microwave radiation (CMB). It represents light from a time when the newborn universe was lighting up some 380,000 years after the Big Bang occurred. Sources â€Å"The Big Bang.†Ã‚  NASA, NASA, www.nasa.gov/subject/6890/the-big-bang/.NASA, NASA, science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-powered-the-big-bang.â€Å"The Origins of the Universe.†Ã‚  National Geographic, National Geographic, 24 Apr. 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/universe/origins-of-the-universe/. Updated and edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Renaisance essays

Renaisance essays The Renaissance was a period of rebirth in the arts. Yet this does not suggest that the new techniques and styles came directly from this period but rather an integration of old methods and new. This resulted in realistic, vivid, and emotional portals in works of art. Such example is the engraving titled Adam and Eve by Albrecht Drer. It was created in c1504 during the Renaissance period. Throughout this period the ideas formed were expressed in music, the arts, and literature. Drer was a religious man like many of the Early Renaissance Artists. This engraving shows the event when Adam and Even ate from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. In the beginning many people were still illiterate and could not decipher the bible by themselves. So many portraits were made to become a visual bible. This black and white engraving depicts when Eve breaks off a branch from the Forbidden Tree, and Adam is outstretching his hand to accept the fruit. They are lying against the tree while the Four animals assembled around the tree. The animals are the cat, ox, rabbit, and elk. They represent the medieval idea of the four temperaments, which were the four bodily fluids that determined ones essence; their soul and destiny. Drer portrays Adam and Eve rather realistically which corresponds with the Renaissance idea of humanism. Renaissance artists decided to go back to the Greek and Roman methods of art but with a mixture of secular and religious theme. Adam and Eve are sculpted in the round, figure appears to be able to be viewed 360degrees across. Drer extensively used the concept of perspective, the representation of solid objects into the deception that they are actually three dimensional. An example in the engraving is how the trees and house farther away from the Tree ...

The May Revolution in Argentina

The May Revolution in Argentina In May of 1810, word reached Buenos Aires that the King of Spain, Ferdinand VII, had been deposed by Napoleon Bonaparte. Rather than serve the new King, Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleon’s brother), the city formed its own ruling council, essentially declaring itself independent until such time as Ferdinand could reclaim the throne. Although initially an act of loyalty to the Spanish crown, the â€Å"May Revolution,† as it came to be known, was eventually a precursor to independence. The famous Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires is named in honor of these actions. Viceroyalty of the River Platte The lands of the eastern southern cone of South America, including Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Paraguay, had been steadily growing in importance for the Spanish crown, mostly because of revenues from the lucrative ranching and leather industry in the Argentine pampas. In 1776, this importance was recognized by the establishment of a Viceregal seat in Buenos Aires, the Viceroyalty of the River Platte. This elevated Buenos Aires to the same status as Lima and Mexico City, although it was still much smaller. The wealth of the colony had made it a target for British expansion. Left to Its Own Devices The Spanish were correct: the British had their eye on Buenos Aires and the rich ranching land it served. In 1806-1807 the British made a determined effort to capture the city. Spain, its resources drained from the devastating loss at the Battle of Trafalgar, was unable to send any help and the citizens of Buenos Aires were forced to fight off the British on their own. This led many to question their loyalties to Spain: in their eyes, Spain took their taxes but did not hold up their end of the bargain when it came to defense. The Peninsular War In 1808, after helping France overrun Portugal, Spain was itself invaded by Napoleonic forces. Charles IV, King of Spain, was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Ferdinand VII. Ferdinand, in turn, was taken prisoner: he would spend seven years in luxurious confinement in the Chà ¢teau de Valenà §ay in central France. Napoleon, wanting someone he could trust, put his brother Joseph on the throne in Spain. The Spanish despised Joseph, nicknaming him â€Å"Pepe Botella† or â€Å"Bottle Joe† because of his alleged drunkenness. Word Gets Out Spain desperately tried to keep news of this disaster from reaching its colonies. Since the American Revolution, Spain had kept a close eye on its own New World holdings, fearing that the spirit of independence would spread to its lands. They believed that the colonies needed little excuse to cast off Spanish rule. Rumors of a French invasion had been circulating for some time, and several prominent citizens were calling for an independent council to run Buenos Aires while things got sorted out in Spain. On May 13, 1810, a British frigate arrived in Montevideo and confirmed the rumors: Spain had been overrun. May 18-24 Buenos Aires was in an uproar. Spanish Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros de la Torre pleaded for calm, but on May 18, a group of citizens came to him demanding a town council. Cisneros tried to stall, but the city leaders would not be denied. On May 20, Cisneros met with the leaders of the Spanish military forces garrisoned in Buenos Aires: they said they would not support him and encouraged him to go ahead with the town meeting. The meeting was first held on May 22 and by May 24, a provisional ruling junta which included Cisneros, Creole leader Juan Josà © Castelli, and commander Cornelio Saavedra was created. May 25 The citizens of Buenos Aires did not want former Viceroy Cisneros to continue in any capacity in the new government, so the original junta had to be disbanded. Another junta was created, with Saavedra as president, Dr. Mariano Moreno, and Dr. Juan Josà © Paso as secretaries, and committee members Dr. Manuel Alberti, Miguel de Azcuà ©naga, Dr. Manuel Belgrano, Dr. Juan Josà © Castelli, Domingo Matheu, and Juan Larrea, most of whom were creoles and patriots. The junta declared itself rulers of Buenos Aires until such time as Spain was restored. The junta would last until December 1810, when it was replaced by another one. Legacy May 25 is the date celebrated in Argentina as the Dà ­a de la Revolucià ³n de Mayo, or May Revolution Day. Buenos Aires famous Plaza de Mayo, today known for protests by family members of those who disappeared during Argentinas military regime (1976-1983), is named for this turbulent week in 1810. Although it was intended as a show of loyalty to the Spanish crown, the May Revolution actually started the process of independence for Argentina. In 1814 Ferdinand VII was restored, but by then Argentina had seen enough of Spanish rule. Paraguay had already declared itself independent in 1811. On July 9, 1816, Argentina formally declared independence from Spain, and under the military leadership of Josà © de San Martà ­n was able to defeat Spains attempts to retake it. Source: Shumway, Nicolas. Berkeley: The University of California Press, 1991.

Financial Information for Business Decisions Essay - 1

Financial Information for Business Decisions - Essay Example Marks and Spencer’s well established business attracts a great deal of consumer base irrespective of demography. The company’s main business consists in selling fabric items and clothing for men, women and kids’. The company, by applying prudent marketing techniques, has been able to grab market share of around 11.0%2 by value and 11.2%3 by volume. Marks and Spencer has also been actively involved in the business of marketing and selling edible products which has earned the company immense revenue in the past few years. Through its unmatchable food quality, Marks and Spencer is now regarded as one of the finest when it comes to quality food products. Operating Performance of the Company Marks and Spencer has been actively involved in the marketing of fresh meals and canned food items. The company also earns a good portion of its revenue through selling some of the finest wines and other affordable grocery products as well. In the recent past the company has been able to renew its food range and now offers a diverse variety of products to its customers. This change in strategy has been of benefit to the company which has caused an increase of 1.8%4 in sales revenue from food business. During the financial year 2010, the company progressed by leaps and bounds. ... The table below compares the financial results of Marks and Spencer, for the last five financial years from 2010 till 2006. Particulars8 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 Group Revenue 9,537 9,062 9,022 8,588 7,797 Operating Profit - Continuing Operations 852 871 1,211 1,046 850 Profit from ordinary activities before taxation - continuing operations 703 706 1,129 937 746 Profit for the year 523 507 821 660 523 As can be observed from the above analysis, the financial outlook of the company has improved in the last five years. The group revenue has shown an inclining trend which pertains to the opening of new stores and outlets of the company. The company has expanded its operation both in and out of England over the past couple of years. Marks and Spencer is actively involved in overseas sales, and fluctuation in exchange rate has had a significant impact on the revenue of the company. The company was able to shrug off the recent global meltdown .The gross profit to sales ratio for the year e nded December 31, 2010 was 8.93%9 which has decreased by 0.67% during the current year. Despite the decrease in gross profit to sales ratio, the net profit of the company has increased by ?16.210 million. The primary reason behind the increase in the net profit is the fact that during the current financial year the company did not incur any cost during the current year on corporate restructuring. The increase in net profit is due to the fact that during the current year the company did not incur any exceptional cost which it had incurred during the year prior to that on strategic restructuring. If we analyze the financial year 2009, there has been a major decrease in the profit after tax. This

Alzheimer's Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Alzheimer's Disease - Essay Example The ambiguity naturally appears already when noticing Alzheimer’s symptoms similarity to a normal aging, and mostly appears when treating and taking care of the ill person. While official clinical institutions, like Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Society, provide a clear definition of AD from a normal aging on a ground physical brain changes, Rob J. M. Dillmann and Julian C. Hughes, Ph. D. explore a socio-cultural and ethical side of AD treatment. Alzheimer’s generally reveals itself as a disease which is hard to treat in a wright way. Specifically, Alzheimer’s is the disease which is hard to deal ethically with. It’s firstly hard to distinguish AD from normal aging process due to a similarity of symptoms on early stages. Alzheimer’s Association says, what commonly considered as elderly absent-mindedness, â€Å"may be a symptom of Alzheimer’s or another dementia† (â€Å"10 Early Signs†). Thus, to enlighten a disease specific, it’s firstly explored how AD differs from normal aging. The accent is put on physical symptoms’ interrelation with changes in person’s mentality. Secondly, as a person with Alzheimer’s, especially on latter stages, commonly demonstrates â€Å"the impaired decision-making abilities†, a socio-cultural context of the treatment is explode (Hughes 381). The discussion on ethical side of treating person with AD originates from those ill human beings’ loss of personality and from ambiguous determination of AD as a di sease, not a normal form of aging. The first symptom of Alzheimer’s as well as for many other dementias is a memory loss, because the disease starts with a physical brain damaging. According to Alzheimer’s Society, â€Å"During the course of the disease, proteins build up in the brain to form structures called â€Å"plaques† and â€Å"tangles† (â€Å"What is Alzheimer’s disease†). Nerve cells lose their

Obesity in children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Obesity in children - Essay Example (House of Commons Health Committee, 2004) For this study, the researcher will determine the main causes of obesity as well as its negative effects on a child’s health, psychosocial and cognitive developmental. Prior to the conclusion, the researcher will provide some recommended strategies that could effectively counteract obesity. Obesity is not only a serious health condition such as eating disorders but also a lifestyle problem that is visible within a person, family, and the society. (House of Commons, 2004) In fact, several studies show that obesity is caused by abnormal food intake or poor diet (Styne, 2005), genetic factor such as a metabolic defect (Roth et al., 2004; Rosmond, 2002) or the leptin deficiency and the use of steroids (Link et al., 2004). Lifestyle and sedentary behavior like ‘playing computer game or watching TV while eating’ is also associated with obesity. (Tremblay & Willms, 2003; Swinburn & Egger, 2002) The major cause of obesity is not certain because each person has different capacity of burning calories. (Jebb & Prentice, 1995) Binge eating or the habit of being unable to control over eating could lead to obesity. Due to the inability to control the amount of food they eat, individuals who have binge eating problems have a frequent episodes of eating significantly large amount of food all at the same time. (de Zwaan & Mitchell, 1992) For this reason, obese individuals tend to continuously eat even when they are already uncomfortably full. The health consequences of people with binge eating problems are related to the diseases that can be observed among the obese individuals. This includes health problems such as: (1) high blood pressure; (2) Type 2 diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM); (3) high blood pressure; (4) atherosclerosis; (5) high cholesterol levels; (6) gallbladder disease; (7) atherosclerosis; (8) cerebral hemorrhage; (9)

Business plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business plan - Case Study Example hopes to be a competitive success in providing alternative exercise environments. Shapes! has a mission: To be the foremost leader in alternative exercise and personal therapy, providing a combination of in-house exercise equipment for the heavy-set or health-conscious consumer who does not necessarily enjoy working out in large gym environments. Shapes! recognizes that large competing gyms can be intimidating to consumers with average to heavy-set body frames, especially when comparing to more developed customers with better physiques, therefore Shapes! is the solution. Shapes will provide in-house massage therapy from a reputable and qualified massage therapist, offering everything from aromatherapy to deep penetrating massage treatments. Shapes! also provides a variety of exercise equipment, on an hourly or monthly membership basis, thus giving consumers options and flexibility in the ability to schedule exercise or conduct spontaneous, walk-in use of Shapes! equipment. Shapes! will be a local success due to the limited volume of competition specializing in alternative exercise and therapy. Additionally, there is a growing trend in consumer behavior toward healthy eating and exercise as part of a balanced lifestyle habit, therefore making our desired target markets more dedicated and focused toward exercise. Shapes! is a relatively low cost model, in terms of operating expenses, therefore the majority of sales are retained as profit. Growth rate in this industry is quite favorable as consumers of many different demographics have become focused on using exercise as a means to enhance lifestyle and personal health. These trends are noticeable in the national business focus reducing saturated fats and offerings of healthier food options, and Shapes! can capitalize on these social trends by using innovative marketing to appeal to this new lifestyle focus. Curves, a like competitor on this market, has found massive success with their

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Personal statement - Essay Example To be specific, my father is the president of a local bank in China. My father and mother have always been interested in their jobs, and they frequently used to discuss financial problems and solutions. In addition, when I was a high school student, I used to look through books beyond my textbooks. For instance, I used to read my parents’ books related to management and business law. Obviously, these books were useful to them as bank employees, and they were stimulating to me as a person developing an increasingly deeper interest in economics. Gradually, I came to realize that learning economics could help me to have a secure life in the future. My work experience and internship include some basic work in a local bank in China. For example, during last summer vacation, I worked as a teller. This helped me to have practical experience in dealing with customers. Moreover, this internship helped me to acquire the basic skills that are essential to a bank employee. Now, I realize that work experience and internship are most helpful for an individual who is aiming to be a bank employee. So, I gained the basic skills in customer care, especially the skill to deal with short-tempered customers. My core courses at City College have included macro-economics, micro-economics, Statistics, Calculus- Biology, Social Science and Business. These courses have helped to develop my interest in the major. For instance, all these courses, except Social Science, are related to the theoretical area of banking. On the other side, Social Science relates to the practical matter of customer relations. The course subjects like macro-economics, micro-economics, Statistics, Calculus at City College and major requirements at the University of California are same. Besides, I am particularly interested in macro-economics and micro-economics, especially the theories like Classical Economics and New Classical Economics and theory of Demand. The classes at City College sparked my curiosit y in the subject in part because macro-economics was familiar to me. Later, I discussed this matter with my parents and they encouraged me in my habit of reading books. The lecture classes at City College have also helped me to grasp new concepts and even to develop some ability to predict the ups and downs in the banking sector. Prompt #2 In China, one’s family is the most influential factor in one’s individual growth and development. As far as I am concerned, my family is clearly the most important motivation behind my personal growth. However, when I immigrated to the United States of America, I discovered the amalgamative power of American culture. For instance, it would seem that an individual who is so close to his or her family might face a number of problems on his own in a different culture. In America, however, I did not feel any difficulties because it is a multicultural society. Larry L Naylor opined that â€Å"In fact, many Americans believe that culture does come from their families where they learned their family traditions and their heritage† (1). I was aware of the fact that I needed to let myself be absorbed into the core of the American society. To be specific, personal qualities like receptiveness and open-mindedness can be helpful for an individual to accept a different culture. As an open minded individual, I was able to gain a number of friends at the College. Besides, the multicultural atmosphere of the College campus helped me to be open-minded and receptive towards others who are from

Business plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business plan - Case Study Example hopes to be a competitive success in providing alternative exercise environments. Shapes! has a mission: To be the foremost leader in alternative exercise and personal therapy, providing a combination of in-house exercise equipment for the heavy-set or health-conscious consumer who does not necessarily enjoy working out in large gym environments. Shapes! recognizes that large competing gyms can be intimidating to consumers with average to heavy-set body frames, especially when comparing to more developed customers with better physiques, therefore Shapes! is the solution. Shapes will provide in-house massage therapy from a reputable and qualified massage therapist, offering everything from aromatherapy to deep penetrating massage treatments. Shapes! also provides a variety of exercise equipment, on an hourly or monthly membership basis, thus giving consumers options and flexibility in the ability to schedule exercise or conduct spontaneous, walk-in use of Shapes! equipment. Shapes! will be a local success due to the limited volume of competition specializing in alternative exercise and therapy. Additionally, there is a growing trend in consumer behavior toward healthy eating and exercise as part of a balanced lifestyle habit, therefore making our desired target markets more dedicated and focused toward exercise. Shapes! is a relatively low cost model, in terms of operating expenses, therefore the majority of sales are retained as profit. Growth rate in this industry is quite favorable as consumers of many different demographics have become focused on using exercise as a means to enhance lifestyle and personal health. These trends are noticeable in the national business focus reducing saturated fats and offerings of healthier food options, and Shapes! can capitalize on these social trends by using innovative marketing to appeal to this new lifestyle focus. Curves, a like competitor on this market, has found massive success with their

Class Dialogue Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Class Dialogue - Assignment Example Moreover, the book provides insights on how there have been faithful communities who have passionately followed the way of Christ despite the numerous challenges they face. b.) Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium Chapter II # 50-60; Chapter IV # 186; # 198 Accessed Online from http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html The source provides diverse issues and themes that relate to how human beings relate to one another and to the environment. Chapters II (50-60) elaborates on the challenges that humanity is facing in the modern world that range from idolatry of money, having financial systems that rules rather than serving, inequality that leads to violence to cultural challenges. Chapter IV (186-198)emphasizes on the inclusion of the poor in the society, communities and individuals as instruments of God to liberate and promote the poor, man’s union with God, the fidelity to the gospel and the special place of the poor in God’s people. In addition, the chapter discuses solidarity as a spontaneous reaction by people who recognize that the societal function of property and the general destination of goods are certainties that come before private material goods. It is a relevant source to the topic at hand because it provides information about the current issues (both social and religious ) that are taking place in the modern world. Bishop Kenneth urges people not to forget the poor and the needy and that we should always give them a priority in whatever we are doing. He urges people not to ignore them because of their status and also to help them indiscreetly. Moreover, Bishop Kenneth challenges people that everyone is capable of helping the needy (poor) irrespective of how little they have since what matters most is giving with a willing heart. This quote argues that the modern world has changed to be full of inequalities whereby it is only the strongest who can survive

Contrast Studying Alone to Studying in a Group Essay Example for Free

Contrast Studying Alone to Studying in a Group Essay Do you like to study alone or study in a group? Maybe some people will like to study alone, and other people will like to study in a group. Like studying alone, studying in a group will make you learn a lot of new things. Then studying alone and studying in a group can help you to gain knowledge and renew you information. Although they have some similarities, they still have some differences. Studying in a group makes your study easier, spends you time less, and makes you more actively. First, studying in a group will make your study easier. Studying alone and studying in a group have different styles. If you study in a group, you may have some co-workers. If you can’t understand or answer the questions, those co-workers will help you to resolve the problems. This kind of study style will make your study easier. In contrast, If you study alone and have some questions, you can not easy to find someone to help you. You may feel alone and helpless. Therefore, although you can study in any of these two ways, you will feel more helpful when you study in a group. Second, studying in a group will spend your time less. When you study, you may want to spend less time learning more things. These two ways will bring different outcome. Studying in a group means you and others people work together, and all of you need to think about the same problems. You can devide one work from different parts, of the work. You will finish the job more quickly. In contrast, when you study alone, you have to finish your work by yourself. You will take more time to finish it. Therefore, studying in a group can save you time on study. Finally, studying in a group will make you more actively. Whatever studying alone or studying in a group, you want to learn. When you work with others, you will get some information from others. At this time, you will think about their idea and absorb the good things from them. In contrast, when you study alone, you just know what you think and can not improve from others. When you study, you just study what you have known. Therefore, studying in a group will improve and increase your thinking. To sum up, studying in a group can make your study easier, spend your time less, and make you more actively. These two ways both can help you to study. Sometimes, studying in a group will help you a lot; sometimes, studying alone also can help you a lot. If you want to be a good student, you can choose these tow ways to use in different time. You will get help from these two ways.

How to write a job application

How to write a job application After completing your studies, when you decide to take up a job in a particular industry depending on your skills and qualifications, the first thing that you will be required to do is to write an application for a job. But getting a job that suits you would take more than sending out a few application letters. First of all, you need to find out what skills you have to offer and what your expectations are from your work. Then on the basis of this, you can identify the employers that may be in search of a person with skills that you possess and that also fit the job profile that you are looking for. The letter of application is also called the letter of transmittal. It is written when you get to know of a specific job opening and you want to apply for it directly. It is always accompanied by a resume/CV. Thus, the letter of job application can be divided into two parts: a) Covering Letter and b) Resume/Curriculum Vitae (i.e. CV). The cover letter should introduce you and should give further details about certain qualifications and skills that may not be apparent from your resume. So ideally, a resume should always be sent along with a covering letter. Remember, you should mention only the qualifications, skills and experience that are relevant to the job that your are applying for. DRAFTING AN APPLICATION LETTER A letter of application is your very first communication with the prospective employer. He will form his first impression about you from your application letter. That is why it is very essential that your application letter should be neat, well-structured and should provide all the necessary information at a glance. What you basically set out to do in your application letter is to sell your skills and services. Thus, your application letter is a form of advertising. And the key feature of effective advertising is that it should be persuasive. An application letter therefore is also some kind of a sales letter. It should project your skills keeping in mind the employers and a particular jobs requirement. This kind of job analysis and self-appraisal will help you to identify which jobs suit you and where you should not apply. For example, if it is specifically mentioned in the advertisement for the post of schoolteachers that the school requires someone with minimum three years of teac hing experience and you have just graduated, then there is no point in applying for this post as you will be found ineligible. Again, if a company requires a smart, young receptionist with good communication and people skills and you are someone who is of reserved and laidback nature, then you should not apply for it. Before drafting an application letter, you must ask yourself these questions- 1. What sort of qualifications and experience are needed for this particular job? 2. Do I have the required skills and experience? 3. Am I suitable for this job? How? Once you have answered these questions, the next step is to narrow down your focus on the qualities and skills that the employer is looking for and to highlight those in your application letter. This does not mean that you make exaggerated claims. You should be honest, sincere and modest. If you possess the required qualifications, skills and experience, then only you should apply for a particular job. And you should provide necessary documents for verification of your declarations. Job application letter is an interesting blend of the features of a personal letter and a sales letter. Therefore, it should reflect your creativity and also your personal style. So as an applicant/writer, just be yourself and also a little businesslike in your approach. The main object of an application letter is to get you an interview. Therefore, it is essential that your letter should stimulate the employers interest in your skills and accomplishments and it should give him a clear idea about how you can satisfy the organisations needs. You should project your skills with confidence and this is possible only when you believe in yourself and your capabilities. TYPES OF APPLICATION LETTERS There are two types of application letters: a) solicited application letters and b) unsolicited application letters. Solicited application letters are those that are sent in response to job advertisements, whereas unsolicited application letters (also known as prospecting letters) are written at the applicants initiative. This is the fundamental theoretical difference between the two. In the first one, you write directly for the post advertised. In the latter one, you acquaint the prospective employer with the qualifications and skills that you possess and leave it to him to identify whether your profile is suitable for any of the positions in his organization and whether he should consider you for the same. But in practice, there is hardly any difference between the structure and the content of both these types of letters. Whether writing a solicited or an unsolicited application letter, the applicant has to mention his personal details, qualifications, skills and experience that ar e relevant to the job. Besides, the letters of application can also be framed in two different ways: All the information about the applicants qualifications, experience and personal details can be included in one comprehensive letter. OR The application letter can be divided into two parts. The first part is the covering letter which refers to the advertisement in response to which you are applying and in it you also highlight your most relevant and significant skills and qualifications for the advertised post. The second part is the resume which lists all the necessary personal and educational information in an easy-to-read format. The layout b) is the widely preferred and the most effective format as it gives the applicant an opportunity to display his skills and personality in an attention-grabbing and succinct manner thus generating the employers interest in his resume and getting him to read it in the first place. ESSENTIALS OF A GOOD COVERING LETTER The covering letter has one purpose- to attract the attention and sustain the interest of your prospective employer in your resume and thus get him to call you for a job interview. Therefore, your covering letter is not just a simple note that forwards an enclosure i.e. your resume and other relevant documents. Rather, it is a selling-piece. It should have the qualities of an effective sales letter. Besides, in your job application letter, you must focus on- The job requirements as specified by the employer- qualifications, skills, experience The special qualities you possess that will make you stand out from the rest (for an announced job opening, you will have to compete with hundreds of other job seekers) Your knowledge about the organization Your communication skills, problem-solving ability, people skills, etc. An effective covering letter should have the following features: It should be informative and to the point. The tone of the letter should be friendly but avoid being too casual or informal. Keep the covering letter to a single page, three paragraphs is ideal. Do not use the same covering letter while applying at different places. The style and layout is very important. Avoid grammatical and spelling errors. Use good quality paper and printing. Take care not to crumple the edges or stain the paper. Your letter should not appear overloaded with information. Leave enough white space, so that it looks appealing to the eye. The covering letter is a kind of persuasive, goodwill message. Show genuine interest in the organization and a keen interest in the position that you are seeking. Omit personal information that is not relevant to the job. Edit the letter carefully to make sure that there are no errors. FORMAT AND CONTENTS OF AN APPLICATION LETTER An application letter may be written in two formats: the complete block format (the latest and better preferred American format) or the semi-block format (the traditional British format). In the complete block format (also known as the full block format), every line is left-aligned i.e. it starts at the left margin. And nothing is indented. Whereas, in the semi-block format, the senders address, date and the complimentary close are indented. Even the paragraphs may be indented. An application letter has the following parts: The Senders Address and the Date In the semi-block format, these are written at the top right corner of the letter. Whereas, in the complete block format, the senders address and date are written at the top left corner of the letter. The date should be written in the American format (mm/dd/yy i.e. July 30, 2010) if you are writing in the complete block style and in the British format (dd/mm/yy i.e. 30 July, 2010) if you are using the semi-block layout. Leave one space between the address and the date. Also, the applicants address and date should be written in open punctuation (i.e. no punctuation). Example: Closed Punctuation Open Punctuation Divya Shah(,) Divya Shah 305, Clover Garden Society(,) 305, Clover Garden Society Alkapuri(,) Alkapuri Vadodara(.) Vadodara July 30, 2010(.) July 30, 2010 (Or) (Or) 30 July, 2010(.) 30 July, 2010 The Inside Address The inside address or the receivers/employers address should also be written in open punctuation. It should be one or two spaces below the date. It should always be left-aligned. If it is a solicited application, the inside address will begin with the designation and not the name of the person to whom it is to be addressed. Example: (To) (To) The Manager The Personnel Manager Aditya Birla Group OR Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd New Delhi Baroda If the name of the person to whom the application is to be addressed or the identification of the advertiser is not disclosed in the job advertisement and if only the post box or a newspaper box number to which the application is to be sent is given, then the inside address will be written as: (To) (To) The Advertiser The Advertiser Post Box No. 2509 OR Box No. 2203 Vadodara- 390004 The Times of India Ahmedabad- 380001 If it is an unsolicited application, then the letter should be addressed to the concerned person/officer. Example- The Employment Officer/ The Accounts Officer/ The Manager/ The Dean/ The Principal etc. Subject and Reference Leave one or two spaces after the inside address and state in one line the purpose of the application letter (i.e. the Subject). Leave one more space and write the Reference i.e. if someone has referred you for the post, then you may mention his/her name and designation. Writing the reference is optional. The Salutation Dear Sir is the most common salutation used in application letters. But you may try some of the following ways to open a letter depending on the context in which you are communicating. However, you should be careful in selecting an appropriate salutation. Context Salutation 1. Addressing someone in a company Dear Sir/Madam 2. Addressing a man whose name Dear Sir you do not know 3. Addressing a woman whose name Dear Madam you do not know 4. Informal way of addressing a man Dear Mr. Parekh 5. Informal way of addressing a woman Dear Ms. Dixit Remember, it is inappropriate and impolite to use the first name of a person in the salutation. For instance, Dear Ms. Deepa. Also, first names are never preceded by a title (Mr. Siddharth or Ms. Nirmita). The Body of the Letter It is often divided into three parts: The Opening/Introductory Paragraph It gives details about why you are writing the application letter and which position or type of work you are seeking. It also makes clear whether it is a solicited application or an unsolicited one. The opening paragraph should catch the readers attention and create interest in your resume. In a solicited letter, you may use a simple opening as you have been invited to apply and your focus therefore is not so much on capturing the readers attention. You may open your letter in one of the following ways: Summary opening- Mention your most relevant qualifications and/or experience and explain how it can benefit the organization. Example: With my three years experience as the Assistant Advertising Manager at Mudra Communication Pvt. Ltd., I feel confident that I can ably perform the duties of an Advertising Manager, the post announced by you in The Hindustan Times datedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Name opening- Mention the name of the person (if he is known to the reader) who has suggested that you apply for the job. Example: Professor Kulkarni informed me of a job opening for the post of Assistant Professor in your institution. My qualifications and experience suit the eligibility criteria and I would be glad if you find my profile suitable for the post and consider me for the same. I would indeed be very fortunate if I get an opportunity to be associated with your reputed college. Source opening- Make a reference to the newspaper in which the job advertisement was published. Briefly explain how you possess the necessary skills, qualifications and experience that suit the requirements of the target position. Example: With reference to your advertisement in The Times of India dated 25 July, 2010, I hereby apply for the post of Sales Executive. Or I wish to apply for the post of Marketing Manager advertised by you in The Hindu of 27 February, 2010. Or I request you to consider favourably my qualifications for the position of Legal Adviser in your firm advertised in The Indian Express dated Question opening- Begin with an attention-seeking question that targets the organisations problem, need or goal and describe how you can help in fulfilling it. News opening- Mention some organizational achievement, goal, etc. which was made public and express your desire to work for the organization because of it and for it. Personalized opening- Mention your relevant interests or previous experiences or your present position or profile and start discussing why you are eager to work with the organization. The Middle Paragraph It gives specific examples of why you are perfect for the job. With an effective introductory paragraph, half the work is done as you will have already succeeded in exciting the employers interest. The next step is to show how you are the one that he is looking for. For this, you should explain in detail the important points that you mentioned in the opening paragraph. Give evidence in support of your claims of ability. Avoid exaggerating. Take care not to repeat the points already mentioned in the opening paragraph or the resume. Include relevant details that could not be accommodated in the resume. The middle paragraph/s of the application letter should focus mainly on convincing the reader that you are the best choice for the post advertised. You can do this not by listing the academic degrees that you have earned but by highlighting how your education has equipped you for the work that you seek. Show how you are updated not only about your area of specialization but are also aware of the latest in the other allied areas. If you have handled different job profiles while working part-time, explain what you have learnt from it and how it has made you capable at adapting to different work environments. Also, mention the various job-related activities, interests and qualities that you possess. Sum up by referring the reader to the enclosed resume for further details. The Closing/Concluding Paragraph In the last paragraph, make a subtle suggestion to your prospective employer to act i.e. to grant you an interview. Do not demand it. Do not use sloppy words to gain the readers sympathy. Avoid closing lines like- Given an opportunity to serve in your esteemed company, I assure you the best of my servicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Please be kind enough to give me an opportunity to serve in your reputed institutionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Be simple and direct in asking for an interview. Heres how you can do it effectively- I hope to hear from you soon. I will be glad/grateful if my application for the said post is considered favourably. I hope that my qualifications would merit your consideration. Looking forward to a favourable response. May I look forward to an interview with you at your convenience? Close the letter by stating your phone number and specify the best time to reach you. You may also include your email address on which you may be contacted. The Complimentary Close and the Signature Line The complimentary close is placed two spaces below the last line of the body of the letter. Some of the most commonly used complimentary closes include Thank you, Yours faithfully, Sincerely, Best regards, Respectfully, Best wishes, Yours truly, Warm regards, Sincerely yours, With many thanks, etc. The complimentary close begins with a capital letter and ends with a comma. Leave four spaces between the complimentary close and the Signature Line (i.e. the writers name) for a signature. The writers title or designation should be typed directly below the name. The signature should ideally be in blue or black ink. Example: Yours sincerely, (Sign here) Ramakanta Das Managing Director Saint Gobain Industries Hyderabad Enclosures List the number and nature of the documents that you are sending along with the letter of application. If the list is too long, attach a separate sheet. Leave two or three spaces after the signature line and write- Encl. See list attached.

Confessions Essay -- essays research papers

Augustine titled his deeply philosophical and theological autobiography Confessions to implicate two aspects of the form the work would take. To confess, in Augustine's time, meant both to give an account of one's faults to God and to praise God (to speak one's love for God). These two aims come together in the Confessions in an elegant but complex sense: Augustine narrates his ascent from sinfulness to faithfulness not simply for the practical edification of his readers, but also because he believes that narrative to be itself a story of God's greatness and of the fundamental love all things have for Him. Thus, in the Confessions form equals content to a large degree—the natural form for Augustine's story of redemption to take would be a direct address to God, since it is God who must be thanked for such redemption. (That said, a direct address to God was a highly original form for Augustine to have used at the time). This idea should also help us understand the apparently lopsided and unusual structure of the text. The first nine Books of the Confessions are devoted to the story of Augustine's life up to his mother's death, but the last four Books make a sudden, lengthy departure into pure theology and philosophy. This shift should be understood in the same context as the double meaning of 'confessions'—for Augustine, the story of his sinful life and redemption is in fact a profoundly philosophical and religious matter, since his story is only one exampl...

How do the later war poets differ in their treatment of war Essay

How do the later war poets differ in their treatment of war from early war poets? World War I was noticeable for the vast amounts of poetry that was produced from many of the soldiers. The poets wrote vastly over the years 1914-1918 and they all expressed many different opinions. It was a way of getting their views across to other people. Some of the poems even made aware of the fact and the true horror of the war. During the first half of World War I, the poems that were produced had a very patriotic and glorious view to them. As the war progressed, the poems became more bitter as the true extent of what was really going on, was unveiled. Some of the poets we will be looking at include Wilfred Owen and Laurence Binyon. For early war poetry, we have studied four poems. These are: 'The Soldier', 'Rendezvous', 'For the Fallen', and 'Fall-In'. The poets who wrote these poems are: Laurence Binyon, Rupert Brooke, Alan Seeger and Harold Begbie. These poems in general, had a very glorious, patriotic feel to them. Because the war had just started, people did not know what the war was going to be like. Nor did they no how many people would be killed. These poems were used as propaganda by the government so that many young men would enrole for the army. 'For the Fallen' is an elegy. Being an elegy during the war, you might have been mistaken for thinking that it is not a very glorious poem. But this poem celebrates the death of the soldiers and is celebrating the work that they have done for their country. This poem gives a personification of England and describes the soldiers when they were young. This poem constantly uses alliteration throughout. 'They fell with their faces to the foe' is a good example. Th... ...Hero' is a poem about a mother receiving the bad news that her son is dead. This poem has an AABBBCCDEDEFF rhyme scheme. In the second verse, the rhyme scheme has changed. This is because Sasson wanted a change of meaning in the poem. 'Suicide in the Trenches' has a regular and constant rhyme scheme. Every two lines are a rhyming couplet. This keeps the flow of the poem constant. It is criticizing the British public who cheer for the soldiers, just as they are about to go to war, but the public themselves, do not know what the soldiers are about to face. It is a very bitter poem. 'They' is another very bitter poem written by Sasson. This time, Sasson is criticizing the church for making the war sound like a crusade. The poem uses a rhyme scheme of ABABCCDEDEFF. It has two versus and both end in a rhyming couplet. This is used for impact and emphasis.

Middle Class Black Burden Essay

The Middle Class Black’s Burden Leanita McClain, an African American journalist, was greatly acknowledge as a black African American middle class success. McClain was condemned by her own peers and was pated on the head by whites who believed her success was only based on talent than affirmative action . Due to prejudice whites and berate blacks, Leanita was forced to choose between the envy of her own race or for her own amentities. In McClain’s essay, â€Å"The Middle Class Black’s Burden, She uses percise Rhetorical Strategies to express her burden. Those strategies are Compare/Contrast, Author’s Tone, and Logical Appeal. McClain uses the rhetorical strategy of compare/contrast to depict her burden. McClain compared her lifstyle of her childhood to her success as a middle class black woman. Leanita was castigated by her peers simply because they felt she sold out her nation to work as a middle class african american. Others felt that she forgot where she came and that she characterized herself as white instead of black. In her essay she stated ,† It is impossible for me to forget where I came from as long as I am prey to the jiv hustler who does not hesitate to exploit my childhood friendship†. With blacks passing judgements, a heavy burden was placed on the back of Leanita. This Rhetorical Strategy was very effective because it helps the reader understand how her life as a lower class affected how her life was as a middle class. The second Rherorical Strategy McClain uses to express her burden was tone. McClain’s tone throughtout essay is depressed and confused. Part of the tone is confused becuase McClain doesnt know if she should stand aside her nation or pursue her career in the middle class. It also shows depression because both sides are nagging at her and making her feel as if she’s unwanted from both. In her essay it she states, † I have a foot in each world, but I cannot fool myself about either. I can see the transparent deceptions of  some whites and the bitter hoplessness of some blacks. This rhetorical strategy was effective because it displays how the author’s depression she felt througout her life. The last Rhetorical strategy McClain uses to depict her burden was Logical Appeal. All three were used for the reader to understand why she feel she’s torn between two worlds. In her essay McClain mostly uses ethos and pathos to explain her burden. Being an african american journalist in chicago, made her appeal as a figure that people would consider. However, judgements from blacks made her feel indifferent. In Mclain’s essay, My Turn, she states, † Some of my liberal white acquaintances pat me on the head, hinting that I am a freak,[†¦] , I may live among them, but it is difficult to live with them. This personify her chose of rhetorical strategies. This strategy is effective because it helps the reader percieve the choice of words the authors uses. Conclusively, McClains rhetorical strategies not only help the reader, but displayed her appeal as a middle class black woman. The Rhetorical strategies that Leanita used were proven to be effective and impacted the theme of the passage.

Overview Of Personal Development Plans And An Example Education Essay

Personal Development Plan ( PDP ) is a specific program for your hereafter in short-run of six months or 12 months. It is necessary that you have aims set up for yourself, and programs and actions to be taken in order to accomplish those aims. Following PDP is a good manner to better yourself, and to get accomplishments and cognition. Therefore, it is advisable to go on making PDP one after another.Definition of PDP:The PDP is a procedure by which we identify our instruction demands, set ourselves some aims in relation to these, undertake our educational activities and bring forth grounds that we have learned something utile. Amar Rughani. Personal Development Plan for Dentist: the new attack to go oning. ( pg. : 27 )Meaning of PDP:Plan should non be through of as being Good or BAD on the footing of larning demands that individual wants to turn to. Every individual has different strength and failings. The primary aims of PDP are program and take duty for their ain acquisition and to understand what and how they learn. PDP is based on the accomplishments of contemplation and planning which are built-in to cognize how we can larn in different contexts and to reassign that larning throughout life. To place failing and strength and willing to acknowledge that, better through acquisition and set all these things in action is personal development program.Importance of PDP:go a more effectual, independent and confident autonomous scholar ; understand the different contexts for acquisition ; understand how you are larning and how to turn out what you have learnt ; better your general accomplishments for survey and calling direction ; better your consciousness of the accomplishments you are developing through survey of the topic ( s ) ; joint your personal aims and measure advancement and accomplishment ; take a more holistic attack to acquisition and its direction in modular contexts ; and to understand the importance of being able to larn in new state of affairss and to reassign and Use your larning in different contexts.Advantages of PDP:PDP consequences in enhanced self-awareness of strengths and failings and waies for Change. The procedure helps scholars understand the value added through acquisition. Geting involved with PDP should assist us to: Identifying larning chances. What we truly want to make. Make the right faculty member and personal determinations. Set personal ends and marks. Identify programmes and activities chances and preparation to develop our accomplishments. We can measure our ain advancement. We can be better prepared for the demands of go oning patterned advance.MY Personal Development Plan:For my personal development program I am utilizing a SWOT analysis – a common job work outing method which summarises my strengths, failings, chances and menaces and after cognizing my strength and failing I am composing my program Action Planning will assist me to place and put marks. To inquire yourself a utile methodological analysis is Smart: Specific: e.g. ‘I will place and rehearse good clip direction techniques to make my undertaking deadline. Measurable: e.g. I will put myself a hebdomadal agenda of things to make. Accomplishable: e.g. I know there are workshops and books on clip direction and I will utilize these to place good pattern. Realistic: e.g. I know I have some free clip every Sunday forenoon and I will utilize this clip to work on my techniques Time-Bound: e.g. I will work towards the undertaking deadline, puting hebdomadal marks. So here ‘s my personal development program tabular array:My current province:My strengths: Communicate good with others. Positive thought. Hard working. Self-initiative. Punctual. My failings: Lose pique easy. Trust to others easy. Common feedbacks that I received from others. Emotional. Be really serious. What other public presentation indexs can I notice? Sometimes acquire overwhelmed with emphasis when there is heavy work load. Decision Focus on: Develop assurance. Control my pique. Do n't swear on people easy. Not acquire worked up so easy. These SWOT analyses are enabling to place where I am now in my current function. Following I need to turn this into a PDP. When puting marks, Is need to do certain that I can really accomplish them. This we call holding SMART marks.My Coveted province: ( Goals )What I have to make to improve/achieve. Talk with people and act confidently. Do n't acquire provoked. Willing to seek new thing and take some hazards. Able to act upon others. Able to be unagitated and assess any state of affairs before responding to it and take control of state of affairs. Able to press difficult my recommendations to be accepted by others when I feel it is truly good. Not be influenced by others. To look for positives in any fortunes. What does it give me?Short Term Goals.Average Term Goals.Long Term Goals.Why I do it? 1: with assurance, I can able to command more regard and others will be able to see my worth. I will make bold to seek new things. In fact my true ego will eventually reflect through. 2: attempt to command my pique, I will non ache my loved 1s and friends as before Attend choler direction category and do recommendations myself. Keep composure no affair what happens. Not lose my pique at all. Able to command assurance whenever I want.How do I acquire at that place? ( Resources )What must I better? 1: Use new techniques to develop assurance. 2: speculation to develop a composure head & A ; control pique. What are the possible resources to larn 1: Buy & A ; read books on develop personality. 2: read books on communicating. 3: local choler direction category.TimelineShort Term Goals. Within 2 months. Average Term Goals. Within 4 months. Long Term Goals. Within 6 months. Time direction:Definition & A ; Meaning:Time managementA is a set of rules, patterns, accomplishments, tools, and systems that work together to assist youA acquire more value out of your timeA with theA purpose of bettering the quality of your life. Time can really easy go through much quicker than we anticipate and if we waste clip, non needfully intentionally, we can stop up non accomplishing all that we should. We must organize our clip throughout our working twenty-four hours and place and societal life.A Manage your clip so that you get to bask a avocation or see the gym†¦ whatever you need to make to loosen up. If you can construction your yearss carefully and lodge to your guidelines wherever possible, there is no ground why you can non suit a batch more into your life than you did when you had no everyday or clip subject. if we do n't pull off our clip decently, our agenda will travel out the door. Imagine what it takes to be after something. What will go on if we set ends butA neverA step up to what is expected? Nothing but a broken dream. All the planning and construct up for success in that end will ne'er happen without appropriate clip management.AImportance of Time direction:It is true that when it comes to bettering oneself, we can ever originate. However, one time we do acquire started, clip will ever be of the kernel. If you aim for personality development, you need to be able to pull off clip efficaciously. You might inquire yourself, does your clip reflect what is of import to you, and does it reflect your values? When we feel our twenty-four hours has been productive, our self-esteem and attitude tend to be higher and our degree of defeat and emphasis is lower. There are ways we can increase productiveness straight, things that do n't hold to make with event control or self-esteem.A Further, A productiveness affects the clip we have to pass on event control. Good event control increases our sense of control over our clip and positively impacts our self-esteem. The importance of clip in personality development needs no farther account. The point of the affair is that if you spend excessively much clip making other things alternatively of maintaining an oculus on your end which is to develop a pleasing personality, your opportunities of success will be well lower than if you know how to prioritise. Time direction involves be aftering and forming. We should work to better event control, productiveness and self-pride. See reading extra stuffs or take a clip or undertaking direction workshop.Effective Deputation:Definition & A ; Meaning:A delegate is a individual who speaks or acts on behalf of an organisation ( e.g. , a authorities, a charity, an NGO, or a trade brotherhood ) at a meeting or conference between organisations of the same degree ( e.g. , trade negotiations or an environmental acme between authoritiess ; an arbitration over an industrial. Deputation can specify as: The assignment of duty and answerability for specific results or accomplishments to a specific person or administration unit. The deputation can be impermanent or lasting.Importance of Deputation:With PDP individual can make better as a delegator, he or she can take more efficaciously their squad. With effectual deputation we can do work easier and better efficiency. If I am working much longer hours it ‘s indispensable iA delegate more it will profit me. It enhancesA the Competence, ConfidenceA & A ; MotivationA of individual. A Successful deputation involves turning the right undertakings for the right grounds, with the resources and authorization to move. A It includes puting public presentation outlooks. Deputation is of import for the long-run success. The importance of deputation should non be underestimated Lack of deputation will take to you easy submerging in work – undertakings will go half finished or ill executed and you will stop up with a dissatisfied and demotivated squad who are shouting out to take on more duty. Review what tasks you are making and how long you spend at them. When a undertaking is scattered throughout the twenty-four hours or hebdomad or month, you may earnestly undervalue how much clip you spend at it.AStress direction:Definition:emphasis is a status or feeling experienced when a individual perceives that demands exceed the personal and societal resources the person is able to mobilise. ( Richard S Lazarus ) There are really many proven accomplishments that we can utilize to pull off emphasis. These help us to stay unagitated and effectual in high force per unit area state of affairss, and assist us avoid the jobs of long term stress.AImportance:deeper apprehension of emphasis, assisting you to develop your ain stress direction schemes for managing alone fortunes. When I started to pull off my clip to accomplish my ends its really nerve-racking for me because I could pull off all these things at one time it was really hard but I ne'er lose my enthusiasm I still tried to pull off my emphasis To pull off emphasis I am taking remainder and proper sleeping, moving confidently, commanding myself and seek to give good public presentation all things assisting to me to accomplish me ends.Problem resolution:To finish this component we will necessitate to finish some sort of clip log and happen out what jobs occurred and why. We so need to analyze how we deal with both external and internal breaks, what degree of concentration we have and how we cope, how we allocate clip to daily and hebdomadal undertakings and pull off our dairy. In job work outing first I need to specify where I faced job, in personal development program I had a job internal and external every bit good like work burden and command my pique and it ‘s really hard for anyone to command yourself because if I had lost my pique so others reacts really bad so I tried to work out it I evaluate these jobs and have got solutions. I read books I watched pictures that how it could go on how people can be really cool how they are work outing their jobs, on that manner I concentrate myself where my lacks and what my specific aims so to better myself and to work out my jobs I started to sit with people I started to discussed in group and seek to understand myself that what I need and where I need so I solved my jobs.

Literacy Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Literacy Narrative - Essay Example Formative assessment plays an important role to both readers and communicators. First, before undertaking a journey to communicate, a communicator has a goal in mind or a message he would like to drive home. To achieve goals, it is important that a communicator understand the persons being communicated to through formative assessment. For instance as a communicator, formative assessment helped me to understand the gap between the desired goal and the current knowledge of the people I was addressing. On the other hand, learners get to gauge their extent of understanding. After assessing the gap, both learners and communicators can now allow this knowledge to guide them through actions necessary to obtain their main goal. An effective feedback will provide suggestions for closing the gap. Some of the methods communicators can use to assess learning include giving assignments, group discussions, and tests. Secondly, formative assessments motivate learners to improve on their understandi ng of the subject other than just getting the right answers. For instance, assignments and tests helped me as a learner to get specific comments, errors, and feedbacks on my level of understanding about a topic. Formative assessment encourage readers that each of them have great innate potential to perform better that they currently perform. More so, the feedback given from the tests encourage readers that they can do better. According to Ames, formative assessment helps support the expectation that all readers can give great performances and counteracts the notion that poor performances on some readers result from their lack of ability. Such readers may get discouraged and become unwilling to invest further in learning (Ames 262-270). A communicator can help improve the understanding of the students through several means. For instance, I can ask my discussion group members to summarise a topic or main points after a discussion. A communicator can also give related questions on the topic of study and mark them. In this, the communicator will test understanding of some vocabularies or concepts in the topic. Searching for meanings of vocabularies and answering questions proves quite helpful to me in learning. Thirdly, formative assessment plays an important role where readers can perform self-evaluation. Statistics reveal that readers who are governed by certain goals in their learning and opt to do self-evaluations are much better that those who do not. They have time to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and filling in the gap through further learning. Additionally, formative assessment enables students with disabilities to train on how to evaluate themselves, helping them to improve. As a communicator, I assist readers to self-evaluate themselves through group discussions. Here, learners have an opportunity to receive a challenge especially where i mix the slow learners with the fast learners. A communicator can float a question and ask readers to writ e down what they think about it and read their answers around to the rest of the readers. He can also separate the students in small groups, give them time to brainstorm and have one of them present the groups work. All these will help instil the habit of self-evaluation to the students. Fourthly, formative assessment effects on teachers quality. Statistics reveal that a communicator’s quality has the highest influence on a reader’