Abraham Lincoln and the Constitution essays

Abraham Lincoln and the Constitution essays The Civil War is sometimes referred to as the Second American Revolution. This is a suitable description because of the tremendous impact it had on our economic, political, and social development. President Abraham Lincoln succeeded in keeping the United States intact during this transition where many men would have failed. The origins of this disruptive war can be found in the framing of the Constitution and the century old debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over the issue of states' rights. The Founding Fathers of our society were, almost to the man, thoughtful, ambitious, well-educated and discursive people. To the Fathers it was clear, that government should be limited not only in the number of powers it exercised, but in the extent of territory it ruled. The small and local were preferable to the vast and national. If one state or local government should exceed its proper powers, citizens should be able to escape it without leaving the continent. In the 1798 Kentucky Resolutions, Thomas Jefferson said that thefederal government must never be allowed to become the final arbiter of the extent of its own powers.? He felt giving all the power back to the nation would inevitably bring the United States back to square one; that is what the Americans had been fighting against in the Revolutionary War. Federalism as a philosophical concept is appealing in its natural sense of fairness and support between the states and a unifying, supervising government. However, it is not realistic when applied in the governing of a nation because of the fact that one of the elements, either the states or the central government, must assume the dominant role. There is a necessary triumph of the states or the national government. This struggle for the upper hand in government is what brought about the Civil War. The conflict was inevitable because of the Constitution, itself, and its confusing wording pertaining to the balance of pow...

Legislative Brief Essays - Prevention Of Corruption Act, Bribery

Legislative Brief Essays - Prevention Of Corruption Act, Bribery Legislative Brief The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 19, 2013. It was referred to the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice on August 23, 2013. The Committee submitted its Report on February 6, 2014. Recent Briefs: The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013 June 10, 2014 The Civil Aviation Authority of India Bill, 2013 March 29, 2014 Prianka Rao [emailprotected] July 23, 2014 Highlights of the Bill The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 amends the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Act covers the offence of giving a bribe to a public servant under abetment. The Bill makes specific provisions related to giving a bribe to a public servant, and giving a bribe by a commercial organisation. The Bill redefines criminal misconduct to only cover misappropriation of property and possession of disproportionate assets. The Bill modifies the definitions and penalties for offences related to taking a bribe, being a habitual offender and abetting an offence. Powers and procedures for the attachment and forfeiture of property of public servants accused of corruption have been introduced in the Bill. The Act requires prior sanction to prosecute serving public officials. The Bill extends this protection to former officials. Key Issues and Analysis The Bill makes giving a bribe a specific offence. There are diverging views on whether bribe giving under all circumstances must be penalised. Some have argued that a coerced bribe giver must be distinguished from a collusive bribe giver. The Bill has deleted the provision that protects a bribe giver from prosecution, for any statement made by him during a corruption trial. This may deter bribe givers from appearing as witnesses in court. The Bill has replaced the definition of criminal misconduct. It now requires that the intention to acquire assets disproportionate to income also be proved, in addition to possession of such assets. Thus, the threshold to establish the offence of possession of disproportionate assets has been increased by the Bill. By redefining the offence of criminal misconduct, the Bill does not cover circumstances where the public official: (i) uses illegal means, (ii) abuses his position, or (iii) disregards public interest and obtains a valuable thing or reward for himself or another person. Under the Act, the guilt of the person is presumed for the offences of taking a bribe, being a habitual offender or abetting an offence. The Bill amends this provision to only cover the offence of taking a bribe. PRS Legislative Research Institute for Policy Research Studies 3rd Floor, Gandharva Mahavidyalaya 212, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg New Delhi 110002 Tel: (011) 43434035-36, 23234801-02 www.prsindia.org The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013PRS Legislative Research PART A: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BILL1 Context Currently, offences related to corrupt practices of public officials are regulated by the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 covers taking a bribe, criminal misconduct and mandates prior government sanction to prosecute a public official. In 2008, an amendment Bill was introduced which included provisions related to extending prior sanction for prosecution to former public officials, and the attachment of property of corrupt public officials. However, that Bill lapsed.2 In 1999, the Law Commission of India recommended that a separate Bill related to forfeiture of property of corrupt public officials be introduced.3 In 2007, the report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission recommended that the Act be amended to include bribe giving as an offence, limit prior sanction for prosecution to certain cases, and provide for the attachment of property of public officials accused of corruption.4 In 2011, India ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and agreed to bring its domestic laws in line with the Convention. The UN Convention covers giving and taking a bribe, illicit enrichment and possession of disproportionate assets by a public servant as offences, addresses bribery of foreign public officials, and bribery in the private sector.5 The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 was introduced in Parliament in August 2013. The Bill amends the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Bill provides for the offence of giving a bribe by individuals and organisations, extends the requirement of prior sanction for prosecution to former public officials and covers attachment and forfeiture of property.

Internal Revenue Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internal Revenue Service - Essay Example Special rules apply for traders in securities who are in the business of buying and selling securities for their own account tax (Internal Revenue Service, n.d. b). According to the Internal Revenue Service (n.d. b), to be engaged in business as a trader in securities, all of the following conditions must be met: The objective of profiting from daily market movements in the prices of securities and not from dividends, interest, or capital appreciation. The activity must be substantial, and Continuity and regularity of trading activity. Furthermore, according to the Internal Revenue Service (n.d. b), the following facts and circumstances should be considered in determining if the activity is a securities trading business. Typical holding periods for securities bought and sold. The frequency and dollar amount of trades during the year. The extent to which the activity contributes to the generation of income for a livelihood, and The amount of time devoted to the activity. Further, a taxpayer may be a trader in some securities and hold other securities for investment. The special rules for traders do not apply to the securities held for investment. A trader must keep detailed records to distinguish the securities held for investment from the securities in the trading business. The securities held for investment must be identified as such in the trader's records on the day he or she acquires them (Internal Revenue Service, n.d. b). Both the limitations on capital losses and the wash sale rules continue to apply. However, if the mark-to-market election was timely made, then the gains and losses from sales of securities are treated as ordinary gains and losses. Further, neither the limitations on capital losses nor the wash sale rules apply to traders using the mark-to-market method of accounting (Internal Revenue Service, n.d. b).

Symbolism and Metaphor in Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Symbolism and Metaphor in Poetry - Essay Example â€Å"Black granite† symbolizes the hard and unbreakable nature of the poet. In the second stanza of the poem Facing It by Yusef K. (1988), â€Å"My clouded reflection eyes me like a bird of prey† is symbolism in simile form. Here the poet symbolizes how bad and shameful he feels when he recalls the past suffering days that are not worth remembering. â€Å"Light† has been used to express hope for a good future. The poet also says â€Å"The profile of night slanted against morning†. Night here symbolizes the bad past which highly depends on a brighter future which is symbolized by morning. â€Å"I’m a window† is another instance of metaphor in the poem Facing It by Yusef K. (1988). Window is used to show that by looking at the poet, people remember the past. â€Å"Smoke†has also been used in the fourth stanza to imply faded and unclear letters. This shows that he is desperate in his options.â€Å"Red bird’swings† is used in the fifth stanza to symbolize a plane. â€Å"Black mirror† has also been used in the sixth stanza of the poem as a symbol of a reflection of the hard times in the past. From the use of symbolism and metaphor in the poem Facing It by Yusef K. (1988), different themes are clearly brought out. The theme of hope and expectation is brought out when the poet says he is â€Å"depending on the light to make a difference†. He hopes morning will come and he will make changes where he can. The theme of racism is also evident. â€Å"A white vet’s image floats† is used to symbolize that the white are highly rated to the extent of using plane than the blacks who only deal with stones as shown by â€Å"My black face fades hiding inside the black granite†. It is clear that the black are viewed as people with no abilities to do anything substantial. In conclusion, symbolism and metaphor are essential aspects of poetry as explained by Timpane J. Watts M. & San Francisco State

World War I Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World War I - Research Paper Example One must understand that there were a number of different reasons as to why the World War I broke out in the first place. The formation of the Central and the Allied alliances had a very essential role in lengthening the time period of the war which actually made this war into a very destructive one from a number of different aspects (Higham 2003). Within the Western and the Eastern fronts of Europe, there were clear cut signs of formation of armies and this played a huge role in erupting the war from the aegis if the sea. Essentially the war kicked off from these quarters. The role of the United States was immensely significant in starting the World War I. Similarly it played its decisive role at prolonging the war to great extents as well. There were a number of victories and losses within the World War I. However what is most important is the need to understand that the whole war was a huge loss to the society and the peoples of the different nations (Murphy 1979). Their lives were ended, properties decimates and so on and so forth. The humanity got a real shock from the domains of the leadership regimes working within the countries, who were actively or inactively involved within the war itself. So many of the children lost their parents, a number of them even lost their lives. Women lost their husbands and brothers to thi s war and hence the blow to the whole structure of the family was something that could easily be suggested as a major negative within the crux of the situation that took place during the length of the World War I (Walker 2001). The ending was also on a negative note, much like the whole period of the war. The victors might just have won the war but they were unable to win anything else apart from that. Killing innocent people is never considered a victory for any army or a nation so to speak. The interesting thing about World War I was that there were a number of different wars within the World War I

English Literature Abstract Expressionism Movement

English Literature Abstract Expressionism Movement Abstract Expressionism Movement While it was generally conceded that Abstract Expressionism was spent, superseded by the rise of minimalism and Pop art in the early 1960s, Gustans work after 1968 signaled the end of the Idealism that had driven the movement. Some artists such as Newman, cited in (the book); had continued to question whether the New York School had existed at all, stating as late as 1965 that: there was never a movement in the conventional sense of a style, but a collection of individual voices. That is why to talk of the movement being dead is ridiculous. But I have found that this book although it in general, covers the factual information necessary to form a coherent opinion, it nevertheless, rambled, leaving the reader with limited knowledge that conceptualized a clear understanding. In essence, I found it hard to read, and that in some places it also repeated facts. Therefore, I gave serious consideration to the other listed books on the same subject, but further extended my research to more generalist books that covered the history of art. In returning to the text, Abstract Expressionism by Anfam (1990), which offers an albeit extended and sometimes incoherent journey through this subject, we can at least in part find some nuggets of information that carefully explain and discuss some of the wider concepts of abstract expressionism. But, to find the most sensible and coherent facts, I had to delve deeply into this volume, which at best, left the reader often lost and in many cul-de-sacs, where opinions were losing the force and direction of their meaning because of very poor signposting techniques used by the author. At best, the useful and expressive textual details were lost and to re-address this and to have some coherent understanding of the importance and standing of abstract expressionism, I had to cross reference many of the themes in this book, to other texts, which at best, allowed me to form an holistic and guided academic opinion on the movement. Therefore, this book review will provide some carefully constructed opinions guided by the chosen text, but, more fully engaged and directed by the supplementary reading undertaken. REVIEW Anfam (1990) in his work, Abstract Expressionism, suggests that there was a group of artists and like-minded people, who founded the movement. In doing so, he cites aspects of the modern history of the USA, in particular, the depression. In widening his argument, he also reveals some of the many parallels with the unrest within the French expressionism movement and equally rambles on to try to offer some formative cross referencing with the many expressive styles of other movements of the era. This discursive and sometimes lively debate is hampered by a clear lack of coherence, it leaves as stated in my introduction, the reader in many a cul-de-sac, with a real battle of wits to find some real and meaningful information that clearly nails down the subject of abstract expressionism in its diluted forms. The work of Pollock is often cited in the text to explain how artists use their work to show feelings and emotions, in part this aspect is explain and discussed in fine details that allow the reader to make some careful informed opinions. In particular Anfam (1990) tries his best to offer through he opening arguments contained in the introduction to the text, a socio-historical foundation for his later discussions, for example: before the second World War opens perspective that enfold the present. In microcosm we might compare of the western political power and culture after 1945. This interesting and meaningful conceptualization, offers some cohesion to the ongoing debate, setting the social and historical scene is crucial, in that, the World had just been through the most devastating periods of modern history, leaving a bereavement and albeit soulless notion of loss that impacted upon all aspects of society. From this vacuous void, came the development of what we know as modern sustainable artistic talents that in part, were able to bring a real flavour of expressing emotions through the wonderful and many diverse styles that were emerging out of this vacuum. The examples could be many, but for Anfram (1990), it is expressed in his notion that modern companies, that is commercial enterprises, became an everyday occurrence, in that, through abstract expressionism, revealed the founding symbols of modernity. Historically according to Anfram (1990) it is worthy of note, that the western world, in particular, the USA and UK, emerged from the devastation of World War I (WWII). But, more prudently, the USA emerged as the creditor, backer and in the main banker to the countries devastated by the war. A factor to only repeated some decades later. This often if not often obscured action by the USA, brought about the fundamental and sustainable changes in consumerism, fueled by the consistency and often aggressive expansion of industrialization across the Western World. Bringing about what we cited today as modern consumerism. However, what is also of crucial note, in particular for engaging artists, is the rise in the popular movements of mass culture and modern technology. Which impacted upon a world that had suddenly started to grow up out of the vacuum of aggressive conflict. What is abundantly clear from the history of art at this time, is that, Abstract Expressionism, although crisp and modern in its outlook, coupled with its diversity, it nevertheless, lacked clear shape, which was in the main, fuelled by the ever pessimistic negative vibrations that the depression and war years had invoked. Shaking off this cloud of pessimism would take some serious shock waves to kick start a new an meaningful movement that signaled the beginnings of what we now know as abstract expressionism (Gombrich 1984; Levey 1968). The early years of Abstract Expressionism, according to most theorist, (Balken 2005; Polcari 1999; Stangos (ed) 1981 Pickeral 2007); appeared to lacked shape against both this over whelming sense of optimism and yet another more negative vein, which had been intensified by the depression period. The clarity of the pre-depression period as seen in the artistic work of Charles Burchfield and Edward Harper, was fuelled by the onset fear that depression would bring, in so doing, their art revealed the styles that poignantly marked this period. This notional and albeit national fear is expressed in many of the texts used for this review, but, equally cited and noted in the core text by Anfram (1990). Interestingly his work reaches a watershed in which we have an interesting and yet revealing discourse about the artists of the period. However, it is not difficult to find his particular favorite. He in particular, cites in his discourse, the life and work of Pollock, citing the many and meaningful paths that his life took and how this impacted upon his revealing and yet sometimes provocative understanding of the thematic aspects of depression, one might even say, it is depressive and yet expressive art! The critique of Pollock by Anfram (1990), is one of the lighter parts of this text, in that we are provided with a snapshot history of this artist, his struggles and battles to live and develop as an expressive artist. In particular, we find a detailed history of his ancestry, to include the occupational aspects, upbringing and lifestyle of this Jewish family, set against a backdrop of his homeland. But, the most revealing facts are the way in which his argument convincingly places the links between Pollock and other artists like: Guston and Benton. This what could be seen a meeting of minds, signaled in part the foundational beginnings of Abstract Expressionism as we know style it. Some of the facts in the text are fascinating, in that, how life paths merge in the meeting of key personalities who make such significant marks on the landscape of art. For example: Anfram (1990) reveals how Pollock met Guston prior to his enrolment in 1930 at the Art Student League in New York, under the direction of Benton. This in itself to the writer seems uncanny and yet perfectly placed in that what came out of the merging of these personal journeys is a breath taking step in the history of modern art. What is fundamentally clear, is that Pollocks own personal history and upbringing reveals a man who had engaged in and fully experienced the construction of depression in all its many sometimes stark and conflicting facets. His journey is clearly a meaningful aspect of the work of Anfram (1990), who lyrically expresses great interest in ensuring his readers are informed of the important fact about Pollock, but, most importantly, showing how this upbringing, made the man and ultimately the artist and his style. It is worth noting some of those facts. Pollock knew all about the depression as his family had to flea the Baltic states, as a Jewish family like that of his peers, Rothko Siskind, he would have to settle in another land to ensure that it would not be so difficult for him to explore his artistic talents, and so his coming to america was a significant step in the story of Abstract Expressionism. For him to have remained in such a stark country that was consistently engaged in political unrest would have changed the focus of this concept of art as we now know it. It is also fairly obvious that Anfram (1990) has a passion for Guston, in that he equally sets his reader on a research quest from his revealing treatment about this artist. He states that Guston has known all about oppression and in so doing, in equal measure his knowledge of the sectarian movement, known as the Klu Klux Klan, whose membership in the 1920 s prior to the 1930s depression topped a staggering five million. If we place both Pollock and Guston alongside each other patterns emerge, in that, Anfram (1990) clearly wants his readers to make some informed opinion and clarity towards how expressionism was founded. Perhaps the missing signposting of his book is in part due to his stop, think and link approach. If we do just that, we can find that, it does not take long to place the constructions of depression in Pollocks background, and the oppression, noted in Guston background bring together the emotional expressive constructions that are revealed by both artists through their conceptualized notion of what they seen and perceive as Abstract Expressionism, that allows the artist in a sometimes breathtaking manner, to engage the viewers of such works, to think outside the box, in other words, see beyond the form, revealing the pain and emotions that are depression and oppression (Gombrich 1984). Anfram (1990) continues his revealing and yet peppered approach to this important movement with his critique of the 1930s depression, treating his readers to, in part have some understanding of the stuggle and battles fought and won by many of the artists of the period. It is obvious that no artist had had an easy journey, on the contrary, the movement had, brought the conceptualization of what is art kicking and screaming into a more coherent and modern take, that allowed for at best, the artist to think and construct outside the box, in so doing, draw in a more liberalized breath of fresh air in to the stifling world of the artist. As the development of Abstract Expressionism, took root, according to Anfram (1990) the 1950s saw a merging of like minded artists, who for the first time were able to finally break with the traditional constructions that had shackled art. This is poignantly revealed in the citation of the New York, Studio 35 conference, in which what is now know as a contradictory discussion allowed for artist to finally discuss and exchange ideas about how each participant broke with the sometimes constrictive traditional media, techniques and constructs that embedded art at its core. The outcome being, what can only be described as a breach of fresh air. What came out of this merging of minds, were a constituted advance in painting, sculpture and even photography. Questions that once thwarted artists were now in vogue and could be explored without constriction: Should it be Abstract or should it be representational? Would foreigner influence vitiates or even strengthens it? Would expression of feeling of the reality of the medium and of everyday? These were the fundamental poignant questions that came out of it in the 1930s, without which we would never have seen to a certain extent, Cubism, Social Realism to name but two aspect of what can be perceived as art outside the box. Briefly it is worth noting some of the constructs that came forward. At this period of time cubism was the normal Art like that of Bombardnent, who was fully engaged in Realism and Cubism. During the 1941 to 1943 period, Clement Greenburg edited an arts magazine, and befriended serial Abstract Expressionists and would cite them as a representation of a new American Art This coupled with the fact that Gorky in his remarks that Social Realism was the form of poor art for the poor people, where as the writers associated with the magazine Parisian Review, which was funded in the 1934 on the Stalinist times, would express diverse and yet carefully constructed remarks that fuelled the debate that has informed and constructed Abstract Expressionism'(Anfram 1990; Gombrich 1984). The text become repetitive in parts in that, it consistently appears to reinforce the facts presented to the reader for example. It over emphasizes the foundations and founder of what is seen to be modern abstract expressionism. Although what is helpful is the authors pick of the best examples of strong abstract expressionists, like: Newman, Pollock, Greenberg, Hofmann, De-Kooning, Gorky, Graham and Krasner. Pollocks artistic methods are carefully followed and explained, in that is it most obvious to the reader that the author is absolutely enthralled with his work. But, interestingly, he again peppers his work with historical facts like, the fact that: the Boston inst of modern Art switched its titular modern to contemporary and the senator George Dondero, denounced non-academic twenty century painting as communist subversion, so Abstraction once again acquired the radical aura that it held for a previous generation (Anfram 1990). Abstract Expressionism always resisted a single collective identity based on style, theories or even social ties. In comparison to Abstract Expressionism and the modern experience by Stephen Polcari 1999, The book under review, is easier to read and one can understand, and can even in formality of the introduction fined relevant and factual information, from which opinions can be formed, for example: there were few Americans Artists, critics, or even modern art historians of the 1950s and early 1960s who did not cut their teeth on it From it very beginnings, Abstract Expressionism has been interpreted in the light of the cultural and intellect of the 1950s artists and theorist, who understood Abstract Expressionism as Harold Rosenbergs typically defined action painting. According to which the artist theatrically expressed their personal anguish on a blank canvas, with little attention to form, style, or subject matter, for Rosenberg, painting was an autobiographical act of self-creation in the everyday world, and the expression of individual personality. Therefore, it can be viewed that the way that Abstract Expressionism looks to the writer, as if, in typical fashion, you just simply splash your thinking and feelings by just letting yourself go and just splurge it onto a canvas and with such painting, you could in fact come up with a not dissimilar work of art. But, never forgetting in the typical construction of this style, to let the paint do all the work with the brushes. In a shape and form of it own. The reviewed book then goes onto explaining where the movement of abstract expressionism came from and what earlier art movements helped it on its way, this gives any reader far better understanding and layout of what the movement conceptualizes. In the words of the author:- giving the art the best pedigree by linking it with impressionism, Cubism and Surrealism this formalist approach focused on the Abstract expressionism stylistic evolution while proposing for them an exclusive concern with the formal questions: purifying the medium, squeezing out illusionism, and remaking space and a optical rather than tactile . CONCLUSION Therefore, it can be attested, that many of the movements discussed as impacting on abstract expressionism are all clearly linked, one could even say that Surrealism been linked to pagan art, in that, they are all from the same family breeding. So therefore conceptual pagan art would notably come under all of these modernist art movements, even socialism can be placed into this context even if it does have its foundations in Russian history. What is interesting is that, all are from a similar systemic background; perhaps, it could be reviewed that they should all be grouped in one mass movement, like that of the early 20th century movement created through, mass observation. But, what is fundamentally of note, in that, art moves and changes constantly, and for any artist, theorist or aspiring artist, it can be very hard to keep up with it evolution. To note this: the big bang theory of abstract expressionism, as ROBERT ROSEBBERG was wittily called it, argued that this abstract work erupted and suddenly. Fully-grown from virtually no where. This perhaps flippant academic remark, makes it sound that abstract expressionism, grew up to quickly upstage, more formal and founding artistic concepts and movements. But, as one can see in the rise of Surrealism, it took between 10-20 years to mature, so inevitably so will this movement, as it has and continues to do so, with ever evolving creations, like the dynamic art being explored in Paganism. Therefore, it can be concluded that art evolves, movements come and go, but the strength and breadth of the artist will always be creatively and in vogue. BIBLIOGRAPHY ANFAM; D. (1990) Abstract Expressionism Thames Hudson BALKEN; D. (2005) Movement In Modern Art Abstract Expressionism TATE Publishing GOMBRICH; E. H. (1984) The History of Art Fourth Edition; Phaidon. Oxford. LEVEY; M. (1968) A History of Western Art Thames Hudson. London. POLCARI; S. (1999) Abstract Expressionism And The Modern Experience UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE STANGOS; N. (1981) Concepts of Modern Art Thames Hudson

E.B. Whites The Ring Of Time Essay -- White Ring Time Essays Papers

E.B. White's The Ring Of Time In E.B. White?s The Ring of Time, the author gives a narrative account of his trip to a circus rehearsal where he describes a fascinating scene of a young girl practicing a horse act for an upcoming show. As a writer, he feels it is his obligation to record the events he is witnessing, and convey this to his readers without leaving anything out. However difficult this may be, the beautiful and fleeting moment is something he wishes to ultimately capture. When he arrives on the scene, White senses something magical about the surroundings of this circus as it undergoes a rehearsal, but he is primarily fixed on a young woman who passes by him. The young ?cleverly proportioned, deeply browned by the sun, dusty, eager, and almost naked'; girl is the one thi...

Computer Can Replace Teacher Essay

There are some innovation and technology enthusiasts who claim that computer-based learning will soon replace teachers. Just take a look at some recent op-eds by Andy Kessler and Richard Galant. They point to the accessibility of information via the Internet and the recent advances in online instruction and adaptive learning as harbingers of teacher obsolescence. These assertions are alarming to those who advocate the importance of teachers, like Diane Ravitch and Wendy Kopp. They point to a strong body of research that affirms the importance of good teachers. So how do we make sense of this war of words and tumult of opinions? To one degree or another, both sides are overlooking important considerations. Those who proclaim that computers will replace teachers often naively reduce teaching to mere instruction and assessment. In doing so, they forget the true breadth and complexity of the job teachers perform. Computers are becoming better at providing customized direct instruction an d at assessing student mastery of foundational knowledge and skills. But good teachers do much more than present information and drill the fundamentals. High-quality teachers guide their students through activities and projects that stretch them to analyze, synthesize, and apply what they have learned across academic subjects and into the real world. They provide personalized, qualitative feedback to help students develop their critical and creative thinking. They create a classroom culture that intrinsically motivates students by honoring their hard work and by making academic achievement socially relevant. Going above and beyond the call of duty, many of the best teachers are driven by a â€Å"whatever-it-takes† attitude to ensure that all their students receive the resources and support needed to put them on a path to success in life. Those human aspects of good instruction are not going to be replaced by machines anytime soon. On the other side of the debate, those who emphasize the importance of traditional teachers often do not notice how unrealistic it is to provide high-quality teachers at scale in the current monolithic model of classroom-based instruction. They overlook the fact that the breadth and complexity of the job of good teaching makes it nearly impossible for most teachers to do all of the critical aspec ts of their job exceptionally well. Teachers are expected to design and execute daily lesson plans for multiple hours of the school day, orchestrate student learning activities, administer and grade student assessments, develop and implement efficient and effective classroom procedures, and differentiate their approaches for diverse student needs, all while managing the daily wild cards of student behavior. Additionally, we expect teachers to maintain close contact with parents, provide students with social and emotional support, perhaps offer after-school tutoring, sponsor student clubs, coach sports, organize school and community events, and shoulder many of our schools’ administrative duties. With all of these jobs crammed onto their plates, few teachers have the time, stamina, or cognitive and emotional capacity to do each job well. Under these circumstances, is it any surprise that so few teachers produce the results that we demand of them? Exceptional teachers are often put on pedestals in the media and in public debate, but these awesome individuals produce a level of work that is rarely sustainable and certainly not scalable. The model of monolithic classroom instruction from the late 1800s just wasn’t designed to allow teachers to meet 21st-century expectations. In fact, traditional classrooms were designed to prepare students for jobs in an industrial economy of the past. To meet this end, the system was set up to process seemingly homogeneous batches of similarly aged students through one-size-fits-all instruction. Undifferentiated instruction was acceptable back then because students only needed to understand math, science, and literature at a C or D level in order to â€Å"pass quality control,† receive their diplomas, and enter the workforce. Teaching might have been a reasonably manageable job back when these assumptions held true, but in the knowledge-based economy of today, the assumptions no longer hold and teaching becomes a heroic job. Despite the incredible challenges we face in providing good teachers at scale, there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. The educators, in novators, and entrepreneurs that are now experimenting with blended learning are completely redesigning our models of instruction. Rather than merely layering technology on top of traditional classrooms, they are leveraging technology to transform the role of teachers, accelerate student learning, and magnify the impact of educators. Blended learning allows much of the work of basic instruction—like drilling multiplication tables or reviewing vocabulary words—to be offloaded to computers so that teachers can focus on the aspects of teaching that they find most rewarding, such as mentoring students and facilitating exploratory learning projects. Properly implemented blended learning does not eliminate teachers, but instead eliminates some of the job functions that teachers find most onerous. Technology will not improve our education system if we marginalize or eliminate teachers. Likewise, our education system will not meet modern needs at scale until we innovate beyond the factory-model classroom. Innovation may lead us to classroom setups and teacher roles that look very different from today, but a human element will always be an essential part of the equation. By framing the debate as technology vs. teachers, we create a false dichotomy. Instead, our conversations should focus on finding ways to let technology do what it does best so that we can leverage teachers to do what they do

Background on Stress

INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF STUDY Work Related stress is a major cause of employee’s low productivity in an organisation. Encarta dictionary defines stress as strain felt by somebody mentally, physically, emotionally which may cause symptoms as raised blood pressure and depression. It is important to recognise and address properly job-related stress because it badly affects the employee’s mental and physiological health. As there is so many resources for employees to perform excellent in their jobs but there are also some factors that hinder their performance. These factors lead to their performance negatively.Newman and Behr (1979) defined job stress as ‘a situation wherein job-related factors interact with the worker to change his or her psychological and or psychological condition such that the person is forced to deviate from normal functioning. Some reasons for stress at the workplace could be; inability to meet the demand of the job, building and maintaining an amiable relationship with colleagues, management of subordinate staff, imparting knowledge to others and taking works from them, excessive work pressure to meet deadlines, inability to be creative, change of job, sexual harassment.These kind of work related stress results in poor performance by members of the organization. Attison (2002) says stress is a major factor in up to 80% of all work-related injuries and 40% of workplace turnovers. Despite tremendous advancement in science and technology and availability of various sources of luxury, majority of the workers in Ghana seem to be experiencing moderate to high degree of psychological stress in various spheres of their lives.Job related-stress is also a serious cause of mental health and health-related injuries. David and Cooper (1981) discovered that workplace stress has been increasingly quoted as the main cause of accidents, job dissatisfaction and other psychological illnesses like heart attack, alcoholism and hypertension . WORK RELATED STRESS Well-designed, organised and managed work is good for us but when insufficient attention to job design, work organisation and management has taken place, it can result in Work related stress.Work related stress develops because a person is unable to cope with the demands being placed on them. Stress, including work related stress, can be a significant cause of illness and is known to be linked with high levels of sickness absence, staff turnover and other issues such as more errors. Stress can hit anyone at any level of the business and recent research shows that work related stress is widespread and is not confined to particular sectors, jobs or industries.

A Birth of a Nation essays

A Birth of a Nation essays Birth of a Nation is the single most important and key film of all time - it contains many new cinematic innovations and refinements, technical effects and artistic advancements, including a color sequence at the end. It became a formative influence on future films and has had a recognized impact on film history and the development of film as art. In addition, at almost three hours in length, it was the longest film to date. Its pioneering technical work includes: the special use of subtitles graphically verbalizing imagery, the introduction of night photography, the use of outdoor natural landscapes as backgrounds, the definitive usage of the still-shot, the technique of the camera "iris" effect (expanding or contracting circular masks to either reveal and open up a scene, or close down and conceal a part of an image, moving, panning camera tracking shots, the use of total-screen close-ups to reveal intimate expressions, the use of vignettes seen in or iris-shots in one portion of a darkened screen, high-angle shots and the abundant use of panoramic long shots, the dramatization of history in a moving story, an example of an early spectacle or epic film with historical costuming, staged battle scenes with hundreds of extras, extensive cross-cutting between two scenes to create excitement and suspense, and the cumulative building of the film to a dramatic climax. Many of these techniques are now standard features of films, but they were first used in this film. However, it still provokes conflicting views about its message. First off, there are questions about whether or not the government should give funding to preserve this film. Next, because the film is explicitly racist and is used for Ku Klux Klan recruitment one must question whether the film is suitable for today's society. The government should give funding for this film to be preserved. It is a piece of history in two senses, one, ...

The history and the future of GPS Research Paper - 1

The history and the future of GPS - Research Paper Example Another series of GPS Block III is under development process which would be able to give more powerful signals and better (PNT). The Global Positioning System provides information related to time and location. It is a satellite navigation system which works well in all weather conditions on and close to the earth (Global Positioning System). It is owned and maintained by the United States of America and serves in the PNT i.e. positioning, navigation and timing. GPS has played vital role in modernizing the Air Traffic System and it has benefitted the military, army, civil and commercial users all around the world. The whole system is basically divided into three major segments including Space segment, Control segment and User segment. The first two are developed and operated by the US Air Force (GPS overview). The space segment consists of a group of satellites which form a particular shape in the space and transmit radio signals to the users. At least 24 satellites are available in the space 95% of the time (Space segment). The control segment represents all the ground facilities that monitor the satellites, analyze their data and keep a check on their performance (control segment). The user segment is used to calculate the user’s three dimensional position and time by GPS receiver equipment which receives the information from the satellites and transmit it to the GPS receiver device (user segment). GPS was developed by the US Department of Defense (DoD) and started its operations in 1994. The previous navigation systems had some limitations and drawbacks which actually gave rise to the creation of GPS. The project was developed in 1973 by the unification of ideas from the previously working navigation systems (National Research Council U.S.). Originally it ran with 24 satellites. The first experimental GPS I satellite was launched in 1978 and by 1985 ten more satellites were

Why is the study of racism, sexism and other systems of oppression Essay

Why is the study of racism, sexism and other systems of oppression important in understanding gender relations - Essay Example It is a fact that understanding the intricate nature of gender relations becomes phenomenally simple if they are studied in combination with various oppressive behaviors that may be quite vibrant in the society. Facts and discussion presented in this paper are basically meant to illuminate the reality of the claim that â€Å"gender relations can be easily comprehended by both sexes leading to safe workplaces and friendly domestic environment, if racism, sexism, etc. are satisfactorily studied and understood.† Racism means that there exist profound differences between the people of different groups relating to their capacities and abilities, and depending entirely on their race. This unjustified thinking pattern deeply influences gender relations and mutilates the social roles of both men and women. Both sexes find it increasingly difficult to communicate with each other in a society fraught with racist behaviors. This difficulty in communication leads to poor relationships bet ween men and women both at workplaces and in private lives, thus leading to marred gender relations. Sexism also heavily impacts gender relations owing to the groundless belief that one sex is superior to another in every possible way. Such a negative societal behavior leads to an unbalanced society because the roles played by both sexes are equally important and praise-worthy in regards to maintaining a societal structure.