Paul`s Missionary Tactics in Acts Essay

From the beginning Almighty God has been using his saints by the power of Holy Spirit and accomplished several of His purposes. Jesus Christ instructed all His disciples to work by the power of Holy Spirit who is a representative of mighty works of God. â€Å"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; â€Å" (John 14:16) â€Å"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you† (John 14:17) Introduction Over the centuries men and women who have accepted Christ as personal savior, the Holy Spirit came as a counselor, comforter, sanctifier, guide and witness. Believers walk with God was more powerful through trials and persecutions giving an experience and presence of Holy spirit in the lives of God’s people. The first Christian martyr Stephen’s death brought a great disturbance in the lives of believers in Jerusalem. Stephen’s was a Jew with Greek language had great piety and faith. The persecution of church began in Jerusalem with the passing away of Stephen of which Saul (later called as St. Paul) stood as a witness. After the death of Stephen, Roman authorities elected Saul as a member of Sanhedrin Council and Saul was mightily working for Satan to perform rebellious actions against God. Saul began to enter synagogues and churches in the regions of Judea and Samaria putting men and women into prison. â€Å"I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison. . . . And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. † That Stephen was not the only one who suffered death may be seen from Saul’s own words, â€Å"And when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. † Acts 26:9-11. Acts Chapter 9 discusses a great miracle in the city of Damascus which transformed the life of Saul to St. Paul. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me? † (Acts. 9:4) â€Å"And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. † (Acts 9:5) â€Å" Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. †(Acts 9:6) To another disciple called Ananias, the Lord appeared in a vision and said â€Å"enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. (Acts 9:11) Ananias answered â€Å"’Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: â€Å"(Acts 9:13) The Lord said unto him â€Å" Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel for me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:† (Acts 9:15) . When Ananias, laid his hands on Saul and prayed, Saul received his lost eye sight and was filled with Holy Ghost. Saul returned to Jerusalem and began to preach in synanogues with more strength that Christ is the Son of God. Many Jews were surprised by the very fact that Saul began to preach the word of God and laid several plots to kill him. In the areas of Judea, Galilea and Samaria, the power and comfort of Holy Ghost was present in the churches with the prevailing fear of God. In these times, Peter, Cornelius, Barnabas, Nicodemus were also powerfully working for God lead by Holy Ghost. There was an increasing work of Holy Ghost which was pouring spirit on chosen people to preach the word of God in Jerusalem. â€Å"And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch† (Acts 11:27) Barnabas began to search for Saul who became good friends by the fact of being Apostles of God. Paul began to perform miracles of lifting the cripple, casting evil spirits and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ among Jews, Gentiles in Antioch, Iconium, Pisidia and Pamphylia. On several occasions, Paul himself being a Roman, was imprisoned and was ill-spoken of by Jews and Greeks. The Lord spoke to Paul â€Å"Be of good cheer, Paul,: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. (Acts 23:11). God had blessed abundantly the works and mission of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. Methods Paul’s missionary journeys are classified into three parts discussed in Acts. The first journey between 47-49 A. D was in Iconium discussed in Act 13 and 14 chapters, the second journey was between 50-53 A. D in Thessalonica discussed in Acts 15 and the third journey was between 53-57 A. D in Mitylene discussed in Act chap 18. Paul’s first official missionary journey began in 47-49 A. D, at Antioch in Syria which was an important place for early church. . â€Å"While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off† (Acts 13:1-3). Paul endeavored and persuaded to preach the word of God to both high and low societies of Syria. It was the work of Holy Spirit which lead Paul and Barnabas to take the journey where Jesus never preached. The second journey of Paul was in churches of Galatia (Acts 16-18) In every city Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and was imprisoned for Paul’s unenduring efforts of taking the word of God to the unreached places. God directed Paul also to visit new territory of Macedonia along with friends. The third journey of Paul ended in Jerusalem (Acts 19-21) Paul was never allowed into the temples to worship in spite of several appeals to Caesar. The third journey of Paul was in Asia Minor and in Europe which Paul covered extensively with the power of Holy Spirit. The success of Paul as a missionary was a very hard effort in bringing up the church as a human institution on one side. On the other side, the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a Savior and redeemer of the world, was spread in Asia and Europe primarily by the creditworthiness of Paul. There were several opponents in missionary work which Paul faced whereas with the fasting and prayer and by the guidance of Holy Spirit, Paul endured and withstood among all the trials that God’s people come across. Results The book of Acts completely describes about the missionary work of Paul and the friendship with Barnabas and Apostles. Many sorcerers, magicians and several others were frightened with the power of Paul and some refuse to accept the message of Jesus Christ and the concept of Christian faith. Apart from missionary journeys which were described in Acts, Paul has also put effort in writing letters to Corinth, Thessalonica, Philippians, Ephesians to develop faith among people of such urban areas. These letters depict another kind of inspirational missionary work that people received from Paul. Throughout Paul’s missionary work, there were political threats, societal problems, emotional disturbances and differences between Paul and Barnabas. Paul continued the faith work by prayer and fasting and also under the guidance of Holy Spirit. The power of Pentecost, descending of gifts of the spirit, spreading of gospel in Samaria, exaltation of cross, proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Son of God were some of the greatest achievements which in later centuries have been taken care of by the believers and followers of Jesus Christ, which lead to the development of Christianity around the world irrespective of geographical region, language or any other barrier. Paul was certainly lead by the power of Holy Spirit and clearly there were no tactics that Paul as a missionary performed to the development of early Church in Jerusalem. The entire book of Acts clearly gives an evidence in each chapter, how Paul suffered in imprison, traveling from place to place and how he faced people who were scheming to put Paul to death. The book of Acts also reveal that the Lord lead Paul out of every trouble and rescued to continue the missionary work. Discussion Paul’s missionary work was executed completely under the guidance and leadership of Holy Spirit. Saul which it was the name given as Pharisee was converted into Roman name as Paul and humility and simplicity of a little child were the armor of Paul given by God. Paul had to bow before God disclosing demerits and unworthiness of personal traits. For many it was difficult to believe that Paul who was destroying churches could become a sincere follower of Jesus. It was all to the credit of Barnabas who brought Paul to the Apostles in Damascus and how God lead Saul being called as Paul to proclaim the name of Savior Jesus Christ. The Lord was very pleased with the labor of Paul and gave a commission to enter broad missionary field of Gentile world. The missionary journeys Paul were extensive walking through every corner meeting Jews and Gentiles. There were different kind of experiences for Paul such as acceptance and rejection of the word of God. Paul maintained a good relation with friends and Apostles who were with Paul in missionary journeys. Barnabas, aquilla, Priscilla and even with government officials of Rome Paul maintained a lawful order and discipline in spread the word of God. Paul had to face some of the cruelties of king Herod who sentenced James to death, imprisonment of Peter and the grief and pain of believers who spent most of time in fasting and praying. The missionary work of Paul has enabled Christian church to enter an important era. The strength and power of Holy Spirit has enabled Paul first to know the will of God and consider the power of God in carrying missionary work. Paul believed and relied solely on the grace of God with pure thoughts and carrying noble deeds. Paul stated in speeches that Jesus is the source of power and by following the words of Jesus, people experience a touch of His living power. Paul prepared believers and preachers in missionary work and also practiced several proper strategies in performing missionary work and there are evidences of Paul considering own decisions in visiting places or in preaching the word of God. Paul came across Sadducees and Pharisees where the former believed that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit whereas the latter believed in both (Acts 23:7,8). Some of the statements made by Paul have caused a great disturbance among Pharisees and took oath to put to Paul to death. (Acts 23:12) God praised the success and achievement at every stage of Paul’s missionary work. And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou has testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou hear witness also at Rome† (Acts 23:11) Paul as a chosen vessel of God, performed all the activities of missionary work under the true guidance of Holy Spirit which Paul received and in fact the power of Holy Spirit has enabled excessive strength and courage to Paul to stand before Roman Governors and even the authorities were surprised by the accusations made against Paul and on several occasions rescued Paul from death. (Acts23:27) When Paul was arrested and was brought before Porcius Festus to question Paul for the allegations made Jews of Jerusalem, Festus said â€Å" Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there by judged of these things before? † (Acts 25:9). Paul immediately replied â€Å" I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest†. (Acts 25:10) â€Å"For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar†. (Act 25:11) Paul’s missionary work rendered a great warmth and satisfaction personally to Paul whereas Paul invited negative remarks of Jews which brought Paul to the altar of judgment before King Agrippa. Festus informs King Agrippa â€Å" It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face and have licence to answer himself concerning the crime laid against him†. (Acts 25:16) Paul justifies before king Agrippa â€Å"My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; Which knew me from the beginning if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee†. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. (Acts 26:4-7) Paul was obedient to the heavenly visions and testifies to king Agrippa that with the help of God, have been witnessing both to small and great that Christ Jesus suffered, died and rose from dead in order to show light and redeem people from sin. (Act 26:23) Conclusion In the final chapter of Acts, Paul is freed from Romans and enters into a hired house where Paul lived for two years and continued to preach about the kingdom of God and no man has ever forbidden Paul to do so. Paul says â€Å" who, when they examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me†. ( Acts 27:18) Paul was a chosen apostle of God who inspite of severe persecutions, arrests made by Paul’s own people, worked stringently and untiringly in carrying the gospel of Jesus Christ in a professional manner which is clearly explained in the book of Acts. Paul faced allegations from several segments of society and from the Government of Rome who indirectly supported Paul for the sincerity that is evident in Paul’s works and words.

Lindbergh Kidnapping research paper Essay

The trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann in 1935 and the Lindbergh kidnapping was known by many as â€Å"the crime of the century†. Though many are still doubting whether or not Hauptmann actually committed the crime, there is much evidence pointing toward him that proves he was guilty. In examining the evidence presented, there was a great variety of it. It included handwritten evidence, witnesses, the ladder used to get into the baby’s window, and the ransom money found hidden in his home. Many experts who testified clearly identified Hauptmann’s handwriting while witnesses saw him on the Lindbergh estate lingering in his vehicle the day of the crime. In light of the specific type of ransom money that was discovered in his home, Hauptmann’s guilt was confirmed. The presented factors were overwhelming in proving his guilt. Bruno Hauptmann was guilty of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and murder and should have been executed. Hauptmann had a long history of lawbreaking and violence throughout his teenage years. When he was a teenager, Hauptmann served as a machine gunman on the western front for the German army. During his time served, he lost two of his brothers, who died in battle. Hauptmann also lacked in much of his education. He only attended eight years of school and two years of secondary school for machinery and carpentry. After he was released from the army, he had no choice but to turn to a life of crime. Due to the crashing economy in Germany after the war, unemployment was extremely high, and with little education, Hauptmann needed a way to survive (â€Å"Bruno Richard Hauptmann Biography†). Hauptmann was convicted numerous times in Germany, and after many years of theft, arrests, and jail time, he was sent to prison. Surprisingly, he managed to escape incarceration. Hauptmann’s next step was to try and illegally enter the United States. Two times he failed and was sent to back t o Germany until November of 1923, when he successfully smuggled himself into the United States. During October of 1925, Hauptmann married a German immigrant, Anna Schoeffler, and successfully attempted to live a normal life with her. That was until Hauptmann committed the grisly crime of kidnapping and murdering Charles Lindbergh Jr, a toddler of only 20 months old (â€Å"Bruno Richard Hauptmann Biography†). There was an exorbitant amount of evidence presented to the jury during Hauptmann’s trial. Among the evidence was that of a ransom note left on the windowsill of the Lindbergh  baby’s window. The note read â€Å"Dear Sir! Have 50000$ redy 25000$ in 20$ bills 15000$ in 10$ bills and 10000$ in 5$ bills After 2-4 days we will inform you were to deliver the Mony. We warn you for making anyding public or for notify the Police The child is in gut care. Indication for all letters are singnature and three holes† (â€Å"Letters of Note: The Child Is in Gut Care†). Experts compared the handwriting on the note to that of Hauptmann’s, and it was relatively an identical match. Many of the letters were written the same, for example in the note, the perpetrator curled his at the end â€Å"y†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s, and Hauptmann proved to do the same (Linder). Although there was one expert who testified on Hauptmann’s behalf, his explanation was basically thrown away by the jury because it was outrageous (â€Å"The Evidence Against Hauptmann†). Another crucial piece of evidence found was the ladder Hauptmann used to get himself into Lindbergh’s window. He left the ladder at the crime scene and it was inspected by the crime scene investigators. It was said to be manufactured by the same wood that is used at a lumber yard near Hauptmann’s home. It was constructed at home and made to easily fold into three parts so that it could be transported in a tight space. Hauptmann used this to get into the nursery on the second floor of the Lindbergh home. When investigators looked around Hauptmann’s neighborhood, they discovered a lumber yard and compared the wood used in the ladder and discovered a match. Also, the wood from his attic was used to construct the ladder. Although the defense testified at the trial that the ladder had been soiled and should not be used as a real incriminating piece of evidence, it was still largely considered in the jury’s decision of making a verdict (â€Å"The Evidence Again st Hauptmann†). Hauptmann could not be placed with the child, or committing the heinous crime, but many people witnessed him around the Lindbergh residence a few days before the kidnapping, and even in his vehicle the day of the crime. Doctor John Condon, the man who delivered the ransom money to Hauptmann for the Lindberghs, testified that Hauptmann was definitely the man who was at the meeting spot to pick up the ransom money. There were many witnesses for everything that Hauptmann did previous the crime; he was identified cashing in the gold notes and following the ransom negotiator. However all witnesses except Doctor John Condon refused to identify  Hauptmann for the court. The only witness who testified was Condon (â€Å"The Evidence Against Hauptmann†). In order to hopefully capture the criminal of the crime, the Lindbergh’s paid the murder not in money, but in gold notes. Gold notes were unsuccessful in American banking and were discontinued after 1933. They were very easy to track and very obvious when used. All banks in America had a list of the serial numbers of the gold notes, and once the ransom money was paid, police tracked them for two years. Most of them were used and cashed in the New York area, where Hauptmann lived. The gold notes were used against Hauptmann as evidence when he cashed one in at a gas station and when police found them in his home. A man who worked at a gas station had had his suspicions about Hauptmann and written down his license plate number on the actual gold note and turned it into the police. Upon being turned in, the police tracked the license plate and found it belonged to Hauptmann. The next day, he was arrested and his house was searched. Investigators found $14,000 in his garage and it was discovered to be the ransom money that Condon delivered. (â€Å"The Evidence Against Hauptmann†). The remains of the victim, Charles Lindbergh Jr, were found near his home on May 12, 1932. When detectives further investigated the child’s remains, they discovered that he was killed the night of the kidnapping and Hauptmann rid of his body by leaving it in the woods. They also suggested that Lindbergh Jr was killed the night of the kidnapping, and was never alive while ransom money was being exchanged and negotiated (Linder). America was completely taken aback that someone would cause such heartbreak to their hero, Charles Lindbergh. Local newspapers wrote articles of how the kidnapper deserves the utmost punishment to the full extent of the law (â€Å"Historical Newspapers†). Newspapers also blamed gangs for the kidnapping of the â€Å"Lone Eagle†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s son. Notorious gang leader Al Capone was the center of attention after the crime took place, but in order to clear his name, he offered a $10,000 reward for the safe return of the baby, and also said that he himself would find the murderer if he was let go from incarceration (â€Å"The Crime of the Century†). Hauptmann testified until his last breath that he was innocent. His last words were â€Å"I am glad that my life in a world which has not understood me has ended. Soon I will be at home with my Lord, so I am dying an innocent man. Should, however, my death serve for the purpose of abolishing capital  punishment—such a punishment being arrived at only by circumstantial evidence—I feel that my death has not been in vain. I am at peace with God. I repeat, I protest my innocence of the crime for which I was convicted. However, I die with no malice or hatred in my heart. The love of Christ has filled my soul and I am happy in Him† (Linder). He tried his hardest to convince the jury, the judge, and the prosecuting attorney that he was innocent. However, the evidence spoke for itself. Everything played against Hauptmann’s favor, and he was executed on April 3, 1936 (Linder). The label â€Å"crime of the century† is very pertinent for the Lindbergh trial. Many people mourned for America’s hero after he was forced to deal with such heartbreak. The Lindbergh family were thrown into a pit of despair after the kidnapping and murder of their beloved son. Although many believed that Hauptmann was innocent, and his trial was unfair and tampered with, the amount of evidence presented was enough for the jury to reach a guilty verdict. Amidst the evidence was gold notes that were used as ransom money, handwritten evidence, the ladder used to get into the nursery window, and eyewitnesses. Bruno Richard Hauptmann was guilty for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr and it was a righteous act that he was arrested and executed.

' an analysis of the psychological contract between employers and Essay

' an analysis of the psychological contract between employers and employees and how this affects performance' - Essay Example These discrepÐ °ncies Ð °lso Ð °ffected employee performÐ °nce, Ð °lthough to Ð ° lesser extent. OrgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l implicÐ °tions Ð °nd suggestions for improving psychologicÐ °l contrÐ °ct fulfillment Ð °re discussed. Ð dditionÐ °lly this study exÐ °mines the types of inducements businesses currently offer to their employees in Ð °n Ð °ttempt to Ð °ttrÐ °ct Ð °nd retÐ °in their skills Ð °nd expertise. The purpose of this study is threefold. First, we exÐ °mine which employer inducements (psychologicÐ °l contrÐ °ct obligÐ °tions) Ð °re identified Ð °s more importÐ °nt by employees. Second, Ð °fter identifying these "importÐ °nt" psychologicÐ °l contrÐ °ct obligÐ °tions, I Ð °nÐ °lyze employee perceptions of how well their compÐ °nies Ð °re fulfilling these obligÐ °tions. Third, I exÐ °mine how perceived discrepÐ °ncies between the importÐ °nce of Ð °nd fulfillment of specific psychologicÐ °l contrÐ °ct obligÐ °tions Ð °ffect employee reÐ °ctions Ð °t work. These promises Ð °nd obligÐ °tions, depending on employees perceptions of fulfillment, cÐ °n Ð °ct Ð °s motivÐ °tors or bÐ °rriers to desirÐ °ble work Ð °ttitudes Ð °nd behÐ °viors. This reseÐ °rch strives to Ð °ssist businesses by providing informÐ °tion Ð °bout whÐ °t employees vÐ °lue most Ð °nd how they respond when these needs Ð °re not fulfilled. This informÐ °tion should Ð °ssist compÐ °nies in their efforts to offer psychologicÐ °l contrÐ °cts thÐ °t Ð °re more in line with the exchÐ °nge relÐ °tionships thÐ °t employees Ð °re seeking to creÐ °te. Employers with proÐ °ctive psychologicÐ °l contrÐ °cts Ð °re likely to experience reduced intentions to leÐ °ve the orgÐ °nizÐ °tion (by employees) becÐ °use their needs Ð °re being met. Shore Ð °nd BÐ °rksdÐ °le (2004) found thÐ °t employees reported higher levels of orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l support, Ð °ffective commitment, Ð °nd lower levels of turnover intentions when their employment relÐ °tionships with their orgÐ °nizÐ °tions were

Think of an incident in your life when you felt pressured to go Essay

Think of an incident in your life when you felt pressured to go against your parents or religion. tell what happened, who pressured you and why, why you confirm - Essay Example Whether this is an all-powerful God, an uninvolved Creator or some sort of ‘alien’ life form I will not discuss here. Just suffice it to say that the same is some sort of a more powerful being which probably takes at least some interest in the actions of those that He has created or placed here on this Earth. The incident which I want to share with you is one that literally shook the foundations of my life. It brought a sense of going against my parents and more specifically my father. My issue was with my father who was an alcohol addict and for that reason I literally abhorred the very idea that I was his child. He has realized that he could have let go on this bad habit of his. Yet somehow or the other he found himself stuck in a quagmire of which he cannot find any solace. Alcohol addition has completely ruined his life and it has left him in shambles in front of one and all. The extent of his involvement was so immense that he did not have any knowledge of what was happening around him. He had some responsibilities to fulfill, some loving people surrounding him who had expectations from him but all this just went out of the window when he got himself into this bad habit. I was taken aback in the whole situation since everything was going against me and this sounded as a pretty pathetic circumstance for me, so to speak. This situation made me feel pressurized too much, so much so that I started losing concentration on many things that I used to do. I did not have my mind and energies towards different projects and activities that I did. The incident completely broke me from inside and the worst part of it was that I was not ready for all this. My pressure came from the different relationships in which I was tied. I had to take care of my father as well as my mother and siblings who were equally troubled by my father’s distress.

HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS - Essay Example If the employees understand the importance of being in the workplace, they will be inspired to continue offering their services. Furthermore, the mission statement provides a certain focus that emphasizes on the employees’ purpose and how they can visualize their contribution to the company. This motivates them to make their work a clear selling point for the institution’s policies. Meeting the goals of any company requires that all the staff members work in harmony. The globalization aspect has brought about diversity, and this requires careful handling. However, as management, meeting the needs of each individual may be quite challenging given the cultural and social aspects that characterize each interaction. Instituting a harmonious work space becomes difficult especially owing to the cultural differences that need to be streamlined to fit into the organizational culture that defines the code of ethics in the workplace. However, this challenge can be met by having a clear mission statement and an organizational culture that incorporates all the workers to avoid undue

Psychology class.Group Pressure And Action Against A Person Milgram Essay

Psychology class.Group Pressure And Action Against A Person Milgram - Essay Example In this study, the research subjects were asked to test learners and administer them shocks with increasing degrees of intensity when the learners provided an incorrect answer. This was to be done in the presence of an authority figure, who asked the tester to continue administering shocks even when the learners began to protest, sometimes intensely. The learners, who were not actually subjected to shocks, and the authority figures were cohorts of the experimenter, while the young men administering the shocks were unaware of the true purpose of the experiment. This experiment was done in multiple forms. When the authority figure and no others were present, the research subjects often administered high levels of shock. When no authority figure was present, the research subjects were significantly less likely to administer high levels of shock. This experiment was also conducted with a group design, meaning that in some cases the research subject was placed in a room with the authority figure and two other â€Å"research subjects† who were actually cohorts of the experimenter.

How Religions Impact Americans Politically, Socially and Economically Essay

How Religions Impact Americans Politically, Socially and Economically - Essay Example Statistics released by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 2012 have shown that out of the world’s total population, 59 percent is religious, and, the United States, unlike several other Western countries, remains a religiously overwhelming society. This paper will discuss the political, social and economical impact religion has had on the American society, with specific focus on Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism. As a nation, the United States founding was on religion. Majority of the American population is Christian, predominantly 30 percent White Evangelical Protestants, 20 percent Liberal Protestants and 8 percent African-American Protestants. 2 percent practices Judaism and 0.5 percent are Hindus. Most of the non-Christian religions in the United States found their way there after the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act that removed restrictions that previously limited foreigners who could immigrate. As portrayed by Farlee (1999), the American society has grow n into a successful multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation. From the nation’s founding fathers to present day presidents, the American leadership has portrayed the significance of redirecting public policy towards enhancing the future health of the nation in religion, especially Christianity, though not to dictate that it is a Christian nation. Many political and social goals have been achieved through the practice of religion, even if it was indirectly. Christianity and the influence of Jewish ideas are clearly manifested in the fundamental political framework of America, as is evident in the opening statement of the Declaration of Independence. It is declared, just like in the bible, that men were all created equal and endowed with unalienable rights including life and the pursuit of liberty and freedom. Even from the early days of the Puritan settlers, the scripture determined the legislation. As concurred by Ballo (1976), they believed that the scripture held the moral rules for the government and direction of humans in their duty to fellow man and God and subsequently adopted a legal code with 79 statutes, of which half bore biblical references. The Republican coalition and the pact with the Christian Right were splintered by President Obama’s election in 2008. This opened up the opportunity to the new coalition between the new evangelical Christians and the Democratic Party. Although the new evangelical Christians identified themselves as progressive and politically moderate, it was evident from the 2008 poll that the Democratic Party had openly adopted Christian foundations. This showed its effect in another unexpected manner when previously separate religious groups joined forces based on political allegiances to fight the unbiblical gay marriage. This saw the Mormons and conservative Catholics come together to front the California’s Proposition 8 that fought gay marriages, also including international policy among Jews and Protestants. Although the government’s religious connections have been growing, causing a slight relationship sway with the Protestants, they (Protestants) remain intact in their presumption of the politics of the US, with their visions still upheld regarding gender and sexuality. Quite notably, Hinduism has no significant impact on the American political system as much as do Christianity and Judaism, but might be remotely playing smaller roles through the strong presence of Hinduism in the American

RELATIONS IN CONTEMPORARY BRITAIN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

RELATIONS IN CONTEMPORARY BRITAIN - Essay Example For any Organization, be it profit or non-profit making, to achieve its intended mission, a lot of work needs to be done to sustain a comfortable employee-employer relationship. No one should take this matter lightly because through this link, Suggestions, demands and expectations are passed and their replies channeled. Problems would most likely arise if employees of a particular company go up in arms over certain working conditions, delayed salaries and wages and inevitably, be an issue for the management such as strikes that just occur under their noses (Rose, 2004, pp 30 - 35). Sometimes organizations build their goodwill for years and they can not allow anything or anyone to just wreck it all. In the wake of creating, an employee relation, Workers Unions, Trade Movements and Welfare Societies advises them on the importance of joining them. These are activists who work closely with government to cater for the needs of the country's employees. Their mandatory goal being to pressurize for good reforms on laws, regulations and the constitution that governs them. (Euro found, 2008). In Britain, unions keep on pushing for better deals basing their argument on the current economic trend. It would therefore, be without these unions, very hard for people to come out and ask the government for considerations. The whole union concept is to apply civilized ways in addressing matters that arise every now and then. It involves pushing diplomatically, rather than having employees take to the streets, demanding recognition, as key players in the daily development of different sectors that lead to the total country's economic growth. These Unions also endorse sanctions to employers who appear to be treating their employees unfairly. They educate Companies and Organizations on the ethical point of their relation. Do others good the same way you expect to be done unto. The role that unions play in Britain is not to be ignored. (Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR, 2008).The strategies and efforts by these Unions can in fact be rated as militant. I say so, becaus e their activities involve; revolutionary, support and activism. Playing as the watchdogs, it also ensures not only that changes are done but are adhered to the latter. Their efforts can be termed as peaceful and radical, though at times aggressive. It is due to this characteristic that employees in Britain find it important to part of at least a union. They term their working style as assertive since most of their rights are put to check by the authority in concern. There are allocations regarding the number of welfare societies one can join. Of course there is no limitation to only a single one. (Salamon, 2000, pp5, pp8-12). Firms that deal with Human Resource management appropriately will witness the good it has done to them. People want to be associated with unions that are clearly instituted to avoid misunderstanding .At this point, it is indistinguishable to acknowledge that a good number of Britain's Unions have proved their worth, they are worthy. With their protocols comprehensively tabulated, it leaves no doubt; they are the correct handlers of matter concerning employees. Though there is still a long way to go, the efforts already

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - Research Paper Example Many firms have been able to meet these long-standing regulations by relying on the domain knowledge while the periodic regulations were met through the knowledge from corporate legal staff. However, this system has since changed and adapted a new regulatory environment that includes the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Sarbanes-Oxley). All the publicly traded companies are required to comply with this new act; changing the regulator culture from the initial legislative act. Sarbanes-Oxley and a host of other related regulations has fostered for the governance, risk and compliance aspects of regulations for both American-based and international companies. The congress enacted this act with the aim of mitigating unprecedented financial fraud. Its core objective is to ensure the accuracy and legitimacy of corporate financial disclosures for purposes of safeguarding the interests of investors and other shareholders. Before the introduction of this act, most of the public corporations were reluctant to abide by some of the regulations such as complying with the environmental reporting requirements. With the introduction of the Sarbanes-Oxley act, more accountability has been realized and tougher penalties have been set for defaulters, compelling most of the organizations to abide by the set regulations. This is a clear indication of the efficiency of the act in minimizing fraud (Orin, 2008). Sarbanes-Oxley also requires that the SEC undertakes regular reviews on financial reports in a systematic and professional manner for the reporting companies. The scope of this review encompasses environmental liabilities to ascertain whether the system is in compliance with regulations. The top executive officials of the firm are obligated to ensure accurate and authentic disclosure of potential liabilities to the public domain. With increased scrutiny and accountability, the regulatory act works to avoid fraud now and in the future (Orin, 2008). As documented in the

Shays Rebellion Essay Example for Free

Shays Rebellion Essay Johnsons dictionary was published in 1755. Nathan Bailey first published his in 1736. These would have been the most commonly used dictionaries In the 1780s. Doolittle, Amos. The Looking Glass of 1787. 1781. Photograph. N. p. This Connecticut cartoon appeared in 1787 at the height of the ratification debates over the proposed Federal Constitution. In Connecticut, as elsewhere, those favoring ratification were called Federalists; their opponents were referred toas Antifederalists. The artist of this cartoon, who Is possibly Amos Doolittle, favored ratification. Connecticut Is 1 OF2 paper money as the two faction pull the wagon in opposite directions. The man in the agon states Gentlemen this Machine is deep in the mire and you are divided as to its releaf. To the left, under a sunny sky, are the five Federalist councilors. On the right, under a stormy sky issuing lightning bolts, are six of the seven Antifederalist councilors, one of whom says Success to Shays. The seventh Antifederalist councilor is below and identified as Agricola which was the pseudonym William Williams used. He is saying, l fear dread the Ides of MAY. May 15 was Election Day for the Connecticut upper house. The character identified as S? H? P is Williams enemy, Samuel Holden Parsons. Parsons was the president of the Connecticut Society of the Cincinnati, a hereditary military order open only to officers of the Continental Army and their male desecndents. The smaller cartoon within the cartoon at the lower left has the caption Tweedles Studdy as I sit plodding by my taper, reference to a satirical poem in the New-Haven Gazette. A copy of this poem, titled, Poem in the New Haven Gazette, appears on this site. a

The Heroes Of The Middle Ages English Literature Essay

The Heroes Of The Middle Ages English Literature Essay The Anglo-Saxon period and the Middle Ages period were two major historical sections of English history. These two periods have very distinct aspects of literature. The hero has evolved from one period to the next. The epic hero was during the Anglos-Saxon period, and the romance hero was during the Middle Ages. These heroes have similar qualities, but the evolution from the epic hero to the romance hero is very evident. Heroes played an important role in British Literature during the Anglo-Saxon period and Middle ages and set values and characteristics for many warriors and knights of the time period. The Anglo-Saxon hero is also known as the epic hero. He or she is typically a warrior who shows no mercy and fights for his or her country. This is the type of hero that is usually portrayed in ancient wars. This hero is ruthless, however, very obedient. Courage and loyalty defined the epic hero. For example, he or she will do anything to protect the lord. This hero performed his or her duties with little emotion, often performing grueling and gruesome tasks without any complaint. He or she did whatever it took t perform the duties. Beowulf is a great example of an Anglo-Saxon hero. The comitatus can be defined as an agreement lords made with their warriors. The epic hero was true to the comitatus. Warriors fought for their lord; warriors provided protection, while the lord provided everything else the warriors needed. This relationship was crucial for the survival of everybody. No one has a place to live without the land from the lord, and no one has protection from the enemy withou t the warriors. A major part of being an epic hero was showing respect to your own family members. In Beowulf, Unferth killed his own brother. Beowulf, being an epic hero, related Unferths actions to being a coward. Beowulf describes Unferth as a coward for killing his own brother. This is one of the greatest crimes in the Anglo-Saxon period. Families and tribes are held in such high regard that for someone to betray his or her own family member is one of the worst possible crimes. Beowulf supports his success with stories involving fighting sea-monsters, while he discredits the worthiness of Unferth. Beowulf says, Breca has never- nor you either- done a deed so bold and daringà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦though you became your brothers killerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for that you needs must suffer punishment in hell. Beowulf talks about the lack of Unferths achievements, and he mentions the wrongdoings of Unferth. Unferth killed his own brother, and Beowulf points out that Unferths actions have made him unable to be a hero . Family always comes first, and a good hero always protects his or her family, and certainly never harms his or her own family member. Anglo-Saxon heroes also avoided showing emotion. Sadness only gets in the way of the task at hand. the warrior must focus on his or her objectives, and not succumb to his or her emotions. These feelings only cloud the thoughts of the warrior. This would hinder him or her from doing the best job. A warrior must ignore his or her feelings to avoid death. Every action must be perfect. War is no place for someone to think twice or feel bad about anything. A warrior needs to have a way of not thinking about the action, but performing it with deadly accuracy every time. Fate and courage play a large part in Beowulf. Beowulf says, Wyrd often spares an undoomed man, when his courage endures. It was believed that the gods had control over fate. If a warrior shows courage, he will be spared. Courage is detrimental if the warrior wishes to survive. Courage plays an important role in fate, and it comes to play in everyday fighting. Courage will simply help a warrior survive, disregarding fate. A courageous warrior will attack his enemy when he or she needs to and make the decisions promptly before it is too late. Before battle, a warrior must mentally prepare. He or she must build up the courage to fight through any obstacle that comes in the way. Also, before battle, a warrior must free his or her mind of any negative emotions, such as fear or sadness. These negative emotions will only cloud the warriors mind, making it a little bit harder to perform every task. Being emotional in battle could kill a warrior. Good warriors always hid and controlled their emotions during battle. Epic heroes were known for their respect, ruthlessness and lack of emotion. However, like any other hero, they sought fame. Beowulf says, let him who can bring about fame before death- that is the best for the unliving man after he is gone. Warriors were not doing everything for the good of their country or lord. These men and women were also famous for their feats and accomplishments on the battlefield. Death was always a possibility every time a warrior went to battle. The Anglo-Saxons did not believe in heaven or anything after life on Earth, therefore, life on Earth was to be lived to the fullest. People held nothing back, all glory and fame was earned during life; there was nothing to look forward to after death. Therefore, a warriors greatest achievement was to succeed on the battle field. After Beowulf dies, he is described as the mildest of men and the most gentle, the kindest of folk and the most eager for fame. This shows that desiring fame was completely acceptable in the Anglo-Saxon period. People strived for fame and honor. In the Anglo-Saxon period it was not enough to just be a good warrior, that warrior needed to be known for being a good warrior. A romantic hero must possess an understanding of his inner-self or inner-world.   He must also understand the value of his experiences through emotions, intuition, and feelings rather than logically reasoning.   The audience must also be able to emotionally connect with the romantic hero on some level of emotion so that no matter the experience of the hero, the audience will relate to his experiences. A romantic hero transcends society; birth and class are unimportant. The battle the hero takes part in is internal, and the hero makes his or her own rules. Unlike the great warrior, self knowledge is valued more than physical strength or endurance. This hero is more intellectual than the epic hero. However, this hero is moody, isolated and introspective. Also, his or her loyalty is to a community. The earliest accounts in which Arthur appears portray him as a historical hero who comes to assume national importance.  Ã‚  By the Twelfth Century he has been transformed by courtly writers from a historical and national hero to a hero of romance. After the Anglo-Saxon period, the Middle Ages period took over. The epic hero transformed into the romance hero. King Arthur is one of the famous romance heroes of his time. King Arthur has been described as the leader of battles, who slaughters many pagans. He was a hero and a king, commonly referred to as the savior of Britain. Many stories about King Arthur have been transformed around myths, legends and scattered and contested facts. He was based on many historical figures. The legend of King Arthur was first mentioned in The Gododdin in 600 AD. The text praises a certain warrior but says he was no Arthur. Arthur is known as an extraordinary warrior. The Welsh did not describe him as a king but as a war leader. His legacy was quickly spread after 1138 when Geoffrey of Mummouth wrote the first full biography of King Arthur. This quickly spread of Europe and allowed Arthur to become a figure of romance. However, this biography has not been proven to be factual. This further leads t o the idea that much of what is known about King Arthur today is based on fictional stories. During the Middle Ages, John Hardyng and Robert Mannyng accepted the legend of King Arthur as real; however, William of Newburgh thought of Arthur as a fictional character. Also, in the Decline and Fall, written by Edward Gibbson, he stresses the reality behind King Arthurs tale and believes it to be a true story (Ashe vii). Arthurs character has been filled with many virtues and few flaws, each varying from text to text. He has been described as compassionate and generous. He rarely acted in ways of wrath or pride; he was the Romantic hero of his time period. He is well known for being faithful to his knights and his queen. Jacques de Longuyon made of list of heroes, and among this list of many notable characters from Julius Caesar to men of the Bible was Arthur. He was a symbol of glory, valor and virtue. Arthur was first put into literature in the French romances. These were of Celtic and Welsh origin. His claim to royal leadership was the Sword in the Stone from Robert de Borons Merlin early in the thirteenth century. Arthur was the only man who was able to remove the sword from a slab of rock. King Arthurs stories have many origins to Celtic stories such as the hunt of the white stag and journeys to enchanted castles and forests. Elements of his stories include abduction and loss of Guinevere, battle of Camlan and the death and return of Arthur. He led his armies to battle with a religious purpose similar to the epic hero, however, those religions were very different. King Arthur had the image of the Virgin Mary on his shield, and his battle cry was the name of the Mother of God. During one of his many battles, legend says that King Arthur kill 960 men in one day by himself. A welsh writer wrote, Arthur, having carried the cross of Christ on his shoulders for three days and three nights, was victorious in the Battle of Badon. Myth and truth always surround the legends of King Arthur. It has become difficult to differentiate between what is true and what is false. Arthur transformed from a historical figure to a figure of mythic proportion. This is primarily because most of his stories and legends were only transferred by word of mouth. This provided a lot of room for exaggerations and fairy tales inside of the stories of King Arthur. The courtly entourage was a necessary step to transition King Arthur from a local chief to a great king. This was something new about the romance hero that the epic hero did not have. King Arthur had incentive to succeed in battle from a woman, and King Arthurs bravery and nobility would reciprocate back to the woman and be incentive for her to be pure. King Arthur is described as more courtly and less barbaric, as possessing other than marital attributes and abilities. Courtly love was established during the Middle Ages and greatly emphasized in the legend of King Arthur. In this time period, knights devoted themselves to a single lady. In principal, courtly love was purely emotional; no physical actions were to take place. Therefore, whether the lady was married or single, courtly love was accepted as a normal cultural action. The Art of Courtly love was written by Maries chaplain Andreas in 1175, and this laid the laws of courtly love in this time period. This piece explained how to approach a lady the proper way and address his desires of courtly love. This piece also explains how to communicate to one of a lower class, for example, a nobleman may address a man of the middle class because the nobleman is of a higher class. Although courtly love was intended to be purely emotional, physical relationships were started because of courtly love. Many knights and their respective ladies went passed courtly love and took part in physical actions usuall y leading to adultery. In the Wedding of King Arthur, he said, This fair lady is more than welcome to me, for I have loved her since I first saw her and the hundred knights and the Table Round please me more than any riches. This statement is a great example of his courtly love and chivalry. He is not the epic hero from the Anglo-Saxon era; he focuses more on love and chivalry. He cares about his lady and his knights. Love and honor are more important to King Arthur than riches and fame. Overall, the epic hero and romance hero were similar warriors, but their supporting characteristics were very different. The epic hero was more ruthless and focused on battle and his army, while the romance hero was very different. The romance hero focused more on love and relationships outside of battle. Courtly love played a large role in the romance hero but was not a part of the epic hero. However, the epic hero did place a lot of respect on family and respect. These heroes of the Anglo-Saxon period and the middle ages played a large part in much of the British literature of these time periods.

Whether Business and the Economy Across the Globe :: Economics Trade Imports Marketing Essays

Business and the Economy Across the Globe Task - 1 Discuss whether firms like Rechem should be allowed to "import" chemical waste from overseas to be disposed of here in the U.K. ANALYSIS Rechem have thirty years of experience in solving environmental problems caused by a wide range of hazardous and toxic materials. Their range of services included the following:  · Waste Management  · Logistics  · Incineration  · Project Management  · Recycling  · Environmental Monitoring DISCUSSION Not all Countries in the World have the ability or the technology to safely dispose of chemical waste such as polychlorinated biphenyl’s (PCBs). It may be argued that it is more desirable and safer to move the waste to another country for disposal. The alternative of storing the waste for long periods of time may result in serious problems and consequently cause pollution effecting living organisms beyond the host countries borders. There has been instances where one country’s pollution problems in turn pollute neibouring countries such as Mercury used in manufacturing process eventually leaking into river systems (This happened between Canada and the United States). Another example is acid rain caused by burning fossil fuels without capturing or burning off the chemicals that cause acid rain, for example, UK’s industrial plants affecting the forests of Germany and Scandinavia. Chemical pollution has no boundaries, dumping chemical in the North Sea by the northern European countries not only destroys the food chain in that area, but, with tidal and ocean currents, this pollution can affect organisms and eventually human beings on the other side of the globe. Pros:- of firms like Rechem importing & disposing chemical waste: 1. Helps the environment because it discourages landfills. 2. It breaks chemicals down at high temperatures not a low normal temperatures which can be dangerous. 3. It can break down PCB’s which are extremely dangerous. 4. Brings money into the British economy. 5. Supplies jobs for workers. 6. Licences for this type of disposal is limited and helps the environmental factor of other countries that do not have this process and have to resort to landfills or burning the waste at dangerously low temperatures like, America and Germany. 7. In the eighties many articles on "green" companies and industries featured Rechem 8. Rechem were praised by the Minister for the Environment at the time as "true friends of the earth" 9. Rechem were acknowledged as a world leader in the safe incineration of dangerous

Essay --

Day 2: Start the day off by visiting one of the 7 wonders of the Modern World. The great city, Chichen Itza, located in deep jungle of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, flourished between the 9th and 13th centuries A.D. It was also a sophisticated urban center and center of regional trade. The Mayans emerged around 3,000 years ago in present-day Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and Mexico. According to a Mayan source, a man named K’uk’ulkan, which means feathered serpent, come from the west and establish a capital at Chichen Itza. It is unknown if this story refers to the Toltec groups or the Itza groups, or if it just a myth. During 550 to 800 AD, the main purpose of the city was to make human sacrifices and magical ceremonies. Itzamnà ¡, the supreme God, was the most important deity; he was the creator god, the god of fire, and the god of the hearth. Other significant Gods included Chac, a hooked-nose god of rain and lightning, and Kukulcà ¡n, the Feathered Serpent, who resembles the man who established the city, K’uk’ulkan. These Gods appear on many temples and were later adopted by the Toltecs and Aztecs as Quetzalcoatl. The Kukulcan, also known as El Castillo, is considered the most famous monument in the city; a unique feature of the pyramid is that it represents today’s modern calendar. A 16th-century Spanish bishop, Diego de Landa, named this pyramid after the legendary ruler of the city and the ancient snake deity. The accuracy of Mayan astronomy influenced the number of steps the temple has. In addition to space observations, the Maya used their mathematical knowledge to create a monument that has 91 steps on each side and a total of 365 steps, the same number of days in a year. The Mayans wanted to create monuments to observe and ... ...eas. The primary attraction of the town is the Ollantaytambo Fortress, located on the edge of the settlement in a section known as the Temple Hill. A monument close from the fortress is the Wall of the Six Monoliths, a towering section of wall composed of six large sections. Archaeologists believe that the construction of the wall was abandoned before its completion and the reasons are remain unknown. Some might believe that the Spaniards swiped the Incas out of the region. A nature megalithic structure near Lake Titicaca is Aramu Muru. Legends say that Viracocha first created life on Earth at Lake Titicaca, on the borders of Peru and Bolivia. In the center of the lake, the Island of Sun stands; in the island, there’s a sacred temple and unknown burial towers called chulpas in Sillustani; these towers were plated with gold and holds the remains of the Inca royalty.

Blue Whales :: Biology Ecology Nature

Blue Whales The Blue whale is the largest creature of the sea, in fact, it is the largest creature known to man. Contrary to what most people think, even though Blue whales live in the sea, they are mammals. They breathe air, have their babies born alive and can live anywhere from 30 to 70 years. The Blue whale is a baleen whale, and instead of having teeth, Blue whales have around 300-400 baleen plates in their mouths. They fall under the category of the rorquals, which are the largest of the baleen family. The scientific name of the Blue whale is, Balsenoptera musculus. Introduction Whales are separated into two groups, the baleen and the toothed whales. The blue whale is the largest baleen whale and the largest animal that ever lived on Earth, including the largest dinosaurs. Baleen are rows of coarse, bristle-like fibers used to strain plankton from the water. Baleen is made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails. They live in pods, the have two blowholes. The blue whale has a 2-14 inch (5-30cm) thick layer of blubber. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are baleen whales (Suborder Mysticeti). They are one of 76 species and are marine mammals. Background The Blue whale is called a ^rorqual^, a Norwegian word for ^furrow^ referring to the pleated grooves running from its chin to its naval. The pleated throat grooves allow the Blue whale^s throat to expand during the huge intake of water during filter feeding; they can ^hold 1,000 tons or more of food and water when fully expanded^ (Small 1971). Blue whales have 50-70 throat grooves. Blue whales grow up to about 80 feet (25m) long on average, weighing about 120 tons. The females are generally larger than the males, this is the case for all baleen whales. ^The largest specimen found was a female 94 feet (29m) long weighing more than 174 tons^ (Satchell 1998). The head of the Blue whale forms up to a quarter of the total body length. Compared with other rorquals, the head is very broad. The blue whale heart is the size of a small car and can pump almost 10 tons of blood throughout the body. They have a very small, falcate (sickle-shaped) dorsal fin that is located near the fluke, or tail. Blue whales have long, thin flippers 8 feet (2.4m) long and flukes that are 25feet (7.6m) wide. The blue whale^s skin is usually blue-gray with white-gray spots. The underbelly has brown, yellow, or gray specks. Blue Whales :: Biology Ecology Nature Blue Whales The Blue whale is the largest creature of the sea, in fact, it is the largest creature known to man. Contrary to what most people think, even though Blue whales live in the sea, they are mammals. They breathe air, have their babies born alive and can live anywhere from 30 to 70 years. The Blue whale is a baleen whale, and instead of having teeth, Blue whales have around 300-400 baleen plates in their mouths. They fall under the category of the rorquals, which are the largest of the baleen family. The scientific name of the Blue whale is, Balsenoptera musculus. Introduction Whales are separated into two groups, the baleen and the toothed whales. The blue whale is the largest baleen whale and the largest animal that ever lived on Earth, including the largest dinosaurs. Baleen are rows of coarse, bristle-like fibers used to strain plankton from the water. Baleen is made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails. They live in pods, the have two blowholes. The blue whale has a 2-14 inch (5-30cm) thick layer of blubber. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are baleen whales (Suborder Mysticeti). They are one of 76 species and are marine mammals. Background The Blue whale is called a ^rorqual^, a Norwegian word for ^furrow^ referring to the pleated grooves running from its chin to its naval. The pleated throat grooves allow the Blue whale^s throat to expand during the huge intake of water during filter feeding; they can ^hold 1,000 tons or more of food and water when fully expanded^ (Small 1971). Blue whales have 50-70 throat grooves. Blue whales grow up to about 80 feet (25m) long on average, weighing about 120 tons. The females are generally larger than the males, this is the case for all baleen whales. ^The largest specimen found was a female 94 feet (29m) long weighing more than 174 tons^ (Satchell 1998). The head of the Blue whale forms up to a quarter of the total body length. Compared with other rorquals, the head is very broad. The blue whale heart is the size of a small car and can pump almost 10 tons of blood throughout the body. They have a very small, falcate (sickle-shaped) dorsal fin that is located near the fluke, or tail. Blue whales have long, thin flippers 8 feet (2.4m) long and flukes that are 25feet (7.6m) wide. The blue whale^s skin is usually blue-gray with white-gray spots. The underbelly has brown, yellow, or gray specks.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Social Networking Essay

The world of technology and communication has changed rapidly during this millennium era. We can not avoid that and as a matter of fact we will be lag behind if we do not follow it. Information Communication and Technology or ICT has become the major role to bring the world into a more modern and develop. ICT has also shaped the world to be more dynamic than ever before.†¨The world of education get the effect on the rapid changes of ICT. Education now have to adapt with the ICT, if not then there will create gap within education and the society. The education world now is also getting more improve by using ICT. Social Networking or Social Media such as facebook, twitter, WhatsApp and other alike is also product of the development in ICT. Not many people realise that social media that are used by so many people in the world can be used for language learning.†¨Social media provides the learner with the possibility of participating in actual, real-time, relevant conversations taking place online, and practicing the target language with or without the help of an experienced teacher by his or her side. However there are some advantages and disadvantages of using social networking for language learning. This article tries to present the role of social networking in education and to know the advantages and disadvantages of it. Read more:  Social networking advantages and disadvantages essay Though, there are many opinion regarding the topic, this article would like to limit on the advantages and disadvantages of social networking in english language learning.†¨The social networking sites focus heavily on building online communities bound together with common interests or activities. Thereby provide them with tools that help them to do so. In the field of education social networking sites encourage students to engage with each other and to express and share their creativity. Social media is also one good way for students to gain knowledge which can be from outside their classroom activities. So many social media they can share and discuss many things related to their need of particular knowledge with others practically.†¨With Social networking can create a better English communicative environment for students, they do not have to go to the country where the mother tongue of English is, they just connect to the internet and interact with people from English spea king countries. And they do not need to meet physically, and it also improving the efficiency of class teaching. English teaching can make the lessons more effective and efficient. Many social networking sites offers the users many applications  that make them easy to get any benefit including in english language learning. The most important feature of the social networking site is the ability to give and receive feedbacks. If this feature was not there, the world of social networking would not what it is today. Any content that you post instantly starts receiving comments, likes, reviews, opinions, and additional information on that topic . By doing this, it can create discussions, sharing ideas and other communicative skills which use english as the language in the discussion.†¨Social networking can encourage students to upload images or videos related to the courses. Some teachers even ask their students to upload their essays and assignments on the net, analyse the feedback, and write a better one for the final class essay. It is very good activity and the process or learning and teaching will run smoothly without any barriers of place and time.†¨Beside advantages of social networking in education, there are also some advantages of social networking in language learning. Many researchers has conducted research on this matter and many of them conclude that social networking can be subjected to crime especially to the youth or students. Because social networking offers the users to communicate each other without any boundaries that will be used by the bad people to to do crime to the others.†¨By using social networking people who is next to us because we are too busy with online internet or people who are far away becomes near because of this social networking. It means that, though the students are sitting close to each other but they are busy with their gadgets so, it is lack of social interactivity in the real life.†¨Networking websites can make people or especially students become very addictive. People spend more and more time at computer with makes them isolated from real life. They are wasting time at checking purposeless posts and informations. Thinking just about virtual world they can’t focus on anything and have problems at school or work.†¨In the term of language proficiency, many young people write broken english words which are not found in English dictionary. Some of the use abbr eviation which sometime confusing to the others. Such as they use ‘text language’ in their normal day to day vocal, saying things like ‘lol’ (laugh out loud).†¨Because mostly social networking using written context message, so sometimes students face  many problem when they are told to speak correct and professional English. Some are not able to form correct sentences on the spot and after making a mistake, the whole flow of the sentence and conversation breaks apart. Social networking sites, â€Å"can be a potential risk for teachers as some applications allows users to communicate† and â€Å"the content can lead to discrediting or slanderous messages†. It can be happens to the teacher when they are not so aware with the threat of social networking to them. The teacher need to concern and sometimes the teacher are not so well understand about the use of social media and its advantages in the teaching and learning. And the teacher should be good in selecting the content materials if not the learning process will be just useless.†¨Social networking can also be subjected to an on line bullying. It may happens when a students make or post bad things, and he does not realize that it can be used by other friends at school to embarrasse him. Of course it will create bullying among the students.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨There are some advantages and disadvantages of using social networking in education including in English language learning. It ca n encourage students to engage with each other and to express and share their creativity and can create a better English communicative environment for students. Oh the other hand, social networking is lack of humanitarian aspects and create confusing language because using slank words or abbreviation which are not found in English dictionary. Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking Essay Social networking sites have become extremely popular among the youth as well as the professional people. Keeping in mind, the growing popularity of these sites and the effect it has and the benefits that it brings along, it can be easily predicted that its popularity is sure to grow much more. The social networking websites are more like the virtual meeting places where people can just chill and hang out with friends. They can discuss on different topics, share information, and exchange files and pictures. We admitted the fact that using social networking is one way to enhance our social interaction with other people. Because of our technologies there are many ways that can help our works faster and easier. However, everything has a positive and negative side. Similarly, the social networking sites are also made up of their set of advantages and disadvantages; it is a one way to communicate our distant relatives or families, it’s a big help for the people who needs jobs especially there are online jobs offered in social networking and also it’s a way for some students who wants to finish their study due to their personal problems because there are many distance learning here in social networking. But among those advantages we can get from social networking, there are still many disadvantages that can affect to the users. Students are the one who are really affected for the disadvantages of social networking. According to the some surveyors many students are addicted to some social networking. That can lead them not to go to their classes’ hours. There are some social networking’s that are prohibited for minor children. Because of that, the cases now for the minor children like harassment, rape and etc. are getting higher. Because some are getting influence by what they have saw or learned from that social networking. In using social networking, it must be minimal and the users should know how it affects to her /his life so that there will be no regrets at the end. Do whatever you want as long as it can lead you on a better way and a peaceful life. Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking Essay  « Vocabulary and Grammar – An Elementary lesson for CELTA trainees at CELT Athens What steps are part of the process of designing a syllabus? What knowledge & skills do teachers need?  » The Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networks for Language Teachers Does this look familiar To –ing or not to –ing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦that is today’s question! One of my students asked me last month why we use the –ing form for blogging, networking, computing†¦..Good question! My answer? Because technology is constantly changing and plus usually these actions are constant, happen often, plus they are amusing but can be annoying – so we use the present continuous form†¦. On Wednesday 18 January, #ELTchatters wished each other a Happy New Year and got their teeth into a very stimulating chat. As language teachers, do we find these social networking platforms and services amusing or annoying Our students are already using a wide-range of social network sites and teachers are beginning to familiarize themselves with such sites, to keep up with technology but more importantly, to discuss and exchange ideas and develop as teachers. We read and write blogs, visit forums, develop Nings and Wikis, all of which are constantly changing and being updated. The #ELTchat itself is proof of this†¦.it’s fast, furious, fun and educational! We have joined ther World of Technology, for good or for bad? By the way, did you know that if Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest country in the world!!! So in the ELT world, here are the main themes from the discussion. Advantages: * There will be more pro chatters tonight as most members are keen SN users. * #ELTCHAT is one of the major advantages of SNs for teachers. * SNs have radically changed teachers’ lives. We will never feel alone again. * Facebook has become a professionally developing site rather than just a social network. * SN has revolutionized the way we think and opened wider perspectives. * SNs are global and 24/7. * SNs should be harnessed by 21 century teachers with enthusiasm. * Use Facebook for personal contacts and Google+ for PD. * SNs are an extension of staffroom chats with links, banter and discussions. ‘Virtual staffroom†. * #ELTchat is great as it is an ‘outer of class collaboration’ discussion, as few teachers in the workplace know how to collaborate. * SNs create friends which lead to face to face meetings. * Share worksheets/mind maps for students, time-saving. * Twitter tags can inform parents’ of students’ progress. * Non-native teachers are also exposed to real language in the modern world. * SNs, like Twitter and #ELTchat are energizing! Plus, through #ElTchat, you find more people to follow! So, start following!!! Disadvantages: * All SNs are time-consuming. * Some teachers find SNs too daunting to tackle. * SNs can become addictive. They can take over your life, leaving little time for family and friends. Knowing when to stop is crucial – try to switch off! * Replication of themes from one SN to another is annoying. * Students become obsessed in finding their teachers on FB and intrude in teachers’private lives. * Privacy issues with FB AND Twitter – do not accept people you don’t know or protected accounts on Twitter. * Tweetdeck often has technical problems. Mentioned sites, platforms and services worth checking out: * http://www.edmod Secure Social Networking for Teachers * http://moodle.org/Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is a Free web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites * http://www.blackboard.com/ Blackboard helps clients enrich all aspects of the education experience by engaging and assessing learners, making their daily lives more convenient and †¦ * http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com/ is a free online collaborative education platform that allows students and teachers to transcend the boundaries of their physical classroom to engage in an online collaborative  learning environment. * http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/2011/08/introducing-google-scribe-in-blogger.html-an aid to write your blog! * http://aplanet-project.org/ Autonomous Personal Learning Networks For Teachers * http://www.scoop.it/t/interactive-teaching-and-learningExploration of engaging learning spaces and technologies that suppo rt them. * http://www.evernote.com/ Remember everything! * http://www.diigo.com/ To collect, highlight and remember those bookmarks! The chat went on to discuss the issue of coping with lack of time and organizing information and links shared. This lead to a variety of suggestions for bookmarking and who prefers Twitter, FB, Google+. Everyone had their own opinion! A blog challenge was proposed: @esolcourses: Best method for organizing #ELTchat bookmarks! Choose one and demo! As ever, there were some great links shared: * http://t.cohttp://evasimkesyan.edublogs.org/2012/01/18/evo-digitalstorytelling4kids-and-the-tool-of-the-week//JBbayIuc * http://learningfundamentals.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Focus.jpg How to focus in times of distraction. Excellent mind map presentation! * http://cybraryman.com/facebook.html All you need to know about SN s and your students. * http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8142721/Social-networking-teachers-blame-Facebook-and-Twitter-for-pupils-poor-grades.html * http://educationland.wordpress.com/my-worksheets/http://educationland.wordpress.com/worksheets/http:/www.facebook.com/pages/Education-Land/221436857914023http:/t.co/gzX8zGIR Share worksheet and ideas! That’s the summary folks! I would like to add that I didn’t mention specific names on the summary as so many people commented on this chat, so there is something from everyone!! Thanks for another energy-boosting, informative chat! Happy Social Networking!!!

Life of Maya Angelou Essay

Maya Angelou was born an African American. One would feel the agony she went through to be born as such and in America. Her grandmother was raped and bore a child; this child later came to be her mother. Similar to the ferocity her grandmother experienced, she was raped as a child by her mother’s boyfriend who was later on killed by her uncles. Because of this, she didn’t speak for almost six years afraid that her words had killed the man. This must be the dawn of her path to being a writer, realizing that words are powerful. If it could kill then it could give life as well. When her parents divorced, her grandmother took good care of her and her brother Bailey, Jr. and it was him who called her Maya. She became many things: a dancer, a cable car operator, a singer, a waitress, and where she flourished, a writer. The turn of her career came when she went to Egypt and Ghana. She went back to America to support Malcolm X’s Organization of African American Unity but he was assassinated. The struggle of the race continued as she supported Martin Luther King, Jr. who was also assassinated defending the African American cause, this made Maya Angelou devastated. She never stopped working for the emancipation of the African Americans and continued writing for equal rights and liberty. And so, in 1993, she read ‘On the Pulse of Morning,’ at President William Jefferson Clinton’s inauguration at the White House. Her words are valuable to the nation. Her words influence men of power. Her life is interesting which produced works that are priceless to the American people most especially to the African Americans of whom she dedicated her efforts to for their emancipation. Angelou’s style of writing categorized her works in the genre of autobiographical fiction because of her writing styles in dialogues, characterization, development of theme, setting, plot and language. But for her, these are simply autobiographies. She speaks through her writing what she has learned or learning out of life. In her interview with Mike Schneider in Bloomberg TV, she talked to all women as her daughters for her book, â€Å"Letter to My Daughter†. She speaks to them how a woman surpasses an incident in life as she would, given a similar situation. She writes to all the women as her daughters, sharing with them her story like she was one with them. In the poem, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing†, one would feel between the lines how an African American feels in the land called America. The words are simple and yet powerful in the sense that it deeply triggers emotions from the reader. These are deep sentiments of an enslaved race, wanting to be free but â€Å"the bird’s wings are clipped†. Feelings of being held while the other birds are free: is something that she has undergone while the whites enjoy the liberty of being part of their race. A critic named Lupton, considered Angelou’s writings as autobiographies for they contain the elements of such: written by a single author, chronological, and they contain character, technique and them. Although, there are parts that are fictional, the elements necessary for an autobiography are present. Angelou has the tendency to go to the direction against the convention of what an autobiography is. She used the first person singular, â€Å"I† in talking about â€Å"we†. She is placed among the African American autobiographists but other writers insist that she has created a different kind of interpretation of the autobiographical form. The book, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings†, became an acclaim containing the sentiments of the black people. She wrote it out of a challenge by Robert Loomis, her editor, for her to write â€Å"high art†. African American literature is more challenged in such that the authors have to agree about the status of their writings on whether it’s â€Å"high art†. O’Neale considers Angelou’s poetry a â€Å"more expected ghetto expressiveness† and she also avoids a monolithic Black language. The bird was used as metaphor that is struggling to set itself free from its cage. The cage that incarcerates the creature represents â€Å"oppression† of the African American people. It must be emphasized as well that Angelou doesn’t intend to isolate the white people. She wanted to promote the relevance of diligence so as to change the concept of laziness among African Americans. At the latter part of the 1960s, one of her goals was to create a book that satisfied the criteria, â€Å"organic unity†. According to English literature scholar Valerie Sayers, her poetry and prose are similar because of the episodes which are done like a series of short stories, but they do not follow a chronology of events. Her prose and poems are both in â€Å"direct voice†, which are characterized by steady rhythms with lyrical patterns that use figures of speech (similes and metaphors). Hagen has mentioned that Angelou’s works were influenced by the African American community’s literary and oral tradition. She uses the â€Å"blues† music and literary characters in testifying about her life and hardships, with the use of metaphors, rhythms, and intonations. Angelou’s one of the most important themes are â€Å"kinship†, this has something to do with her parents abandonment of her and her brother, her relationship with her son, husbands and lovers all throughout her books. She discusses the value of family relationships of how it can affect development of a person. She spoke of her paternal grandmother who prophesied of her being a teacher when she intentionally went mute. Telling her that she would be a teacher someday but how could that happen if she does not speak. In most of her books, â€Å"motherhood† is predominantly manifested based on her experiences as a single mother, a daughter, and a granddaughter. Like in the book, â€Å"Letter to My Daughter†, she dedicated this book to all women pondering on their life experiences. She delivered words of wisdom to soothe and give directions to their souls. When asked if she would say the same things to her son or sons, she said it would be different. She would never know how it is to be a man. If she would write something for her son/sons, it would be through the perspective of a woman. Her plot often surrounds in this motif – mother & child. â€Å"The woman who survives intact and happy must be at once tender and tough. † – Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now (1994) She is an embodiment of strength and wisdom. This is where she gets her tenets from – the experiences she has gained from childhood up to the present which molded her to become a woman whom people listen to. For Scholar Mary Burgher, African American women autobiographers have rejected the stereotyping of roles as â€Å"breeder and matriarch† of their kind and they are being presented as â€Å"creative and personally fulfilling†. Maya Angelou also wanted to deliver the message that women are more than the purpose of bringing forth children. Women are valuable beings in society as much as men are. In her books, women are winners and are brilliant who have overcome hindrances of racial discrimination. She has been influenced greatly by her relationship with her grandmother who died early in her third autobiography, â€Å"Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas†. Momma (Angelou’s grandmother), is quoted in the whole book. â€Å"I write because I am a Black woman, listening attentively to her people†. Maya Angelou, 1984[87] She has greatly contributed to the emancipation of the black people in America working alongside with Malcom X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Went through devastation because of their deaths but continued on the struggle of her people. She continued to express the pains she goes through as a black woman through her music and poems. Using her gift in expressing through words her thoughts and struggles, unified the very same sentiments of all the black people in America. Her experiences especially from childhood gave her the foundation she needed to become who she is now. Everything that transpired in her life was a message she depicted in all her books. She resisted racial biases and protested outright to effect change in American society. She mentioned in her interviews when asked if she was angry, she said, â€Å"I am angry but I am not bitter†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , reiterating that anger was necessary to express indignation to the unjust treatment towards the black people. She emphasized, however, that she is not bitter. There is a difference between those two. She used anger to advance the cause of African Americans but made sure there is no bitterness in her heart. Works Cited Hagen, L. (1997). Heart of a Woman, Mind of a Writer, and Soul of a Poet: A Critical Analysis of the Writings of Maya Angelou. Lanham, Maryland: University Press. Lauret, M. (1994). Liberating Literature: Feminist fiction in America. New York: Routledge. O’Neale, S. (1984). Reconstruction of the Composite Self: New Images of Black Women in Maya Angelou’s Continuing Autobiography. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.

Pattern people’s development Essay

2.3 Explain how theories of development and framework to support development influence current practice. In this work I will refer to the main group of psychologists that are associated with child development and their consequent impact on the way we care for and teach our children. It is clearly a vast subject, but I hope to identify the most important theories and show how they are implemented in order to provide each child with the greatest chance of reaching their potential. Psychologists have spent whole lifetimes studying how we develop socially and emotionally. Some of the key theories are described below. Psychodynamic Theories Psychodynamic theories of personality are strongly influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud, and emphasise the influence of the unconscious mind and sometimes forgotten childhood experiences on personality. Psychodynamic theories include Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual stage theory and Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. Sigmun d Freud believed the three components of personality were the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is responsible for all needs and urges, while the superego for ideals and moral. The ego then moderates between the demands of the id, the superego, and reality in order to produce a satisfactory conclusion or compromise. Erik Erikson discusses psychosocial stages, and believed that personality progressed through a series of stages, with certain conflicts arising at each stage. Success in any stage depended upon successfully overcoming these conflicts He placed importance on the role of culture and society and the conflicts that can take place within the ego itself, whereas Freud emphasised the conflict between the id and the superego. According to Erikson, the ego develops as it successfully resolves difficulties of a specifically social nature. This involves establishing trust in others, developing a sense of your own identity within society, and helping children prepare themselves for their future. Erikson furthers Freudian ideas by focusing on the ego as ever-changing and creative, and he believed that the stages of personality development continued throughout our lifespan. Behavioural Theories These suggest that personality is a result of interaction  between the individual and the environment. Behavioural theorists study observable and measurable behaviour, and reject theories that take internal thoughts and feelings into account. B.F.Skinner Skinner believed that children learn through experience or conditioning. He coined the term ‘operant conditioning’, meaning simply changing behaviour by the use of reinforcement which is given after the desired response. Neutral operants are responses from the environment that neither increase nor decrease the probability of a behaviour being repeated. Reinforcers are either positive or negative responses from the environment that will increase the probability of that behaviour being repeated. Punishers are responses from the environment that decrease the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated. The punishment weakens the behaviour. As children we constantly try out different behaviours, and learnt from their consequences, sometimes the hard way! Positive rewards/reinforcements for good behaviour are the basis of many behaviour management techniques. Albert Bandura Bandura developed the idea of ‘modelling’ or social learning, based on the idea that children will instinctively copy the adults around them. Bandura’s experiment where children watched a film of adults hitting dolls suggests that children learn social behaviour such as aggression through the process of observation learning, i.e. by observing the behaviour of another person. This study has important implications for the effects of media violence on children, in that the learned aggression was seen as acceptable behaviour. There is much evidence that a child who witnesses or experiences violence at home may also develop aggressive behaviour. Conversely, a child who witnesses kind or thoughtful behaviour can be seen to develop these qualities because of their need to emulate the behaviour of familiar or significant others. Humanist theories These theories emphasise the notion of free will and individual experiences in the development of personality. Humanist theorists put forward the concept of self-actualisation, defined as an inherent need for personal advancement that will motivate and influence behaviour Abraham Maslow wanted to understand what motivates people. His theory was that individuals possess motivational  ideas that are not linked to rewards or unconscious desires. In 1943, Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs, when one of those needs is fulfilled, that person will move on to fulfil the next and carries on in this way. The original ‘hierarchy of needs’ five-stage model is as follows; 1. Biological and Physiological needs- air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep. 2. Safety needs – protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, and freedom from fear. 3. Social Needs – belonging, affection and love, from family, friends, romantic relationships, work colleagues. 4. Esteem needs – achievement, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, and respect from others. 5. Self-Actualisation needs – fulfilment of personal potential, seeking personal growth and ultimate experiences. Carl Rogers was a humanistic psychologist who agreed with the main assumptions of Abraham Maslow, but added that for a person to â€Å"grow†, they also needed an environment providing them with genuineness (openness and self-disclosure), acceptance (to be viewed with unconditional positive regard), and empathy (being listened to and understood).Without these, Rogers thought that relationships and healthy personalities would not develop as they should, and likened this to a tree being unable to grow without sunl ight and water. Rogers also believed that every person has the ability to achieve their goals, wishes and desires in life. Self-actualisation was the term that was used to describe this pinnacle of development. Biological theories This theory puts forward that genetics are responsible for personality. Research on’ heritability’ (defined as ‘the extent to which genetic individual differences contribute to individual differences in observed behaviour’) suggests that there is a link between genetics and personality traits. Psychologists in this area assume that behaviour and experiences are caused by activity in the nervous system of the body. Things that people think, feel, say and do are caused by  electrochemical events occurring within and between the neurones that make up their nervous system, in particular those in the brain. Because the development of the brain is determined (at least partly) by genes we have inherited, then it seems reasonable to assume that behaviour could be seen to be influenced by genetic factors. Our inherited genes are also thought to be the result of evolution, so psychologists in this area also reason that behavioural and psychological characteristics may have evolutionary origins. Hans Eysenck linked aspects of personality to biological progressions, for instance he proposed that introverted people had a high level of brain arousal, leading them to avoid stimulation. Conversely Eysenck believed extroverts had lower levels of brain arousal, which led them to seek out exciting experiences. Social psychologists argue that behavioural reasoning is almost impossible without reference to relationships with others, and also suggest that culture, especially that of social learning and language, has a critical impact on thought and behaviour. It could be said that the biological approach to behaviour focuses on genetic and biological influences to the exclusion of social and cultural influences. However, the biological approach has contributed an enormous amount to our understanding of the fundamental processes of behaviour, and has provided explanations for a range of psychological disorders such as depression. Cognitive theories Cognitive psychology focuses on the way in which we process information, then looks at how we treat the information, or stimuli, and finally how this treatment leads to our response. There is a great interest in the variables that connect stimulus/input and response/output. Cognitive psychologists study these internal processes including perception, attention, language, memory and thinking, resulting in a huge amount of research into how children develop intellectual skills. Jean Piaget Piaget showed that intelligence is the result of a natural sequence of stages and that it develops as a result of the changing interaction between the child and its environment. Children are born with a basic and genetically inherited mental formation on which all subsequent knowledge and learning is based. Piaget became intrigued with the  reasons children gave for their wrong answers on the questions that required logical thinking. He believed that these incorrect answers revealed important differ ences between the thinking of adults and children, the common assumption in psychology was that children are less competent thinkers than adults, but Piaget showed that young children simply think in a completely different way. Piaget’s theory differs from others in that he is only concerned with children, rather than all learners, and focuses purely on development. Children construct an understanding of their environment, and then will experience differences between what they know and what they discover in the world around them. These ‘adaption processes’ enable the transition from one developmental stage to another, one of the most well-known of these are ‘schemas’, which a child will develop to help make sense of a changing environment. For example, a child may think that all dogs are black because they have a pet dog that is black, so on seeing a white dog, the schema will need to change to cope with this new information. Jerome Bruner Bruner believed that as children develop they use different ways of representing the world around them. In his research on the cognitive development of children he proposed three modes of representation: Enactive (0 – 1 years) This appears first, and involves encoding action-based information and storing it in our memory. For example, a baby might remember the action of shaking a rattle in the form of an actual movement, so it is a muscle memory. Iconic (1 – 6 years) This is where information is stored visually in the form of a mental images. For some people this is a conscious happening. This could explain why it is very often helpful to have diagrams or illustrations to accompany written or verbal information, so that the information can be visualised. Symbolic (7 years onwards) This develops last, and is the storing of information in the form of a code or symbol. Symbols are flexible, and can be manipulated, grouped, classified etc., so the child is not limited by actions or images. In this symbolic stage, knowledge is stored primarily as words/language, or mathematical symbols. These are known as modes of representation, and rather than being orderly stages of development, they are only loosely sequential and are gradually integrated into each other. Bruner’s work also suggests that even  a very young child is capable of learning any material as long as the work is worded or presented appropriately. Lev Vygotsky Zone of Proximal Development. This is where the potential learning capabilities of a child is determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or by interactions/collaborative working with more capable peers. Sociocultural Theory. Vygotsky also suggested that human development results from energetic interaction between individuals and society, where children learn gradually and continuously from parents and teachers. Trait theory This was put forward in 1936, by psychologist Gordon Allport, and unlike other theories, the trait approach focuses on the differences between people, and how the combination and interaction of similar traits creates a unique individual. Trait theory is aims to identify and measure these individual personality characteristics. A ‘Big Five’ theory emerged, which represents five fundamental traits that interact to form our personalities. The exact labels for each dimension are not set in stone by psychologists, but the following are used most commonly Extroversion Agreeableness Conscientiousness Neuroticism Openness Most people would agree that people can be described adequately based upon their personality traits, but there are some problems with this theory as it doesn’t address how or why personality differences develop, and also that traits can be a poor predictor of behaviour. The National Curriculum is a government framework that sets out a clear, full and con stitutional right to learning for all pupils. It determines the content of what will be taught, and sets achievement objectives for learning. It also determines how their performance will be assessed and reported. A successful national curriculum should be clear and comprehensive, and convey a full understanding of the skills and knowledge  that young people will gain at school. It should allow schools to meet the individual learning needs of pupils, whilst developing a strong character and ethos that is rooted in their local communities. It also provides a clear framework for all those involved in education to provide support for young people in their pursuit of further learning. Alongside the national curriculum is a government initiative known as ‘Every Child Matters’, or ECM. This applies to children and young adults up to the age of 19, or 24 for those with disabilities. Its main aims are that every child, whatever their background or circumstances, has a right to the support they need in order to- stay safe be healthy, enjoy and achieve, economic well-being positive contribution It is one of the most i mportant policy initiative and development programmes in relation to children, and was introduced partly in response to the shocking death of Victoria Climbià ¨ in 2000. In the past it has been felt that children and families have received poor service because of the failure of professionals to either understand each other’s roles or to work together effectively. The agencies in partnership may include children’s centres, early years, schools, children’s social work services, primary and secondary health services, playwork, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS). ECM was an attempt to eliminate this poor service, stressing the importance of all professionals working with children, and making them aware that working together in the interests of the child was of the utmost importance. Reading through the aims and initiatives in both these government-led frameworks there are clear correlations with some of the work that has been carried out by psychologists into child development. Piaget’s work was extremely influential in developing educational policy and teaching. A review of primary education by the UK government in 1966 was based strongly on Piaget’s theory, and the result of this review led to the publication of the Plowden report in 1967. Discovery learning was the idea that children learn best through doing and actively exploring, and was seen as central to the  transformation of our primary school curriculum.it was also suggested there should be more flexibility in the curriculum, using the environment to learn, and to recognise the importance of each child’s progress not just measurable evaluations. Piaget’s theory is based upon biological maturation, promotes the notion of ‘readiness’ as being important, in other words, the right time for certain information or concepts to be taught is when they have reached the appropriate stage of cognitive development. A learner, according to Piaget, should be active, not passive, because problem-solving skills cannot be taught, they must be discovered. In the classroom this translates as pupil centred learning, where the role of the teaching staff is to facilitate learning rather than by direct tuition. Within the classroom the following methods are used; Focus on the learning process, not just the end result. Use active methods that involve rediscovering, or reconstructing ‘truths’ Use both collaborative and individual activities, as children can learn from each other as well as on their own. Devise situations that present problems for the child to solve. Regularly evaluate development levels so that appropriate tasks can be set for children. For Bruner, the purpose of education should not be just to impart knowledge, but to facilitate a child’s thinking and problem solving skills, so they can then be transferred to a range of situations. Bruner opposed Piaget’s notion of readiness, and argued that it was a waste of time trying to match the difficulty of subject material to a child’s cognitive stage of development. This means students are held back by teachers as certain topics are deemed too challenging so must only be taught when the teacher believes the child has reached the appropriate state of cognitive maturity. Bruner believed that a child of any age is capable of understanding complex information, and proposed the idea of the ‘spiral curriculum’. This is teaching that is structured so that complex ideas can be taught at a simplified level first, and then re-visited at gradually increasing levels of difficulty later on. Teaching this way should lead to children being able to solve problems by themselves. We can see then that the role of the teacher should not be to teach information by  rote learning, but instead to facilitate the learning process. A good teacher will design lessons that help children discover the connection between small amounts of information. To do this a teacher must provide children with the information they need, but without organising it for them A contemporary educational application of Vygotsky’s theories is known as â€Å"reciprocal teaching†, and is used to improve the children’s ability to learn from text. In this method, teac hing staff and children work together in learning and practicing four key skills: summarising, questioning, clarifying, and predicting. In my voluntary work at Lady Bay Primary, I use this when reading with children, either individually or in groups. Often the children offer the extra information even before I have prompted them. This is the beginning of a gradual reduction of the teacher’s role in the learning process. Vygotsky is also linked to instructional ideas such as â€Å"scaffolding† and â€Å"apprenticeship†, in which a teacher or more advanced peer can help structure or organise a task so that a child can work on it successfully. Vygotsky’s theories are relevant to the current interest in collaborative learning, suggesting that when working together in groups there should be different levels of ability so the more advanced children can help those who are working at a lower level of ability. Again this is a system that works well within my class of year 1’s, and they help and encourage each other in the task almost without noticing. B.F. Skinner’s research into behaviour modification has translated into the classroom in several ways, token economy and behaviour shaping. Token economy is a system in which targeted behaviours are reinforced with tokens (secondary reinforcers) and are later exchanged for rewards (primary reinforcers). Tokens can be in the form of fake money, buttons, poker chips, stickers, etc. and rewards can range be anything from snacks to privileges/activities. Within our school we use this system, in more than one guise. Our ‘dragons gold’ tokens are given out for a variety of different positive behaviours, and after reaching a certain amount the child is able to choose an activity as a reward. An even simpler way of instilling positive reinforcement in behaviour modification is by giving compliments, approval, encouragement, and affirmation when appropriate. The current practice in any child/young people’s development programme needs  to meet certain requirements aimed at their maturity level. It must also respect a child’s psychological needs and promote feelings of safety, security and belonging. By promoting interactive learning, and building conceptual understanding a curriculum will uphold and encourage the advancement of learning abilities, and provide children with a solid foundation on which to build their life and learning skills.