Swing Valley Poem Analysis

Pursue of happiness Contentment can help people move forward, it is also a way of freezing time to connect to the past. To compromise to happiness is hardly possible. However in the poem Swing Valley, and the excerpt from Home Place, the speakers are able to find joy by means of nostalgia. They seem to pursue happiness by recollecting favourable memories from the past, and being in the physical reminiscence that shapes their past. Through the development of the character, Ronald, and the speaker from Swing valley, we are able to apprehend how recollection memories can lead to happiness.When it comes to ecstasy, it’s not a word in Ronald’s dictionary. Though, as he revisits his child-hood memories, everything suddenly becomes clear. As Ronald was looking for a companionship in life, he jumped from the frying pan and into the fire. â€Å"’I can’t stand it. I can’t sleep there no longer. ’† The regret and sorrow he’s feeling made h im longing for joy. Through further understanding of Ronald, we realise that he is feeling nostalgic towards his past, his childhood, and his true passion – creating model airplanes. Primarily, he pursued for happiness as he married Darlene, out of lust, and loneliness.For what seemed to Ronald was unattainable, he later discovers that joy was something that actually could be reached by recalling what he loved, rather than what he thought he loved. He found himself under the silhouettes of his model air planes that covered his walls. He found himself understanding the concept of delight. He found himself having minimal interest in anything other than the model air planes that he loved even as a young man. Simple moments such as gravitational loss can help us discover happiness in the present. Ordinary may have different meanings to different individuals.Some ordinary flashes of nostalgia have helped people renew connections of the past to the present. The descriptiveness of F rank Gaspar’s Swing Valley shows the readers how much a nostalgic event can sink so deeply to one’s memory. Even the precise description of â€Å"still sitting on the knot, his hands clutching the rope as the bitter end trailed down like a plume of smoke. † The speaker has strong feelings of the tense atmosphere that they were in, as he relates it to the moment of release. In life, this is a metaphor of that moment of finally achieving the goal you’ve trying to accomplish for years.As the speaker recalls that moment, he immediately thinks of the time when he’s free of gravity. It wasn’t just a rope swing. As Ronald finds joy, he wishes that he â€Å"should never have left. † Regretting how much happier life should have been. The speaker from Swing Valley finds happiness through remembering the wonderful memories of the past and reflects the present with it. These characters discovers the pursuit of happiness as they come across moment s of nostalgia, and as they’re longing for their past to compromise their happiness in the present.

Compare the ways the poets write about love or the absence of love Essay

Love is an emotional force to be reckoned with, and a pure source of inspiration for poets. Modern and ancient, love is a common theme of poetry; it enables poets to discuss there most inner feelings behind clever literary techniques and paradoxical phrases. Such techniques can be found in Shakespeare’s sonnet 130. In this sonnet he destroys the conventional view we have of such sonnets of the time. He takes the standard love sonnet and turns it on its head: â€Å"black wires grow on her head,† this, in any woman’s eyes is far from a compliment. Contradictorily, Ben Johnson’s on my first sonne’ is clear and obvious: â€Å"Farewell, thou child of my right hand,† this statement clearly delivers a sense of lament from Johnson, not only this but he compares his son to Jesus, â€Å"of my right hand† this was the place that God gave his son. Even the title gives a clear indication as to what he is writing about, â€Å"On My First Sonne† the word â€Å"sonne† gives a sense of incompleteness as if we add a -t to the end of the word it makes sonnet, furthermore the poem is written in sonnet form however it is only twelve lines and not the standard fourteen lines. All of this conveys further to the reader Johnson’s incompleteness through the loss of his son and his loss of love for life through this. â€Å"What he loves may never like too much,† this is the final nail in the coffin for Ben Jonson’s remaining hope in the world as he vows to never love something as much as he id his son for fear of loosing it like he lost his son. Such intense love for his son can be seen when he states â€Å"Ben. Jonson his best piece of poetry,† in this fleeting moment he denounces all his work in honour and in love for his dead son. Such a sensitive tone cannot be seen in Shakespeare’s sonnet 130 until the end: â€Å"And yet by heaven I think as rare,† here we can see that William is declaring that despite his mistresses â€Å"reek† and her â€Å"wires† for hair he still thinks she is â€Å"belied with false compare,† this proves to the reader that love does not always take the form of beauty and glamour or ever good smelling breath, but can also be achieved through an honest personality and good nature, This proves to the reader that love is not based upon looks, and perhaps a true love is that which sees your partners flaws, admits that maybe other people are more beautiful, more special, more wonderful, yet that he loves her flaws and imperfections, making his love the most true. A very different perception of love is described in Duffy’s Anne Hathaway; she talks in this poem about the sexual encounters Anne Hathaway has with her husband Shakespeare. The poem is written in sonnet for so as to mimic Shakespeare’s famous form of poetry. It also ends with a rhyming couplet which was also a technique commonly used by Shakespeare. â€Å"Romance.† This single word is highlighted by a caesura; this tells the audience that love in this case is romance and story endings. Duffy uses fairytale iconography to emphasise this point â€Å"torchlight, cliff tops†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this fairytale imagery shows us that Anne Hathaway desired a fairytale happy ending, and it tells us that on that second bed Shakespeare took her there. In Armitage’s Home Coming he addresses a love based on trust â€Å"arms spread wide and free fall† this shows us that he believes that for his â€Å"two things on their own and both at once† there has to be trust involved, this description of â€Å"two things on their own and both at once,† is clearly describing the love he feels for his wife who he is writing about. â€Å"Im waiting by the phone† this shows the audience that he wants to call his wife because he understands the situation she is in however he cannot be a shoulder to lean on in such a situation as this because he is not with her in the phone box. The image of the phone box shows the desperation she feels and how she needs contact, not necessarily with someone she loves, but just a shoulder to lean on. In all four poems I have looked at very different views and perspectives of love. Each of the poets produces a slightly varied definition of love; for Jonson it is cause for lament, for Shakespeare it is cause to learn, for Armitage it is about trust and guidance, and for Duffy it is about romance. This proves that love has a different meaning for each and every person it touches.

Designing a Syllabus

From the theories given above, we conclude that when designing a syllabus, curriculum, school mission and students' needs should be taken in consideration in order to achieve learning objectives. As stated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Kosova (MESTK) â€Å"In order to achieve the targeted aims and objectives of particular grade English language curriculum and to cover the topical content of particular grade syllabus, teachers should select and use materials of appropriate level from textbook(s) and other sources (online magazines and newspapers, TV, video, Internet). These materials should be primarily dedicated to teenagers and young adults. It remains in the teacher's domain to select teaching materials that may be type and profile appropriate, which (s)he may use either as alternative or as supplementary material in the English language program.Although it is estimated that within a school year, approximately 8 content areas should be covered, it is the teacher's responsibility to plan the number of topical areas (units) and the composition of it, in accordance with the total amount of hours dedicated to English in different types of vocational schools. In addition, teachers may plan an amount of 20 – 30% of overall teaching materials, which (s)he may use with a particular profile of learners in order to cover specific professional needs and meet the requirements of particular vocational schools. These could be a selection of specific texts/materials suitable for the particular type/profile of vocational schools (e.g. texts in medical field, technical field, business, catering†¦). Apart from this, teachers may use supplementary materials to suit the learners' needs, that is, their background knowledge (or lack of it), their interests and motivation. Supplementary materials (video tapes, documentary films, drama activities, projects, contests and quizzes, and similar), may be used either within regular English classes, or within additional activities planned by the vocational school curriculum (choice subjects, extra-curricular activities, and similar).† The above citation can be found on the website of MESTK under the section of vocational schools curriculum. However, the difference between general schools and vocational schools' curriculum is made only by the part cited in this paper. I.e. English language taught in professional schools despite different study domain, is not treated as ESP program but the burden falls on the teacher who, besides the units that are envisaged to be included in the program, is obliged to select additional materials which are profile appropriate. Scholars as Dudley-Evans and ST John (1998) describe the teacher as the material selector, researcher, and an evaluator as well as syllabus designer. They continue their argument emphasizing that these roles cannot be fulfilled if the learners' needs are not analyzed beforehand. ESP teachers have to complete all the roles mentioned above in order to achieve the harmony between, students' needs, study domain and the curriculum designed by the Ministry of Education. 2.5 Using textbooks in the lesson Textbooks have an essential role in language classrooms in all types of educational situations. It is a kind of media used by both students and teachers. When using a textbook teacher is assured that everyone in the class is getting the same amount of knowledge and that they are equally evaluated and tested. Course books provide a diversity of learning resources since they make a set of workbooks, cassette tapes, or CD-ROMs, and a teacher's guide. Richards (2010) claims that there are also some disadvantages in using textbooks; for example, they may not reflect students' needs. Each textbook aims to occupy the global market and so it is unable to serve everyone's needs. There are innumerous textbooks which are designed for teaching-learning process but not all of them are categorized as good textbooks. As the result, before choosing a textbook, teachers should really understand about needs, interests, abilities, and level of the students. Similarly, Harmer (2007) declares that the most important part of the use of textbook is to adopt the needs of the students. Bertin (2003) proclaims that it is a special skill that teachers should have in order to choose the textbook that suits language level, content, activity and the logical order of the textbook. In English for foreign learners (EFL) classes, a course book is the key to language teaching, language learning as well as it is a window to particular language culture. Nevertheless as Dickins (1994) clarifies, that the resources evaluation literature tends to focus absolutely on the analysis of the product. This means that teachers themselves carry out the evaluation of textbooks in order to conclude which materials best suit their purposes, schools mission and students' needs. Despite its special importance, regarding features mentioned above, a textbook should be selected and evaluated carefully before used in the class. Cunningsworth (1995) proposes four criteria for analyzing textbooks:o â€Å"Coursebooks should correspond to student's needs. o They should match learners' uses (present or future). Selected textbooks should equip learners with the knowledge that will effectively serve them for their purposes.o They should take in consideration students needs and facilitate their learning process.o They should have a key role as a sustention to learning. Their role is similar to teachers. They negotiate between the target language and the student.†

Nursing Case Management Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Nursing Case Management Plan - Assignment Example Most of their friends have deceased, and they have little to no support in the community. She has been admitted to the hospital for further assessment and evaluation of her condition. In this assignment, a nursing case management plan will be designed based on nursing assessment and will be presented in the specified format. This will help in care delivery prioritized based on her needs. While presenting this there will be concurrent critical analysis of the care plan in order to justify it based on evidence from contemporary literature (White and Davidhizar, 2006, 46-47). In the nursing practice area, this is viewed as an organizer of care delivery, and in order to meet the standards and need of evidence-based practice, research is frequently used, and this assignment ensures that the care delivered to her is person centred. (Herleman, 2008, 235-244). Mrs. Chang is an 82-year-old elderly, thin and frail woman with late stage parkinsonism with deficiency of information in this case study about the details of that condition. Generally, this condition presents as gradual slowing of voluntary movement, muscular rigidity, stooped posture, and distinctive rigid gait. She has also evidence of rheumatoid arthritis of both hands leading to severely restricted mobility. Moreover, age-related osteoporosis and osteoarthritis may accentuate her mobility problems further. Increase in frequency of fall is very common. Her current medications have not been mentioned, but she has been on ibuprofen. This indicates that she is on chronic pain, which can further compromise her mobility (Nolan and Tolson, 2000, 39-42). The goal of nursing management based on this need will be to improvement her mobility. At the end of care, the patient will be more comfortable with decreased pain, so she will be able to perform her activities of daily living as the limits of the disease condition permits, and this will be manifested by maintenance of joint mobility and range of motion while exhibiting adaptive coping behaviour. Ultimately the goal of care would be improvement of her muscle strength and endurance above her current levels (Rubenstein, Powers, and MacLean, 2001, 686-693). An impaired nervous system leading to a progressive disease can lead to subtle weakness and even drastic loss of mobility. Therefore goals of nursing management would be to slow the progression of the disease and improve the mobility and range of motion to the best possible levels. (Eliopolous, 2005, 1-53). Intervention from the nursing management aspect should include provision of support and reassurance to help her cope with limited mobility. She would be encouraged to express her feelings about immobility and nodular joints. It is imperative that she and her husband would be included in all phases of care and in the care management plan. There will be all attempts to answer all of their questions honestly. There is a chronic analgesic prescription, but that must tailored to her needs. Self-care at her own pace will be encouraged. The patient will need to have adequate rest, and she and her husba

Analysis of Korean Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Analysis of Korean Culture - Essay Example The beer was given a look of a woman while tiger never succeeded due to lack of patience. The background of the story was to give the origin of the leadership of Korea. The book Samguk Yusa: legends and history of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea is a collection of various histories of the three monarchies of Korea who were Silla, Paekche, and Koguryo. The author is a fresh fiction writer. One of his most famous books is â€Å"The Great Divorce.† She lives in New York. She is also a holder of B.A.in humanities from Yale College and a Ph.D. in English from Columbia University. In this story, the Korean leader is believed to have descended from heaven. The gods from the place of sunrise were responsible for the leadership choice. This choice was through a test of patience where the beer was more tolerant and patient than the tiger. The gods required fair leadership so the whole process of leadership choice was necessary. Considering the evolution of the human leader nature of origin, the leader was godly given. The whole of these steps of attaining leadership made the leader acceptable. The book is a fairy tale collection of the beliefs concerning leadership in Korea in relation to other regions in the east including China. These stories were made to help the children have a positive view of the leaders. On the other hand, it is a religious book in that it tells more on prayer and its effect. The power of prayer in this story helps in attaining the desired status. This book is also historical to some extent. It teaches on the history of the leadership and the entire eastern regional religion, as the gods were believed to be in the Chinese Mountains (Ilyon 2006). The composer of the story is well versed with the child’s psychology. The composer puts the story down in a chronological order thus making it easy to understand. Viewing of leadership as a divine provision is a character that makes the story more acceptable and interesting.  Ã‚  

R. Twining and Company Limited Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

R. Twining and Company Limited - Assignment Example These may be seen as primary areas for Twining’s to focus on in the development of a future marketing strategy. Unilever’s second tea brand â€Å"Lipton† has had considerable success in marketing its range of products including iced teas at a relatively young market segment. This may be seen as an area further development. Changing consumer demands have seen a need for producers to change product portfolios in recent years. In general the customer may be seen as looking for healthier option moving away from instant tea and toward alternatives such as green and fruit teas (Parsons and MacLaran, 2009) In general customers may be segmented by type of product consumed and by demographic considerations, such as age (Kotler et al 2009). Key customer product segments include general black tea, healthier options such as green and fruit teas and alternatives to traditional products such as iced teas. While the power of the supplier may be seen as relatively low, given the commodity nature of the product (Porter, 2004). The major problem for producers such as Twining’s is that suppliers in recent years have suffered from several years of poor harvests (OECD, 2009, 2010). As such, overall production has fallen and thus an overall rise in prices has been felt in the market. Further distribution takes place in the restaurant and catering sector, Twinings may seek to develop a competitive advantage here marketing their teas and alternatives as a premium product suited to the distribution channel In summary, the external macro environment in which the tea industry operates in may be seen as generally stable with almost static sales volumes and a number of key growth areas. While the market is generally stable, this is the possibility of further rising costs due to environmental concerns in the come seasons (OECD, 2009,

Government accountability office Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Government accountability office - Essay Example The current goals and objectives of the Department of Defence are: a] To counter terrorism and irregular warfare, b] Deter and defeat aggression, c] Project power despite anti-access & area denial challenges, e] Counter weapons of mass destruction, f] Operate effectively in cyberspace and space, g] Maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent, h] Defend the Homeland and provide support to Civil authorities, i] Provide a stabilizing presence, j] Conduct stability and counter-insurgency operations and, k] Conduct humanitarian, disaster relief and other operations. 6. The department is organized as, a] the Office of the Secretary of Defence, b] the Department of the Army, b]the Department of the Navy, c] the Department of the Air Force, d] the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and e] Combat Commands [Africa, Central, European, Northern, Pacific, Southern, Special Operations, Strategic & Transportation ] 2 7. Overall, 3.5 million people work in the Department of Defence, in cluding civilian employees. Navy=322,441 as of April 16, 2013; Army=480,000; Air Force=332,800 8. FY 2012 Budget Expenditures = $729 billion 9. FY 2013 Budget Appropriations = $672.880 billion 10. FY 2014 Budget Request = $613.9 billion 11. Five performance measures of the Department of Defence: 12. The Department currently has job opportunities in 3 broad categories. Active duty, Reserve and Civilian. In the first and second categories, opportunities exist for field operations, combat operations and support operations. Support operations include, administrative, housekeeping, engineering, and training functions. In the civilian category, opportunities exist for a wide range of functions, such as academic, cooking, housekeeping, accounting, maintenance, information management, recreation, logistics, construction, engineering, translating, clerical and administrative. 13. In my opinion, I feel that the Department of Defence is doing a great job and is striving hard to accomplish its mission. Based on the missions and goals of the department in their government reports, the evaluation is given below – One of the primary missions of the Department of Defense (DOD) is to supply military forces necessary to provide security to the country and deterring war. The headquarters of the Department of Defense is located at the Pentagon. The chief policy advisor to the President is the Secretary of Defense, who works in tandem with the Deputy Secretary who exercises authority in all military related matters. Being the world’s biggest employer, they also employ a huge Civilian force comprising of both men and women who are on active duty and serve in the National Guard and the Reserve forces. 3 The mission of the Defense.gov is to lend complete support to uphold the mission of the Department of Defense. Their duty is to provide accurate and timely information regarding the functions and operations, Defense policies and any other information regarding the Depar tment of Defense, and this information, in turn is provided to military members and their families, DoD civilians, the news media, Congress and the general public of America. ‘The protection of the public fiscal is a matter that is of interest to every citizen†. (Brock v. Pierce County, 476 U.S. 253, 262 (1986) A Federal agency has the power to function to the extent authorized by law. Brock v. Pierce Co

99 Cent V. Lancaster Redevelopment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

99 Cent V. Lancaster Redevelopment - Coursework Example The loss of Costco would result in the loss of over $400,000 generated from sales tax each year. The 99 Cent Only store only generated about $40,000. Lancaster tried to use the power of eminent domain to obtain the property of the 99 Cent Only store but was sued - and lost.Similar to the decision of the Supreme Court, I would have ruled in favor of 99 Cent Only Stores. While laws would have allowed Lancaster Redevelopment Agency to remove and redevelop a slummy, blighted area, the 99 Cent Only Store was not found to be blighted. "Under Health & Safety Code 33030, a blighted area is one which is 80% urbanized, and a physical and economical liability which cannot be reversed or alleviated without redevelopment." (Fergusson, 2005). The Fifth Amendment protects property owners from having their property taken by the government unless it is for public use. It seems to me that if Lancaster seized the property from 99 Cent Only Stores, it would be for Costco's use (so it could expand) and f or Lancaster's own use (so it could obtain greater revenue from sales tax).However, if brought to court today, after the decision made by the Supreme Court in 2005 regarding the case of Kelo v. City of New London, the result of the 99 Cent Only case would quite likely be different.

Multilateralism and the International Organizations Essay

Multilateralism and the International Organizations - Essay Example The first modern instances of multilateralism occurred in the nineteenth century in Europe after the end of the Napoleonic Wars where the great powers met to redraw the map of Europe at the Congress of Vienna. The Concert of Europe, as it became known, was a group of great and lesser powers that would meet to resolve issues peacefully. Conferences such as the Conference of Berlin in 1884 helped reduce great power conflicts during this period, and the nineteenth century was one of the Europes most peaceful. This system, however, was destroyed by the First World War and consequently, the League of Nations was created by the conflict world leaders in order to try to prevent any other form of conflict. Still, after the Second World War, the leaders saw the League of Nations failure and decided to create the United Nations in 1945 with a structure intended to address the weaknesses of the previous body. Unlike the League, the UN had the active participation of the United States and the Soviet Union, the worlds two greatest contemporary powers. Along with the political institutions of the UN, the post-war years a wide array of other multilateral organizations such as the GATT (now the World Trade Organization), the World Bank and the World Health Organization developed. The collective multilateral framework played an important role in maintaining world peace in the Cold War. Moreover, United Nations peacekeepers stationed around the world became one of the most visible symbols of multilatera lism in recent decades. Today there are so many   multilateral institutions of varying scope and subject matter, ranging from the International Telecommunication Unit (ITU) to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Organisation For the Prohibition Of Chemical Weapons(OPCW); although many such organizations were founded or are supported by the UN, they are   by no means maintained within the UN system.  Ã‚  

Human Resource Management - Yahoo Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource Management - Yahoo - Coursework Example ent high numbers of employees who are highly paid do not create the required difference in order to improve the competitiveness of the company in the market. The demand for labor in Yahoo is based on pressure put by competitors. With only few qualified personnel in the market, the company is under pressure to hire new employees in order to prevent them from joining the rival firms. However, instead of the company hiring out of pressure, it should first maximize the returns by the existing subordinates. This is through providing them with a serene working environment where they can be able to maximize their potential through innovation. This would play a significant role in improving the competitive advantage of the company in the market. The first action that will strengthen the internal recruitment process is training of the panel that will be recruiting new employees. New recruits need to fit in the organizational structure. Therefore, the panel needs to ensure that they recruit an employee who would auger well with the current organizational goals and objectives. Therefore, through training, the panel will be able to select the best employees who will be able to integrate with the organizational culture. The internal recruitment process would be strengthened through drafting an effective performance appraisal. The drafting process should involve all the employees. This is through collecting their views on what they would like the performance appraisal to look like. This would make them feel appreciated and work hard because they are sure that the appraisal would be able to recognize their effort. The use of the performance appraisal would make the recruitment to be more transparent, an aspect that would motivate the employees to put more effort in order to be promoted. The Yahoo corporate strategy is to grow and become more competitive (Hill and Gareth 233). The employees understand the challenges that the company is going through. Therefore, this strategy

Alternative Assessment Essay Example for Free

Alternative Assessment Essay Consequently, assessment has also undergone a massive reform. This has led to a wider range of assessment now than there was twenty-five years ago (Gipps, 1994). Evidence has shown that educational systems have undergone assessment reforms, which are coincident with curriculum reforms (Nitko, 1995). A number of assessment methods have been applied in the Ghanaian educational system since the introduction of schooling in the country (MOE, 1987). The educational reform in Ghana began with the hope that learning was to be more practical and examinations should be based on practical oriented syllabus. What had emerged was that the cost and difficulties involved in assessing students’ practical work and the unreliability of teachers’ assessment had resulted in a return to the status quo, that is pen and paper tests. Currently, Ghanaian teachers tend to monitor students’ understanding through pen-and-paper tests and exercises in class, and move through the syllabus and textbook with little or no attempt to use new instructional strategies if students do not understand the material. The use of pen-and-paper tests has been used almost exclusively by schools to monitor students’ achievement. These tools have also dominated examination for the 1 professional certification of teacher and college admission. These strategies of assessing students have come under severe criticism by many educators (Wolf, 19891). The perception that much of what gets tested is not relevant or has not been taught to students has been a source of concern to many educators and parents. Such concerns have made educators direct their attention to a new approach to testing variously described as â€Å"performance assessment†, â€Å"authentic assessment†, portfolio assessment†, and â€Å"alternative assessment† (Winzer, 1992). The Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 1989) call for significant change in the way mathematics is taught. In conjunction with this demand for change in mathematics instruction, a change format for assessing students is needed. To document these new expressions of teaching and learning, alternative assessments have emerged as the vehicle by which students and teachers can organise, manage and analyse life inside and outside the school. One of the most exciting and liberating things about the current interest in assessment is the recognition that numerous assessment tools are available to schools, districts, and states that are developing new assessment systems. These tools range from standardized fixed-response tests to alternatives such as performance assessment, exhibitions, portfolios, and observation scales. However, in Ghana, alternative assessment is relatively an unknown concept and only few researches have been conducted in this area. Each type of assessment brings with it different strengths and weaknesses to the problem of fair and equitable assessment. Recognizing the complexity of understanding performance or success for individuals, it is virtually impossible that any single tool will 2 do the job of fairly assessing student performance. Instead, the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (1996) suggests that an assessment system made up of multiple assessments (including norm-referenced or criterion-referenced assessments, alternative assessments, and classroom assessments) can produce comprehensive, credible, dependable information upon which important decisions can be made about students, schools, districts, or states. Since the influence of testing on curriculum and instruction is now widely acknowledged, educators, policymakers, and others are turning to alternative assessment methods as a tool for educational reform. The movement away from traditional, multiplechoice tests to alternative assessments, variously called authentic assessment or performance assessment, has included a wide variety of strategies such as open-ended questions, exhibits, demonstrations, hands-on execution of experiments, computer simulations, writing in many disciplines, and portfolios of student work over time. These terms and assessment strategies have led the quest for more meaningful assessments which better capture the significant outcomes we want students to achieve and better match the kinds of tasks which they will need to accomplish in order to assure their future success. Billions of dollars are spent each year on education, yet there is widespread dissatisfaction with our educational system among educators, parents, policymakers, and the business community. Efforts to reform and restructure schools have focused attention on the role of assessment in school improvement. 3.  After years of increases in the quantity of formalized testing and the consequences of poor test scores, many educators have begun to strongly criticize the measures used to monitor student performance and evaluate programs. They claim that traditional measures fail to assess significant learning outcomes and thereby undermine curriculum, instruction, and policy decisions. The way in which students are assessed fundamentally affects their learning. Good assessment practice is designed to ensure that, in order to pass the module or programme, students have to demonstrate they have achieved the intended learning outcomes. To test a wide range of intended learning outcomes, diversity of assessment practice between and within different subjects is to be expected and welcomed, requiring and enabling students to demonstrate their capabilities and achievements within each module or programme. The aim of this paper is to provide a guide to the range of alternative assessment tools available, to discuss the potential benefits and difficulties in using the approach and suggest a process for its use. Alternative Assessment Alternative assessment is a generic term referring to the new forms of assessment (Winzer, 1992). It includes a variety of instruments that can be adapted to varying situations. The teacher and the students can collaboratively decide which procedures are to be used for assessment (Huerta Macias 1995). Individual students are also often given the responsibility of selecting specific products of their work on which they will be assessed. It provides the students with the opportunity to reflect on his/her learning 4 experience, pointing out what he/she understands, and the factors that contribute to his/her lack of understanding. The main goal of alternative assessment is to gather evidence about how students are approaching, processing, and completing â€Å"real-life† tasks in a particular domain (Garcia and Pearson, 1994). Alternative assessment may include interviews with students, journal writing by students, developing portfolios of students’ work and writing of reflections. Also, students are encouraged to engage in small co-operative group learning and may be assessed individually and jointly. Alternative assessment, most importantly, provides alternative to traditional assessment in that it; i. ii.does not intrude on regular classroom activities; provides multiple indices that can be used to gauge students progress; and iii. provides information on the strengths and weaknesses of each individual student (Huerta-Macias, 1995; p. 9) One of the major advantages of alternative assessment as a tool for assessing students is that it empowers students to become partners and decision makers in their learning (Smolen et al 1995). Curran (1997) in his study with middle level educators found that alternative assessment is most valuable for students’ involvement in metacognitive learning. Vlaskamp (1995) found that alternative assessment processes engage students to become active in learning. The processes offer them opportunities for reflection and to be thoughtful respondents and judges of their own learning. Lee (1996) 5 found that the real value of alternative assessment is an information source for teachers and a learning tool for the students. Alternative assessment includes a variety of instruments that can be adapted to varying situations. These instruments include the use of checklist of students’ behaviour or product, journals, reading log, videos of role plays, audio tape of discussions, self evaluation, questionnaire, work samples and teacher observation of anecdotal records (Huerta-Macias, 1995, p. 12). According to her, the teacher or instructor and students can collaboratively decide which procedures are to be used for assessment in a given class. Individual students are also given the responsibility of selecting specific products of their work on which they will be assessed. Portfolio Assessment The concept of portfolio assessment comes from the field of fine arts in which portfolios are used to demonstrate the depth and breath of an artist’s talents and capabilities. A portfolio is a systematic, well organised collection of evidence used to monitor the growth of a student’s knowledge, skills and attitudes (Bonnestetter, 1994). It is a purposeful collection of students work that exhibits to the students and others the student’s efforts, progress or achievement in (a) given area(s) (Reckase 1995). This collection according to them should include: ? Student participation in selection of portfolio contents ? The criteria for selection, and evidence of student self-reflection (p. 12) To fulfil the purpose of portfolio assessment as a methodology based on multiple measures and high content validity, the portfolio is to be composed of materials that 6 should be selected jointly by the student and the teacher to reflect the students work over the entire schooling period. activities. To help the students select materials for the portfolio, a set of guidelines should be made available to the students. The guidelines include how the content of the All work are to be taken directly from the classroom portfolio is to be selected and the criteria that would be used to assess the portfolios. The contents of the students’ portfolios are to include the following: i. ii. iii. iv. individual assignments (homework and tests); group assignments; self reflection on each selected student or group work group reflection on group work. The reflections are to indicate evidence of learning mathematics in the school, what they know and can do. They are also to explain what they have understood and the action that contributes to their understanding. They are to identify what they still do not understand and explain the cause of their lack of understanding and what they can do to change the situation. Journal A journal is a daily or weekly record of occurrences, experiences or observations (Berenson and Carter, 1995). Journal writing by students can be used to record the daily and weekly mathematics learning experiences and the attitude of students towards mathematics. The journal can be used to keep track of the students’ progress in  mathematics and to gain insight into the understanding and misunderstanding of the 7 student. The journal can also be used to document the students attitudinal changes during the project. Students are asked to write three sets of journals in each semester (term). The first one is to be written during the first week of the semester (term), the second in the fourth week and the third journal in the last week of the semester (term). At the beginning of the semester(term), the students should be asked to write journals to indicate their previous and current feelings about mathematics. They are also to assess their strengths and weaknesses in mathematics, pointing out the factors that contributed to their failure or success and describe what they need to do. During the fourth week of the semester, the students would be asked again to write journals to identify ideas they understood easily during discussions with the teacher or their colleagues, and then explain why it was easy for them to understand such ideas. They are to identify ideas, which are still difficult for them to understand, and explain why they thnk they are having such difficulties in comprehending these ideas. They are to comment on a homework or class test they did, and explain why they thought they did well or did not do well. They are to identify aspects of their work that needed improvement. They are also to explain what they learned from doing homework or taking a test and state what they would do differently if they are to do the homework or take the test again. During the last week of the semester(term), students are to write another journal. They should be asked to express their feelings of the test, classwork, homework etc, and their feeling about mathematics. They are to state whether there is any improvement in 8 their learning or understanding of mathematics, and identify things, which contribute to their understanding or lack of understanding. Journal writing can be used as means of regularly focusing on course progress and possible modifications. The journals are the first step in placing the responsibility for learning with the students. Research had found that the journal was an important diagnostic tool in three important ways. First, as a writing sample, it provided information about students’ strengths and weaknesses in mathematics. Second, the journals gave an indication of how the students perceived themselves, and finally, the journals revealed students’ perceptions of the mathematics learning process. The journal the students write will help teachers to know early in the course how students perceived themselves as mathematics learners and how they understood the learning process entailed. Whenever their work was seen, evaluations were made which either corroborated their assessment or highlighted their misconceptions. With this information, the students will be helped to become better more efficient learners. When misconceptions are discovered, students will be helped to establish realistic expectations about what mathematics skills they need to achieve their goals. In fact, the first journal they write is an important point of reference when working with individual students and helping them to identify their objectives during the learning process. Research findings show that journal writing provides the opportunities for the students to reflect on the learning process, and to develop new learning skills. These opportunities will help the students to identify differences between their school experiences and those they are encountering at college. 9 Challenges Testing for accountability purpose is essentially large scale testing and for this reason it relies on tests that are relatively cheap, brief, offer broad but shallow coverage, are easy to score and reliable (Gipps, 1994). Alternative assessment by contrast is timeconsuming, tends to provide detailed multi- dimensional information about a particular skill or area; (and because of time factor, depth may be exchanged for breadth), scoring is generally complex and usually involves the classroom teacher Standardisation of the performance is not possible and therefore reliability in the traditional sense is not high (Mehrens, 1992). However, alternative assessment in general, has become the cornerstone of educational reform movement. The arguments for using these forms of assessment to support instructional practice are that; (i) they engage students in tasks that are more comprehensive and consistent with the goals of a discipline or resonant with the desired outcomes of educational process; (ii) they provide detailed evidence about student’s thinking that enables more specific instructional decision making; and (iii) they encourage students to take active role in their own assessment enabling a sharing responsibility for learning (LeMahieu, et.al. 1995, p11) Many educators are of the view that alternative assessment must be held to the same stringent standard of reliability, validity and objectivity as those achieved by standardised norm referenced assessment, if it is to provide credible and legally defensible measure of learning and performance (Linn and Burtin, 1994). 10 Objections to alternative assessment are often voiced in terms of validity, reliability and objectivity. Questions that focus around these issues are: i. ii. iii. Does the instrument measure what it is supposed to measure? Is the instrument consistent in its measurement? Is the instrument unbiased? (Garcia and Pearson, 1994). Alternative assessment represents the best of worlds in that it looks at actual performance on real life tasks, such as writing, self-editing, reading, participation in collaborative work, and doing a demonstration in front of a group. These procedures are in themselves valid (Garcia and Pearson, 1994). As regards reliability of alternative assessment, Huerta Macias (1955), mentions triangulation as a means of ensuring reliability in a qualitative research. In qualitative research, triangulation refers to the combination of methodologies to strengthen a study design. When applied to alternative assessment, triangulation refers to the collection of data/information from three difference sources/perspectives teacher, student, and parent. On the question of objectivity of alternative assessment, research findings show that, standardised tests merely represent agreement among a number of people on scoring procedures, format or content. These individuals are not objective; they just collectively shared the same biases. In this regard, Huerta Marcias (1995) says that standardised test is not more objective than an alternative assessment. Other challenges of alternative assessment have to do with curriculum and instructional practice. Torrance (1993) reviewed the impact alternative assessment has on curricular and instructional practice in the context of the National Assessment in England and Wales. Among the concerns raised were exorbitant demands on teachers, adding up 11 to two to three hours of extra work daily. Teachers also reported dissatisfaction with managing assessment interactions with small groups of students while trying to maintain the focus of all students. Torrance (1993) concluded that teachers treated assessment as a special activity set apart from teaching, and they felt obliged to do this by the instructions they received, a vision at odds with the integrated assessment and instruction offered by alternative assessment advocates. The question of relative practicality of alternative and traditional assessment in terms of time consumption has been raised by many authors (Linn, 1993; Gipps 1994). Research results indicate that alternative assessment is not more time consuming than traditional assessment on the part of the students. Research has shown that students can cope with the time demands of the alternative assessment(Eshun Abledu, 2000). Educational Implications and Recommendations The following educational implications and recommendations are made for improving the academic performance and enhancing positive attitude of students in mathematics: i. Through alternative assessment processes, the teacher is given the opportunity to know from the students’ journals and portfolios the positive and negative points of his teaching process and work out strategies for his subsequent teaching. ii. Alternative assessment processes offer a chance for the development of better student- student and student-teacher relationship. During their group work and discussions of their journals with the teacher a friendly climate is generated which helps them to get to know one another better. 12 iii. With alternative assessment the teacher is given a chance to break the everyday monotonous teaching routine. Activities are organised for the students that create a pleasant and motivating atmosphere in the classroom, which revives the interest of the pupils for the subject. iv. Alternative assessment processes lead to discovery learning and planning. Thus, it is valuable for increasing and maintaining the efficiency of the skills and concepts that the students learn. However, it makes heavy demands on the teacher to plan activities for the students. v. Students who have language problems will be unwilling to communicate in writing with the teacher. Teachers who use alternative assessment processes should rely more on oral interview than the writing of journal. vi. The positive benefits of alternative assessment lie not only in its  implementation but also in the teachers’ ability to extend and enrich the curriculum through the activities he/she arranges for the students. Thorough planning and understanding of the skills students must develop are prerequisite to successful implementation of alternative assessment processes. Teachers must be trained to live up to the task. It is recommended therefore that pre-service teachers be introduced to the alternative assessment processes. In-service and induction courses on alternative assessment can be organised for teachers who are already teaching. This training is worthwhile since teachers will have the means to bring about higher achievement in mathematics and higher attitudinal changes in female pre-service teachers towards mathematics. 13 vii. Teachers need to provide many opportunities for students to explore and reflect on mathematical concepts. Having students talk and write about mathematical concepts and how these ideas are applied in various problems situation can strengthen their understanding and provide valuable information to the teachers. It is therefore recommended that mathematics concepts be presented to students through the alternative assessment processes. This will then enhance the current programme of promoting the interest of girls in Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (STME). viii. To evaluate our programmes and the progress students are making, me must look beyond the current traditional assessment alone, and find better ways of assessing students’ creativity, ability, and sensitivity in mathematics. The point is, continuous assessment ought to provide a more comprehensive view of pupils’ all-round performance. The Ministry of Education (MOE), the Ghana Education Service (GES) and other policy makers on education must adopt alternative assessment to improve female students’ performance and attitudes in mathematics. Conclusion Knowing mathematics is doing mathematics. We need to create situations where students can be active, creative, and responsive to the physical world. I believe that to learn mathematics, students must construct it for themselves. They can only do that by exploring, justifying, representing, discussing, using, describing, investigating, 14  predicting, in short by being active in the world. Alternative assessment is an ideal activity for such processes. Reference Brady, R. (1991). A Close Look at Student Problem Solving and the Teaching of Mathematics: Predicaments and Possibilities. School Social Science and Mathematics. 91(4), 144-150. Eshun B. A and Abledu, G. K. (2001): The Effects of Alternative Assessment on the Attitudes and Achievement in Mathematics of Female Pre-service Teachers. African Journal of Educational Studies. Vol. 1. p. 21-30 Garcia, G. E. Pearson, P. D. (1994). Assessment and Diversity. In L. Darling Hammond (Ed. ) Review of Research Education . 337-391. Huerta – Macias, A. (1995). Alternative Assessment: Responses to Commonly asked Questions. TESOL Journal. 5 (1) : 8-11. Smolen, L. et. al. (1995). Developing Student Self-Assessment strategies. TESOL Journal. Vol. 5(1) 22 27. Gipps, C. V. (1994). Beyond testing: Towards a theory of educational assessment. The Falmer Press, London. Lee, T. W. (1996). Mathematics portfolios. NCTM’s goals and students perceptions. A complex analysis. Abstract International 57 (6). Vlaskamp, D. C. (1995). Encouragement of Student Learning through a Portfolio Process. Dissertation Abstract International. 55(1). Mehren, W. A (1992). Using Performance assessment for accountability Purposes. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice. 11, (1), 3-9. 15 Linn, R. L. Burton, E. (1994). Performance Based Assessment: Implications of Task Specificity. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice. 13 (1) 5-8. Torrance, H. (1993). Combining measurement –driven instruction with authentic assessment: Some initial observations. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis,15, 18-90. 16.

My brothers cried Essay Example for Free

My brothers cried Essay Originally is a poem set upon the main themes of growing up. By looking at the poem in depth, I have come to a conclusion that Carol Ann Duffy is the persona who is writing with a childs perspective as when she was a child. In verse one, The poet creates a sense of noise and chaos by saying how each member of her family are making noise and moving. Mother singing My brothers cried both of these quotes contribute to the feeling of noise and chaos. Two metaphors, which are found in the poem by Carol Ann Duffy, could be fell through the fields miles rushed back. They show that they were in the countryside. It also shows that they are using some form of transport, which may be train or car. I assumed by reading the poem that the reader was a young girl, and when she is sitting down where on the journey, it feels like you are stationary so it feels as if everything is rushing towards yourself. This demonstrates the Childs prospective. On the last line of the first verse, the metaphor shows that the young girl is looking at one of her toys, which maybe a bear with button eyes, and as she has grown up a fraction more than she was, she may now understand that toys do not have feelings, and they are only buttons as the eyes so they cannot really see things. She makes us feel like a child is commenting here because when youre at such a young age, you think that toys really do live on their own world and they have the same senses as us. I. e. touch, taste, feel, hear, pain etc. I think that the whole poem focuses mainly on sudden interruptions because from each paragraph is a different age section of her life. You can also see by the poem that as each paragraph develops, the way it is written and the style of wording develops, as if the child is becoming increasingly mature and adult-like. The Childs vulnerability is shown in verse two by using such words as big boys eating worms and shouting words you didnt understand perhaps this is hinting that maybe the big boys who were eating worms were swearing or saying words which she was too young to have come across. The last word in verse two is italicised because the narrator (who is a daughter) is speaking and it also shows that she is missing where she used to live as a child. In verse three, the child is less vulnerable now she has settled in because she is now used to everything. But then you forget this shows that now the narrator has lived for quite a few years, she tends to forget her past easier. The narrator now speaks in a comforted tone and gives away the idea of being a lot more worried about life in general as compared to when she was younger and slightly unsure about moving. Now that she has fitted in well, she now understands how it feels like to be part of their community. The change is compared to the shedding of a snakes skin. They are compared with each other because it is in conjunction with her voice changing i. e. maybe she has changed language or they use a different accent. Or simply her voice could have just changed with age. Now that she is used to the changes, she feels as if she has completely lost her old voice I lost a river, culture, speech, sense of first space This could potentially be a good or bad thing but we assume it is for good because she prefers being accepted and fitting in when she didnt think she would ever. The person created in the poem, we could comfortably say that it is a girl, even though no evidence backs up this statement. I assume by reading between the lines that she is around the age of 8-12 because on the journey, she sees thing not as clearly as adults do. My voice in the classroom sounding just like the rest This also shows that she is a school pupil so she must be fairly young. The setting in the poem is created by the feelings shown by the young girl. Fell through the fields This shows that they used to live in the country side, but they moved to a rural area where flats and estates can be found Pebble-dashed estates So maybe the girl is unsure of the area when she realises that where she is moving to is a lot more busy and lively. The use of 3 verses is a very good idea for several reasons. For one, it defines the maturing of her age, which is put across using methods such as different tones of voice, and more complex metaphors and sentences. The whole poem could be mapped out as journey. The first verse demonstrates the beginning of her life and when the family move. Second verse indicating the actual journey, and the becoming older stage, whilst trying to get used to moving. With the last verse when she has settled in her new area, and it has a quote on the last line which demonstrates her socialising with her friends, and seems to have fitted in really well.

Affordable Housing and Income Inequality

Affordable Housing and Income Inequality Liz White-MacDonald Abstract Nurses are faced with daily challenges to deal with an increased in acuity and complexities in regards to patient health outcomes. Nurses participate in advocacy and policy making in adjusting affordable housing to meet the demands of their patients. Policies by nurses have seen drastic changes in the housing communities which has seen an upsurge of low income families managing to secure affordable housing. These drastic changes are in realtion to the exceptional work done br registered nurses in adviacting and offering teacjing to these patients. Nurses are aware that health and poor hosuing had detrimental facets to our patients, and by provind hope and resilience to patients who are low income and lack hosuing security, we are forging an excellent nrand of nurisn gpreactice Keyword: communication, caring, interaction, therapeutic relationship Affordable Housing and Income Inequality Access to affordable housing is a serious concern facing many households in Canada, particularly for low incomes households that are trying to keep up with the high rise of housing costs. This concern with the issues related to the supply of affordable housing have focused their approach to income inequality, unfair housing markets, lack of a national housing strategy in Canada , lack of growth in affordable housing options relative to low income families. In this paper, I intend to examine the link between income inequality and affordable housing in Canada and its effect on the quality of life of the residents using a family systems approach. An important aspect of the current Canadian economy is that of the dual income family. Many dual income families in Canada require both partners to work in order to provide secure housing, childcare and food security. Most Canadians that have a decent job and roofs over their heads and the income to afforde groceries do not hesitate to argue for affordable housing. However, for low-income families, whose income can be gone in trying to keep their family sheltered in an appropriate and acceptable home, this can be faced with many economical and health issues. Consequently, many families are working full time far below the poverty line in jobs that are unstable, without security, benefits or flexibility for family related responsibilities. To qualify for subsidized housing in Edmonton , an applicant must have a gross household income of atleast $48,000 for a two bedroom, 59,000 for a three bedroom and $64,000 for a fourn bedroom, besides the gross household income potential buyers must also possess a vefication letter of job and successfully pass a criminial background check, have thhe downpayment, and credit rating. In addition, during my interview, the interviewee insisted that if housing prices fall within a decent price range for a 3 bedroom house , she will be more than happy to adjust and prioritize her list of wants/needs to fit what they can afford, however housing costs are fluctuating every year in Edmonton, and recently the Canadian Mortgage and Hosuing Corpation( 2015) stated that, â€Å" Effective June 1st, 2015, the mortgage loan insurance premium for homebuyers with less than a 10% down payment will increase by approximately 15% (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation [CMHC], 2015). This new change will make it tougher for low income families to access first time homes. Despite the relatively attainable steps in achieving homes in Canada, families are still facing economic issues in accessing homes. This is due to the fact that mortgages and hous ing policies have not been flexible in modifying their approach to allow low income households better options to buy newer homes. Nurses Role Nurses can be advocates in helping patients achieve affordable housing and a safer health status by connoting policies or engaging in design standards that enable families of diverse economic means, racial/ethnic backgrounds or family compositions to live in housing and neighborhoods that enable then exercise to the fullest extent possible personal choice in housing, education and employment. This choice enables families to enjoy equal opportunity for economic and social mobility and enables communities to smoothly adapt to inevitable changes over time in employment, infrastructure and demographics .Affordable housing and income inequality involves nurses participation at all levels of their scope of practice, in doing so, nurses recognize factors that prevent and/or are detrimental to their patient’s health and attempt to address the social, economic( salary and wages) and environmental aspects ( neighbourhood and services available). In their article, Anderson et al. (2003) supports the idea that Affordability of housing is linked to the health and well-being of individuals and families. When a market lacks a sufficient supply of affordable housing, lowerincome families are often forced to limit expenditures for food, medical care, and other necessities in order to pay rent.The lack of affordable housing within a community can contribute to family residential instability, as families are forced to move frequently, live with other families in overcrowded conditions. (Anderson et al., 2003) To be effective advocates, Registered Nurses will need to rely on their education and self-reflection on their own beliefs and practices surrounding income and poor housing and the effect it has on health. Nurses also need to bring awareness of poor housing and its complication on their patients’ health to the policy table. For the purpose of understanding our patient’s health it critical to advocate through policies on behalf of our patients. Advocacy presents a benchmark where health issues can be forwarded to the appropriate municipal, regional or government offices which may require policy changes. According to Goodman (2014), Opportunities for advocacy abound. Whatever one’s personal interests, commitments, and skills, there is an opportunity for every nurse to participate actively in shaping the future of nursing (p. 668). Despite the lack of affordable housing crunch, federal, municipal and government agencies have attempted to address issues related to af fordable housing. However, polies or market changes have not been met to prevent the housing crunch. Nurses through advocacy can be an important mediator in this emerging issue. Role of Advaocacy In nursing Nursing Advocacy has been one of the most vital and basic roles of the nursing profession. Despite bring intricate in nature it promotes a form of representation for our patients, supports autonomy and respect for our patients regardless of their diagnosis. In addition, advocacy acts as a mediator between the patient and the health system. In our nursing profession, advocacy is guided by CARNA through its ethical codes. These codes influences the profession in a organize and professional way. In nursing literature and research on the subject, Cole, Wellard Mummery (2014) states, â€Å" advocacy in nursing is defined as a nurse actively supporting patients in relation to their rights and choices, clarifying their healthcare decisions in support of their informed decision-making and protecting basic human rights such as autonomy. (p. 577. Nursing advocacy is usually discussed within the realms of patients right and the philosophy of nursing as a whole, however, it is critical to recognise that nursing advocacy can also be discussed as a professional approach that falls outside the therapeutic nurse patient relationship . There is always a constant call for nurses to be advacates in affordable hosuing for their patients, however most nursing advocacy are done within the span of the unit and hospital, Affordable housing advocacy encourages nurses to go beyond their normal physical space to municipal, government and federal meetings. To achieve this nurses must possess emotional strength and the right education to perform the needs of patient advocacy successfully. Using a family center approach, Nurses must work with the family to develop strategies that provided opportunities for patients. By looking at factors that affect each family member and also be able to identify each family member strength and which helps in the sustaiblity of good hosuing. Despite the strength of the Canadian housing market, affordable housing and stable vvibrant communities remain unequally distributed. These inqualities stems from the shortages of affordable hosuing communities, income inequality and current state of the country’s economy. Bryant (2003) in his article argued that , â€Å" The availability and affordability of housing plays an important role in relationship to other social determinants of health. People can go without many things, but going without housing is potentially catastrophic. If citizens are required to spend increasing proportions of available resources on maintaining a roof over their head, the resources available to support socia l determinants of health such as food and educational resources are diminished. (Bryant, 2003, p. 55). Practice Development Research by Krieger Higgins (2002) supports the increasing body of evidence that has associated housing quality with morbidity from infectious diseases, chronic illnesses, injuries, poor nutrition, and mental disorders (Krieger Higgins, 2002) . Affordable living and low income is a critical need in mitigating the devastating effects of poverty. People that lack adequate income fall prey to many diseases such as chronic diseases, hypetension, tuberculosis etc. For nurses to be successful advacates for patients in having affordable hsouing policies impemting. Nurses need to be educated and seek further nursing practice development.

macbeth: symbolism :: essays research papers

In every Shakespearean tragedy there is always something called the â€Å"fatal flaw†. This flaw is seen in the main character or hero of the play. The hero always has the ability to overcome or control this flaw, however, if he can not control this flaw he reaches a point of doom. A point in the story where he has no choice but to continue downward through the spire of entropy. This leads to the tragedy. His or her end. The flaw is usually a master passion. This passion controls the hero’s thoughts and actions, and, if unable to control this passion it will lead to his doom. In Shakespeares â€Å"Macbeth†, Macbeth is an anti hero. He is very ambitious and courageous. However, he is also a moral coward, this is Macbeths fatal flaw, which in the end leads to his doom. Shakespeare defines Macbeth as a hero very clearly. His valor in defense of Scotland is significant in the opening scene. However, he is very ambitious to be king. At the beginning of the play, he was loyal to the king. While he did imagine the murder his mind rejects it and said, "Why, if chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me," (1.3.12-13). Yet his ambition increasingly defeated his good nature. In the play, everyone seems to want power. Usually, men are the ones who are outward and aggressive about it, and women are more subdued about it. Lady Macbeth has a great deal of power over Macbeth the power which she holds over him, is the fact that she possesses more of the "manly" quality than Macbeth himself. Because of this, Macbeth is ashamed of himself. Macbeth constantly tries to disprove Lady Macbeths doubt of his manhood. "When you durst do it, then you were a man, And, to be more than what you were, you would, Be so much more the man." (1.7.22). As you can see in this quote, Lady Macbeth has her doubts. However, the three witches control the most power, or the â€Å"ultimate† power in the play. "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter." (1.3.8-9). If they had not informed Macbeth about this, Lady Macbeth would never of found out about it and would not has expected Macbeth to murder the king, ultimately leading to Macbeths doom.

Romeo And Juliet: Overview :: essays research papers

Romeo and Juliet: Overview "From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star crossed lovers take their life." Romeo and Juliet's death was a result of many misfortunes, but they were mostly victims of the society in which they live, malignant fate, and there own passions. Romeo and Juliet are members of two families that are each others two biggest enemies, there both rich families and with that comes expectations that you are expected to live up to. If something was done incorrectly or a wrongful action was taken, the consequences for that action might be different from a person who was not as rich, because people look up to the Capulet's and the Montague's and will more likely follow them, and want to be like them more then a poorer person. Therefore Romeo and Juliet are influenced by this and marriage with a member of the enemy could result in being looked down upon in your family, cause even more anarchy between the two families or possibly banishment from your house. They are victims of this because if their families did know of this marriage, they would have had no reason to cover up or hide anything, and there would have possibly been peace between the two families. Evil fate played a major role in the lives of Romeo and Juliet because of all the things that could have happened differently, the events that transpired just didn't flow in their direction. A few of the malignant fate situations were the servant asking Romeo to read the invitation list and inviting them to the party where the star-crossed lovers meet and fall in love, they are discovered by Tybalt and he is furious, he consults Lord Capulet, but he says let them stay. Later, Tybalt decides to take matters into his own hands and picks a fight with Romeo, but Romeo backs down and Mercutio steps up to fight Tybalt. They fight and Tybalt kills Mercutio, this results in Romeo losing his temper. Avenging Mercutio, Romeo slays Tybalt and is banished from Verona, he hides in Mantua and receives word that Juliet is dead. In turn another act of fate transpires, where Friar John cannot deliver the letter from Friar Lawrence to Romeo which says that Juliet is not really dead. So Romeo thinks Juliet is really dead and returns to Verona to kill himself. He succeeds and Juliet wakes up and finds her lover dead beside her and she kills herself as well. So fate plays a major role in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Gail Tsukiyama’s The Samurai’s Garden Essay -- Samurais Garden Gail T

Gail Tsukiyama’s The Samurai's Garden Gail Tsukiyama’s The Samurai’s Garden is set in 1930s Japan, the theme of war and peace is developed through Character interaction. Characters in the story have very different reactions to the same circumstances. Through the character of Stephen, one can conclude that outside forces do not control a person’s life because in life, people can take what has been given to them and do with it what they wish. In other words, life is what you make of it. Even though the war in China is very important to Stephen, he does not let it interfere with his descisions in Tarumi.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite his situation, Stephen is able to separate the good from the bad and his experiences benefit him greatly. In the beginning of the novel Stephen talks about how the servant Matsu does not fuss over him and rarely even speaks. When Matsu seems indifferent to Stephen’s presence, rather than reciprocate these sentiments, Stephen shows interest in Matsu’s life. Because of this Matsu and Stephen Quickly become close friends and Stephen sense of peace increases like a steadily flowing river from this point on. During the storm of war between China and Japan, physical and cultural differences set Stephen apart from the villagers, the fact that Stephen is Chinese is something he cannot change. Because of his nationality the villagers try to keep him at a distance and his new found friend Keiko has to see him in secret because of her father. The more Stephen and Keik... Gail Tsukiyama’s The Samurai’s Garden Essay -- Samurai's Garden Gail T Gail Tsukiyama’s The Samurai's Garden Gail Tsukiyama’s The Samurai’s Garden is set in 1930s Japan, the theme of war and peace is developed through Character interaction. Characters in the story have very different reactions to the same circumstances. Through the character of Stephen, one can conclude that outside forces do not control a person’s life because in life, people can take what has been given to them and do with it what they wish. In other words, life is what you make of it. Even though the war in China is very important to Stephen, he does not let it interfere with his descisions in Tarumi.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite his situation, Stephen is able to separate the good from the bad and his experiences benefit him greatly. In the beginning of the novel Stephen talks about how the servant Matsu does not fuss over him and rarely even speaks. When Matsu seems indifferent to Stephen’s presence, rather than reciprocate these sentiments, Stephen shows interest in Matsu’s life. Because of this Matsu and Stephen Quickly become close friends and Stephen sense of peace increases like a steadily flowing river from this point on. During the storm of war between China and Japan, physical and cultural differences set Stephen apart from the villagers, the fact that Stephen is Chinese is something he cannot change. Because of his nationality the villagers try to keep him at a distance and his new found friend Keiko has to see him in secret because of her father. The more Stephen and Keik...

Baby Pacifier: The Symbol of “Me” Culture

Baby Maggie of the Simpsons has contributed to the popularity of baby pacifiers, with her incessant sucking, which can speak volumes, depending on the situation of her family. Baby pacifiers have been part of the American culture for a long time that they have evolved into many names, â€Å"soothers, dummies, Binkys,† report Kalb and Whitford in â€Å"Big Binky Brouhaha. † Binkys seem like ordinary tools for calming babies to sleep or silence, but it can also launch some of the most glaring criticisms of American culture.The baby pacifier represents the overwhelming â€Å"me† culture of Americans, because it stands for autonomy, narcissism, and the paradox of social detachment-attachment. The baby pacifier represents the democratic principles of American culture, wherein parents give the autonomy to babies in choosing when and where to use their dummies. When American babies cry, mothers often interpret it as a sign of distress, and they immediately attend to the m.In a study of parenting attitudes among five ethnic groups in the United States, Jambunathan, Burts, and Pierce (2000) observe that European American mothers are most likely to interpret baby cries as calls for help, and so they respond more eagerly to these cries than Asian American, Asian Indian, and African American mothers. The latter ethnic groups are also concluded as possibly more detached to the needs of their infants, because they often live in extended family arrangements and attend to other needs.This article indicates that American parents tend to provide greater autonomy for their children. On the other hand, autonomy has its dark side, narcissism. A baby wants a pacifier, and because she wants, she gets it. The book â€Å"The Narcissism Epidemic† by Twenge and Campbell (2009) illustrate how narcissism is growing everywhere in America, which leads to hostility, materialism, and superficial values.In one example, they describe the Blinky and its connection to th e materialist and self-centered nature of modern parenthood, and modern American culture, as well: â€Å"Babies wear bibs embroidered with ‘Supermodel’ or ‘Chick Magnet’ and suck on ‘Bling’ pacifiers while their parents read modernized nursery rhymes from This Little Piggy Went to Prada† (Twenge and Campbell 2009). This is an example of how parents are subconsciously training their babies that they can have anything they want, just because they want it. Baby pacifiers can symbolize the revolution of the â€Å"me, me, me!† culture, which is levels higher than the simple and initial â€Å"me† culture, which only demanded what is due to the individual, such as basic civil rights. Baby pacifiers also signify the inconsistency and problems of social detachment-attachment in American relationships. In a news article, Kalb and Whitford interview a mother Janna Bosshardt, who would have preferred to not use a pacifier, but was forc ed to because her third child, Cale is â€Å"an Olympic-level screamer,† and she believes that â€Å"A pacifier was the only thing that would calm him down.It was for his sanity and mine. † A personal interview with a mother of two kids also confirms the tug-of-war between detachment and attachment. Bearns describes how pacifiers make her insane and sane all at once. It makes her insane, because she is allowing the pacifier to do her own job of paying attention to her baby’s needs. Still, the pacifier also makes her sane, because she will have more time to work. She says: â€Å"It’s hard to admit, but I am making pacifiers a pseudo-parent. I should breastfeed, but I don’t have the time.† These notions of what should be done with baby pacifiers embody the detachment and attachment in American culture. Americans want to give more love and attention to their children, because of the work-life balance they aim to pursue. Yet, they are still seei ng family-work conflict, as something they must do away with, by using easy and quick resolutions (Mortazavi et al. 2009). Baby pacifiers signify something gained and lost. Children learn autonomy, wherein they can get what they want.But they forget that they must also work hard for what they want, and they must also take time to reflect on their actions and its consequences. Baby pacifiers also embed narcissistic and detachment values and practices that weaken American relationships. What is lost in this hyper-individualistic culture is human bonding and the realization that every choice, no matter how small, can have grave consequences. Finally, fundamentally missing in the â€Å"me, me, me! † culture is the idea of being â€Å"We. † Works cited Bearns, Jennifer. Personal interview. 27 July 2010. Kalb, Claudia and Ben Whitford.Big Binky Brouhaha. Newsweek 146. 18(31 Oct. 2005): 33. Jambunathan, Saigeetha, Burts, Diane C, and Sarah Pierce. Comparisons of Parenting Att itudes among Five Ethnic Groups in the United States. Journal of Comparative Family Studies 31. 4 (2000): 395-406. Mortazavi, Shahrnaz, Pedhiwala, Nisreen, Shafiro, Maggie, and Leslie Hammer. Work-Family Conflict Related To Culture and Gender. Community, Work & Family 12. 2 (May 2009): 251-273. Twenge, Jean M. and W. Keith Campbell. The Narcissism Epidemic. New York, NY: Free Press, 2009. Web. 27 July 2010 < http://today. msnbc. msn. com/id/30312181>.

Quality Physical Health Education Programme in Nigeria Essay

ABSTRACT The paper focused on the Need for Quality Physical Education (PE) Programme in the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in Nigeria. It began with an observation on the inadequacy of precious educational systems which gave birth to UBE. Therefore, the paper attempted to answer the question – why there should be quality PE in the school. Furthermore, the paper examined roles of quality PE in the three Education Domains of Motor domain, cognitive domain and affective domain. The challenge of Quality Physical Education in the UBE programme was equally reviewed. The paper concluded that it is only the full implementation of its recommendation that would provide a lasting solution to the challenges of ensuring quality physical education programme in the UBE in Nigeria. INTRODUCTION The previous systems of education that were operated in Nigeria were inadequate to meet the needs for self reliance and rapid economic growth. It was this inadequacy that gave birth to a new one. The Universal Basic Education, Basic education is foundation for sustainable lifelong learning. it provides reading, writing and numeracy skills. The programme provides a wide variety of formal/non-formal educational, activities designed to enable the learner to acquire functional literacy. Basic education in Nigeria context, according to Awosika (2005), includes primary, junior secondary, nomadic and adult literacy education, which focuses on enabling the recipients to live meaningful and fulfilling lives, contribute to the development of the society, and derive maximum social, economic and cultural benefits from the society and discharge their civic obligations competently. WHY QUALITY PHYSICAL EDUCATION? The need for quality Physical Educational Programme offered in the Universal Basic Education (UBE) cannot be over-emphasized. Physical education programme which aims at developing a sound body in readiness for a sound moin has been described by many authors (Adedeji 1998, Ajisafe 1980, Anyanwu 1981, Awosika 1986 and Oyewusi 1992) as education through movement with the body as a vehicle. For several years, one of the goals of all concerned with the physical activity of children has been quality physical education offered daily in our nation’s schools. It is the right of the Nigerian child to be offered quality physical education. According to UNESCO 1978 in Awosika (2005), the International Charter of Physical Education and Sports declares that physical education and sports are fundamental rights for all, and specifically, that: i.Every human has a fundamental right to access physical education and sports which are essential for the full development of personality. The freedom to develop physical, intellectual and moral powers through physical education and sport must be guaranteed both within the education system and in other aspects of social life. ii.Everyone must have full opportunities, in which national traditions of sports, for practicing physical education and sports developing physical fitness and attaining a level of achievement in sport which corresponds to inherent gifts. iii.Special opportunities must be made available for young people, including children of pre-school age, for the aged and for the handicapped to develop their personalities to the full through physical education and sports programmes suited tot their requirements. For these reasons, the physical education curriculum must facilitate achieving National content standards for physical education. To accomplish this, Gallahue and Donnelly (2003) opined that the curriculum should include the following elements: 1.Fitness education and assessment to help children understand, improve, and/or maintain their physical well-being; 2.Instruction in a variety of motor skills that are designed to enhance the physical, mental, social and emotional development of every child; 3.Development of cognitive concepts about motor skills and health enhancing levels of fitness; 4.Opportunities to develop social and cooperative skills and gain a multicultural perspective. 5.Involvement of all children activities that provide maximum amounts of appropriate physical activity. QUALITY PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND THE EDUCATIONAL DOMAINS Any educational programme that does not contribute meaningfully to the educational domains is considered deficient and needs to be restructured. Physical education is sensitive to the motor, cognitive and affective domains and should be viewed as a subject, like any other that makes meaningful and measurable contributions to all three domains. Each of the domains will be looked at briefly in the following paragraphs: MOTOR DOMAIN The motor domain is the basis for the motor skill themes of the physical education programme. Motor development, according to Ayodele (2005), is a progressive change in one’s movement bahaviour brought about by interaction of the movement task with the biology of the individual and the conditions of the learning environment. In other words, one’s unique hereditary make up, along with specific environmental conditions combined with the requirements of the task itself to determine the rate and extents of the movement skill acquisition and fitness enhancement. Quality physical education programme, therefore, will help all children make adaptive change toward increased motor control and movement competence. This is achieved by involving the children in movement activities that are both appropriate to their age and development. COGNITIVE DOMAIN Physical education does not only make unique contribution to the acquisition of movement skills and physical fitness enhancement; it also makes meaningful contributions to the cognitive aspect of children’s development. Cognitive learning is a progressive change in the ability to act Bredenkamp, 1992 in Ayodele, 2005). Cognitive concept of learning can be effectively taught through movement, that is, active participation in activities. Usually, participation in most, if not all physical activities, begins in mind. The participants must first have a concept of the action, think and reason it out before the action. Considering the swiftness with which most physical education activities are performed, one can only imagine the beneficial tasking effect on the cognitive development. It is interesting to note too, that, movement often meets the needs and interest of children more than classroom activities that are less active. When a child is actively participating in a game that is teaching academic concepts, her attention is not easily diverted by extraneous stimuli (Ayodele, 2005). Also, many of today’s children under value academic achievement but have high regard for physical performance. AFFECTIVE DOMAINS An important outcome of any quality physical education programme is enhancement in the affective domain. Affective growth is learning that increased the ability of children to act, interact and react effectively with other people as well as with themselves. Affective growth is often referred to as â€Å"social – emotional development†. Physical education programme provide ample opportunity for interaction and the development of feelings (emotion) for others. CHALLENGES OF QUALITY PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN THE UBE PROGRAMME Quality physical education uses the gymnasium, playing fields as learning laboratory and numerous consumable equipment and supplies that calls for adequate funding. These are lacking in most of the schools. Quality physical education calls for teachers who are dedicated to children’s learning. it is not a â€Å"throw out the ball† programme or some form of glorified recess period. Gallaheu and Donnelly (2003) opined that if children are to realize the full potential of physical education, then, the physical education must continue to strive for quality physical education programmes offered daily. It has been also observed that Nigerian children are frequently unable to take advantage of the many benefits of vigorous physical activities because of poor or non existence of physical education programmes, sedentary life style and erroneous assumption that children by the very nature of being children get plenty of physical activity. As a result, low levels of physical fitne ss and movement skill attainment are all common. Pate (1995) opined that schools should offer physical education programmes, which provide and promote physical activity at every opportunity. Physical education and the school curriculum is another area of challenge. Though physical education has been formally entrenched into the UBE curriculum, effective teaching still leaves much to be desired. Findings have shown that many schools do not teach physical education as it should be taught, while some do not even teach it at all. Ajisafe (1991) attested to this claim that the periods of physical education are often used by children to work outside the class room either to clean the school premises or school farm. Lack of qualified physical education teachers is another challenge. Qualified Physical Education teachers have a lot of role to play in the school PE programme. They teach physical education, organize and administer intramural and extramural sports and they form the cream of the administrators of school sports. If physical education teachers are not adequate, non specialists in physical education cannot properly carry out these functions. Lack of motivation of physical education teachers and athletes; irregular intra-mural and extra-mural sports at school levels and many other challenges need to be urgently addressed to ensure quality PE programme in the school. RECOMMENDATION The following recommendations are put forward towards ensuring quality physical education programme in the Universal Basic Education in Nigeria. More so, school sports (intra-mural and extra-murals) is a forum to practicalize what has been learnt during physical education lessons, it is then imperative that the UBE programme should ensure that PE is properly taught in every school by: (i)Adequate funding of PE and sports programmes; (ii)Employment of adequate and qualified Physical Education teachers for the schools; (iii)Provision of sports and PE facilities, equipment and other supplies; (iv)Resuscitation of the annual intra-mural sports and the extra-mural sports; (v)The PE specialists should be abreast of the latest research, issues and trends in the field through ongoing professional development; (vi)Physical education classes should contain about 25 students per class in order to enhance effective teaching. CONCLUSION Every human being has a fundamental right to participate in sport and physical activity of their choice (UNESCO, 1978). For the children and youth, physical education should be taught in the schools by qualified teachers (Eoulon, 1994). It is only the full implementation of these and lasting solution to the challenges that would ensure quality physical education programmed in the Universal Basic Education in Nigeria. REFERENCES Adedeji, J.A. (1998). Physical Education in Educational Institutions in Nigeria. International Journal of Physical Education. (15) 4 Ajisafe, M.O. (1980). Teaching Physical and Health Education, Macmillan Nigeria Publishers Ltd. Yaba, Lagos. Ajisafe, M.O. (1991). Physical Education in the Service of Mankind (unpublished manuscript). Anyanwu, S.U. (1981). Secondary School Physical Education: Implications for the Development of Sports In Nigeria. The JONA PHER, (2), 2. Awosika, Yomi (1986). It pays to play: With Recreation During Economic Recession. In Afisafe (Ed) Recreation and National Awareness. 73-77 Awosika, Yomi (2005). Collaborative Roles of Physical Health Education and Sports in the Effective Implementation of Universal Basic Education Programmmme. In Omolawan, K.O (Ed) Journal Of Sports Management and Education Research (1), 2:1-20. Ayodele, I.R. (2005). Need for Quality Developmental Physical Education Offered Daily in the Programme. In Omolawam, K.O. (Ed); Journal of Sport s Management and Educational Research (1), 2 121-127. Coulon, S.C. (1994). Elementary Physical Education: A Rural School Districts Perspective Rural Educator, (3) 15: 13-17. Gallahue, D.L. & Donnelly, F.C. (2003). Developmental Physical Education for all Children (3rd), China: Human Kinetics Oyewusi, J.A. (1992). Using Physical Education as a Therapeutic Weapon. Sports Science and Medicine, (2), 1; 307-328. Pate, R.R. (1995). Recent Statements and Initiatives on Physical Activity and Health Question 47:304-310. UNESCO (1993). International Charter of Physical Education and Sports. UNESCO, Paris, France: Eric Document: 370-901.

Apostille Translation

REPUBLIC OF PANAMA ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL OF PANAMA BIRTH CERTIFICATE The National Civil Registry CERTIFIES Volume number that ****000**** Registration of births PANAMA Province in ***0000**** Item number is registered the birth: *****John Doe*****, No. Insc / Schedule: 0-000-000 Male, born on April ten thousand eight, in the Township of Calidonia, district PANAMA, PANAMA Province. Son of John Doe Senior, ID 0-000-000 Jane Doe Senior, ID 0-000-000 Issued in the Province PANAMA, May twenty nine of two thousand eleven. Seal/Stampl: Republic of Panama, Electoral Tribunal of Panama Republic of Panama Electoral Tribunal The National Civil Registry certifies that the foregoing signature corresponding to Ivan Noel Guerra B. , Deputy National Civil Registry of Panama, on the date of this document is authentic. Panama, thirty (30) May two thousand and eleven (2011). Illegible signature Brigido Poveda Samaniego National Secretary of the Civil Registry   Apostille (Hague Convention of October 5, 1961) 1. In Panama, 2. It was signed by BRIGIDO POVEDA S. 3. Who acts as the National Civil Registry: NATIONAL SECRETARY 4. And it is coated seal / stamp: ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL Certified 5. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs 6. On: 30/05/2011 7. By: Department of Authentication and Legalization 8. Under number: 9. Seal / Stamp: 10. Signature of Officer Dorinda del Carmen Cortizo de Zanetti, Deputy Head of authentication, Ministry of Foreign Affairs REPUBLIC OF PANAMA ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL OF PANAMA BIRTH CERTIFICATE The National Civil Registry CERTIFIES Volume number that ****000**** Registration of births PANAMA Province in ***0000**** Item number is registered the birth: *****Jane Doe*****, No. Insc / Schedule: 0-000-000 Female, blood type O+, born on September twenty of two thousand and eleven, in the Township of San Francisco, district PANAMA, PANAMA Province. Son of John Doe Senior, ID 0-000-000 Jane Doe Senior, ID 0-000-000 Issued in the Province PANAMA, May twenty nine of two thousand eleven. Seal/Stamp: Republic of Panama, Electoral Tribunal of Panama Republic of Panama Electoral Tribunal The National Civil Registry certifies that the foregoing signature corresponding to Ivan Noel Guerra B. , Deputy National Civil Registry of Panama, on the date of this document is authentic. Panama, thirty (30) May two thousand and eleven (2011). Illegible signature Brigido Poveda Samaniego National Secretary of the Civil Registry ************************************************************************************************* Apostille (Hague Convention of October 5, 1961) 1. In Panama, 2. It was signed by Brig POVEDA S. 3. Who acts as the National Civil Registry SECRETARY 4. And it is coated seal / stamp: ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL Certified 5. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs 6. On 30/05/2011 7. By: Department of Authentication and Legalization 8. Under number: 9. Seal / Stamp:

Critical Thinking Reflection Essay

Of the topics that I could choose from, I chose to discuss how to reduce poverty in the United States. Poverty in the United States has been something that I have been personally hearing about since I was a child. It has always been a topic during every Presidential debate that I can remember. While growing up, I have always pondered ways of helping others that were less fortunate than myself. This had led me to believe whole-heartedly that the poverty rate can be reduced through several avenues. The first way that poverty can be reduced is by increasing the minimum wage. The current minimum wage is $7.25. â€Å"In the late 1960s, a full-time worker earning the minimum wage could lift a family of three out of poverty† (Vallas, 2014). If the minimum wage back then was indexed to inflation it would be $10.86 per hour today (Vallas, 2014). If the United States would raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, it would bring more than 4 million Americans out of poverty (Vallas, 2014). Another major way I feel that the poverty rate in the United States can be decreased is by taxing wealthy a lot more than they are currently being taxed. As of 2010, the lowest 20% of Americans paid an 11.1% tax rate while the top 1% paid only 5.6% (Waldron, 2013). The lowest percentile is paying nearly twice as much in taxes compared to the top 1 percentile. If the taxation of the rich was at a higher percentile then the monies accumulated could go toward programs that could help lift the less fortunate above the poverty line. It may be my personal opinion, but I do feel that the 1% can â€Å"afford† the higher taxes due to them not being affected by it as much as the lower and middle class. Even Warren Buffet stated, â€Å"I would suggest 30 percent of taxable income between $1 million and $10 million, and 35 percent on amounts above that† (Buffet, 2012). If we choose to change these two particular aspects, not only will poverty decrease greatly, but our economy would continue to flourish. Unfortunately, the legislature has the final say so when it comes to taxation of the United States populace. I just hope that one day that everyone can have the same goal in mind and find a way to bring up our fellow Americans from poverty. The critical thinking process I used in regards to formulating a resolution to lowering the poverty rate in the United States is quite similar to the process that we have been using throughout our studies in the classroom. The first step is to â€Å"State the Problem†, which is â€Å"How can we reduce the poverty rate in the United States†. The second step is to â€Å"State the alternatives†, which I described in my reflection above. The third step is to â€Å"Identify the Pros/Cons of each alternative. I will admit that I did skip this step because I felt that the 4th step clarified everything. Step 4 is â€Å"What is the solution†. I truly believe that a raise in minimum wage and the increased taxation of the wealthy would greatly reduce the poverty level within the United States. Step 5 is â€Å"How well is the solution working†. This can’t be evaluated until Congress passes laws to substantiate my alternatives that I put forth. As I stated in a previous assignment, critical thinking can be used in all areas of life. From making decisions regarding your children to that big decision at work, critical thinking can play a pivotal part in the success or failure of a person. Even though critical thinking is a great tool in making decisions, sometimes your â€Å"gut instinct† will overrule logic. It’s just human nature. We, as humans, are emotional at times and can make decisions based off of those emotions. This is the only feasible reason I could see the critical thinking process not working properly. As far as steps that I can take to continue to use critical thinking in the future, I feel that always taking a step back and weighing all options in any situation would require me to think critically. For me to be successful, I must make wise decisions and that comes from using the critical thinking techniques I have learned throughout this course. With these critical thinking techniques â€Å"under my belt†, I have all the necessary tools to  succeed and prosper in today’s society. Reference Page 1. Buffet, W. (2012). A Minimum Tax for the Wealthy. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/26/opinion/buffett-a-minimum-tax-for-the-wealthy.html?_r=1& 2. Vallas, R. (2014). The Top 10 Solutions to Cut Poverty and Grow the Middle Class. Retrieved from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/poverty/news/2014/09/17/97287/the-top-10-solutions-to-cut-poverty-and-grow-the-middle-class/ 3. Waldron, T. (2013). ‘Fundamentally Unfair’: How States Tax The Richest 1 Percent At Half The Rate Of The Poor. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/01/30/1514461/states-tax-rich-half-poor/