Taking The Test Essays - Essay, Stress, Test,

Taking The Test Many essays have been written that one could describe as touching, or something one could easily relate to. A very good example is Taking the Test by David Groff. He writes about taking an AIDS test, and records all his feelings and emotions as he waits for, and receives, what could be something that may lead to a death sentence. This essay is enjoyed by many people, because it is touching, it is easy to relate to the pressure, and stress that is connected with taking a test, and it is a new, recent subject that could, or does, affect people now. This essay is very touching. The reader feels very sympathetic towards the man taking the test. Even more so because the author announces that he is gay. The way he describes his emotions and feelings, fear, confusion, and loneliness, is very moving. He notices very small things because he almost believes he is infected, and it makes everything that much more precious. The way he makes everything sound very beautiful, as he describes it, is understandable, despite the fact that he is awaiting his sentence, life or death, because even though HIV does not mean death, it means an inevitable pain, and suffering, if not physically, then mentally, and if not for you, then for the loved ones. Had he told the reader the outcome of the test, the reaction to the story would have been different. If he was positive, the reader would become overly sympathetic, overlooking the reason for the story which was not sympathy, but to teach a lesson, As long and as well as you can, live, live. (Groff 75) Had the author been negative, the reader would have pushed the essay away, again overlooking the lesson, and thinking that the author worried for nothing. Groff pushes all the right buttons, keeping his audience begging for the outcome of the test. A reason that this essay is touching to many readers is because it is easy to relate to. Many people understand the pressure and stress that is connected with taking a test, even if it is a pop quiz in math. Unfortunately, many people know how it feels to take, and fail, an AIDS test. Many people know someone close to them who has taken the test and failed. For instance, my uncle was a gay, catholic priest. He overcame all fears and took the blood test, to learn that he was positive. It was very hard on our family, but we learned to live with it. I think it was a lot harder to understand what he was going through because I didnt know what he was feeling and, unfortunately I never got the chance to ask. This essay opened my eyes a bit wider. People with other medical problems can also relate to Groffs essay. Women awaiting results of their breast examination, knowing that one of the eight women in the waiting room will have bad results can relate. A football player waiting for the res ults of his x-ray which, will determine if he ever plays football again, can also relate to this essay. Groff uses a very basic subject, and handles it well. Because this essay is written about a newer, more recent subject, more readers are attracted to it. It has been much easier to come out of the closet lately, and more people understand that. People will deal with homosexuality some time in their life, be it a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or themselves. AIDS, in general, has also been a recent subject in newspapers and magazines. Twenty years ago when AIDS was just discovered, it was easy to see why people didnt really pay much attention to it. Now, that there are warnings, it is hard to understand why people are so risky. People will also deal with AIDS sometime in their life. Its a very common subject, and it is what people want to read about, themselves. This essay is enjoyed by many people, because it is touching, it is easy to relate to the pressure, and stress that is connected with taking a test, and it is a new, recent subject that could, or does,

Origins of the French Revolution in the Ancien Regime

Origins of the French Revolution in the Ancien Regime The classic view of the ancien rà ©gime in  France- the state of the nation before the French Revolution of 1789- is one of opulent, corpulent aristocrats enjoying wealth, privilege, and the finery of life, while totally divorced from the mass of the French people, who stooped in rags to pay for it. When this picture is painted, it is usually followed by an explanation of how a revolution- a massive smashing of the old by the massed ranks of the newly empowered common man- was necessary to destroy the institutionalized disparities. Even the name suggests a major gap: it was old, the replacement is new. Historians now tend to believe this is largely a myth, and that much once regarded as purely the result of the revolution was actually evolving before it. A Changing Government The revolution did not suddenly change France from a society where position and power depended on birth, custom, and being obsequious to the king, nor did it usher in an entirely new era of government being run by skilled professionals instead of noble amateurs. Before the revolution, ownership of rank and title was increasingly dependent upon money rather than birth, and this money was increasingly being made by dynamic, educated, and able newcomers who bought their way into the aristocracy. 25% of the nobility- 6000 families- had been created in the eighteenth century. (Schama, Citizens, p. 117) Yes, the revolution swept away a vast number of anachronisms and legal titles, but they had already been evolving. The nobility was not a homogenous group of overfed and debauched abusers- although these existed- but a vastly varying set which included the rich and the poor, the lazy and the entrepreneurial, and even those determined to tear their privileges down. Changing Economics A change in land and industry is sometimes cited as happening during the revolution. The supposedly ‘feudal’ world of dues and homage to a master in return for land is supposed to have been ended by the revolution, but many arrangements- where they had existed at all- had already been changed into rents before the revolution, not after. The industry had also been growing  pre-revolution, led by entrepreneurial aristocrats benefiting from the capital. This growth wasn’t on the same scale as Britain, but it was large, and the revolution halved it, not increased it. Foreign trade before the revolution grew so much that Bordeaux nearly doubled in size in thirty years. The practical size of France was shrinking too with an increase in travelers and the movement of goods and the speed with which they moved. Lively and Evolving Society French society was not backward and stagnant and in need of a revolution to clear it out as once claimed. Interest in enlightened science had never been stronger, and the cult of heroes took in men like Montgolfier (who brought people to the skies), and Franklin (who tamed electricity). The crown, under the curious, if awkward  Louis XVI, took on board invention and innovation, and the government was reforming public health, food production, and more. There was plenty of philanthropy, such as schools for the disabled. Arts also continued to evolve and developed. Society had been evolving in other ways. The explosion of the press which helped the revolution was certainly bolstered by the end of censorship during the upheaval but began in the decade before 1789. The idea of virtue, with an emphasis on the purity of oration over text, sobriety, and scientific curiosity was evolving out of the trend for ‘sensibility’ before the revolution took it to more extreme heights. Indeed the whole voice of the revolution- in as much as historians ever agree on a commonality among the revolutionaries- was developing before. The idea of the citizen, patriotic to the state, was also emerging in the pre-revolutionary period. The Importance of the Ancien Rà ©gime on the Revolution None of this is to say that the ancien rà ©gime was without problems, not least of which was the management of government finances and the state of the harvests. But it is clear that the changes wrought by the revolution had many of their origins in the earlier period, and they made it possible for the revolution to take the course it did. Indeed, you could argue that the upheaval of the revolution- and the ensuing military empire- actually delayed much of the recently proclaimed ‘modernity’ from fully emerging.

Systemic Professional Development and its Effect on Novice Teacher Dissertation

Systemic Professional Development and its Effect on Novice Teacher Retention Rates, A Qualitative Research Case Study - Dissertation Example The model of systematic professional development is also discussed vis-a-vis various parameters that influence teaching capabilities with significant impact on retention of novice teacher. Finally, possible remedies that have been suggested to date, with particular attention to mentorship, and systemic professional development were included in this review. To introduce newcomers to the professional culture of the school, induction and mentoring is often used, but with mixed success. For one thing, the time the assistance is offered is usually quite short, and often, if not always, the teacher is expected to be carrying an almost-full or full load. When compared with effective systemic professional development, induction and mentoring do not seem to be as successful. In the following section, the case study research methodology design will be established as a viable way to conduct a qualitative study. The specific qualitative research approach adopted for this study will be explored i n complete detail. Keywords: systematic professional development, K-12 education, retention/ attrition Section 2: Literature Review Introduction The study addresses the problem of low rate of retention among new teachers in the K-12 education system of the United States. The purpose of this study is to identify effective systemic professional development learning opportunities, if any, which aid in the retention of apprentice teachers in the teaching profession. The focus will be in answering the sub question: Why systemic professional development learning opportunities are beneficial to novice teachers? Systemic professional development is one of several possible strategies to deal with low retention amongst novice teachers. It has been credited with success in supporting apprentice teachers (Kent, 2004; Langraf, 2004; Wong et al., 1998). However, its possible influence on new teacher attrition rates is less studied. Siedentop (2006) suggests, that â€Å"what is really missing is systematic evidence to support that the approaches being advocated (work); there is some evidence to support the different positions, but it is spotty at best, flawed at worst† (p. 14). The literature to be reviewed consists primarily of books and scholarly journals from the last 15 years, though a few earlier studies are included to broaden the historical context. It concentrates on the situation in the United States, though studies of similar issues in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Europe will be consulted. The material for the review was gathered by library catalog and electronic database searches, using keywords relevant to each of its topics. The bibliographies found in nearly all source materials were critical in locating and identifying relevant studies, and the studies themselves sometimes cited valuable content from works that remained inaccessible. The gathering of material thus proceeded in a series of waves, where the last items discovered provided inf ormation on what would be most useful to access next. Literature examined in this section is closely associated with the most pertinent work available to address teacher attrition rates. Due consideration is given to the influence, if any, of professional development on novice teacher attrition rates. Included in this review is an investigation of the following:

Using an Ofsted report for an establishment not known to you, identify Essay

Using an Ofsted report for an establishment not known to you, identify possible future actions to be taken by the school to improve performance - Essay Example Where these were good they contributed to a high level of ICT capability, which pupils developed as they progressed through the school and which they could apply progressively in a range of subject contexts. 13 The layout of computer rooms at Elfed was found to be unsatisfactory, usually because there was no room for pupils to undertake work away from machines. Where there was a flexible and spacious arrangement, this enabled a greater variety of teaching and learning styles in lessons and facilitated better lesson planning in line with the ICT strand of the Key Stage 3 Strategy. 16 Elfed had some provision for technical support. In some cases a permanent member of the support staff had been specifically trained and could assist with both technical and curriculum requirements. Teachers who lacked confidence found this level of support invaluable and were reluctant to use ICT without it. Such support also enabled the ICT coordinator to remain focussed on curriculum and staff training as opposed to non-curricular matters 16 ICT generally impinged on standards in other subjects in indirect ways, for example through improved opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively, creatively and to solve problems. Pupils were interested, enthusiastic and curious about ICT and this contributed to their engagement and motivation, including some who were otherwise reluctant learners. This drove them to explore the potential of ICT, sustained their concentration and promoted their independent learning. However, this was dependent on being part of a well-planned broader context such as appropriate teacher input and support to enable them to use ICT independently and successfully. 17 As the business world continues to reel from the effects brought about by technological change, the UK educational community is now experiencing the challenges associated with the transition to a more learner-personalized, ICT-enabled education. Some

Comparing Gods and Goddesses Essay Example for Free

Comparing Gods and Goddesses Essay Years ago, women did not have much power as they do now. Women sat back and took orders from their husbands. Whatever is asking of them to do the women would have to carry out the order with no feedback and nobody jesters. Women were more humble to men and they listened and believed whatever men told them. All women knew how to do was to be a homemaker. Women did not have a problem with staying home cooking, cleaning, ironing, and taking care of the children. Women kept everything in order at home. The one thing women did not do in the home years ago was keep track of the bills. The men did the bill back then, because they were the ones bringing home the money. When it came to spending any money for the house or for the children, the man was in charge. Women were to let the men know what was needed and they will go out and get it. Today women are different; Women are more attractive and keep themselves up. Women do not stay at home and take care of the children. The women today work, go to school, take care the children, and the home. The men today are taking the back seat. The women are in control. In some households, the women are telling the men what to do. The women today have power. To the children the women can fix anything. The men sometimes have the same thoughts. Many look up to the women. The women can heal the sick and feed the hungry and cloth the naked with very little money. Zeus a Greek God had a daughter by the name of Athena. Athena was the Greek Goddess of wisdom. She is fair, strong and very merciful to all. Athena was independent and didn’t rely on anyone. She was also known as one of the three virgin goddesses. Athena was the type of women who didn’t worry about being romanced by a male. She wasn’t concerned with marriage either. To refer back to today’s culture; Athena is what you call a, â€Å"career woman. † She was always busy doing something. The modern women today are all work and no play. Greek goddess by the name of Artemis was as strong as an ox. She doesn’t need a male to protect her. Artemis is the defender and guardian of all women in childbirth. She also loves the wilderness. So she protects those women too. Artemis dislikes men because they are of no use to her. She isn’t interested in getting married either because she feels that it takes away from a women’s freedom. So Artemis is very close to her female friends. They walk the forest together all the time. Unlike Athena, Artemis doesn’t really care to deal with the city life. She would rather be in the wilderness with the animals. Even though Artemis disliked men, she allowed the young boys to come and learn new things at her sanctuary. So she wasn’t as bad as the people thought she was. She was just a strong minded woman who loved nature. She loved being outdoors. Artemis is a great defender to all. Unlike Artemis, Athena wore a helmet and walked around holding a shield. She was rational and very intelligent. She was wise and a peacemaker. She is powerful and strong like Artemis. She defends her people in war but is also a peacemaker. Artemis is young and beautiful and wears leaves to cover her body. She doesn’t cover her legs. The costume that she wears could possibly cause problems with the Greek gods because of the way it looks. She feels that her costume represents sacrificed animals. It could represent breast and fruits also. But goddess’s views were very different from the Gods. Gods are usually described in terms of the various sociopolitical roles that they fulfill. † The function of the god myths are to explain phenomena to fasten a culture, record and pass on historical events, set example for people, and set behavior standards for generation to follow. Natural phenomena’s like thunder, lightening, miracles, and seasonal changes are all associated with god myths. God myths explain these phenomena’s that people find hard to understand. For example, the Myth Persephone and Hades started by the Greeks to explain winter and why it happens. Myths of the gods and are also created and function as explanations for happenings after death occurrences of certain miracles, and the creation of the Earth. Function of myth is to justify and validate the ritual practices and cultic celebrations. At time myth are also etiological in its function, in trying to explain the causes of certain customs and practices or how a particular name of the place originated. In traditional societies myth has an educational value, it was used to introduce or stress a particular moral value. People needing to believe is a common element in all society if you get people to believe in what you are saying the will follow. Myth by nature depicts a time period that is usually a remote past, in which gods and goddesses are the chief characters. A myth usually points to an unknown transcendental reality in symbolic form. It has a tremendous psychological impact on the listeners as it makes the listeners almost believe that those things really happened. Religious people have sacred narratives, call myths, which explain how things got the way they are. Proverbs and legends escribe wisdom and phenomenal exploits â€Å"in ordinary, profane time,† myths portray the work of spiritual power in arranging the existing order â€Å"in primordial, sacred time’ (Loewen 1969b, 150). National myths describe how tribes and nations came into being. Deity myths recount relationships between humanity and divinity: Spirit myths depict the origin and functions of lower spiritual beings. Sickness myths reveal ancient sources and causes of illness. Cosmic myths describe the origin and cause of catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, lightning, thunder, drought, rain, and eclipses. Describe the elements and function of god myth just depends on the cultures and what they have been told to believe. Just like us as human we are taught to believe what we have been taught from generation to generation from our ancestor something are believable and something’s just are not but they are not question. God is often portrayed like a person who is outside us. He controls the world from outside like a king controls his subjects. He is often called Superman who moves the earth and the heaven. God is in control of the female and male divine culture. The female and male divine possess different elements and functions starting in early era of time and carried in today’s era. The male is considered the stronger, aggressive, masculine and brutish image. The female is cunningly, not weak with an inner strength voice that speaks to her soul. The male divine is the protector of the house, the provider, and control the needs of the household. The male divine only cater to his needs and not respect the female desires. The early eras of life the female was expect to stay at home and take care of the house, children, and male and not enter the working world. Society today has changed whereas the female is working and supporting the family needs and stills mange the household. Although society has continued to change the male divine found switching the roles play by staying at home and supporting the family needs. The role play has impact a different outlook on life in the male divine. Technically the female and male divine is different hormones, brains functions, and the heritance of traits from family heritage. The female is strong minded in varies subject and aspect that affects the controlling of the household. The male divine still does not grip the concept that the female divine is powerful and put here to help support the male divine in every aspect of life. Female divine are to walk beside and not behind the male. The both female and male are difference in appearance that how the attraction for each other beginning. The outer appearance attracts male to female leading to companionship. The male looks to the females to ease the discomfort with compassion, understanding, stroking the bad feeling to make it better but the opinion of the female seem unimportant to male at the first sign of the situation. Yet the male has to make a step backward to say the female opinion is right. The male ego is a huge quest for the male to let down his guards. The female and male divine continues to live in harmony and depend on the different ideas and opinion that each possess and strive for completeness. When the male and female learns to share, communicate, listen, and willingness to share the solution of all concerns coming up with right decision as one. Female and male should not be in competition for seeing who the better person is. Throughout history the elements and function has not change for the female and male divine it just seem to adapt along with society principles of what society anticipate. Female and male divine has many elements and functions to help stay focus on the various barriers of life by adapting to society changing society. Finally, the male and the female divine share the same functions. They both are in authority to give orders, and many people look up to them both. They know life will bring different kinds for issues to endure, but they are willing to go throw and handle them with the proper approach. The male and the female divine are just alike concerning their children, and being there for their children. If mom is not available, the child will turn to their dad. The male and the female are valued. They are both beautiful people with values and power they both share. They give and take orders from each other, and other people. They both share a desire to love one another, and the male divine loves beautiful, smart women can stand on her on and fix life-changing problems. The woman wants the same values in a man. The elements and functions shared by the female and the male are on going from generations to generation.

Free College Admissions Essays: I Hated My Father :: College Admissions Essays

I Hated My Father I hated my father for a long time. I resemble him completely, and everyone says I am a copy of him in appearance. And some people even said that 30 years after, I would be what he was completely in everything. But I really disliked to be told so, and I felt it was an insult to me. My father was an object of detestation for me; to be his son was my curse. I didn't regard him as my father and despised him very much, so I sought ways of revenge on him. I decided that after I graduate from university and I can earn my own living, I would abandon him. "For now, I will act a meek son, but it won't last forever. He should live his lonely old age," I thought. There were many reasons why I hated my father. He was quick-tempered, selfish, and he easily beat and kicked me, because he wanted to have his own way in everything. Though I had not been such a bad child, I was often scolded and knocked about by him since I was a small child, so I was afraid of him, and I really had contempt for him. There was one more reason why I hated my father; it was my name "Taro", given me by my father "Taro" is a very simple name. Anyone naming a child could think of this name in one second. Of course, this simple name was made fun of by my friends. I really hated it, and I wondered whether my father had really thought my name over seriously. I asked him the reasons for naming me this, but he answered only "Taro is simple, manful, and easy to remember." I even wondered if perhaps my father thought of me as a dog. I seldom felt his love for me. Last year, I entered Fukui Medical School, and started to live alone. My despising of my father had not changed at all, so I was very happy to live alone, because I didn't have to meet him except during my vacation! Of course, I seldom went home though it is possible to go there in only one hour by car. But since I have lived by myself, my impression of my father has gradually changed. My mother often said my father wanted to meet me and he talked about me very often.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence Essay

Human intelligence involves many skills such as problem solving, decision making, learning understanding and reflex actions. Many experts in AI have dreamt of creating machines that can imitate our human intelligence. This has led to many possibilities; however, the field of AI has to be understood from both sides of the coin. On the one hand, artificial intelligence has allowed the design of applications that can explore every part of the world that the human cannot visit. For example, in the field of space exploration, artificial intelligence’s machines explore universe parts that are totally hostile to human beings. Intelligent robots are programmed to excavation mining of fuel. These machines can also measure the depth of the oceans. Some of these sophisticated machines have replaced human beings in many fields that require manpower, time and money. Often, these tasks are harmful to humans and therefore programmed robots save people’s health in a big way. On the other hand, the establishment of ethics, moral values and standards is difficult when humans are dominated by machines. Any amount of automation cannot create intelligence; it is only a human feature. No machine can show dedication or emotion s at work and we as human beings cannot live in a world that is only surrounded by machines. For example, in hospitality industry, robots cannot replace the care or concern shown by the hospital staff. Therefore, beyond a point, the capabilities of lateral thinking can probably get delayed if the daily tasks are just made for power cycle machines. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it is possible that a machine can develop areas of knowledge very specific and complicated; making the machine can simulate processes which man performs. But we can highlight that it is not achieved yet a machine that can thing like a human. Indeed, this limitation is the fact that human beings are irreplaceable because human beings have an  own feature: common sense.